The vise turned another rotation tighter on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
Their once-safe 3-0 series lead versus the Boston Celtics hasactually narrowed to 3-2 after the Celtics took Game 5, 110-97, Thursday.
The vise is still tight on the second-seeded Celtics who haveactually discovered some heart and some decision in the past 2 videogames versus the Heat who are attempting to endedupbeing the 2nd No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.
The Celtics began the videogame with the requisite seriousness, getting a 28-13 lead late in the veryfirst quarter and 61-41 lead late in the 2nd quarter.
Derrick White led 4 Boston gamers in double figures with 24 points.
OPINION: Boston lastly looks like Boston and this series simply got intriguing
Game 6 is Saturday in Miami (8: 30 p.m. ET, TNT), and while technically, it’s not a must-win for the Heat (it is for the Celtics), the Heat choose to prevent a return journey to Boston for Game 7.
History is in Miami’s favor. A group with a 3-0 series lead in the NBA playoffs is 150-0. Just 3 groups haveactually required a Game 7 — the Portland Trail Blazers were the most current to do it versus the Dallas Mavericks in 2003. The 1994 Denver Nuggets (lost to the Utah Jazz) and the 1951 New York Knicks (lost to the Rochester Royals) likewise did it.
The Celtics have the skill. Do they have the intestinaltract perseverance?
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were the just Heat beginners in double-digits in points, and Miami’s beginners were outscored 82-35 through 3 quarters.
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