Boston Celtics

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The Boston Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, not that they will get much sympathy from the Miami Heat ahead of the possible closeout game Wednesday night.

Top-seeded Boston took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 102-88 victory in Miami on Monday, but Porzingis exited late in the first half with a non-contact calf injury and did not return. He left the arena in a walking boot.

Porzingis was ruled out following a medical examination Tuesday that revealed a right soleus strain. It is the same injury that has kept the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the playoffs so far.

"Nothing changes," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "Bringing the same mindset, intentionality, toughness, details to the next game regardless of who's available. It doesn't matter. There's no difference between the regular season and the playoffs. And all year, we've had guys step in and play."

The Heat lost Jimmy Butler to a sprained right MCL in the play-in tournament loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and Jaime Jaquez Jr. was ruled out for Game 5 with a hip injury. A third starter, Terry Rozier, has been out since April 7 with a neck injury.

Porzingis averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 57 regular season games this season. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the first three playoff games against the Heat, and had seven points and three rebounds before leaving Game 4 with 2:27 left in the second quarter. Boston was 21-4 this season when Porzingis did not play.

At the time, Boston's Al Horford said of the Porzingis injury: "Definitely concerning for me." Consider him fully concerned now.

Miami, the No. 8 seed, will need a victory Wednesday to avoid elimination and send the series back to Miami for Game 6 on Friday.

"Our guys really want to get this thing back to Miami and have just a great game in front of our fans," Miami coach Eric Spoelstra said after Monday's loss. "Our team wants to play well in front of our fans, so that's the motivation -- to get back here."

Short-handed Miami has had trouble keeping pace with Boston offensively for much of the series. The Heat scored 39 points in the first half of a 104-84 loss in Game 3 and had 36 points in the first half Monday.

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists in Game 4. Tyler Herro scored 19 points for Miami and Caleb Martin added 18.

"We're going in the lion's den," Adebayo said. "Everyone knows what's at stake."

Jaquez Jr. didn't play in the fourth quarter of Game 4 because of a hip injury and didn't travel to Boston for Game 5.

"I just felt something, felt something give in the hip, and we'll take it day by day as of now," Jaquez said after Game 4. "It was really just my hip, my right hip. I felt something give in the beginning in the third quarter going up for a rebound. I tried to get back in there, tried to give it everything I had."

Jaquez averaged 11.9 points per game during the regular season, and 12.8 points per game in the four playoff games against the Celtics.

Boston's Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points in Game 4. He was 15 of 26 from the field, and 8 of 15 on 3-point attempts. Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The winner of the Boston-Miami series will meet the Cleveland-Orlando winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"We'll just wrap our minds around getting one game in Boston, and figuring it out from there," Herro said.

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5/1 Game 5 Preview: Heat at Celtics

BOSTON, MA&nbsp;– The NBA announced today that Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens&nbsp;has been named the 2023-24 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year. Stevens is the third recipient in franchise history to win the yearly award, joining Danny Ainge (2007-08) and Red Auerbach (1979-80).“I am so thankful to work for the Celtics,” said Stevens. “Our ownership group has given us the support and resources to build this team. The players, coaches, front office, and support staff are amazing - superstars in their jobs across the board. This recognition has everything to do with the team, and nothing to do with any one individual. Great teams require that everyone in the building is fully committed to each other and moving in one direction. With that in mind, we are onto Game 5!”Stevens served as the Celtics’ head coach for eight seasons before being promoted to the team's President of Basketball Operations on June 2, 2021. Since Stevens joined the front office, the Celtics have reached the NBA Finals, the Eastern Conference Finals, and clinched the No.1 overall seed for the 2024 Playoff run. Boston has amassed the most wins in the NBA with a 172-74 regular season record for a 69.9 winning percentage over the last three years.The Celtics concluded the 2023-24 regular season with a league-best 64-18 overall record, marking the fourth-most wins in franchise history and earning their NBA-record 14th 60-win season. Boston went 37-4 at home, marking the third-most wins on the parquet in a single season in franchise history, and its 90.2 win percentage ranked 12th in the NBA since the 1990-91 season.The 2023-24 Celtics proved one of the most prolific offensive teams the league has seen, boasting the best offensive rating (122.2) in NBA history and knocking down the second-most three-pointers in a single season with 1,351 threes. The Celtics led the league in three-pointers per game (16.5), blocks per game (6.6), and plus/minus (+11.3), and ranked second in three-point percentage (38.8%), rebounds per game (46.3), and points per game (120.6).

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Brad Stevens Named 2023-24 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year

The Boston Celtics focused on playing stingy defense against the Miami Heat to swing the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series in their favor the last time the teams met.

On Monday, look for Boston to keep the same mentality as they meet again in Miami for Game 4 of the best-of-seven series. The top-seeded Celtics carry a 2-1 series edge into the matchup against the eighth-seeded Heat.

"Everybody knows how talented we are," Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. "Can we be the tougher, harder-playing team?

"When you combine that with our talent level, I think it's going to be hard to beat us. But can we start off every game essentially punching first and not reacting? That's the test for us that we have to get up for every single game."

The Celtics won the series opener 114-94 in Boston, led by 23 points from Tatum and 20 points from Derrick White.

The Heat evened the series at 1-1 with a 111-101 victory thanks in large part to 53.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc (23 of 43). Tyler Herro finished with 24 points and made a half-dozen 3-pointers, and Caleb Martin scored 21 points and made five 3-pointers.

Then came Game 3, when the Celtics locked down on defense and won 104-84.

Herro said he and his teammates believe that they can find their footing on offense.

"Honestly, I think the (3-point) shots are still there," Herro said. "I have to do a better job of creating and making the right decisions when I get into the paint, the same with Bam (Adebayo), and just continue to make the right play like I've said this whole series.

"Guys just have to shoot the ball. They are open and we've just got to let it ride and let it go."

Martin agreed. He said he would aim to be more aggressive in Game 4.

"I think there were some times when I passed up shots," Martin said after scoring five points in 37-plus minutes in Game 3. "I felt like I was trying to get the ball moving a little bit more, being a little bit less aggressive in letting it go. So that's on me. I can't be as passive. I've got to let the ball go."

Tatum is averaging 24.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the series' first three games to lead the Celtics. Jaylen Brown ranks second with 24 points to go along with eight rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest, and White is averaging 16.3 points.

Miami is led by Adebayo with 21.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game to start the playoffs. Herro is averaging 16.7 points with 6.7 assists, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. is averaging 14 points.

The Celtics are fully healthy with no one listed on their injury report.

The Heat remain without key players Jimmy Butler (right knee), Terry Rozier (neck) and Josh Richardson (shoulder). Delon Wright, who missed Game 3 because of personal reasons, is expected to be back and available to play.

Brown said he and his teammates could not take the Heat lightly despite their injuries.

"Respecting those guys' capability," Brown said. "They are NBA players and they can make shots on any given night so (we are) treating them accordingly, closing out, just making them uncomfortable."

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4/29 Game 4 Preview: Celtics at Heat

All eyes will be on the 3-point line on Saturday when the Miami Heat host the top-seeded Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round NBA playoff series.

In Game 1 on Sunday, host Boston prevailed 114-94. The Celtics made 22 3-pointers, shooting 44.9 percent from deep.

Miami made just 12 3-pointers, shooting 32.4 percent.

In Game 2 on Wednesday, also in Boston, Miami prevailed, 111-101, tying the best-of-seven series, 1-1. The Heat made 23 3-pointers, setting a franchise postseason record. The Heat shot 53.5 percent from deep. Boston made just 12 3-pointers, shooting 37.5 percent.

Miami's Tyler Herro scored just 11 points in the series opener, shooting 4 of 13 overall. On Wednesday, he scored a team-high 24 points, making 7 of 13 shots, including 6 of 11 from deep.

The Heat also got 21 points each from Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called Martin, "the X-factor of X-factors."

Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler, who is out for several weeks due to a knee injury he suffered in the play-in round, is the Heat's spiritual leader. But he has passed the metaphorical baton to Herro.

"(Butler) texted me to take the team and lead the guys," Herro said.

Herro did just that on Wednesday, serving up a game-high 14 assists.

Losing Butler has been a big blow for the eighth-seeded Heat. He helps the team across the board, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

He also averages a team-high 7.7 free throws, making 85.9 percent, and it is that skill of getting to the line and converting that is especially valuable late in games.

The Heat are also missing Terry Rozier, who is averaging 19.8 points this season in his two stops, including Charlotte.

Due to those injuries -- and the fact that the Celtics had the best regular-season record in the NBA this season -- Miami was not given much of a shot in this series.

But now the Heat return home with confidence. They also know that they knocked off the Celtics, 4-3, in last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

Then again, the Heat struggled at home this season (23-18). In fact, the Celtics had a better road record (27-14) than Miami's performance at home.

Overall, Boston finished 18 games ahead of the Heat in the standings this year, which should give the Celtics confidence.

Certainly, though, it will help Boston if Kristaps Porzingis plays better than he did in Game 2, when he was held to eight points on 1-for-9 shooting, including 0 of 4 from deep.

For the season, he averaged 20.1 points, and he had an effective field-goal percentage -- which accounts for the value of 2-pointers and 3-pointers -- of 58.9.

In Game 1, Porzingis had 18 points in his typically efficient fashion: 7-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-8 from deep.

"We have to do a better job of getting (Porzingis) the ball in the right spots," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "We're going to do that on Saturday."

Porzingis' importance as Boston's third option behind Tatum and Jaylen Brown is clear.

Tatum is averaging 26.9 points for the season and 25.5 points in the playoffs. Brown is averaging 23.0 points for the season and 25.0 points for the playoffs.

Porzingis can punish smaller defenders in the post, and he can pump in 3-pointers in the pick-and-pop game.

But the Heat got rough with Porzingis in Game 2.

"They upped the physicality," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Miami. "They did a good job pushing his catches higher."

Added Tatum: "There's a lot of history between these two franchises. We knew it wouldn't be easy."

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4/27 Game 3 Preview: Celtics at Heat

The visiting Miami Heat will attempt to pull even in their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Boston Celtics when the teams play Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Jayson Tatum collected 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the top-seeded Celtics to a 114-94 victory in Game 1 on Sunday. Tatum was one of six Boston players who scored in double figures.

"Just making the right play," Tatum said after Sunday's game. "We talk all the time about not getting bored with making the right play. ... We've played (the Heat) enough. They're not a team that's necessarily going to let you play one-on-one all night."

Miami's success Wednesday may be determined by how well it can defend the 3-point line. Boston made 22 of its 49 attempts from beyond the arc in Game 1. Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Sam Hauser each made four 3-pointers. Hauser came off the bench and did his damage in 12 minutes of playing time.

"You're going to need things like that to be successful in the playoffs," Tatum said. "It's not always going to be the guys who start the game. On any given night we're going to count on somebody off the bench to change the pace of the game."

The Celtics outscored the Heat 31-14 in the third quarter and led 91-59 entering the fourth. Boston's lead swelled to 34 points before eighth-seeded Miami got as close as 14 in the final minutes.

"You have to give (the Celtics) credit," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They won the big-muscle areas. Definitely won the 3-point line and the majority of the areas in between, including defensively. They were up and into us, getting us out of our normal flow, rhythm. So we have to do a much better job by Wednesday."

Bam Adebayo scored 24 points and Delon Wright added 17 for Miami, which was without Jimmy Butler for the second straight game because of a right knee injury he sustained during the play-in round. Terry Rozier also remained out with a neck injury.

Boston's Jrue Holiday was among those who did a good job defending Tyler Herro, who shot 4 of 13 from the field and was held to 11 points in 34 minutes. Herro and Butler each averaged a team-high 20.8 points per game during the regular season.

"They came out with the intention to put a lot of pressure on (Herro)," Spoelstra said. "Whether it's on the ball with pick and rolls or off the ball with movement, we have to find some ways to shake him free and get him to his strength spaces within the context of what we do."

Sunday's win improved Boston's record against Miami to 4-0 this season. The Celtics have won 38 of 42 home games during the season and playoffs.

"There's some things that we have to do better, but that's the balance, right?" Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "Understanding that we played relatively well, but we have to be better because we know they're going to play better."

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4/24 Game 2 Preview: Heat at Celtics

The eighth-seeded Miami Heat will be in a familiar position when they go on the road to open their Eastern Conference first-round series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

Miami also was the No. 8 seed last season, when it battled its way to NBA Finals. The Heat's path included a seven-game series victory over Boston in the conference finals before they lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

Miami will be facing a Boston team that led the NBA with 64 victories during the regular season.

"Ultimately, we've just got to bring that Miami Heat culture and that toughness," Miami rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. "We've got two games in Boston. We've got to set the tone extremely early, impose our will on them and make it real physical."

Miami rebounded from a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday with a 112-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls in a play-in tournament elimination game Friday night. Tyler Herro collected 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the win. Jaquez added 21 points, Kevin Love scored 16 and Bam Adebayo finished with 13.

The Heat will not have Jimmy Butler, who is expected to miss several weeks with an MCL injury he sustained Wednesday night. Butler averaged 20.8 points per game during the regular season.

Miami also will be without Terry Rozier for the series opener. Rozier has been idle since April 7 due to a neck injury.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to be in the playoffs," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "I'm grateful for this locker room to have this opportunity. And I think they're appreciative of it, as well."

The Celtics went 3-0 against the Heat during the regular season. Boston won 119-111 at home on Oct. 27, prevailed 143-110 at Miami on Jan. 25 and earned a 110-106 victory in Miami on Feb. 11.

"At the end of the day, you can't have an expectation that (a series) is going to go a certain way," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "It takes what it takes. The other team is trying to win a championship too, so you have to have respect for your opponent. You have to have a mental toughness to withstand things. There are a lot of things that go on within a series."

Miami won the first three games of its playoff series against Boston last season. After the Celtics won the next three games to even the series, the Heat won Game 7 on the road. Boston is 37-4 at home this season.

"This year feels different, the way we've been playing at home," Boston's Al Horford said. "We have an understanding that we have to come out and play and perform. I feel like last year at times we kind of leaned on, 'We're at home. Our fans are gonna put us over the top.' Probably the mindset wasn't the best that it needed to be.

"I feel like now we understand that we have to come out ready to go, and just because we're here at (TD Garden) we're just not going to win automatically. We've done a better job of that this season."

This is the seventh time the Heat and Celtics have met in the playoffs. Miami won four of the six previous matchups.

"It's gonna be a dogfight," Adebayo said. "It's gonna be a battle. It's gonna be in the mud. It's not gonna be pretty basketball."

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4/21 Game 1 Preview: Heat at Celtics

The Washington Wizards will attempt to end their season on a high note and halt a five-game losing streak Sunday when they visit the Boston Celtics on the final day of the NBA's regular season.

The Wizards (15-66) were the first Eastern Conference team eliminated from playoff contention this season. Only Detroit (14-67) has a worse record in the NBA.

The team's coaching situation is one issue the Wizards will have to address following Sunday's game. Brian Keefe was promoted from top assistant to interim head coach in January. He replaced Wes Unseld Jr.

Keefe tiptoed around the question when he was asked Friday if he wanted to return as Washington's head coach next season.

"We have another game," Keefe said. "My sole focus has been on our group, on our team -- to keep us progressing. I haven't thought about that stuff yet because I've been engrossed with trying to help our team improve and help our team get better, which I think we have. So we have another game on Sunday and we're going to throw everything we have into our energy. ... We're excited for our challenge Sunday at Boston."

The Celtics (63-18), who will be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, have been on cruise control since they locked up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs in early April. Boston won't know it's first-round playoff opponent until after the play-in tournament.

Boston rarely has played all of its starters in recent games. The Celtics rested the top six players in their rotation Friday, but still came away with a 131-98 home victory against Charlotte.

Point guard Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 31 points and had 11 assists in 31 minutes against the Hornets. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said he's seen significant improvement in Pritchard's game this season.

"Just being a complete player from the standpoint of every game is going to be different," Mazzulla said. "He affects the game in many different ways. Having a consistent role for an entire season is really beneficial, which I think this is the first time he's had that where you know each and every night when he's playing, where's he's playing and kind of what the potential is.

"So I think a little bit of that and then every night it could be different. It could be shooting, it could be ball-handling, it could be defense, it could be rebounding. And then he really takes pride in game management -- end of quarters, start of quarters. Scanning the floor. It's been really good to watch him play."

The Celtics, who are averaging 120.4 points per game, have a 36-4 home record this season. One of those home wins was a 133-129 victory against the Wizards on Feb. 9. The Celtics also beat the Wizards twice on the road, 126-107 on Oct. 30 and 130-104 on March 17.

The Wizards went with a young lineup for Friday's 129-127 home loss to Chicago. Patrick Baldwin Jr. scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds in the loss, and rookie Tristan Vukcevic added a career-high 19 points.

"We've played a lot of close games, fourth-quarter games, but (it's) taking advantage of their opportunity," Keefe said when asked about the team's younger players. "I think that's the thing that I've been really pleased about with them, is that when their opportunity has (come) throughout the year, they've seized the moment."

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4/14 Game Preview: Wizards at Celtics

The Boston Celtics will attempt to avoid their third straight loss when they face the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.

Boston (62-18) took a 104-91 road loss against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, then fell 118-109 to the visiting New York Knicks on Thursday. The Celtics have been resting their starters in the fourth quarter of games since they clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference on April 3.

The Celtics trailed the Knicks 69-48 at halftime, and New York went on to end Boston's 13-game home winning streak.

"I did not like the effort level in the first half, but it's just a tough spot to be in," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "I thought our guys have handled (having nothing to play for) as best as they could.

"We ran into, in our last two games, two teams that were highly, highly desperate. As much as we want to be able to simulate that, that's just not the position that we're in.

"But I actually don't mind the result of the last two games because I think that's important. Going (into the playoffs) with a bunch of wins and feeling good about yourself isn't any better than having a little bit of a bloody lip."

The Friday matchup will be the third game between the Celtics and Hornets this season, with both of the previous contests in Charlotte. The Hornets won 121-118 in overtime on Nov. 20, and Boston prevailed 118-104 on April 1.

Boston has not lost three games in row this season. The Celtics also will be trying to avoid taking back-to-back home losses for the first time since January, when they lost to the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Hornets (20-60) have dropped six of their past eight games, but they are coming off a 115-114 road victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Charlotte trailed by 18 points late in the third quarter and was down 92-77 entering the final 12 minutes.

Hornets rookie Brandon Miller scored a game-high 27 points in the win. Tre Mann added 16 points, seven steals and a career-high seven assists.

"Brandon was great under pressure," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "We just kept going, possession by possession. We've actually been pretty good at that over the year. They did a good job, kept their poise, came back and made a bunch of plays late."

Miller sank 9 of 17 shots from the field, including 5 of 11 from 3-point range. He became the fifth rookie in NBA history to have at least seven games of 25 points and five 3-pointers, joining Stephen Curry (nine), Allen Iverson (eight), Trae Young (seven) and Cade Cunningham (seven).

"Being locked in on the defensive side -- I think that's why we won," Miller said. "It's definitely important to play as many games as you can and get better with your teammates. I feel like that's one of the things we're working on now. Getting better through all these games even though we're not in the playoffs or anything like that. Our mentality is to go out here and get better."

Charlotte will end its season with a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The Celtics will end the regular season at home versus the Washington Wizards on Sunday.