The Miami Heat are having an awful lot of difficulty getting the ball in the hoop, and it has led to a 3-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Now, as BetOnline patrons undoubtedly know, they are facing elimination by the Boston Celtics as they get ready for Game 6, which is slated to begin at the TD Garden at 8:30 PM ET.

In Game 5, the Heat had a horrific game, shooting 32% from the field and bricking completely from beyond the three-point arc, making just seven of 45 shots.

The Celtics were ice cold from the field in the first half of Wednesday's game, and that included Jayson Tatum, who did warm up considerably in the second half, with 18 points, as Boston glided to a 93-80 victory.

NBA Playoff Betting -- Here are the numbers.......

In the NBA playoff betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetOnline, the Celtics are decisive favorites:

Boston Celtics -8
Miami Heat +8

Over 202.5 Points -110
Under 202.5 Points -110

NBA Playoff Betting -- The injury situation

There has been a discernible lack of drama in this series, with only eight lead changes in the five games. In fact, the only suspense seems to surround who may or may play from one game to the next.

Miami's Tyler Herro, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, has missed the last two games with a groin injury. he has reportedly participated in the Friday shootaround, but coach Erik Spoelstra has emphasized that the decision on his availability won't be made until shortly before tipoff.

Herro is the kind of guy who can supply some instant offense, so his absence has left a hole in a team that does not possess a lot of scoring options.

Aside from that, there are other guys hurting, including Kyle Lowry, who still isn't at 100% after returning to the lineup following a hamstring injury.

For the Celtics, Marcus Smart (ankle) and Robert Williams (knee) have been gutting it out, and they are needed, regardless of their offensive output, since they are two of the best defenders in the league.

NBA Playoff Betting -- Miami's offensive woes

It's pretty simple - for a team that did not have a lot of options to turn to on the offensive end, the Heat can't afford for their weapons to be hurt, off their game, or both.

Jimmy Butler is a guy who, at times, has literally carried this team with his scoring. But he's been bothered with a knee injury, and he's scored just 19 points over his last two games. In Game 5, he hit just four of his 19 field goal attempts.

Without Herro, they needed other guys to get hot, and that has not happened. In fact, it has been exactly the opposite. Max Strus is in the lineup to be a shooter; between him and Lowry, they were 0-for-15 from the field in Game 5 and have gone 1-for-28 in the last two.

For the series, the Heat is less than 41% from the floor and 29% from three-point territory. Their starting lineup combined to shoot 2-of-22 from downtown on Wednesday. Spoelstra has been kind of stubborn about keeping Duncan Robinson, a good pure shooter, out of the rotation because of his defensive deficiencies. In Game 5 he got 27 minutes and made three triples.

NBA Playoff Betting -- Our verdict

The situation for the Heat is this; if they can't get relatively hot from the field, all of a sudden, or if they can't being the Boston offense to a standstill, there isn't going to be a Game 7.

You can't ignore the fact that Butler and Lowry have lost their effectiveness. And Herro hasn't even been cleared yet; how much could they really count on him?

This is a considerable cushion in the number. And we can't discount a gallant "last stand" for Miami on defense. But the Celtics are apparently presenting a defensive puzzle that is increasingly difficult for the Heat to solve. An interesting option here is to move forward with the team total, going UNDER 97.5 points with the Heat at -110.

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