Kevin Garnett reminded the world on Tuesday night that a 36-year-old player can still be a game-changer as the man known as The Big Ticket put up 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 94-90 victory over the Heat. The Celtics, deemed underdogs by perhaps even their own mothers, have willed themselves to come within one victory of beating the Heat and advancing to the NBA Finals. LeBron James is averaging a double-double in the series as he's scoring 31.8 PPG and grabbing 10.0 RPG against Boston. The Heat, losers of three in a row, face a win-or-g0-home game in Boston on Thursday with a Game 7 in Miami looming. Let's catch up on the latest news and headlines surrounding the Eastern Conference Finals…
- Don't look for the Heat to part ways with head coach Erik Spoelstra even if the team fails to advance to the NBA Finals, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. That could change, however, if Pat Riley decides he's done working for the Heat and ready to retire, which could lead to complete roster overhaul. Simply put, Spoelstra goes as Riley goes.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says the Heat would have myriad options if the team falls short of a championship and looks to end the Big 3 experiment. If Miami decides to part ways with Chris Bosh, they could look to the Rockets as a potential trade partner as they seek a superstar and have expressed interest in Bosh when he was a free agent in 2010. Chicago and Orlando could land Dwyane Wade if the Heat decide to trade the former Marquette star and rebuild around James.
- Clutch shooting has proven to be key for the Celtics as the team leads all remaining playoff teams in field goal percentage during the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when leading or trailing by five points (64.7%), according to Ryan Feldman of ESPN Stats & Info. The Heat, however, have the lowest field goal percentage in the same category as they are shooting 36.5%. Look for Miami to address this statistic during the offseason as they reshape their roster for the fall.
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