MIAMI (AP) — The chants started raining down in the fourth quarter. “We want Boston,” the Miami Heat crowd kept shouting, over and over.
The fans got their wish. And a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference finals awaits in Round 1 this year.
Miami — even with Jimmy Butler sidelined for several weeks with a sprained knee — is back in the playoffs. Tyler Herro scored 24 points and was an assist shy of a triple-double, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 21 points and the Heat grabbed the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Chicago Bulls 112-91 in a play-in tournament elimination game Friday night.
Eastern Conference
All times Eastern Standard Time
• Game 1: Heat vs. Celtics; Sunday, April 21 (1 ET, ABC)
• Game 2: Heat vs. Celtics; Wednesday, April 24 (7 ET, TNT)
• Game 3: Celtics vs. Heat; Saturday, April 27 (6 ET, TNT)
• Game 4: Celtics vs. Heat; Monday, April 29 (TBD, TBD)
• Game 5: Heat vs. Celtics; Wednesday, May 1 (TBD, TBD)*
• Game 6: Celtics vs. Heat; Friday, May 3 (TBD, TBD)*
• Game 7: Heat vs. Celtics; Sunday, May 5 (TBD, TBD)
