Heavy favorites Celtics force Game 6

Its members are Boston Celtics they talked about a trip back to South Florida moments after the team averted the sweep of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals

While talk is cheap, the conversation will be real if the Celtics On Thursday, they will avoid relegation for the second consecutive game when they host the Month in Game 5 in Boston

“We want to come back to Miami,” Jaylen Brown said after finishing second Celtics avoided the sweep with a 116-99 win in Game 4 on Tuesday

They continue to lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series in eighth place Monthbut the Celtics they are heavily favored to take the series to at least Game 6

AN UNDERDOG STORY

Boston is a 7.5-point favorite at BetMGM, with Miami drawing 83 percent of bets and 75 percent of hands due to the wide spread. The line is Celtics -8.0 at BetRivers, where Boston is backed by just 38 percent of spread-line bets but has drawn 77 percent of the money

The underdog has won the last four games in this series, while the Month overall, they have covered the gap in eight of their last nine games. Meanwhile, BetRivers added that the home side have also won the first quarter in each of their last four matches.

MOMENTUM SWING?

Jayson Tatum scored 25 of his 33 points in the second half on Tuesday, including 14 in the third quarter, in which Boston outscored Miami 38-23. All told, Tatum shot 11-of-15 from the floor after the break.

Tatum wasn’t alone either. THE Celtics He shot 51.2 percent from the floor (43/84) per game, 40 percent from 3-point range (18/45)

“Yeah, everybody was in a good mood, everybody was in good spirits, and as cliché as it sounds, we tried to play through a game,” Tatum said.

However, TD Garden hasn’t been kind to home tenants in the postseason. THE Celtics They have lost five of their last seven games in Boston

DON’T PANIC HEAT

That said, a Month It had won all six of its home playoff games before Tuesday’s loss to Miami

THE Month they were denied their first chance to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. Their first opportunity to join the 1998-99 New York Knicks failed as they reached the NBA Finals as the only eighth seed.

Jimmy Butler, who had team-highs in points (29) and rebounds (nine) on Tuesday, refused to go too low after seeing the team’s early opportunities near the boards.

“The only thing I’m going to say is we’re going to be OK,” Butler said. “Let’s get back to what we’ve always done to get here. Keep believing in each other, knowing that we’re going to win and we’re going to win. We just have to play harder.

“There’s not too much to say with this group because we already know. So we just have to go out there and execute.”

THE Month ruled out by guard Gabe Vincent with a sprained left ankle. Veteran Kyle Lowry is expected to replace him in the starting lineup

THEY SAID

Month: “Definitely disappointing. It would have been a perfect world, a perfect situation. But as we know and everyone else knows, things don’t usually work out the easy way around here. So, like I said, it’s right up our alley. . That’s how it goes for us.” and guys like us. Again, I think it just sets us up for the long haul. It can be good for us.” — Caleb Martin after the Game 4 loss

Celtics: “We didn’t play well in the first three games, we didn’t deserve to win, but we didn’t want it to define us, define the season. We still have a long uphill battle ahead of us. But (Tuesday) was a good start. Just to I’ll try to carry this momentum forward to Thursday.” — Jayson Tatu

BY THE NUMBERS

According to BetRivers, Miami’s Kevin Love has pulled down at least five rebounds in 15 consecutive road games, while Boston’s Al Horford has pulled down at least seven boards in nine straight playoff games facing elimination.

BetMGM reported that the top sports betting prop for Game 5 is Boston’s Grant Williams, who is -140 over 6.5 points. Second most popular? Williams at +140 to make at least two 3-pointers in the game.

— Field Level Media