Heat on verge of ousting Celts

The Miami Heat went through a lot this season, especially the great expectations that came with their big offseason acquisitions. But through it all they've persevered, and after winning Monday night in Boston the Heat finds themselves with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals if they can beat the Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Miami (7 pm Eastern, TNT).

Also Wednesday the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, tied at two games apiece in their Western Conference series after the Thunder's triple-overtime victory on Monday night, are in the OKC for their Game 5 (9:30 Eastern, TNT).

And Thursday the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks, tied at two games apiece in their Eastern Conference series going into their Game 5 in Chicago on Tuesday night, play their Game 6 back in the ATL (8 Eastern, ESPN).

Miami took a 3-1 lead in their series with the Celtics with a 98-90 overtime victory in Game 4 Monday night in Boston. The Heat's Big Three combined for 83 points and 35 rebounds and accounted for all their team's scoring in the extra period.

Miami got the cover as 1-point road favorites on oddsmaker.ag's NBA playoffs betting board Monday night. So the Heat are now 7-2 straight-up and 5-4 vs. the pointspreads in these playoffs. The Celtics, meanwhile, are now 5-3 SU but 3-5 ATS this postseason.

Monday's game was tied at 86 after regulation, which would have made it an UNDER at oddsmaker.ag. But the game then played OVER its total of 180.5 in the overtime period. So three of the first four games in this series have gone OVER their numbers.

Boston G Rajon Rondo played with a brace on his injured left elbow Monday, scoring 10 points and dishing out five assists in 38 minutes.

oddsmaker.ag is now listing Miami at -200 to win the Eastern Conference this spring, and at even-money to win the NBA title. Boston is now getting +1,500 to win the East and +3,000 to win the league championship.

Oklahoma City regained home-court advantage in its series with the Grizzlies by winning in Memphis on Monday night 133-123. The Thunder trailed by 18 points midway through the second quarter, but pulled back to within four at the half. And they led by three points in the waning moments of regulation before Memphis' Mike Conley hit a three-pointer to tie the score, sending the game into extra sessions.

The Thunder eventually won outright as 2-point underdogs at oddsmaker.ag - and that game also would have been an UNDER if not for overtime.

oddsmaker.ag is now listing Oklahoma City at +200 to win the Western Conference, and at +300 to win the NBA championship, with Memphis getting +800 to win the West and +1,500 to win it all.