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First-place Heat visit lowly Celtics

Apr 6, 2007 - 5:30 PM Miami (41-34)) at Boston (23-51) 7:30 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- Fresh of clinching a playoff berth, the Miami Heat visit the Boston Celtics on Friday.

The defending NBA champion Heat clinched a playoff berth on Thursday, while also moving 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Washington in the Southeast Division.

Shaquille O'Neal and Antoine Walker scored 20 points apiece in a 94-90 overtime triumph at Cleveland on Thursday.

"Did we make (the playoffs) today?" Heat coach Pat Riley said. "Oh, good. I really thought we were not going to make it. My worst nightmare is to win a championship and not make the playoffs the next year. At one time, that was a possibility. That's good; we're in and we're shooting for a higher seed and better position."

The Heat, who have been without their two best players - O'Neal and Dwyane Wade - for a combined 67 games this season, have gone 15-7 in Wade's absence. Even more remarkable, the Heat have made up six games on the Wizards during that span.

Wade started practicing again on Monday but it is uncertain when when he will return.

It has been an abysmal season for the Celtics, who have the Eastern Conference's worst record. They have lost five of their last eight games, including Wednesday's 98-89 setback at Milwaukee.

Delonte West (ankle), Paul Pierce (elbow) and Al Jefferson (knee) all missed part or all of the the loss to Milwaukee and are questionable for this contest.