The Heat have really taken control of this series, and they certainly look like the best side right now in the league. After all of this is said and done, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have combined to make up a fantastic defense, and after a season chock full of losing out to some of the best teams in the league over and over again, it is Miami that is still in the best of shape, while the rest of those teams are either out of the playoffs or in some serious trouble. The Heat have allowed an average of just 85.8 points per game to the C’s in the last four games of this series dating back to February, and they have won three in a row now both SU and ATS, including the one that earned home court advantage in this juncture of the playoffs. The only bugaboo is that it is has been quite some time since Head Coach Erik Spoelstra and company have won a game in Beantown, but the good news is that Miami has earned the right to not have to do that to win this series. Instead, all of the pressure is squarely on the back on Boston to hold serve twice on its home court to have virtually any chance of extending this series too much further.

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The Celts are on the ropes for sure, and in spite of the fact that their injury report is about eight miles long, Head Coach Doc Rivers remains cool, calm, and collected about the whole situation. Rajon Rondo is battling a back injury, Ray Allen a chest problem, and Paul Pierce and Achilles issue, but we know that all three of these men are going to be playing, basically dead or alive. The questions are the O’Neal boys. Jermaine O’Neal has essentially had chronic issues of some kind or another this whole season, and now, it is his back that is acting up that held him to just 19 minutes in Game 2′s defeat. Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t played in a game since April 3rd, and that was his only game in the lineup since February 1st (and for the record, he has only played in five games since January 14th!). The Big Shaqtus did average 9.2 points per game when he was in the lineup this year, but we look at his return as a way to make a team that was already old and decrepit even more old and decrepit.

We could see the Celtics winning this game and making this a series, but it really feels like it would be a bit of a miracle if that were to actually happen. The Heat have been playing the better ball of these two teams for sure, and we think that it’ll show again in the form of a mild upset on Saturday night to give Miami a commanding 3-0 series lead on the defending Eastern Conference champs.