So what if this is who the surging Miami Heat are, or at least can be, in the post-Jimmy Butler era? What if the 10-game losing streak was, as coach Erik Spoelstra insisted, a period of discovery?

When the Celtics blew a 22-point lead and lost to the Cavaliers on Feb. 28, it appeared that their hopes of getting the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference vanished. They had fallen 7.5 games back of the Cavaliers for the top seed with just over a month of basketball left to be played.

As the Celtics get closer to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, here is the team that they want to see and the one that they definitely don't.

Behind 25 points and 14 rebounds from Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics won their ninth-straight game on Monday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies to improve to 56-19 on the season. While it's unlikely the Celtics catch the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers (60-15), the defending champions are entering the postseason with a lot of momentum.

Boston had its nine-game win streak snapped Wednesday night with a 124-103 home loss to the Miami Heat. The Celtics nearly erased a 22-point third-quarter deficit but faded in the fourth, prompting head coach Joe Mazzulla to play his backups for the final five minutes.

Uknown date; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Boston Celtics forward Paul Silas (35) in action against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports It is also the anniversary of Boston tying an NBA record in 1986 with 27 ...

Rajon Rondo was one of the great Boston Celtics of the 21st century. A critical contributor alongside Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen d

Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum isn't a huge fan of a nickname that's been going viral on social media lately.