JUST NOW: Former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce claims that the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics have a fierce rivalry due to…
NBA great Paul Pierce has often been a critic of the Miami Heat.
During his days an ESPN analyst, he never got let an opportunity pass when it came to criticizing the Heat. Pierce recently made a claim the Heat-Celtics rivalry during the 2010s wasn’t as heated as retired Heat forward Udonis Haslem has claimed in the past.
Pierce spoke of it an appearance on The Dan LeBatard show this week.
“First of all, I’m trying to remember when he told me that because I never remember hearing that,” Pierce said. “Second of all, when we played Miami when Udonis Haslem was out there, I don’t remember no hard screens, no hard fouls, and now that we’re in retirement trying to get our podcast off, I’m starting to hear this hate.”
The rivalry reached its peak while LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the early 2010s when the Celtics were led by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Pierce.
They met in the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals and 2012 conference finals, with the Heat winning both series. It reached another level when Allen joined the Heat for the 2013 season.
Pierce and Haslem had the biggest beef, dating to when Haslem called his rival a “studio gangster.” Haslem has never shied from verbally sparring with Pierce, even saying he’d challenge him to fight.
“I rub people the wrong way,” Pierce said. “I never liked Miami. I respected them, but it is what it is. I’d rather do it in a telephone booth, but if you need more room in the grocery store, that’s cool too.”
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Miami Heat’s Tyler Herro Questionable Tonight Vs New Orleans Pelicans
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Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is listed as questionable for tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
He is dealing with a foot injury.
Here’s the game preview:
Game time: 8 pm., ET
Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
TV: Bally Sports Sun
Betting line: Heat +3
VITALS: The Heat and Pelicans meet for the first of two matchups this regular season. Last season, Miami swept the series 2-0 and has swept the last three-straight season series. Miami has also currently won a franchise-record six consecutive games against New Orleans. The Heat are 25-20 all-time versus New Orleans during the regular season, including 17-6 in home games and 8-14 in road games.
PROJECTED STARTERS
HEAT
G Duncan Robinson
G Tyler Herro
C Bam Adebayo
F Caleb Martin
F Jimmy Butler
PELICANS
F Zion Williamson
F Brandon Ingram
C Jonas Valanciunas
G CJ McCollum
G Herb Jones
INJUY REPORT
HEAT
Dru Smith: Out – Right Knee Surgery
Tyler Herro: Questionable – Foot
Terry Rozier: Out – Knee
Josh Richardson: Out – Shoulder
PELICANS
Brandon Ingram: Questionable – Illness
QUOTABLE
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Nikola Jovic’s big game against the Milwaukee Bucks: “Niko was very good tonight. Obviously the points, that’ll make everybody notice, but he generates more inertia for our team in transition, for sure. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that.”
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