The Boston Celtics will host the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Wednesday in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics lead the series 3-1.

The Celtics are 48 minutes away from securing a spot in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, barring an epic disaster. The Celtics posted the best record in the league during the regular season, and to top that, they also went an impressive 37-4 at home. It’s worth noting that the Heat stole a victory from TD Garden earlier in the series, but Boston will ensure that doesn’t happen again. The Celtics are the better team; they’re healthier despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis (calf), and they execute at a higher level on both ends of the court. Plus, given how the games of this series have unfolded, Boston shouldn’t have problems securing the victory amid a strong start. The Celtics will rely on their defense to get the job done, as they’ve kept the Heat below the 100-point mark in each of the three wins in the current series.

The Heat have their backs against the wall in the series, and their chances of pushing it to a sixth game -- let alone attempting a comeback on a 1-3 deficit -- are slim to none. The Heat would have a shot if Jimmy Butler were available, but the star forward is out with a knee injury. To make things even more complicated, two other valuable contributors are also out since Terry Rozier (neck) and Jaime Jaquez (hip) won’t play. This means the Heat will not only be without their star player for this pivotal contest, but they’ll also be shorthanded in the backcourt. Miami will probably rely on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to carry the team Wednesday. Adebayo will have to be particularly good since he won’t have to deal with Porzingis. However, Miami must be realistic. They have gone a combined 1-6 against Boston in 2023-24 between the regular season and the playoffs, and the realistic expectation is that their season will end Wednesday.