Fact or Fiction: The C's will take Game 3.

 
Chris Forsberg: Fact. The notion that Boston will struggle to get past a heartbreaking Game 2 loss is laughable. The Celtics have no other choice. They are fighting for their season and being back at TD Garden should help them steal Game 3. Miami still wins this series (maybe as quick as five games), but Boston makes things interesting for the weekend.

Tom Haberstroh: Fact. And that's all they'll get in this series, I'm afraid. The Celtics are 6-1 at home and 2-6 on the road thus far in the playoffs so I expect them to steal a game at TD Garden on some hot shooting alone. Unless Rondo's a superhero who doesn't suffer from fatigue, the C's can't expect an encore from him in Game 3. It's Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett's turn to lead the way.

Justin Verrier: Fact. It's hard to imagine the Celtics, in their current nicked-up state, playing any better than they did in Game 2. But I'm still waiting for Boston to muster some semblance of the defensive force they were with Avery Bradley zipping around and pestering ball-handlers. Their first shot at the Heat at home, where they played much better in the regular season, may effectively be the C's last chance to do it.

Michael Wallace: Fiction. This is more of a probability answer for me. If you get 44 points from Rondo, decent production from Pierce, a relentless effort from Garnett and a clutch 3-pointer late in the game from Allen and still don't come away with a victory, what else can you really do? If Boston really wants to make this a series, we'll find out tonight. But Miami's got the Celtics' number.

Brian Windhorst: Fact. They're at home, they're still confident, they'll get some calls they didn't get in Miami.