TNT Analyst Charles Barkley Calls Game 3 Against Boston Celtics A ‘Must-Win’ For Miami Heat

Charles Barkley believes the Miami Heat need to win the next game against Boston Celtics

The Miami Heat are now in the driver’s seat of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After a Game 2 victory against the series-favorites Boston Celtics, the Heat go back to Miami with a 2-0 series lead. While the fans are excited to see their team put on a performance at Kaseya Center, TNT analyst Charles Barkley sees Game 3 as the most important one of the series.

“Let me tell you this as a guy who was there,” Barkley said. “Must-win for Miami next game. Next game. Because as a guy who had these guys two-zip, I knew, I said ‘Guys, if we let them win Game 3, we gotta get this thing over with.’ And I remember telling the guys, I said ‘Guys, we won those first two games in Houston. We up two-zip, we have got to win Game 3.’”

The Heat aren’t the only team who overcame adversity. When the Celtics were down 3-2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, they avoided elimination by winning the next two games. So the Celtics have experience with these kinds of situations.

“And if I’m Erik Spoelstra, I’m saying to myself, ‘Guys, we ain’t done nothing," Barkley said. "And if they get up three-zip, it’s a wrap. If I’m coach Spo, I’m talking from both sides, ‘Guys, we got to win Game 3’. And so, to me, as great as Miami looked, they can’t let the Celtics back in the series. They got to win Game 3.”'

He has a point. Although the Heat won the game, the Celtics kept it close with another huge performance from their star, Jayson Tatum. Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 27 points but was already showing signs of exhaustion. If the Heat wrap the series up quickly, he’ll be well-rested for the Finals.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.