The Miami Heat head into their playoff match 1 to face the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. The series will open on Sunday at 1 PM ET as the Heat enter the match after a convincing 112-91 victory against the Chicago Bulls in the play-in eliminator. Now as they prep to enter their 5th consecutive playoff, in the absence of their star player Jimmy Butler, the Heats’ latest injury report casts a cloud of uncertainty over their other key player.

Earlier Jimmy Butler was ruled out of the playoffs because of an MCL injury, causing a huge blow to the Miami Heat. Now, hours ahead of the game, the team has announced on X, “Terry Rozier (neck) has been ruled out of tomorrow’s Game 1 vs the Celtics.” This is a double dose of bad news for the Heat. Butler was the team’s leader and all-round player. His presence on both ends of the court provided the team with the required confidence. Rozier, known for his clutch performances coming off the bench and also known for his defensive abilities, would have been a key contributor against the Celtics who have players such as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Jimmy Butler had an impressive season with the Miami Heat. Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds & 5.0 assists per game while his FG% was 49.9%. On the other hand, this was Rozier’s 1st season with the Heat. He joined the Heat from the Hornets for veteran guard Kyle Lowry during the mid-season. The guard managed to play 31 games for the Heat, averaging 16.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

The Heat will now need to rely heavily on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to carry the offensive load. Nikola Jović’s passing abilities and playmaking will also be expected to step in for the team’s winning strategy. But all of them will face a significant battle from the Celtics’ physical front court.

A familiar foe with a different look

The Boston Celtics were arguably the best team of the season, finishing with 64-18; 14 wins ahead of 2nd seeded Knicks. In attaining the feat, the Celtics defeated the Heat each time (3) they went against each other. However, the Celtics will look to revenge the Eastern Conference Finals last year when the Heats, who had 3% of succeeding rate, lead by 3-0. In hopes of reversing, the Celtics with the core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart & Derrick White, favorites to win this year’s Championship, will look to pick the right star.

Despite the challenges, the Heat will give a tough fight to the Celtics. Erik Spoelstra is known for his ability to adjust his game plan and get the most out of his players. If Bam Adebayo & Tyler Herro steps up and get support from the rest of the squad, the Heat may steal a game or two in this series. However, against a healthy Celtics team with championship aspirations, the Heat might struggle without their two most critical scorers.

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