Heat vs Celtics NBA Pick: Can Miami End Five-Game Slide Against Boston? (Mar 14)

• The Heat are 29-36 and have the third best record in the Southeast Division.
• Boston is 47-19 and has the best record in Atlantic Division.
• These teams last played on Feb. 10, with the Celtics claiming a 103-85 victory.

One of the games on Friday’s NBA slate features the Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics. Can Miami Get Back On Track Against the defending champs in our Heat vs Celtics pick?

Miami Hopes To Bounce Back From 15-Point Loss To Clippers

The Heat find themselves amid a rough patch, and enter this conference tilt on the heels of a 119-104 defeat at the hands of the LA Clippers on Wednesday.

Tyler Herro did his part, scoring 31 points, handing out seven and assists, and collecting six rebounds.

Andrew Wiggins poured in 22 points and five assists, while Duncan Robinson added 15 points off the bench.

Miami trailed by eight points in the final frame. However a 13-4 burst during a three-minute stretch, pushed the road’s team lead to 17 points.

This marked just the fourth time Miami has suffered a losing streak of at least five games over the past seven seasons.

Can Boston Bounce Back From Disappointing Loss Against OKC?

Boston’s recent five-game win streak ended with a 118-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

Four of the team’s starters reached double figures headlined by a spectacular effort from Jayson Tatum. He scored a team-high 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field. He also tallied eight rebounds and eight assists.

Derrick White logged 22 points, while connecting on six of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc. The ageless wonder that is Al Horford finished with 18 points, 10 boards, and six dimes.

In a back-and-forth battle, the game was knotted at 98 with eight minutes to play. However, the Thunder went on an 8-0 run en route to outscoring Boston by a 30-24 margin in the final frame.

With the victory, the Thunder swept the season series and have won 17 of their last 18 contests.

Heat vs Celtics Pick: Boston Continues Dominance Over Miami

The Heat have produced just three victories in their last 10 games. Not only that, but they have the sixth-worst scoring average, putting up just 109.9 points per outing. The good news is they are ranked in the top 10 in points allowed.

Meanwhile, despite their recent setback, the Celtics have gone 7-3 across their last 10 outings. Boston is ranked third in offensive efficiency and has the sixth-lowest defensive rating in the NBA.

On paper the Celtics are the superior team. Additionally, they have won the last five matchups in this series. Given Miami’s struggles this season, look for the defending champs to stay hot against the Heat.