Shaquille O'Neal Predicts Miami Heat Will Win Game 5 Against Boston Celtics If It's A Close Game

Shandel Richardson | May 1, 2024

Apr 29, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) drives into Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez - Michael Laughlin/USA TODAY Sports / Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports

TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal is one of the few who think the Miami Heat have a chance tonight against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Heat are playing without Jaime Jaquez, Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, but O'Neal thinks they will win if it's a close game.

"They definitely believe they can win, especially offensively," O'Neal said. "If they have another game like they had in Game 2, of course they can win. We know they're going to play hard. We know they're going to play together .. They're not going to give up. If the game is close toward the end, I'm going with Miami." 

O'Neal's co-host, Charles Barkley, said it will be an epic fail if the top-seeded Celtics fall tonight.

"Without Butler and Jaquez, if they lose this game, if they don't win this game, I'm off the bandwagon," Barkely said. 

Here's the game preview:

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Where: TD Garden, Boston

TV: TNT, Bally Sports

Betting line: Heat +14.5

Vitals: The Heat and Celtics met three times this regular season with Boston winning each matchup. The Heat are 53-83 all-time versus the Celtics during the regular season, including 30-40 in home games and 23-43 in road games. The teams enter this postseason having faced each
other six times in the playoffs, including four times in the Eastern Conference Finals (2012, 2020, 2022, 2023), once in the Semifinals (2011) and once in the First Round (2010). The HEAT has recorded a 4-2 playoff series record against Boston over that span, resulting in a 20-17 postseason record against the Celtics .This is the fourth time in five years the Heat and Celtics have met in the playoffs. The Celtics lead the series 3-1.

PROJECTED STARTERS

HEAT

G Delon Wright

G Tyler Herro

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C Bam Adebayo

F Caleb Martin

F Nikola Jovic

CELTICS

F Jayson Tatum

F Jaylen Brown

C Kristaps Porzingis

G Jrue Holiday

G Derrick White

INJURY REPORT

HEAT

Josh Richardson: Out - Right Shoulder Surgery 

Jimmy Butler: Out - Knee

Terry Rozier: Out - Neck Spasms

Jaime Jaquez: Out - Hip

CELTICS

Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable - Foot

QUOTABLE: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Game 5: "We've proven we can win a bunch of different ways. But I think we have a game. I think we have an offensive game in us .. Our guys really want to get things back to Miami and have just a great game in front of our fans. I know it. Guys have talked about it. That's what we'll focus on."