The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics will square off in Game 5 of their best of seven series on Friday night.
If Miami wins, the franchise will make its first return to the NBA Finals since 2014. Should Boston emerge victorious – the Celtics will simply earn the right to fight another day.
Recently, ESPN developed a computer model to help predict the outcome of looming games.
According to the Worldwide Leader in Sports, the Celtics have a 58.6 percent chance of emerging from this one victorious.
Odds makers have this match-up being very close. Most sports books are listing the Celtics as 3-point favorites, but this outing really feels like a toss-up.
Game 4 was a frustrating one for Boston.
Afterward, Celtics GM Danny Ainge appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub and talked about what he felt the difference was in the last outing.
A complicated situation. https://t.co/K7p0O1Anu1
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 25, 2020
“The turnovers,” he said.
“There were so many of them that were just unforced turnovers. And so that is frustrating. I’ve always been a person that has taken blame as a player.”
Still, Ainge attempted to take a measured approach.
“I don’t question my coach,” he continued.
“I don’t question my players. I just look at what they’re doing, and last night was one of those games where I was very frustrated in that I didn’t think anything Miami was doing was causing us to make the plays that we made. They were unforced errors.”
Cam Newton said his piece. Patriots fans did the same. https://t.co/GNDB68AIYJ
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 25, 2020
At the end of the day, Ainge understands that this experience is valuable for a team as young as the Celtics.
“I don’t know if our guys are at the stage of their career where they can continue to play with the same force defensively and focus when things aren’t going their way,” he said.
“A lot of that is just maturity. A lot of that is we just have 22 and 23 [year-old players], and I’m not making excuses for age, because our young guys have been through a lot, and had some shining, brilliant moments.”
The Heat, meanwhile, are coming into Friday night like it is any other game. They did not break from their regular norms at all.
“We stuck with our routine,” Erik Spoelstra told the media on Thursday.
That explains it. https://t.co/dio3mGLGhE
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 25, 2020
“Everybody got the treatment, rest. Today is another day for rest and recovery. Everybody knows what to expect for (Game 5).”
Will an Eastern Conference champ be crowned on Friday night? We’re just a few hours away from finding out.
Game 5 between the Heat and Celtics tips off at 5:30 pm PT on ESPN.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
