Celtics–Heat rivalry

Celtics–Heat rivalry
	Heat player Jason Kapono attempts an open jump shot during their final 2005–06 regular season game at TD Banknorth Garden.
	Boston Celtics Miami Heat
First meeting	November 15, 1988; Celtics 84, Heat 65
Latest meeting	April 2, 2025; Celtics 103, Heat 124
Next meeting	2025 or 2026
Statistics
Meetings total	184
All-time series	Celtics: 107–77
Regular season series	Celtics: 86–56
Postseason results	Tied: 21–21
Longest win streak	Celtics, 10
Current win streak	Heat, 1
Postseason history
	2010 Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics won, 4–1; 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Heat won, 4–1; 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Heat won, 4–3; 2020 Eastern Conference Finals: Heat won, 4–2; 2022 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics won, 4–3; 2023 Eastern Conference Finals: Heat won, 4–3; 2024 Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics won, 4–1;

The Celtics–Heat rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. It is widely regarded as one of the nastiest and most intense postseason rivalries in NBA history.

Since first meeting in 1988, the Celtics hold an 86–56 lead in the rivalry's regular season series, while the teams are tied at 21–21 in individual playoff games. Media writers generally state that the rivalry between the two teams solidified in the 2010s, after both teams formed "Big Threes" that began to face each other in multiple consecutive playoff matchups.

The two teams have met each other in four Eastern Conference Finals: 2012, 2020, 2022, and 2023. All seven times the two teams have met in the postseason, the winner made the NBA Finals that year.