ECF Celtics v Heat | Game 7 Recap

Celtics 84 vs Heat 104 | TD Garden | Boston, MA | MIA wins series 4-3

Miami’s White Hot Playoffs Burns to Finals

The highly taught Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals that had fans up and down the East coast on pins and needles, did not disappoint, with Miami Heat securing their spot in the NBA Finals after a convincing 103-84 win. The Heat&'s victory over the Boston Celtics was a culmination of their grit and determination throughout the series.

In the first few minutes, the Celtics kept pace with Miami, with the score tied at 11 apiece in the first 3 minutes of the period. However, the Heat took control at that moment and never relinquished the lead again. A game after Jimmy Butler looked human, he scored a game-high 28 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals to put his stamp on the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He got help from Caleb Martin who notched a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Bam Adebayo was also able to sneak out a 12 point, 10 rebound double-

double.

Miami continued their dominance in the second half, with the Celtics unable to match the Heat's

intensity. Defensively, Miami's stingy defense proved too much for the Celtics, with Miami forcing 15 turnovers throughout the game. Jayson Tatum had a valiant effort after rolling his ankle while fighting for a rebound early. But only mustered 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 19 and 18 points respectively. But no other Celtic reached double digits. For a team playing for their season at home, Boston was extremely flat after Tatum tweaked his ankle. Marcus Smart was never really a factor and veteran center Al Horford was never on the floor for what he did offensively when he was in his prime.

The Heat's defense was something to behold as well. Miami was able to not only limit the scoring from the Celtics' big men but also force them into uncomfortable shots. Horford and Smart were effectively neutralized, combining for only 16 points. Miami was also able to limit their own turnovers, committing just 12 all night. As a result, Miami was able to get out in transition and score easy points.

Miami Heat's performance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was unmatched. They never lost the lead and ended with a convincing 103-84 win. Miami's defense was exceptional, after 15 minutes in game time, the Heat had allowed only 18 points. To a Boston Celtics team that was 30-9 at home in the regular season and the fourth highest scoring team in the association at 117.9 points per game. On the other hand, Boston Celtics missed the opportunity to clinch their spot in the NBA Finals, with Jayson Tatum managing just 14 points and the others failing to reach double digits. Miami's defense was able to limit not only the scoring of the Celtics' stars but also forced them into uncomfortable shots never let Boston get comfortable in front of the home crowd.

Boston had their worst shooting period of the season at the worst time. The Celtics shot just 46% from the field and a paltry 30.3% from three in the series. Miami wasn't much better from the field at 47% from the field, but far outpaced Boston beyond the arch at a 43.4% clip. Game seven had these numbers hold true with Boston at just 20% from three and Miami hit a ridiculous 50% to close out the series emphatically. So much so Boston pulled their starters with just under two minutes to go. Miami had their stars on the floor to the end, regardless of the risk, coach Erik Spoelstra squeezed everything but the final 30 seconds out of his aging star Himmy Buckets.

Miami now sets its sights on the Western Conference champion, the Denver Nuggets who will have sat for nine days after sweeping the Lakers. Nikola Jokic and his teammates await the Heat in the NBA Finals, as the two teams prepare to face off starting on Thursday, June 1st. The Heat will need to keep up the defensive intensity and continue to get help from their role players if they want to have any hope of taking down the Nuggets. But for now, the Heat can revel in their Eastern Conference Championship and the chance to battle for an NBA Championship.