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Boston Celtics: 3 things fans need to see in C’s preseason finale vs. Miami

By Mark Nilon

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 09: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket while guarded by Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half at TD Garden on May 09, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 09: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket while guarded by Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half at TD Garden on May 09, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images) /
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Boston Celtics (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Boston Celtics (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Through three games played in the preseason the Boston Celtics find themselves boasting a winning record of 2-1, with their lone loss coming this past Wednesday against the rebuilding Orlando Magic.

With this, however, Friday night marks the official end of meaningless exhibitions for the shamrocks, as their outing against the Miami Heat will serve as their fourth and final preseason matchup before the real fun begins — the 2021-22 regular season.

During this home tilt at the TD Garden, we at the Houdini believe that there are still a few things fans need to see from their favorite NBA ball club before October 20th’s tip-off against divisional rival, the New York Knicks.

Today, we discuss 3 things to keep an eye on against the Heat:

What we need to see from Boston Celtics No. 1) Garrison Mathews light it up from deep

When the Boston Celtics signed Garrison Mathews this past September, many were rather excited about the move, with our very own Chris Conte stating that such a signing would be a “no-risk, extremely high reward scenario”, specifically due to his well-documented 3-point shooting stroke that dates back to his days at Lipscomb University.

Wednesday against the Magic served as his debut with the shamrocks, as he received a coach’s decision DNP through the first two preseason outings, and, unfortunately, the 24-year-old did not manage to live up to the moniker of being a highly efficient sniper from 3-point land.

Logging a little over 20 minutes on the night, Mathews did wind up finishing the game with seven points but converted on just 28.6 percent of his seven field-goal attempts, all of which came from beyond the arc.

Because of this rather uninspiring showing for the third-year two-guard, it has made his chances of securing the final roster spot for the Boston Celtics a tad bit slimmer. That said, the team could still absolutely use for a trusty shooter from downtown within their arsenal, and a great preseason finale could help boost his odds of making the final cut for the regular season.

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