The no. 8-seeded Miami Heat are in the Eastern Conference Finals, and they’ll be joined by the No. 2-seeded Boston Celtics.
Miami on Friday eliminated the No. 5-seeded New York Knicks in Game 6 at home to reach the series for the second straight season after being the conference’s top overall seed in 2022.
After defeating league MVP Joel Embiid and the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers in a blowout Game 7, the Celtics advanced to set up an ECF rematch with Miami.
With the Heat and Celtics officially set to face off, here’s what to know about the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals:
What is the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals matchup?
The two teams playing for an NBA Finals berth are the No. 8 Miami Heat and the No. 2 Boston Celtics.
Miami’s path included upsetting the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games before eliminating the No. 5-seeded Knicks in six. The Heat reached this stage last season but lost in seven games to Boston, the eventual title runner-up.
Boston defeated the No. 7-seeded Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the first round. The second round was an even tougher test, with the Celtics falling behind 3-2 before rallying to defeat the No. 3-seeded 76ers in Game 7.
When does the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals start?
Game 1 of the series is set for Wednesday, May 17 in Boston. Should it need a Game 7, that would take place on Monday, May 29.
How to watch the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals
TNT will broadcast each contest of the series, including Games 5-7 if necessary. The action will be available to stream on TNT.com and the TNT app.
What is the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals schedule?
Here is how the schedule shapes up, with Games 5-7 if necessary:
• Game 1: Heat 123, Celtics 116 (MIA leads 1-0)
• Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 105 (MIA leads 2-0)
• Game 3: Heat 128, Celtics 102 (MIA leads 3-0)
• Game 4: Celtics at Heat, Tuesday, May 23, 8:30 pm ET, TNT
• Game 5: Heat at Celtics, Thursday, May 25. 8:30 pm ET, TNT (if necessary)
• Game 6: Celtics at Heat, Saturday, May 27, 8:30 pm ET, TNT (if necessary)
• Game 7: Heat at Celtics, Monday, May 29, 8:30 pm ET, TNT (if necessary)
Who is favored to win the Celtics vs. Heat Eastern Conference Finals?
The Celtics enter the ECF rematch as the heavy betting favorite to defeat the Heat. While Boston defeated Miami in the same round last year, it took seven hard-fought games to do so.
Here’s the full future odds to win the series, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:
- Boston Celtics, -500
- Miami Heat, +360
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by us partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.