Boston Celtics is one of the few NBA teams with a better record on the road than at home this season, but they have a chance to limit that gap Wednesday when they host the red hot Miami Heat.
Boston (56-19) comes from a 6-0 road trip that raised the team’s road record to 32-7. It marked the longest trip without loss in franchise history and topped a 5-0 trip by Celtics in February 1973. Boston won all six matches with double-digit with an average victory margin of 17.8 points.
“It’s special when you make history in this league,” said Jayson Tatum after Boston’s victory 117-103 Monday at Memphis. “You have to enjoy it. Six games; 12 or 13 days away from home.
“Just a way of thinking about what we did last year,” Tatum added. “We won a championship and the idea that regardless of your disc or seed, you have to win some games on the road in the playoffs if you want to become a champion. Slant to determine that way of thinking during the regular season.”
Boston enters Wednesday’s matchup in a winning line with nine matches with wins in 14 of the last 15 games.
“I just think we have been very focused,” said the veteran center Al Horford. “I feel that even last year, we were good and especially in the playoffs we did a really good job along the way, controlled the tempo, to be able to play a certain way. It is quite special as we play and some of the things we do here.”
Miami (34-41) has regrouped since losing 10 straight in March and will try on Wednesday to extend a winning line of five games. The heat beat Washington 120-94 Monday without Andrew Wiggins (Hamstring), Duncan Robinson (back), Kevin Love (personal reasons) and Davion Mitchell, who was a late scratch due to stomach disease. Wiggins, Robinson and Love will all sit on Wednesday.
Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo each have led the team in points twice in the last four matches. Herro has received 29, 20, 36, 30 and 27 points in his last five excursions.
“The team gains a lot of confidence,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra after Monday’s victory. “We have many guys right now. We think of everyone who is (home) in Miami, then Davion gets sick and everyone is just ready. It is really a collective energy that pours life into each other after Tyler and Bam, and other guys contribute.”
Miami has won his last five matches with an average of 20.4 points, but Heat is 0-3 against Boston this season. Celtics won 108-89 the only time the team met in Boston.
“I think we have done all the karma things, who (spoelstra) like to say, who puts us in a good position,” said Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who contributed 14 points in 24 minutes from the bench Monday. “To take each game seriously. This is all to prepare us for a game we have Wednesday against Boston.
“The good karma should pay off, and I know everyone goes there confident and in a good mood. I think it’s more important than anything. We look forward to it.”
-Field level media
