MADRID, 30 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Miami Heat will be in the NBA Finals by beating the Boston Celtics (84-103) in the seventh game of the Eastern Conference finals, a very uneven game in which Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin were decisive, and the locals they could not complete the miracle, having put the tie at the crossroads after going 3-0.
The game was marked by a sprained ankle by Jayson Tatum on the first play, which weighed down the ‘greens’, allowing the Heat to start dominating the opening quarter (15-22), thanks to Caleb Martin who was the surprise factor throughout the night, scoring 26 points.
The Celtics never found the success that allowed them to touch the feat, scoring only 9 of 42 triples attempted, which added to Tatum’s injury, who continued to play but at a lower level, and Jaylen Brown’s miserable night, with eight losses, it made it easier for Erik Spoelstra’s team to reach the final quarter with a 10-point advantage.
In the last quarter, the best Jimmy Butler (28 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists) appeared, who together with Bam Adebayo, who despite not having a good day offensively, was differential in defense, to further expand his Rent with the locals, with more than twenty ‘mattress’ points. The Heat, who overwhelmed some Celtics that were epic, thus certified the pass to the NBA Finals.
Their rival starting next Thursday will be the Denver Nuggets who, after dominating the Los Angeles Lakers without problems, reach the title series with one more week off than their opponents and with the home court factor in their favour. In addition, the Jokic-Butler duel seems decisive in the search for the new ‘king’ of the NBA.