The Celtics already know who they will play in the first round of the NBA playoffs—the Heat or the Bulls—thanks to Wednesday night’s results.
However, after reading an article published on Thursday morning by Shams Charania of The Athletic, both basketball fans and media members may feel obliged to include Chicago in their postseason brackets.
The Heat’s loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia during their Play-In Tournament match means Miami has to defeat Chicago on Friday night in order to claim the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, without key player Jimmy Butler, who is expected to miss “multiple weeks” due to an MCL injury, the defending East champs will attempt to win on their own court.
At Wells Fargo Center, Butler sustained the injury late in the first quarter. The six-time All-Star continued to play, finishing with 40 minutes, and he voiced his optimism that on Thursday morning, he would awaken to a stronger sensation in his knee. However, it appears that examination on the injury uncovered information that could spell the end for the Heat’s season.
Boston would surely have a less difficult series versus the Bulls, but it would still be heavily favored over Miami and Chicago. After all, Butler and the Heat, who were ranked ninth, were the ones who kept the Celtics from making it to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year last season.
Miami will continue to battle for a spot in the playoffs with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and
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