ESPN

Here's a glimpse at the conference finals schedule between the Celtics and Heat:

Game 1 - May 28 - Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2 - May 30 - Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m (ESPN)
Game 3 - June 1 - Miami at Boston, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4 - June 3 - Miami at Boston, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 5* - June 5 - Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 6* - June 7 - Miami at Boston, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 7* - June 9 - Boston at Miami, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

(* If necessary)

In the video above, ESPN's NBA Countdown guys preview the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Heat, which starts Monday night.

How the Celtics will handle LeBron James and Dwyane Wade without Avery Bradley was a major topic of discussion.

"Wade and LeBron are the best two players (remaining) in the NBA playoffs," analyst Jon Barry said. "This (Heat) team is going to be very difficult to beat. Avery Bradley, he was the guy that was going to be on Dwayne Wade. Now it's Ray Allen. This is a banged up Ray Allen, there's no question about it. He struggled in the series against Philadelphia. Now that he has to chase Dwyane Wade around, that's going to take even more out his offense.

"There's no time to rest. I'd feel a lot better about Boston if they finished (the Philly series) in 5 games, which they should have. ... they're going to Miami in a day. They're not going to win Game 1, I can tell you that, and it's going to be an uphill battle from there."

That's not to say the Celtics won't have their advantageous matchups, says Chris Broussard: "You have a serious advantage at point guard in Rajon Rondo. Kevin Garnett I think is going to be huge. Who's going to guard him and stop those perimeter jumpers? He's going to be able to rebound with no Chris Bosh there. I think Boston can pack in the paint and if they can cut off the driving lanes successfully against LeBron and Wade, it's going to be tough for Miami."

Michael Wilbon capped off the segment:

"If Ray Allen went into this series healthy and if Avery Bradley was able to play, I think Boston would go into this series with an advantage. As it is, Miami, down Chris Bosh, has two great, great players going against four great players. The question still is does Miami have enough."

BOSTON -- Kevin Garnett is vowing to approach the Boston Celtics' Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Miami Heat the same way he sized up the competition against the Philadelphia 76ers, with the exception of one key detail: He won't hit South Beach with any direct criticisms of the Heat fan base.

"Not at all," Garnett said when asked if he had a message for Miami's fans following Boston's 85-75 Game 7 victory over Philly on Saturday. "You got me with that once, you won't get me twice."

Following the Celtics' victory in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia, Garnett referred to 76er fans as "fair-weather," and he enjoyed an especially cool reception throughout the Celtics' loss in Game 6 from the Philly crowd.

Garnett, though, need not antagonize the ticket holders with his words before he and the Celtics take the floor for Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena on Monday. They'll develop a significant enough distaste for him if his play on the court resembles -- or even surpasses -- what he put on display throughout the semifinals against the 76ers.

In seven games against Philadelphia, Garnett averaged a quality double-double of 19.7 points and 11 rebounds, shooting over 50 percent from the field in just under 37 minutes per game. In the pivotal Game 7 on Saturday, he came through with an 18-point, 13-rebound effort, helping to pace Boston's offensive and defensive attack, as the C's escaped in the final minutes and punched their tickets to Miami.

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BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will clash for the third consecutive postseason when the Eastern Conference finals open Monday night at AmericanAirlines Arena (8:30 p.m., ESPN).

With their own Big Three assembled last season, Miami ousted Boston in 5 games in the second round en route to the NBA Finals. But Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo said the Celtics won't be looking for revenge this time around.

"Last year is in the past. This year we are a totally different team," said Rondo. "We feel we can beat Miami. Obviously, we got to this point. There’s no doubt in my mind that we can, so we gotta go down there and take care of business.”

Rondo toughed out the end of last year's series with a dislocated elbow suffered in Game 3. Boston is nursing its own batch of maladies this year, which only makes the task at hand that much tougher.

"It's what it is, man. (The Heat are) playing well right now," said Kevin Garnett. "They beat a very tough Indiana team. I think LeBron (James) and (Dwyane) Wade are playing at high levels right now. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves, so it should be an interesting series.

"This is the cream of the cream. This is what it's all about, conference finals. We definitely don't like the way we left last year, so we'll see what happens, man. We'll see what happens. Let's get it on."

The Celtics are sure to be underdogs, particularly coming off a grueling (and often ugly) seven-game series with the 76ers. Boston has already played two more playoff games than the Heat, who have also been resting since closing out the Pacers on Thursday.

"It is what it is; We’re up for the challenge," said captain Paul Pierce. "We know how tough it is to win in this league, especially in the playoffs. We know how hard it is to win a championship. So we expect this to be tough.”

Echoed Mickael Pietrus: "We know that we have to focus on Miami. It’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be a tough matchup. But we’re willing to take the challenge all the way, and do what we’ve been doing: just fight.”

Garnett was playfully asked after Saturday's Game 7 triumph over the 76ers if he had any thoughts on Miami fans (this after drawing the ire of some by suggesting Philly had 'fair-weather' fans).

"Not at all," said Garnett, eliciting laughter. "You got me with that once, you won't get me twice."

The "NBA Countdown" crew breaks down Rajon Rondo's huge fourth quarter in Game 7 against the Sixers and assesses what impact Rondo can have in the Eastern Conference finals against the Heat.

Magic Johnson says that if Rondo is playing well, "he can turn a whole series around. That's wy I think it's going to be tremendous against the Miami Heat."

Jon Barry cautions that Rondo won't be able to take any games off. "I don't need him to hit jumpers," Barry said, "but I need him to be offensively in attack mode all the time."

Chris Broussard says the Celtics' performance in Game 7 is "another example that when their backs are against the wall, they come to play."

In the video above, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith discusses the Celtics' Game 7 victory over the Sixers and looks ahead to the upcoming Eastern Conference finals between Boston and Miami.

"I see the Miami Heat basically steamrolling over the Boston Celtics," predicts Stephen A. "You don't mean to sound disrespectful by any stretch of the imagination. You know the Boston Celtics could compete with these guys, could give them a run for their money and possibly beat them if they were healthy. But Paul Pierce still looked a little bit gimpy. Even though Ray Allen seemed to be running well, his lateral movement seemed a bit shaky, not to mention the fact that his shot is not falling with any degree of regularity. ...

"But LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are averaging better than 65 points per game over their last three games of their previous series againist the Indiana Pacers. They're younger, they're more athletic, plus they're rough and rugged. They're not older, like the Boston Celtics, pretty much hobbling around. ...

"I would be shocked if this was a competitive series that goes 6 or 7 games. I would be very happy about it, but I don't expect it."

After calling the Celtics' Game 7 victory over the Sixers, ESPN broadcast team Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen discuss Boston's chances of defeating the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

Van Gundy thinks the Heat are the heavy favorites, but does see a scenario in which the Celtics could pull off the upset (though it does involve a "magic potion").

"I expect Miami to win handily," Van Gundy said. "But if (Rajon) Rondo and Ray Allen can play well -- you've got to have (Paul) Pierce have a big series against LeBron James -- but Ray Allen has to make Dwyane Wade guard him, he's going to have to make shots.

"Historically, he has played well against the Miami Heat. So if he can drink some magic potion and get healthy, and get his groove back offensively, and Rondo plays strong, they have a chance (with Miami likely missing Chris Bosh)."

Immediately after the Celtics' Game 7 victory, ESPN caught up with Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett before the left the court. Check out their comments in the video above.

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday night at TD Garden. (Boston wins the series, 4-3.)

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Rajon Rondo put the Celtics on his shoulders over the final four minutes, capping a triple-double that saw him put up 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists over 43 minutes. Kevin Garnett added 18 points and 13 rebounds over 38:25, while Brandon Bass quietly kicked in 16 points. The 76ers shot a mere 35 percent (28-of-80) from the floor and Andre Iguodala paced the visitors with 18 points.

TURNING POINT
The 76ers were within a point after a Thad Young tip-in to open the fourth quarter, but Boston's veterans wouldn't let them surge ahead. Garnett sandwiched a pair of jumpers around a Ray Allen 3-pointer. Allen -- a woeful 1-for-9 to start the game and having missed his first five 3-point attempts -- willed in a triple from just to the right of the top of the arc. It was Boston's first 3-pointer of the game after going 0-for-14 over the first 38:09. Allen added a second trifecta with 5:51 to go for a 69-61 lead. Philly wouldn't go quietly, but then Rondo took over.

RONDO TAKES OVER AFTER PIERCE DEPARTS
Paul Pierce fouled out after an offensive foul with 4:16 to play and Boston clinging to a 71-68 lead. The Celtics clearly needed either Rondo or Garnett to step up. It was Rondo, who converted a driving layup, then a late-clock jumper (originally ruled a 3, but soon overturned) for an eight-point edge. As if angered by the ruling, Rondo drilled a 3-pointer from about two steps behind the arc on the right wing, then added a pair of free throws for an 80-70 edge with 1:45 to go.

BOLD PLAY OF THE GAME
Mickael Pietrus, famous for his Game 7 exploits here as a member of the Orlando Magic in 2009, turned back the clock a bit and showcased why they call him "Air France" when he split Lavoy Allen and Elton Brand to get into the paint, then skyed for a thunderous jam that had Boston out front 17-12.

C'S LEAN ON THEIR DEFENSE IN FIRST HALF
The Celtics scored the game's first six points and led 12-4 early on, but couldn't create separation despite a revved-up Garden. Foul trouble aided the 76ers in sticking around despite shooting a mere 28.6 percent (6-of-21) in the first quarter and the game was tied at 20 after 12 minutes. Boston's defense continued to make things tough on Philly in the second quarter (5-of-18, 27.8 percent) and a 7-1 burst to close out the half had Boston out front 41-33 at the break.

CELEBRITIES!
It wasn't quite as star-studded as Game 5 here, but Boston's pro athletes (past and present) were well represented. Those sitting courtside included New England Patriots Kevin Faulk and Vince Wilfork, along with former Celtics Jeff Green and Walter McCarty. A split-screen of McCarty and Brian Scalabrine, who is working the playoffs with Comcast SportsNet, sent the Garden into a fourth-quarter frenzy. Paula Abdul also got some JumboTron time as part of the 250th consecutive sellout at TD Garden.

WHAT IT MEANS
As usual, the Celtics kept things interesting for much of the night. And just when it seemed that Pierce fouling out might be a potential back-breaker, Rondo took over and carried this team to the finish line. It was an ugly, ugly series, but Boston is headed to the conference finals, where it'll give a resting Heat team its best punch. The crowd serenaded the Celtics with a "Beat the Heat" chant over the final minute, but it clearly won't be easy. The Celtics will worry about that starting tomorrow. For now, they can savor finding a way to grind through this series and outlast the young Philadelphia legs.

BOSTON -- Celtics reserve guard Keyon Dooling said he feels "good" and will play in Saturday's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Dooling sat out Friday's practice session with what Celtics coach Doc Rivers termed "flu, or whatever," but Dooling downplayed the issue before Saturday's game and said he's ready to help the team off the bench.

With starting shooting guard Avery Bradley undergoing shoulder surgery on Friday, the Celtics need help at the guard spot. Ray Allen shuffles into the starting lineup (and Rivers said Allen looks good despite his constant battle against bone spurs in his right ankle) and Dooling becomes the top reserve at both guard spots.

Rivers said that either Marquis Daniels or Sasha Pavlovic likely will see increased minutes tonight to help defray the loss of Bradley.

As for Bradley, Rivers didn't offer much beyond joking that he got the "typical doctor's update: Surgery went great." Rivers said he didn't ask much more than that, keeping his focus on Game 7.

"Honestly, I just wanted to make sure he’s doing all right," Rivers said when pressed for details of the procedure and Bradley’s timeline for recovery. "I didn’t ask any of that. We’ll have the whole summer to figure all that out."

Both Rivers and 76ers coach Doug Collins held shorter-than-usual pregame press conferences. Clearly the coaches and players are locked in on this decisive game with a ticket to Miami and the Eastern Conference finals up for grabs.

It's Game 7 as the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers clash for the right to advance to the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night at TD Garden (8 p.m., ABC). To preview the matchup, we play a (tardy) game of 2-on-2 with colleague Greg Payne:

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1. How much will home-court help Boston in Game 7?

Payne: Home court will play a big role in tonight's game. Bolstered by what should be a very raucous crowd tonight, the Celtics should have an easier time avoiding the mental pitfalls that allow for lengthy 76er runs, and should also be that much more locked in as they seek those runs for themselves. Look at the third quarter in Game 5. Sure, the Celtics put the run together after Kevin Garnett was called for that offensive foul, but the crowd was just as vital, putting an unending energy into the arena that the C's fed off of.

Forsberg: It'll help, but only if Boston gives them something to cheer about (or the refs give them something to get lathered up about). Let's face it, this team didn't exactly benefit from home-court advantage at times early in the series -- mainly because of early start times and lackluster first-half efforts from Boston. All that said, having home court in Game 7 has to be an advantage. Not that either team should need energy, but Boston clearly feeds off its fans at times and a rollicking atmosphere won't hurt their chances in a deciding game.

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BOSTON -- Our friends at Elias Sports Bureau add a few more noteworthy nuggets as we wait for Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden:

* The Celtics and Sixers have alternated wins through the first six games of this series, with Boston winning Games 1, 3 and 5 and Philadelphia coming out on top in Games 2, 4 and 6. Since the NBA instituted the current playoff format in 1983, there have been 60 series that have gone a full seven games. In only two of those series did the opposing teams alternate wins in all seven games: Seattle vs. Phoenix in 1993 (conference finals) and Phoenix vs. the Clippers in 2006 (conference semifinals).

* Doc Rivers has lost two Game 7s at home in his career as a head coach (2005 against the Pacers and 2009 against the Magic). Only one other head coach in NBA history has suffered multiple Game 7 losses at home in his career: Pat Riley (2).

* This is the first time Doug Collins will be appearing in a Game 7 in his career as a head coach. Prior to tonight's Game 7, Collins’ 55 playoff games were by far the most of any head coach in NBA history who had never appeared in a Game 7. That distinction now belongs to Bob Hill (37).

WALTHAM -- Celtics guard Keyon Dooling participated in Saturday morning's shootaround after missing Friday's practice due to illness, but will be a gametime decision for Saturday night's Game 7 of Boston's Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Second-year guard Avery Bradley, who underwent shoulder surgery on Friday, was the only Celtic who didn't participate in Saturday's shootaround, and everyone else will be available for Saturday night's Game 7.

Saturday morning's shootaround consisted of a brief film session followed by a run through of halfcourt offensive and defensive sets.

From our friends at ESPN Stats and Info: When the Boston Celtics take the court on Saturday, they'll try to become only the fourth team since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77 to make the conference finals after entering the All-Star break under .500. Boston stumbled into the break at 15-17 this season before surging to the Atlantic Division title and, now, the cusp of the Eastern Conference finals. The last team to accomplish the feat was Phoenix in 1983-84 (the Suns lost to the Lakers 4-2 in the conference finals).

A glimpse at the three other teams to accomplish the feat:

1983-84 Phoenix Suns -- Lost in conference finals
1980-81 Houston Rockets -- Lost in NBA Finals
1980-81 - Sacramento Kings -- Lost in conference finals

The Boston Celtics have the luxury of two days of rest entering Saturday's Game 7 showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers. But how much will it help their veteran legs?

The Celtics were 4-5 during the regular season with at least two days of rest before games (including the season-opener on Christmas Day in New York). During the postseason, they are 2-1 with at least two days rest, including a 16-point Game 5 win over the 76ers. Even still, their numbers overall are not as good with extra rest.

With 0 or 1 days of rest, Boston is 40-26 (.606) this season while averaging 91.8 points per game and shooting 45.7 percent from the floor. With 2+ days of rest, Boston is 6-6 (.500) while averaging 88.7 points per game and shooting 45.4 percent from the floor.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers still believes the rest can help.

"I think we do [have enough in the tank]," said Rivers. "The couple days have helped, there's no doubt about that. Listen, you don't know, You never know what you have in the tank until you start the engines and you find out. It didn't look like we had a lot the other night, I can tell you that. I made a comment to our coaches in the first quarter when I saw about six jump shots hit the front rim early, and I was like, 'This is not a good sign.' But I was hoping it was just missed shots. Unfortunately it continued."

Keep an eye on Boston's jump shot accuracy early for an idea of whether the extra time off benefitted them.