"Miami does not want to play Boston" -- Bucher

[CavemanDoctor]

Was listening to the NBA Today podcast and Ric Bucher said something interesting.

"People are going to suggest I'm unfair to the Heat in raising this but I was told the Heat were happy with that #2 seed -- didn't fight for the #1 seed -- because it meant they'd have a great chance of avoiding the Boston Celtics. That that was the team they really did not want to see, in spite of the fact that they 'killed the ghost last year,' but I think they look at this as a different team."

He added a bit more on why he thinks the Heat want to avoid Boston:
"They haven't been able to figure out how to stop Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce has had big games against them, KG moving to the 5 creates matchup problems for them, Avery Bradley now in the mix gives them a better chance of defending Dwyane Wade."

Bucher isn't always the most reliable but I can see him actually being told this. And if it is true, Boston clearly has the mental edge from the outset.

[Moranis]

Sadly I don't think it matters.  The Heat are just too good.

[Fafnir]

I'm not surprised, they seemed to celebrate harder when they beat us last year than when they beat the Bulls.

I think LeBron/Wade have a lot of respect for the C's given their respective playoff history. I don't think its fear as much as respect, I believe that they expect to beat whomever they play in the end.

[cman88]

Sadly I don't think it matters.  The Heat are just too good.

When you play a team that plays no defense in the knicks you are going to look good

[Who]

No surprise. They seemed disturbed by how the two late regular season meetings went.

[indeedproceed]

Sadly I don't think it matters.  The Heat are just too good.

When you play a team that plays no defense in the knicks you are going to look good

...said the Miami Heat last season.

[Fafnir]

Sadly I don't think it matters.  The Heat are just too good.

When you play a team that plays no defense in the knicks you are going to look good

The Knicks are a top 5 defensive team in the NBA this year.

Let me repeat this:

The Knicks are a top 5 defensive team this year

Plus two games out of the four this series they've held the Heat far below their average offensive efficiency. (though the two games in Miami they did blow them out with some scorching offense, I think that's in large part due to how sickly Chandler was playing)

[jambr380]

Sadly I don't think it matters.  The Heat are just too good.

When you play a team that plays no defense in the knicks you are going to look good

I tend to agree that this Heat team probably has the physical edge and should pull it out against us, but I will take the mental edge all day. Hopefully the Celtics finish this season off in style!

[CeltsAcumen]

Hey,  I have been hoping for an "Old School" NBA Championship matchup with the Celtics v. Spurs or Celts v. Lakers again.

If I was the Heat, I would be worried as well.  Now it looks like the Celts get the 76ers not the Bulls, who I would think the Heat wanted to soften up the Celtics or Bulls before the Eastern Championship series.

Now if the Celts can just get the Knicks to buck up and win a few more games, at least make the Heat work for it, things could align perfectly for the Celts.  At least I am hoping.

[Celtics18]

 

I'm just picturing Lebron James sitting around biting his nails and quaking in between games during round two while watching Celtics games on TV.

"Please, oh please don't let the Celtics beat the Sixers, please . . .  They are out for vengeance.  Oh no, no, no . . . Chris, Da Wayne, hold me, I'm scared!"

[Donoghus]

I sure as heck hope a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference Finals comes to fruition.

I think it'd be a heckuva series to watch from a basketball and drama standpoint.

Long ways to go, though.  A long way....

[thestackshow]

I sure as heck hope a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference Finals comes to fruition.

I think it'd be a heckuva series to watch from a basketball and drama standpoint.

Long ways to go, though.  A long way....

Yea all we have to do is beat up a banged up #8 seed. Lol.

[CelticSooner]

Miami Thrice came together mainly in part because of the C's. They know the C's are their toughest matchup in the East. Excellent defense and team ball make Miami work hard. I'm not sure they really want to work that hard to win a series.

I gotta say though. I do not like all this talk of Boston/Miami already. C's play much better with a chip on their shoulder. I'm not going to discredit Philly. You never know what can happen especially in this crazy season.

[the TRUTH]

Regarding a potential Boston-Miami matchup in the ECF, I have one main worry. I know the usual suspects will race to their keyboards to tell me how wrong I am, but it's become clear to me that the NBA will do anything it can to get LeBron to the finals. The refs will be unbelievably biased in favor of the Heat in the series for every game, even games at the Garden.

While this has been going on for years, teams such as the '08 Celtics, '09 Magic, '10 Celtics and '11 Mavs were good enough to beat LeBron's teams in spite of the refs. Taking the refs out of it, I do think the Celtics are good enough to beat the Heat in a 7-game series. But are we good enough this year to overcome the awful officiating on top of that which is inevitable? I really don't know.

[Donoghus]

I sure as heck hope a Boston-Miami Eastern Conference Finals comes to fruition.

I think it'd be a heckuva series to watch from a basketball and drama standpoint.

Long ways to go, though.  A long way....

Yea all we have to do is beat up a banged up #8 seed. Lol.

That beat the Celtics a couple of times in the regular season.  

Not taking anything for granted.  Heck, this Atlanta series isn't even over yet.  I don't think Philly would be the cakewalk that almost everyone here seems to be thinking. From a matchup standpoint, that's a very tricky team to deal with. Athletic and defensive.