Today's Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics initiates a 7-game series that could end as early as Sunday June 3rd, if either team wins four straight.
Although the Miami Heat are reportedly and unofficially the most hated team in the NBA, they are favorites to win tonight's game according to USAToday.
Although several sports commentators and sports blogs are predicting Miami as the series' winner, they believe the Heat will face some tough hurdles to reach the NBA finals.
The series is posing to be a very physical and disputed one, and although Miami has some clear advantages over Boston, they will have to prove themselves against an aged but experienced Boston once again.
Miami beat the Celtics 4 -1 in last year's Eastern Conference Finals series but in comparison to this year, the Heat will have to battle the Celtics without their injured center, Chris Bosh, and against an improved Rajon Rondo.
The Celtics do also have some significant disadvantages against the Heat which include a not well-rested team that just two days ago eliminated the 76ers in a series that lasted 7 games, and an aging 'Big Three (Garnett, Pierce, Allen)' who apparently don't possess the same playing prowess as they did last year. Although Big Three's combined points haven't decrease significantly since last year (50.3 in 2011, 49.4 in 2012) the team overall hasn't been as effective.
At the end of the 2011 regular season, the Celtics placed 3rd with 56 wins and 26 losses. This year, the Celtics placed 4th but won less than half as much of their total games played (39-27).
In the end, things for Boston don't look as simply as they will be facing a well-rested Miami who, not to mention, possesses the league's MVP.
The series begin at 8:30 p.m. EST through ESPN and both teams will be playing from Miami's America Airlines Arena.
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