Heat advance to NBA finals after 103-84 Game 7 victory over Celtics

The Miami Heat Receive The The Bob Cousy Trophy As The NBA Eastern Conference Champions!

The Miami Heat have reached another NBA Finals following a dominant 103-84 victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.

Led by Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin, who contributed 28 and 26 points, respectively, the Heat silenced the home crowd at TD Garden.

Boston Celtics

2023-05-30 11:39

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The Celtics were already at a disadvantage as Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle in the game’s opening play. Shooting woes plagued the Celtics, as they managed only 32-82 from the field and a 9-42 from beyond the arc.

Miami dominated the first half, extending their lead to 17 points before Boston began to catch up. The Celtics showed signs of life in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to eight points, but they couldn’t contain the Heat’s offense. By halftime, Miami held an 11-point lead, with the scoreboard reading 52-41.

Miami HEAT

2023-05-30 11:39

👋 @BillSimmons https://t.co/gk2Zm06HlU

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Celtics’ comeback effort falls short

As the second half began, a controversial travel call against Tatum provided a much-needed spark for the Celtics. The ensuing 8-0 run brought them within striking distance, cutting Miami’s advantage to 59-51 with 8:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Both teams battled back and forth, but Erik Spoelstra’s men maintained their composure and extended their lead to ten points by the end of the third quarter.

Miami HEAT

2023-05-30 11:39

A Boston fan sent us a voice note 😬 #WINNING https://t.co/sX5EK6jcH4

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With the Boston crowd anticipating a fourth-quarter comeback, the Celtics failed to rise to the occasion. Costly turnovers and their persistently inaccurate three-point shooting hindered their chances of narrowing the deficit.

Frustration mounted as Miami’s lead swelled to 21 points, prompting Boston to call a timeout with 6:08 left on the clock. The Celtics continued to struggle with their shooting, and both teams eventually substituted their key players, signifying the end of the match.

Miami HEAT

2023-05-30 11:39

We do things the hard way 🤷‍♂️ UNFINISHED BUSINESS https://t.co/T7N9zI335N

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With this win, the Heat became the second eighth-seed team from the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals. Only three teams in NBA history had returned from a 3-0 deficit and forced a Game 7, with the last occurrence in the 2003 Western Conference first round.