Celtics vs. Heat: Which Team Holds The Health Advantage Heading Into Game 7

The Green Team - SIC Score 87.2 - will need to go to Miami for do or die final game after failing to close out the pesky Heat. The same injury concerns remain Game 7 with the Celtics Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Jayson Tatum continuing to nurse issues.

Defensive wizard Marcus Smart has played through his ankle sprain and should continue to get better everyday as he has yet to contribute consistently since the injury. Smart was able to go over 10 points in Game 6 for the first time since the ankle injury but his three point shot and defensive intensity has yet to return to full capacity.

Robert Williams has returned to the starting lineup after suffering a bone bruise last series versus the Bucks and played over 25 minutes the last two games. He was absent during the 4Q in Game 6 but was more for offense than injury. Expect him to play his most minutes of the series if the game remains close.

All-star Jayson Tatum is nursing a stinger in his right shoulder with his coach admitting the injury has been flaring up at times. Tatum played well scoring 30 points and although no issues were seen Game 6, the injury has a chance to flare up which would spell bad news for the Celtics. Expect the stud to play through as he has but we at sicscore.com will monitor his movements closely.

The Heat - SIC Score 81.7 - surprised the world Game 6 beating the Celtics in Boston 111-103. The Heat went into the game with their lowest team SIC score of the postseason (72.8) but prevailed due the out-worldly performances from stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry.

Butler has been nursing right knee inflammation as early as the Hawks series while Lowry has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury that has hampered his movement on both ends of the court. 

Both veterans went into Game 6 ailed and not playing well as they have been for the last three games. Before his 47-point explosion last time out, the Marquette alum scored a mere 27 points combined between Games 3-5. Lowry dropped a goose egg in the points/assists department Game 5 but rallied for 18 points - 10 assists in Game 6.

The former Rocket will need to fight off the hamstring injury as a healthy Lowry is vital in how the Heat move the ball on offense. Butler on the other hand should be close to the same as Game 6 in terms of health but sicscore.com will monitor how he plays through the knee issue as he will need to play with the same aggressiveness on both ends for the Heat to have any shot Game 7. 

Another component they need to have a shot is If Tyler Herro can play through his groin injury. The easy answer is unlikely as the guard will be highly ineffective if he indeed does suit up as he relies on shiftiness and movement to get buckets. 

Although the Herro injury stings, the Heat have incurred a positive health delta of 8.9 points from Game 6 due to the performance of ailed starts Butler and Lowry. Going from a SIC score of 72.8 to the current score 81.7 does not make them the healthier squad going into Game 7 but the massive health jump gives them the advantage heading into the final game of the series. 

As always, here are the Injury-Based Prop plays that tie heavily with the injury issues talked about above:

Jayson Tatum U28.5 Points - Defensive physicality will be at a series high meaning there is a risk the stinger acts up, the star has gone over this prop number in three of the six games games so far but if the shoulder bothers him expect a poor shooting night

Bam Adebayo U27.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists - The center has underperformed as a while this series and will likely hold the trend Game 7, Adebayo has failed to take advantage of a less than 100% Robert Williams and with the game script likely close, Williams will be out there more meaning we expect the same non-aggressive Adebayo, has scored over 10 points just twice this series 

Victor Oladipo U8.5 Points - The sharpshooter has made a miraculous return to the rotation after missing a year+ due to a quad issue, Herro will likely not play but if he does this number is much to high, even if Herro sits again Oladipo hasn’t shot the ball well over the last two games (3-13), if the same game script holds as alluded to in the Adebayo prop the Heat will likely tighten the rotation meaning less minutes for Oladipo