Despite trailing by as much as 26, the Boston Celtics (48 - 34) took down the Miami Heat (48 - 34) on Wednesday night, 98 - 88. With the matchup's conclusion, the Celtics will own the five seed in the East, while the Heat will hold third. Careful care of the ball proved key for Boston, as the team turned it over just seven times on the night. All-Star Isaiah Thomas was the team's leading scorer, pouring in 21 on the night. Getting to the line also helped Boston's case, as the Celtics hit 19 of 22 free - throw attempts on the night. With the win, the young and rising Celtics will hold fifth in the East, being forced to take on last year's one seed Atlanta Hawks on the road in the first round of the postseason. Miami, meanwhile, is able to maintain the three seed in the East despite the loss. An unprecedented four - way tie leaves Miami top dog, as the team will face the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. While four members of the starting unit scored at least 17 points on Wednesday, the Miami bench contributed just nine points in total. It was a big night for NBA blocks leader Hassan Whiteside, who contributed 19 points and characteristically swatted four shots. Midseason acquisition Joe Johnson also had 19 and took a team - high 19 shots on the night.
["TeamStat(G,'Celtics') has 34 Losses ,has 98 Total points ,has 7 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 48 Turnovers ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Heat') has 34 Losses ,has 88 Total points ,has 5 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 48 Turnovers ."]