The Miami Heat’s best lineup against the Boston Celtics has been obvious all series, and it’s not the one that starts games.
This was made abundantly clear on Tuesday, when the Heat fumbled a chance to sweep the Celtics and close out the series at home. With Kevin Love starting at power forward against a Celtics group that has shifted back to a small-ball lineup to begin games, the Heat dug themselves into a 10-4 hole in the first three minutes. With Love playing his second stint to open the second half, the Heat were outscored by eight, which paved the way for Boston’s deciding 18-0 run.