With an imposing performance by Bam adebayo, the Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics 125-113 and will fight for the ring in the final against Los Angeles Lakers leading his former star, LeBron James. For Miami, who was not a favorite in these playoffs, it will be their sixth NBA Finals and their first since LeBron’s painful departure from Florida in 2014.
The Heat settled for 4-2 the series against the Celtics with a spectacular last quarter (37-27), led by a huge Bam Adebayo (32 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists) and Jimmy Butler (22 points). For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum was fired with 24 points and 11 assists and Jaylen Brown with 26 points and 8 rebounds.
Miami did not appear in any of the forecasts after failing to make the playoffs last season and finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference this regular season. But in the ‘bubble’ headquarters of Disney World the Heat have astonished the NBA by first eliminating the Indiana Pacers by a resounding 4-0 and later the Milwaukee Bucks of Giannis Antetokounmpo, great favorites of the East, by 4-1.
Under the direction of its president, the mythical Pat Riley, and the coach Erick Spoelstra, the Heat built a team based on the strength of their team, a completely different model than the ‘Big Three’ made up of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, which led Miami to four finals and two of the three championships of their history (2012 and 2013).
“This group loves to compete more than anything,” Spoelstra acknowledged upon receiving the title of Eastern Conference Champions. “We are grateful for this opportunity in the bubble … It is a special group.” Spoelstra, who has continued to lead the team since LeBron’s departure, asked for time to enjoy the achievement before turning to the final against the Lakers, who finished their series against the Denver Nuggets 4-1 on Saturday. “It is a great challenge (to play LeBron) but we want to enjoy this a bit because it is very difficult to achieve,” he said.
For Jimmy Butler, who reached his first final after relaunching his career in Miami, the “main key” to winning a championship is always to beat LeBron James. “It’s been like this for a long time: if you want to win, you have to beat a team led by LeBron James,” he acknowledged. «You are going to have the same test, over and over again until you pass it. And that test is LeBron James ».
For Boston, by contrast, the loss meant maintaining a 10-year absence from the finals and risking the Lakers equaling their record of 17 NBA titles. “They were the best team in the East and they deserve to represent the East in the final,” said the Celtics coach, Brad Stevens, about the Heat. “They are strong, they are physical, they are tough and (Adebayo) in particular dominated that last quarter,” he said. “Even the plays where he didn’t score his presence was so shocking.”
Adebayo, decisive
Miami and Boston returned to star in a tight duel that this time the Heat were able to define clearly in the fourth quarter, when the Celtics threw in the towel.
The Heat rallied around powerful center Bam Adebayo, who took to the court with extra motivation after blaming himself for the loss in Game 5 due to his weak offensive performance (13 points). At halftime, Adebayo already had 16 points and was supported by Jimmy Butler, who this Sunday assumed greater responsibility in attack.
Coming back from the locker room, the Heat picked up the pace and took an eight-point lead (82-74) with two straight triples from the veteran Andre Iguodala, which for the first time had an important role in the series (15 points and 4 triples).
The Celtics made one last push to force Game 7 and went ahead again 96-90, before Adebayo and rookie Tyler Herro teamed up to end Boston’s resistance with 10 points each in the fourth quarter.
The 23-year-old Adebayo, who played his first All-Star this season, more than recovered from the thorn in the previous game, dominating the end of the game on both sides of the court. “I could not disappoint my teammates as I did in the previous game,” said the young center without showing fear of the last great challenge that awaits them. “We have never been favorites,” he stressed. “It feels great to get to the top without being favorites.”
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