Once again, the Boston Celtics will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics eliminated the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers to get to this point, while the Heat knocked out the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.
Here are five things to know about the Heat heading into the series:
1. Winning Big: The Heat have beat their opponents by an average of 9.91 points, second best in the NBA this postseason. They are averaging 95.5 points per game and holding their competition to 85.6.
2. Board Battle: One area the Heat have not had the edge on their opponents is on the boards. This postseason they have been out-rebounded, 41.1 to 39.6.
3. Dangerous Duo: LeBron James ranks second in scoring this postseason with 29.0 points per game. Wade holds the seventh spot with 23.8 points. Wade posted 41 points in their Game 6 win, and James scored 40 in Game 5.
4. Beware of pickpocketing: James and Wade are both riding steal streaks. Wade has grabbed at least one steal in 15 straight games while James has done so in 11.
5. The Century Mark: The Heat are 6-0 when scoring 100 points in the playoffs this season. The Celtics reached that mark half as many times.