at 
Boston Celtics (24-15)  at  Miami Heat (21-19)
Thursday, January 15, 2026
7:30 PM ET
TV:  NBCSB, FDSN Sun, NBA-LP
Regular Season Game #40  Road Game #21
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WQAM 104.3, Sirius XM
Kaseya Center


Probable Celtics Starters
PG SG SFPF C
PG:  Derrick White
SG:  Payton Pritchard
SF:  Jaylen Brown
PF:  Sam Hauser
C:   Neemias Queta

Boston Celtics Reserves
Anfernee Simons
Josh Minott
Xavier Tillman
Jordan Walsh
Hugo Gonzalez
Baylon Scheierman
Chris Boucher

2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Amari Williams

Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Josh Minott (ankle) out
 
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla 

Probable Heat Starters
PGSGSFPFC
PG:   Dru Smith
SG:   Tyler Herro
SF:    Pelle Larson
PF:    Andrew Wiggins
C:     Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat Reserves
Simone Fontecchio
Kasparas Jakucionis
Keshad Johnson
Norman Powell
Kel'el Ware


2-Way Players
Myron Gardner
Vladislav Goldin
Jahmir Young

Injuries/Out
Davion Mitchell (shoulder) doubtful
Niola Jovic (knee) probable
Tyler Herro (toe/rib) probable
Jaime Jaquez, jr (knee)  questionable
Terry Rozier III (not injury related) out

Head Coach
Erik Spoelstra

Game Notes
The Celtics continue their road trip with a stop in Miami to take on the Heat.   This is the 2nd of 4 games between these two teams this season.  The Celtics won the first game 129-116 in Boston on December 19.  They will meet again in Boston on February 6 and a final time in Miami on April 1.  The Celtics are 87-54 all time overall against the Heat and they are 42-30 in games played in Miami. 

The Heat made several changes since last season.  They drafted Kasparas Jakucionis with the 20th pick in the first round.  They did a sign and trade of Duncan Robinson to Detroit in return for Simone Fontechhio.  They also received Norman Powell in a 3 way trade that sent Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love to Utah.  Davion Mitchell, who was traded to Miami in February resigned for another 2 years. 

The Celtics are 3rd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit, and 3.5 games behind 2nd place New York. They are 1 game ahead of 4th place Toronto, 1.5 games ahead of 5th place Philadelphia and 2.5 games ahead of 6th place Orlando.  The Celtics are 17-9 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 12-8 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They have lost their last 2 games.

The Heat are 8th in the East, 8 games behind 1st place Detroit, 3.5 games behind 3rd place Boston, 1 game behind 6th place Orlando and half a game behind 7th place Cleveland.  They are 2 games ahead of 9th place Atlanta and 4 games ahead of 11th place Milwaukee.  The Heat are 12-11 against Eastern Conference opponents.  They are 14-6 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games.  They are coming off a win in their last game. 

The Celtics are playing in the 2nd game of a 4 game road trip.  They lost the first game in Indiana and after this game in Miami, they will play at Atlanta and Detroit to complete the trip.  They will then play one game at home against Indiana before playing Brooklyn and Chicago on the road. They will then have another 4 game home stand against Portland, Atlanta, Sacramento and Milwaukee. Then, they are on the road at Dallas and Houston before playing Miami, New York, and Chicago at home, taking them into the All Star Break.

The Heat are playing in the 2nd game of a 3 game home stand.  They beat Phoenix in the first game and will host Oklahoma City in the final game.  They  then face a 5 game road trip through Golden State, Sacramento, Portland, Utah, and Phoenix.  They return home to play Orlando, Chicago twice, and Atlanta.  They then play at Boston and at Washington, at home against Utah and finally at New Orleans before the All Star Break.

Jayson Tatum remains out for the Celtics as he continues to rehab from the Achilles tear he suffered in last year's playoffs.   Josh Minott will miss his fifth straight game due to an ankle sprain.  Jaylen Brown missed Monday's game due to back spasms but is off the injury report for this game.  I'm guessing that Sam Hauser will continue to start at power forward with the rest of the starting 5 as usual. 

For the Heat, Terry Rosier continues to be out due to the indictment that he is under for betting on games.  Davion Mitchell is doubtful due to a left shoulder contusion that he suffered Tuesday against the Suns.  Jaime Jaquez, Jr is questionable with left knee soreness.   Nikola Jovic is probable with right knee soreness.  Tyler Herro is probable as he continues to recover from injuries to his toe and ribs.  I'm guessing that Dru Smith fills in at the point for Mitchell if he doesn't play.

Key Matchups
  vs   
Payton Pritchard vs Tyler Herro
Herro is averaging 21.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 48.8% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.  Herro is streaky but can put up points in a hurry.  He didn't play in the first game against the Celtics in Boston.  The Celtics need to be ready to defend him both in the interior and on the perimeter. 

  vs 
Neemias Queta vs Bam Adebayo
Adebayo is averaging 16.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game.  He is shooting 45.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.  In the first game against the Celtics, he finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal while shooting 46.2% from the field with no 3's.  The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and off the boards.

Honorable Mention
Sam Hauser vs Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins is averaging 15.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.  He is shooting 46.7% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc.  He is a good shooter and so the Celtics need to defend him well.  He didn't play in the first game against the Celtics in Boston.

Keys to the Game
Defense - Defense will always be the biggest key to winning every single game.   The Celtics are 15th with a defensive rating of 114.3.  The Heat are 4th with a defensive rating of 111.4.   The Celtics need to defend the perimeter since the Heat attempt 35.3 threes a game and shoot threes better than the Celtics at 36.9%. They also have to defend the paint as the Heat are 3rd with 54.9 points in the paint per game.  The Celtics need to work harder than the Heat on defense and make that their priority.

Rebound - Along with defense, rebounding is always a key to winning.  As Pat Riley once said "No rebounds, no rings."  The Celtics average 44.5 rebounds per game (14th) while the Heat average 45.6 rebounds per game (7th).  The Celtics are 16-5 when they out-rebound opponents and just 6-9 when out-rebounded.  It takes effort and hustle to get rebounds and the Celtics need to give more effort than the Heat to grab rebounds if they want to win this game.

Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes- The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In most of their losses and even in their wins,  they have allowed their opponents to play with more energy than them for periods of time during the game. They play well for stretches but leup and allow their opponents to surge ahead, especially down the stretch.  They have to stay focused for all 48 minutes and be ready for their opponents to play harder in the second half and they need to match that effort. 

To 3 or Not to 3 - The Celtics are 2nd in the league, attempting 42.6 threes a game.  When they fall, the Celtics are tough to beat. But, when they aren't falling, the Celtics struggle.   If the Celtics aren't hitting their 3s, they have to go to Plan B and take the ball to the basket or shoot from midrange. The Celtics shot just 25.7% from three against the Pacers but allowed them to shoot 43.2% from beyond the arc, much better than their average.   If the 3s are falling, great!!  If not, go to Plan B.  The Heat are a good defensive team and will try to chase the Celtics off the 3 point line and they need to be ready for that.

X-Factors
On the Road - The Celtics are on the road for the 2nd game of a 4 game road trip.  The Celtics need to stay focused on playing hard and as a team and not be distracted by the hostile crowd or the unfamiliar court or the fatigue that comes from travel.  They have lost their last 2 games and need to stay focused to get back in the win column in spite of playing on the road. 

Officiating - Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game.  The last 2 games should show how much of an x-factor officiating can be.  The Celtics have to play so well all game that the officiating, no matter how bad, can't influence the game.