at 
Saturday, May 7
8:00 PM ET
Playoff Game #7, Home Game #3
TV: ABC, CHCH-TV
Radio: WEEI, ESPN Radio
TD Garden
Referees: Steve Javie, Bob Delaney, Bill Kennedy
The Celtics return home looking to get their first win in the series. They left Miami bruised and battered by LeBron's elbows and the refs' failure to call them. Fortunately they have had 3 days to heal and prepare for game 3. All of the players are saying that they are locked in and focused. And all of them welcome a return from the sandy beaches to The Jungle.
News out of Thursday's practice is that Shaq is ready to play and has been cleared to do so by the training staff. So far, no news has come out to the contrary so Celtics fans can expect to see Shaq coming off the bench for the Celtics in this game. His presence alone should give the Celtics a boost. The Celtics have struggled with stopping penetration and rebounding and having Shaq on the court should be a help in both areas.
One thing that is certain in this series is that the Celtics have not played well in either game so far. They haven't played Celtics ball and they haven't played with much energy or focus. They have not shot the ball well. Both the starters and the reserves can all play much better. We know that they can, but the big question is whether they will. On the other hand, the Heat have played very well and it is doubtful that they could play much better.
The Celtics are confident that they can come back and win this series and were buoyed by a visit from John Havlicek to Thursday's practice. They are inspired by Havlicek's 1969 team that also were down 0-2 and went on to win the series and the Championship. There are many parallels that can be drawn between the two teams and this Celtics team is poised to repeat that feat. With the Lakers struggling even more out West, if the Celtics can get past Miami, they would be considered a favorite for the title. It all starts with a win in this game and the Celtics are determined to get it.
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