Every winter, thousands of New Englanders head south to enjoy the Florida weather, often nesting in beach houses across the “Sunshine State” — hence the “snowbird” nickname. In a way, the Boston Celtics have followed suit, making the Kaseya Center, home to the rival Miami Heat, a second home in recent years.
On Thursday night, the Celtics embarked on a 19-point comeback to topple the Heat in Miami, 119-114. This gutsy performance marked the Celtics’ 9th consecutive win at the Kaseya Center (counting the regular reason and playoffs). Boston has won 5 straight regular season contests in South Beach and 4 straight postseason battles, with Game 3 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals being the last time Miami successfully defended its home turf.
Boston’s home away from home:
The Celtics have won their last 9 games in Miami at the Kaseya Center (counting the regular season and playoffs).
This is their longest winning streak there of all time. pic.twitter.com/IWhWDNbOnS
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 16, 2026
But why have the Celtics been so successful in Miami against a team that’s been — more often than not — highly competitive in the 21st century?
Perhaps fans play a role, as there are plenty of members of the Boston faithful living in Florida or vacationing there when the Celtics come to town. In fact, 4 of Boston’s last 5 road victories in Miami have been during the winter, also known as peak “snowbird” season.
While the exact attendance statistics per fanbase would be tough to calculate, it’s not uncommon to hear “let’s go Celtics” chants at the Kaseya Center:
Very loud Let’s Go Celtics chants at Kaseya Center. Celtics lead 131-101. pic.twitter.com/mD9iojtxZ2
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 26, 2024
However, maybe fans have nothing to do with it, and the rivalry is the key factor. The Celtics and Heat have played in 41 playoff games against one another since 2010, creating some legendary NBA moments in the process.
It’s no secret that the Celtics are motivated for their regular season and postseason meetings with the Heat. The two franchises share a fresh and bloody feud that’s spanned multiple eras and several rosters yet still maintained its spark.
Even Boston’s brightest star in Jayson Tatum, who rarely says anything to antagonize other teams, emphasized how much he enjoyed triumphing over Miami (in Miami) en route to the 2024 title:
Brian Scalabrine: “You guys have been on a lot of hard-fought trips to Miami, was this one a little sweeter?”
Jayson Tatum: “They’re always easy.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/EvuhSrUWD6
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 21, 2024
Following the Celtics’ latest trip to the “305,” they’re 25-15 overall and remain in third place in the Eastern Conference. The next time they’ll be in Miami is on April 1st, a little less than 2 weeks before the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
By then, Tatum could potentially be back from his Achilles rehab and eager to personally remind Heat fans why the Celtics are so comfortable in Miami.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: The Celtics have now won 9 straight games vs. the Heat at the Kaseya Center
