The Miami Heat will be without point guard Gabe Vincent in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. With a win, the Heat would advance to the NBA Finals.
Vincent sprained his left ankle in Game 4.
Vincent is averaging 17.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists versus the Celtics in the conference finals while shooting 57.9% from the field, 50.0% from beyond the arc, and 93.8% from the free-throw line. He scored 29 points in Game 3.
The Heat are up 3-1 on the Celtics. They are one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals. However, Boston has some momentum after winning Game 4 in Miami.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Gabe Vincent, Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat & Boston Celtics Updates
All-Star Kyle Lowry will likely start for the Heat in Game 5. The 37-year-old is averaging 6.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists against the Celtics while shooting 35.5% overall and 33.3% from 3-point land.
The Heat won Games 1 and 2 on the road versus the Celtics, so they know what it takes to win at the TD Garden. After Game 4 in Miami, superstar Jimmy Butler told reporters that the Heat have “got to play like our backs are against the wall” in Game 5.
“If anything, it will build momentum for us knowing that we have to play with a lot more energy,” Butler said. “We’ve got to play like our backs are against the wall. But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we’ve had to do things the hard way.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Gabe Vincent, Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat & Boston Celtics Updates
The Heat haven’t lost two games in a row in the playoffs yet. No team in NBA history has lost a postseason series after taking a 3-0 lead.
“The only thing I’m going to say is we’ll be OK,” Butler said. “Let’s get back to doing what we’ve always done to get us to this point: Continually have belief in one another, knowing that we are going to win, and we will. We’ve just got to play harder. There’s not too much to say with this group because we already know. So we’ve just got to go out there and execute.”
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