The Boston Celtics revisit their must-win position in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat, but on Saturday night, Jimmy Butler could receive a big helping hand.
After being sidelined in Game 5 with an ankle injury, Heat guard Gabe Vincent is expected to make his return for Miami, according to Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports. The latest team-provided update, which was released on Friday, listed Vincent as questionable.
Vincent, if healthy enough to play, could be a pivotal game-changer as he’s already proven throughout the series. The 26-year-old has averaged 17.5 points per game in the conference finals while shooting 50% from the field, and most recently, scored 17 points during Miami’s Game 4 loss to Boston. That came just 48 hours after Vincent dropped a playoff career-high 29 points and six 3-pointers in Game 3.
Obviously, this doesn’t come as thrilling news (to say the least) for the Celtics.
The Heat already have the advantage of hosting the C’s on their home territory in Miami. Also, coming off a Game 5 in which Miami couldn’t gather any offensive efficiency beyond Duncan Robinson (14 points), adding one of, if not the, hottest shooter currently left in the playoffs further increases the pressure on Boston.
We already know, 150 teams have tried and failed to come back from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history.
Then again, with two wins already in the books, the Celtics are a measly two more wins away from reaching the NBA Finals for a second straight year. Plus, if head coach Joe Mazzulla can replicate his timely decision-making and the Celtics can carry their new-found defensive intensity from Boston to Miami, we could very well be in store for a winner-take-all Game 7 at TD Garden.
