Jaime Jaquez Jr. scores in a game against the Celtics on Mar. 14, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Check out five reasons to watch Wednesday’s League Pass Game of the Day between the Celtics and Heat
1. Streaks on the line: Boston is really picking up steam as the playoffs approach. They have won nine in a row and just capped off the first 6-0 road trip in franchise history. Don’t sleep on the Heat, though, as Miami has won five straight by an average margin of 20.4 points per game.
2. 3s company: Derrick White just became the Celtics’ single-season record holder for most made 3s in a single season on Monday night. With the season the Celtics are having from beyond the arc, though, it won’t surprise you that two other C’s, Jayson Tatum (240) and Payton Pritchard (238), are poised to top Isaiah Thomas’ previous franchise mark of 245.
3. Playoff implications: The Cavaliers are going to be tough to dethrone atop the East for seeding purposes, but Boston can still keep the pressure on through Game 82. Boston’s nine straight wins, coupled with Cleveland going 5-5 in their last 10, leaves the door slightly open if the Celtics continue this surge and the Celtics stumble. The Heat, meanwhile, are battling to, at the very least, remain in the No. 9 spot in the East ahead of the Play-In Tournament.
4. Bam Adebayo’s importance: It’s hard to fight fire with fire when it comes to playing the Celtics. As in, beating them at their own game via the three is tricky to pull off. With that, Adebayo becomes more important to Miami’s success in this matchup. Adebayo has been on a roll of late with 28 and 12 against the Wizards on Monday and had a 27-point performance against the Warriors on March 25.
5. Avoiding the season sweep: Miami’s previous three outings against Boston have not gone according to plan. Its defense hasn’t been the issue as Miami has held Boston to an average of 104.6 PPG in their previous meetings, which is 12 points off their season average. However, the Heat have averaged just 88.3 points per game in the three losses to the Celtics. If Miami wants to keep its momentum going into the postseason and bank a statement win, the offense needs to come to life in this matchup.
