The Heat were hobbled and hampered, and the Celtics were at home.
This was meant to be Boston's opportunity to move into the NBA Finals but Jimmy Butler had other ideas. Butler's playoff career-high 47 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals led Miami to a 111-103 Game 6 victory to force a deciding game at home on Sunday.
Butler, who has been battling knee soreness, played the entirety of the second half in what was a must-win for Miami.
MORE: Jimmy Butler scores 47, Heat force Game 7 in East Finals
"My team, they got so much belief in me, my coaches got so much belief in me," Butler said postgame. "They give me that confidence to go out there and play basketball the right way and just hoop.
The Celtics, after having won two consecutive games in this series to take a 3-2 lead, will now have to regroup and try to win in South Beach.
Miami's win in Game 6 was the fourth road win in this series, the Celtics will look to make it five to close this series out.
Here is everything you need to know about Game 7, including odds and expert predictions.
When is Celtics vs. Heat Game 7?
- Date: Sunday, May 29
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. PT
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live streaming: Watch ESPN | Sling TV (U.S. only)
Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Heat will take place on Sunday, May 29 at Miami's FTX Arena and will be broadcast on ESPN.
The trio of Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson will be on the call, with Lisa Salters on the sidelines.
Game 7 of Celtics vs. Heat can be live streamed on Watch ESPN or Sling TV.
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MORE: Watch the NBA playoffs on Sling TV (U.S. only)
Opening odds for Celtics vs. Heat Game 7
Miami: +110
Boston: -130
(Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook)
Predictions, expert picks for Celtics vs. Heat Game 7
Gilbert McGregor: Celtics
Nick Metallinos: Heat
Ananth Pandian: Celtics
Celtics vs. Heat schedule, TV channels
Here is the full schedule for the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) / Result | TV channel |
| May 17 | Game 1 | Heat 118, Celtics 107 | ESPN |
| May 19 | Game 2 | Celtics 127, Heat 102 | ESPN |
| May 21 | Game 3 | Heat 109, Celtics 103 | ABC |
| May 23 | Game 4 | Celtics 102, Heat 82 | ABC |
| May 25 | Game 5 | Celtics 93, Heat 80 | ESPN |
| May 27 | Game 6 | Heat 111, Celtics 103 | ESPN |
| May 29 | Game 7 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |