Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat: Three things to watch in East Finals

We have seen this movie — two years ago in the 2020 bubble Eastern Conference Finals. Once again it is the Celtics vs. the Heat, and both teams are returning many of the same core players from that showdown in Orlando.

However, both teams also have evolved since then. Don’t expect this Celtics team to blow multiple fourth quarter leads; this is a more mature and mentally tougher team. Miami has added an All-Star and an NBA champion in Kyle Lowry — if he is healthy enough to play.

It’s a showdown between two teams with elite defenses on one end and multiple playmakers on the other. There are similarities in how the Celtics and Heat are built, but the differences will make the series, which starts Tuesday night in Miami (8:30 p.m. on ESPN).

Here are three keys that could decide the series.

Jayson Tatum made the leap into the NBA’s elite this postseason, going toe-to-toe with the best player on the planet in Giannis Antetokounmpo and outdueling him at times. Tatum looked like a top-five player, an MVP candidate and an unstoppable force against the Bucks.

But Jimmy Butler has outscored Tatum this postseason.

It’s close, 28.7 points per game for Butler to 28.3 for Tatum. With Lowry missing time (and not himself when he has played due to his hamstring injury), more weight has fallen on Butler’s shoulders — against the Sixers he led the Heat in points, assists, steals, and was tied for the team lead in rebounds.

Butler has always been able to crank up his game under pressure, and this postseason has been no different. However, he struggled (relatively) against Boston in the regular season, averaging 19 points a game. Bottom line, the Celtics believe they have the best player in this series with Tatum — if they don’t, if Butler