The Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat rivalry isn’t currently in peak form. Boston, without Jayson Tatum and having lost four key rotation players over the summer, is still up battling with the Eastern Conference’s other top teams, while Miami is struggling to stay above .500.
Though the two teams don’t appear to be on a playoff collision course, Celtics fans can always enjoy some Miami Heat fan tears.
In this case, the tears are coming from star center Bam Adebayo.
Miami fell to 28-27 on Monday when they dropped a winnable game at home against the Utah Jazz. The Jazz stole a victory at Kaseya Center when Brice Sensabaugh scored the game’s final five points to help his squad overtake the Heat in the final minute.
Following the tough loss, Adebayo didn’t mince words at the podium.
"We've got to find a way to win even against teams that are, I guess you could say, trying to lose,” he said after his 23-point, 11-rebound, and five-assist performance.
Bam Adebayo on the Heat losing to Utah:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 10, 2026
"We've got to find a way to win even against teams that are, I guess you could say, trying to lose.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/uk6O4fXNuU
Utah, of course, has made headlines recently with its significant tanking efforts.
In recent fourth quarters, the Jazz have intentionally held out the likes of Jaren Jackson Jr., Lauri Markkanen, and Jusuf Nurkic to increase the likelihood that a potential win becomes a loss.
They went with that same strategy against Miami, sitting all three men in the final 12 minutes. It wasn’t enough to get the Heat across the finish line.
For what it’s worth, every player on an NBA roster is… well… an NBA player. Even though you might not recognize their name or know their game, they can still play and beat your favorite team on any given night, ala Caleb Martin, 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics are the last team standing in their rivalary with the Heat
Monday’s Heat loss serves as a reminder of how far the franchise has fallen since its battles with the Celtics to start this decade. A team that, no matter where they finished in the standings, you’d be terrified to see in a playoff series, is now trying to figure out how exactly to beat a team that is trying to lose.
Absolute cinema.
The cherry on top lies within the whole “Heat Culture” mantra they spent years shoving down everyone’s throats. An organization built on striving for excellence and holding players to an entirely different standard (which was true for some time) now just looks like the Chicago Bulls in different uniforms.
They’re now in their third-straight season of mediocrity with no end in sight.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have shocked everyone this season with how well they’ve fared with the significant changes they underwent in the summer of 2025. They quickly beat any “gap year” allegations because of the standards of excellence that run throughout the organization.
Let this be a lesson that what’s happening in Boston shouldn’t be taken for granted. Brad Stevens, his front office, Joe Mazzulla, his staff, and the players have done a tremendous job of upholding the standard. After all, it’s #DifferentHere.