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BOSTON — The Heat stunned the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals last season, taking a 3-0 lead and then blowing Boston out at the Garden in Game 7. They will meet again this season, but under much different circumstances. This first-round matchup features a reengineered Celtics team that is the top seed in East and has been the most consistent in the NBA. The eighth-seeded Heat have again reached the main draw via the play-in tournament. But they won't have Jimmy Butler, whose injured right knee won't let him match leading the Heat to NBA Finals runs in 2020 and 2023.
