Heat Stroke 🥵

05/30/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

After Surrendering a 3-0 Series Lead to Celtics, Heat Avoid Collapse, Catch Fire in Game 7 to Reach NBA Finals (103-84)

The Celtics almost did the unthinkable… Almost. The Eastern Conference Finals entered the holiday weekend with the Heat holding a 3-2 series lead over the Celtics. Miami watched their grip on the series continue to slip. Boston won its third straight game on Saturday night via Derrick White’s tip-in game-winner, forcing a Game 7 and setting the stage for the biggest comeback in NBA playoff lore. No team in NBA history had ever come back to win a series after trailing 3-0, and the Celtics were heading back to Boston with a shot. Almost…

Game 7: Jimmy Butler (28 points) and the Heat finally put the series to bed with a Game 7 runaway (103-84) and a sharpshooting performance for the ages. Miami shot 50 percent from beyond the arc (14-for-28, 3pt) while the Celtics were an ice-cold 21 percent (9-for-42, 3pt). Boston started the game 0-for-12 from deep, and the trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart shot a combined 3-for-19 from 3. That cold shooting start gave Miami control, and they never looked back. It was a wire-to-wire Game 7 closeout for Erik Spoelstra’s squad, and the Heat, after sweating it out for four games, are officially heading to the NBA Finals for a showdown with the Denver Nuggets.

Eastern Conference Finals Highlights

Gm 6: Celtics def. Heat (104-103) | *White Game-Winner

Gm 7: Heat def. Celtics (103-84) | MIA Wins Series (4-3)

Game 7 Statistics

J. Butler (MIA): 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals

C. Martin (MIA): 26 points, 10 rebounds

J. Brown (BOS): 19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 8 turnovers

J. Tatum (BOS): 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists

Heat of History (Miami’s Incredible Playoff Run)

Lost 1st Play-In Game to Hawks
Beat Bulls for 8-Seed Play-In Game
Knocked Out 1-Seed Bucks in 5
Knocked Out 5-Seed Knicks in 6
Knocked Out 2-Seed Celtics in 7
1st Play-In Team to Reach NBA Finals
2nd 8-Seed to Ever Reach NBA Finals (1999 Knicks)

NBA Finals Schedule

Gm 1: Heat at Nuggets (Thursday, 8:30 pm ET)

B/R: Jimmy Butler Wins Eastern Conference Finals MVP (Video)

SI: The Heat Wouldn’t Have Had A Chance Without Caleb Martin

Image via Giphy