With veteran forward Gordon Hayward back in the fold and no hard feelings lingering from the post-Game 2 blowup, can the Boston Celtics make a series of the Eastern Conference Finals with a Game 4 win over the Miami Heat?
In Game 3, the Celtics were the aggressor, using their size and athleticism to attack the paint and bust the Heat’s zone defense.
And the presence of Hayward was no small part of that process, an outstanding upgrade over the players who had been getting extra minutes in his absence.
With an extended break due to scheduling conflicts with Monday Night Football available to both teams, we ought to expect curveballs from both cerebral coaches as Brad Stevens and Erik Spoelstra seek an advantage over one another in this tight series.
How to watch or stream Miami Heat-Boston Celtics East Finals Game 4 https://t.co/MLZSaqnPYP
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 23, 2020
Miami reports no new injuries of significance since they have last played, while Boston has lost rookie wing Romeo Langford for the season as he has elected to get surgery on a torn tendon in his wrist after an unrelated injury in his sole appearance in the series.
The Indiana native’s absence shouldn’t affect the series — particularly with Hayward back in the fold — as he was only seeing floor time because of the Butler product’s absence.
All these things being equal for the most part, we’ll give the Celtics the smallest of nods to come away with the win, with a 112-111 win for Boston this evening.
Most online sportsbooks are more optimistic, granting the Celtics a solid -3.5 spread.
