Matthew Tkachuk and Jimmy Butler led the Panthers and Heat to the finals.

Pressure Point: Heat, Panthers give S. Florida rare gift, face challenges

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The malaise felt today in South Florida is the hangover from two exhilarating months of thrills and delights from an improbable dual championship pursuit by the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers ending with an abrupt thud on consecutive nights.

These two teams in very different sports linked by geography adhered to parallel scripts all the way to the bitter end, from No. 8 seeds that barely made it into the playoffs to riding companion waves of destiny that carried to their respective finals but washed out short of the trophy presentations.

We certainly hoped for a parade or two, but couldn’t have expected any more effort than these two teams gave us.

That was underscored in the wake of the Panthers’ humbling 9-3 exit at Vegas on Tuesday night when Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed that four of his players had broken bones, including superstar Matthew Tkachuk with a fractured sternum.

In the spirit sharing the pain, Heat star Jimmy Butler sprained an ankle during the playoffs and appeared limited in the NBA Finals, though he discounted it was a factor. (Certainly doesn’t account for why he rushed that last desperation shot with 17 seconds left and ample time to work for something better.)

Playoffs take physical toll

Injuries aren’t an excuse. By any objective assessment, the Heat and Panthers were beaten in every phase of the game in their finals. The Panthers, for chrissakes, went 0 for 14 on the power play in the Stanley Cup final and gave up a short-handed goal to begin the Game 5 blowout.

The Denver Nuggets and Vegas Golden Knights were the superior team and deserving champion in each final series.

Still it is a letdown for South Florida because of how difficult it is to get to a championship series, and we may never see the likes of this again.

The Panthers and Heat nearly didn’t make the playoffs this year and will find it challenging to get back next season.

The Heat was overpowered by the Nuggets’ big men, just as they were by the Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals. More brawn is needed in the front court, has been for years.

But it will be difficult just to keep key parts of this roster together due to salary cap constraints.

Heat in salary cap bind

The Heat already has $176 million in payroll commitments to 10 players for 2023-24; the cap is expected to be around $134 million. Three of five starters in the Finals — Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Kevin Love — will be unrestricted free agents.

The team is committed to one more season at $29.6 million for aging guard Kyle Lowry. Duncan Robinson, relegated to a reserve role for most of the season though a bright spot in the NBA Finals, is owed $18.1 million next season.

Still, Pat Riley and salary cap guru Andy Elisburg have been painted into a corner by burdensome contracts before and found creative ways out. Already rumors and speculation are linking Portland’s eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and Washington Wizards veteran guard Bradley Beal to the Heat.

So expect the offseason to be intriguing, though far less entertaining than the playoff run.

Bill Zito, in three years as Panthers general manager, has also proved to be astute at roster reshaping, notably swinging the deal for Tkachuk while up against the salary cap ceiling.

With the Keith Yandle contract coming off the books, Zito has about $10 million in cap space to work with this summer.

Several Panthers facing surgery

The problem for the Panthers will be in recovering from this grueling playoff run. Maurice said Tuesday night that several players will need surgery and face months of recovery.

The NHL season opener is about four months away.

The physical toll and effort expended by both teams lends perspective to the spectacle of the past two months in South Florida sports.

“You can appreciate it now. What we went through is miraculous,” said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who during the playoffs broke a foot, twice dislocated a shoulder and tore an oblique.

“The way some guys played and collectively as a team the way we played was pretty incredible.”

The region has had a fair share of championships but having a pair of lovable overachievers locked in on the same pursuit simultaneously was remarkable to experience.

Dual playoff runs captivated South Florida

For weeks we ate dinner in front of the TV or flocked to sports bars and arenas in neighboring counties (even for away games). We stayed up until 2 a.m. to see the Panthers win in four overtimes over the Hurricanes at Carolina to open the Eastern Conference finals.

We saw the Heat squander a 3-0 series advantage in their Eastern finals, losing a heartbreaker at home in Game 6, only to somehow throttle the Celtics in Game 7 in Boston.

Watching the Heat and Panthers win their respective Game 7s to eliminate Boston teams in their shared arena were high points of the whole postseason from a South Florida perspective. The opposite feeling is shared now.

Or as Maurice said, “This is one of the top four or five bad days of your life when you lose in the Stanley Cup.”

Then he added, “but even now standing here, I love those guys. They gave me a great year of my life.”

The Panthers and Heat have given all of South Florida a great gift. Now the baton passes to the baseball Marlins (currently in playoff position) and the football Dolphins and Hurricanes.

Hopefully dream chasing becomes contagious around here.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets beat Heat in Game 5 to win first NBA championship

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The crowd roared as confetti rained on the Denver Nuggets, holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy for its first time. As the final minutes of Game 5 faded, family members of players and coaches rushed through the tunnels to join their people. Public relations agents, ex-players down to the ball boys and security guards were walking with their chests out in jubilation.

To start, Miami forced Denver to commit four turnovers in three minutes, but coach Michael Malone stopped time, summoning his troops for a correction. It resulted in an unmatched 12-point burst, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra issued the club’s first break.

Bam Adebayo missed two easy shots at close-range defended by Nikola Jokić but swiped off the nerves, making four straight buckets, facing up, and attacking through pick and pop plus the roll. Max Strus was his only help, scoring eight points while the rest of the unit had two.

Jimmy Butler was plagued again by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s rapid hands, getting blocked on a low post-up, and he missed as Jokić’s length bothered him in drop coverage. The first sign of an off night for JB came when he missed both free throws in the first following three bricks.

In the first interval, the Heatles were curbed to 35.7% shooting but took four more shots and two additional freebies. They also drew two fouls apiece on Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green and Jokić, compelling Malone to sit his trusted former back-to-back MVP two minutes earlier than his average.

In the second quarter, Butler isolated Deandre Jordan for a scoop layup and finished a fastbreak dunk. Kyle Lowry splashed two 3-pointers, one at the top of the key against the drop and another well-contested strike from the corner.

Defensively, the Heat contained Jamal Murray to a pair of baskets by staying with his dribble and contesting the step-back up top or pull-up from the elbow.

At halftime, the Heat led 51-44. Adebayo had 18 points on eight of 13 attempts. Butler had eight on 25% shooting.

In the third quarter, Jokić fractured the visiting advantage by exploiting mismatches of Vincent stuck on his hip and backing down Adebayo from the perimeter to cup for a hook with a putback.

Miami multiple times tried to get actions going in the paint, but Michael Porter Jr. and Jokić’s tentacles caused eight misses in the box.

In the fourth quarter, Spoelstra made a dreadful mistake by inserting Cody Zeller for a minute. Miami was up a point, but within multiple possessions, he was attacked in the paint, and his overhelping on a drive gave away the Heat’s advantage as Murray canned a left-wing trifecta.

Suddenly, JB turned from Alfred the Butler into Playoff Jimmy as he hit two 3-pointers, a pull-up in the post, plus five free throws. But as Miami was up one with 90 seconds left, Bruce Brown tracked down an offensive rebound and laid it up off the glass, giving Denver the lead.

Miami engaged in the free throw formality, but it was too late. The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA championship. It was the first time the organization had been in the title round since the 1976 ABA Finals when losing to the New York Nets in six games.

At the postgame presser, Malone said his team isn’t satisfied with the outcome, but it’s looking towards more.

“The last step after being a champion is to be a dynasty, “ Malone said. “So we’re not satisfied. We accomplished something this franchise has never done before, but we have a lot of young talented players in that locker room, and I think we just showed through 16 Playoff wins what we’re capable of on the biggest stage in the world…”

Porter, who at 23 had his third back surgery, arrived at the speakers table next, reeking of champagne and asking someone in the room to join him up front. There were no takers. He said adjustments were made, but being a close-out game, the intensity level was the most significant change.

“It was physical, people were missing shots, it wasn’t a pretty basketball game, but that’s what winning a championship is all about,” Porter said. “You got to be able to win in many different ways… It’s just about winning.”

Caldwell-Pope was next. He said it was amazing to have the Nuggets get back to its first Finals since 1976.

“I’m excited to just be a part of the history that we made tonight,” Caldwell-Pope said.

While KCP was answering another scribe’s inquiry, Jokić arrived and informed him his media availability had concluded by affectionately pouring a beer on his head.

When the Joker took the stage, he was asked about the emotions in his journey, going from pick #41 in round two of the 2014 Draft to NBA champ and Finals MVP. He said, “It’s good. We did a job. I think we played the best basketball in the Postseason…It’s a great journey, the 41st pick, but to be honest, that doesn’t matter. When you’re here, you’re a player, and they have [seven] guys that are not even drafted [who are] contributing for them to win.”

The parade will pass through Denver Thursday.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets push Heat to the edge of the cliff by going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals

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At the Heat’s postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said that every time his team got within six and eight points, the Nuggets were able to push the lead back over double digits. In real-time, it was like watching an older sibling raise an object out of reach of a younger one.

A mixture of man coverage and the 2-3 zone thwarted Denver’s plan of attack in the first quarter. It was the opposite of the start to Game 3, as Miami had locked up the paint Friday and allowed three of 11 shots to fall early. On Wednesday, the hosts couldn’t stop Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray from getting what they wanted inside, but the attempts outside the lane were contained.

First, Miami harassed every Nugget role player, only permitting two field goals by guys not known as the Joker and the Blue Arrow. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. were seeing various defenders when they stepped into the paint with the ball and failed to finish through traffic.

Midway through the first interval, Jokić twisted his ankle between two Heat defenders while going up again for a putback. Like sharks smelling blood in the water, the Heat targeted him in drop coverage and on drives after a mismatch on the baseline. The Joker still played the opening 12 minutes and got a short break as Gordon woke up and carried the Nuggets into the next period.

There was nothing single coverage could do for AG as he scored 15 points in the second quarter on six of seven shots. When given space on the wing and in the corner, he splashed two trifectas. With Caleb Martin on his back in the post, Gordon scored twice, canning a nine-foot fadeaway and turning around for a thunderous jam.

In the first half, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were the only Heat starters producing. Kevin Love got on the scorecard with a 3-pointer, but Max Strus and Gabe Vincent were dead freight, each logging donuts. Off the bench, vintage Kyle Lowry discharged 13 points on three of four shots and six made free throws.

At the intermission, the Heat was down 51-55.

Spoelstra gave Strus and Vincent short leashes in the third quarter, but they should have been glued to the bench altogether. Strus missed two shots on the left wing and defended poorly off-ball, allowing a backdoor cut plus the score and another inside gash from Porter. And with the burst Lowry gave before halftime, Spoelstra, naturally, turned to his vet, playing him triple Vincent’s minutes in quarters three and four.

Like in Game 3, the turd quarter returned, affecting everyone minus Love. He unleashed a flurry of nine points with back-to-back triples and a contact layup rewarded with a freebie. Yet, Butler floundered on three straight looks, misfiring on the break, smoking a hook in the dunker spot, and fizzling on a pull-up in front of Murray in the post. Adebayo also converted one of four tries with no free throws and had three turnovers in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, Jokić picked up his fourth and fifth fouls, earning him a seat for five minutes. When he sat, the Heat made three of seven shots, but it was still down nine points when he returned.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished two coffin-closing defensive sequences in crunch time. First, he stripped Butler as he was getting backed down through the middle, sparking a three-on-one break, and then successfully contested Adebayo’s turnaround jumper from six feet out.

Bruce Brown logged four of five shots in the fourth and was the only visitor to make multiple field goals in the last frame. Every bucket he hit was like a sledgehammer to the backside of the Heat as it tried to get up.

The Nuggets won 108-95 to take a 3-1 lead in the Finals heading back to Denver.

Postgame, Butler said the team’s mentality was the same as it always is: thinking about one game at a time.

“Now we’re in a must-win situation every single game… It’s not impossible, so we got to go out there and do it. We got three to get,” Butler said.

In NBA history, one team has come back from a 1-3 deficit to win the Finals: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers that defeated the 73-win Warriors outfit.  The all-time record is 1-34.

The Heat will not practice or hold media availability Saturday.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets storm the Kaseya Center and take a 2-1 lead in the Finals

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Through three games in the Finals, the road squad has won twice, shooting down any misguided speculation of a boring series. One coach has already burned his troops for a good sound bite, and the other has unfairly lost his cool after hearing a fair question. As Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” assuredly at different moments for both teams.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić got anything they wanted for the Nuggets, but the match was tied after a quarter. Their two-man actions shredded the Heat’s paint protections, but the hosts held Denver to two of 11 made looks outside the lane early.

Murray was quick on the draw after wrapping around a screen. He torched drop coverage and beat his man off the dribble to get to the teeth of the zone. Miami also tried trapping up top, but he got the ball out in time and involved again.

The Joker was indefensible, hitting turnaround hooks in the lane and pop shots after screening for a teammate. Through the first half, he accumulated 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

The Heat’s 2-2-1 press was the only scheme to give the Nuggets problems in the first half because it ate away at the clock and prevented ball movement. Man-to-man coverage and the zone shattered as the game continued.

On the other side, Max Strus tallied four dimes in five minutes. Jimmy Butler began the evening aggressively going at the low man when turning past a pick. When hunting Murray, the Nuggets sent a double at JB, but he dissected the help on multiple occasions.

Bam Adebayo kept challenging the Joker, but he missed three close-range shots after getting a step on his defender. On other attempts, Jokić created misses at the elbow against the jab-step and pull-up jumper, plus caused an error on Adebayo’s fastbreak drive.

At halftime, the Heat was down 48-53. Thirty of Denver’s first-half points came in the paint on 15 of 23 attempts. It was surprising that Haywood Highsmith was stashed again with no attention given to his quick feet and hands as an option for stopping Murray because, in the second quarter, Gabe Vincent picked up three suspect fouls in three minutes.

In the third quarter, Denver skewered Miami in the restricted area, logging 82% of its tries.

Jokić resumed his assault on White Hot and got Adebayo to leave his feet twice on a fake. He curled around a screen for a jump shot at the nail, canned a fadeaway over Kevin Love, plus buried one left-wing artillery strike supplied by Murray’s pass. That 3-pointer was the only one the Nuggets recorded in quarters three and four on five tries.

The Heatles couldn’t defend without fouling either in the second half, putting the Nuggets in target practice for 15 of 17 freebies.

Denver’s lead scaled to 21 points following intermission. Rookie Christian Braun even got his licks in with 11 points and one miss among the 12 players coach Michael Malone played post-break.

In the fourth quarter, the hosts used the 2-2-1 press to get into the 2-3 zone, but the visitors worked around it and still logged 53.8% of their shots. On defense, the Nuggets shut the Heat down from everywhere on the court.

Murray and Jokić each finished with 30-point triple-doubles. It was Murray’s first in the Playoffs and Jokić’s 10 in this tour and 16 in his postseason career, per NBA Stats.

At the postgame presser, Malone said the Game 3 win was the prime performance of the Jokić-Murray partnership.

“I have been with Nikola [Jokić] for eight and Jamal [Murray] for seven years now,” Malone said. “And we’ve had some pretty good moments, but not in the NBA Finals. And for those guys to make history the way they did tonight- no one’s ever done that…by far their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together.”

In the Heat’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra said his team lost plenty of 50-50 balls in swing moments of the match.

“At our best version, we find ways to overcome that, make it tough on them, and certainly not lose the overwhelming majority of those physical, 50-50 battles…” Spoelstra said.

Spoelstra also mentioned that winning the effort plays is the team’s identity, and when it isn’t up to standard, it can affect performance.

The ideal antidote to that problem should have been inserting Highsmith for more than two relief minutes. He works well in the zone and in man coverage and comes up with momentum-shifting plays. In the future, he should be the Heat’s backup big man.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat fall to Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Finals

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A yellow shirt covered every purchased seat in Ball Arena before tip-off in anticipation of the Nuggets’ first NBA Finals game. Minutes before the action, the boos from the crowd muzzled the voice of Denver’s public address announcer Kyle Speller introducing the Heat players.

To start, the visiting team was working hard for buckets, and the hosts were not. The Heat went to man-to-man defense early, but Aaron Gordon was an unsolved mismatch for the first quarter. He barreled into the lane through various defenders for six of eight close-range finishes.

Jamal Murray dropped eight points in the opening period for the Nuggets, too, off assisted drives, backdoor cuts and shooting over drop coverage. Nikola Jokić was running sleight-of-hand action at the elbows and threading dimes from the top of the key.

The Heatles were lucky Bam Adebayo was carrying them offensively in the first half. His first step was too quick for Jokić, even when his man was low, taking away the drive. Adebayo hit turnaround hooks and jumpers in front of his Serbian matchup.

En route to halftime, the Nuggets cracked down on the Heat’s attack, only allowing 37.5% of attempts to fall. In drop coverage, the man defending the ball got quickly over the screens, not letting the low man get exposed, and the squad stayed close to the ball after switches. In this stretch, Max Strus and Caleb Martin converted zero out of dozen attempts, and the Heat took zero free throws.

The Nuggets led by 17 points at intermission, while the Joker was three for three from the field with 10 dimes. He was like a surgeon cutting open a body on the operating table.

As both squads headed for their locker rooms, the hometown supporters in Ball Arena gave the hosts a standing ovation.

In the third quarter, Miami scored seven straight points, but offensive production came to a screeching halt after Adebayo got to work in PnR. The Nuggets adjusted, staying in front of the ball as successfully as it did in the first half, and permitted just 32.1% of makes on Miami’s field goals.

Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr.’s size and length were obstructing driving lanes and passing angles for Heat players. On top of that, Porter shut down Caleb Martin’s jumpers and spiked away a layup from behind.

Entering the final frame, the Heatles were down 21 but cut the deficit to 10 with four minutes left off a fastbreak feed from Kyle Lowry to Haywood Highsmith. The Nuggets instantly countered with a double-drag screen that got Jokić open in the middle for a floater.

The Locksmith logged five out of six baskets in the fourth quarter to keep the Heat on life support, but the Nuggets kept getting to the paint or fouled.

The Nuggets won Game 1 104-93 behind a near-immaculate game plan. At the postgame presser, coach Michael Malone praised his unit’s defense and said his favorite stat was the Heat’s two free throws taken.

“We know Jimmy Butler is one of the best in the business at getting to the foul line,” Malone said. “So two free throw attempts. I thought the guys did a great job of defending without fouling…”

The Heat’s two free throw attempts are the lowest output for any NBA playoff game. The previous low was three tries in one night by the New Jersey Nets in a 17-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 7, 1993, per Stathead.

In the Heat’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra said his team’s resolve was much stronger in the second half.

“You get to this level and it has to be complete games of that kind of disposition… it’s going to require more. We’ll get to work and see what we can do better, what we can do harder, what we can do with more effort, what we can do with more focus, etcetera,” Spoelstra said.

This is the first series in the Playoffs Miami starts down a match. Malone also mentioned how he and his troops didn’t want Miami’s streak of winning openers to continue. But even with the Nuggets taking Game 1 and holding a 24-point lead at one point in the evening, no one should overreact.

Astonishingly, the Heat was still within striking distance in crunch time. This is with Denver holding Butler to an uneventful night and locking up the role players. Nights where JB leaves Adebayo hanging, are uncommon. And now the Heat have two days to watch tape on its mistakes and refocus.

The Heat will not hold practice or media availability Friday.

 

 

Miami Heat fans should Love what veteran has provided

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Seven years ago, Kevin Love played 30 minutes for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, where he was a +19 in Cleveland’s four-point victory and a major catalyst in their historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors after falling behind 3-1.

 

In Monday’s Game 7 victory over the revitalized Boston Celtics, he registered his second DNP-CD of the last two games.

 

Love, who will be 35 in September, has seen a lot of change in the seven years since becoming an NBA champion. He’s now married to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Bock, and he plays for a new team in a new city. For most guys, this would signal that it’s time to consider hanging it up.

 

Not Love.

 

As a matter of fact, his impact on winning is seemingly felt now more than ever. Just in a different way. He’s brought joy back to the Miami Heat locker room.

 

From the “Lead us Kevin” mantra that has swept through the team to the pesty antics on the sidelines with Jimmy Butler, this team is having fun while playing basketball. And it all starts with Love.

 

“Kevin coming, I think he totally changed the whole dynamic of our locker room,” said Duncan Robinson when speaking on what Love’s presence has meant for the team.

 

“Just his character, his levity, what he brought just in terms of, like, connecting people, having a sense of humor.”

 

When Love joined the Miami Heat back in February, he joined a deflated team. Sure, they had only fallen one shot shy of reaching the NBA finals a few months prior, but the wear and tear of a long postseason run and injuries had seemingly caught up to it. It only sat five games above .500 and was 7th in the Eastern Conference standings.

 

Love was in no means expected to be the savior, but his skill set was a welcome sight among Heat fans. A big man who can stretch the floor and rebound alongside Bam Adebayo. This was encouraging.

 

But fast-forward to the present and Miami’s biggest contribution from Love has been his team-first approach.

 

“When you have a guy who’s played in four NBA finals, you know, won a championship, gets pulled from a rotation in the middle of a series and his immediate reaction is uplifting the guy who’s replacing him. I mean that alone sets the tone down the line for everybody else”, said Robinson.

 

These words from Robinson are significant because he himself was pulled from the Heat’s rotation earlier in the season. He’s now gone from the butt of everyone’s jokes to a key cog in Miami’s offensive attack. You can bet your bottom dollar that Love has played a role in Robinson’s comeback.

 

Love’s energy and team-first approach was on full display even before the playoffs began and it helped set the tone for what this team is accomplishing now.

 

Back in April after a 101-92 loss to the New York Knicks in which Kevin Love played poorly, Erik Spoelstra decided to start Cody Zeller for the team’s next game against the Chicago Bulls. Rather than sulking on the bench, Love responded with one of his best games in a Heat uniform.

 

He finished with 18 points in 19 minutes, five rebounds, and two threes. More importantly, the Heat got the victory. Love’s selflessness that night even inspired Miami’s leader.

 

“K-Love has always been about winning”, said Butler, who is enjoying another mythological postseason run.

 

“As long as we win, he’s not going to complain, nobody’s going to complain, because whether it’s our last four games of the season or our last 24 games of the season, he’s always been about winning. And if that helps us win, that’s what he’s going to do and he’s not going to complain about it.

 

On Thursday night, Miami will take the court against the Denver Nuggets in what will be the franchise’s seventh finals appearance in its 34-year history and sixth since 2010.

 

For Love, this marks his fifth finals appearance, which means he’s made the finals in every season of his career that he’s made the playoffs.

 

While we can hardly predict what his role in this series will be, one thing’s for sure – he will be the loudest teammate on the sideline. Laughing, smiling, and flailing his towel around every time one of his teammates makes a play.

 

“I didn’t come here to shoot 15 shots a game or ask for more,” Love said. “I just wanted to be able to make my impact, make my stamp on the game. Sometimes it’s not going to show up in the stat sheet; sometimes it is, but you’re affecting winning. That’s kind of where I’m at in my career right now.”

 

As for the “Lead us Kevin” phrase, according to Max Strus it was started during a practice.

 

“It was like a shooting drill that Chris Quinn was running in practice”, said Strus on the origins of the term.

 

“And he [Quinn] just said ‘Kevin, go first’. And I just said, ‘Lead us Kevin’, out of nowhere. I didn’t think it would stick like this. But it’s kind of running its own race. It’s been fun. It’s hilarious. And everybody’s buying into it.”

 

For those keeping score at home, the last time Miami had a pertinent mantra during the playoffs was back in 2006 when Pat Riley coined the “15 Strong” phrase.

 

We all know what happened that season.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat beat Celtics in Game 7 and will advance to the NBA Finals

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The Miami Heat are returning to the Finals for the seventh time, avoiding a spot on the wrong side of history by not blowing a 3-0 lead. The squad is also the second eighth seed to advance to the championship round behind the 1999 Knicks and the first play-in group to win the conference.

Jimmy Butler was awarded the second Larry Bird East Finals MVP trophy with five of the nine votes from the media panel covering the series. Caleb Martin received the other four votes after averaging 19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds through seven games.

The Boston faithful were stupefied at the start of the fourth quarter, as the Heat were up double digits. Caleb Martin, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo had guided the visitors as each had logged at least 31 minutes through three quarters.

At the start of the match, nerves affected both units as the score read 9-4 in favor of Boston. Miami’s defense then turned ravenous in the 2-3 zone and held the hosts to just 15 points in the first frame.

Malcolm Brogdon got just seven minutes of burn after missing all of Game 6 because he re-aggravated his right forearm injury. Jayson Tatum twisted his left ankle when he landed on Gabe Vincent’s foot under the rim in the first quarter. It left him hobbling the rest of the night, and he would later say post-game that he was “a shell of himself.”

Butler snapped out of his funk, finishing on a break post steal, zipping past defenders for baseline jumpers and maneuvering past drop coverage. Martin punched his scorecard with putbacks, catch-and-release shots in transition and in the halfcourt and a fadeaway in the lane over Al Horford.

At halftime, the White and Red led by 11 points and suppressed the Celtics to 38.6% field goal efficiency. Adebayo picked up three fouls but was the team’s most active disruptor on the ball or as a help defender.

In the second half, Butler dropped an additional 17 points on rim drives and hoisting away from the perimeter and elbow. Martin recorded another dozen points, only missing one shot, while Adebayo had eight.

In the last two quarters, Jaylen Brown and Tatum converted five of 16 attempts. Brown couldn’t shake defenders with his weak handle and settled for contested shots. JT missed an open jumper in the lane, an uncovered four-foot layup, plus the two triples defended by Martin. Had it not been for the Game 6 hero Derrick White, the Green Machine would have turned gangrenous earlier.

A minute into the fourth quarter, Butler pick-potted Brown and raced down the court for a jam to give Miami a 17-point advantage. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout to stop the bleeding, but his troops were yielding.

The hosts were shooting blanks and committed four turnovers in the last interval, obstructing its comeback efforts. The Heatles logged 11 of 16 tries in the final frame, sealing its opponent’s tomb.

After the game, the Heat was presented with the conference crown and Alonzo Mourning handed Butler the East Finals MVP trophy.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “Pat [Riley] feels a certain way about Boston. So I make sure that everybody feels a certain way about Boston. That’s part of my job as the caretaker. With that said, there’s great respect for them as competitors. They are first class…”

Butler praised his team and said it was ready for the next round.

“Everybody’s confidence is so high,” Butler said. “We got belief that we can do something incredibly special. So, we are going to hit the ground running when we get to Denver, and I like our chances.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat unfocused in Game 5 loss in Boston

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One aspect of the regular season has carried over for the Heat in the Playoffs lately: the need to get things done the hard way. And it’s back to Miami for Game 6 following two straight Ls after winning the first three. Pressure is mounting on both sides.

The Celtics now have high expectations to beat the Heat. But two consecutive wins have elevated the confidence of the Green monster. The White and Red still control the series, yet it has allowed the speculation of Boston making history to go from whispers to bold public predictions by famous media members. It doesn’t feel like the Heat is trying to avoid being the first team in NBA history to avoid giving up a 3-0 lead, yet. That could change if the squad is not careful.

At least two ESPN peeps have courageously said the Celtics will be the first to overcome the 0-3 albatross: Ignoramus Mike Greenberg and ex-player Richard Jefferson.

Game 6 is in Miami, but the Celtics snatched the fourth one there, making it capable of going behind enemy lines for a dub against this opponent. Keep in mind, the Cs defeated the Heat in the last three matches in Miami last season. That’s an outfit immune to the Miami flu.

The Heatles were frazzled again Thursday. There was a lack of synchronicity on both sides. First, the hosts overhelped on the wrong assignments and were delayed closing out to marksmen. On offense, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo shot blanks and couldn’t stop the bleeding.

Lead guard Gabe Vincent was absent with a sprained left ankle. Kyle Lowry started for him but was invisible, minus when committing four turnovers and one dime off a pick-and-pop play with Adebayo.

It only took Boston five minutes to ascend to a double-digit lead it never conceded. Jayson Tatum skinned the defense with sleight of hand when the Heat doubled him and found open snipers in transition. Covered or open, Jaylen Brown spat fire from deep and broke the 2-3 zone by going hard at the middle.

The visitors cut the deficit to a dozen near the end of the second quarter. Yet, the Cs countered with a pair of steals and two triples to extend the advantage back to 17 points.

Adebayo and Butler played 12 minutes in the third quarter, but the visitors couldn’t make up the difference. Coach Erik Spoelstra saw enough at the start of the fourth to sit Butler on the bench, as he already had #13.

At the postgame presser, Butler said the team needed to play better, starting earlier.

The role players become self-reliant when Butler successfully leads the attack, so it’s incumbent upon him to convert more than four points on one of five attempts in 12 opening minutes while Tatum and friends feast inside the paint.

Spoelstra said he isn’t concerned about the team’s mental state.

“We have a gnarly group,” Spoelstra said. “I think so much of that is overrated. It’s a competitive series. You always expect things to be challenging in a Conference Finals, and one game doesn’t lead into the next game. Based off all the experience we’ve had…”

Every series is different.  What Spoelstra said was true facing off with the Bucks and Knicks, but in round three, the Heat’s had its least inspiring performance of the Playoffs following a loss in its building.  A review in the film room will sting some egos but it might be the right antidote to bury the Green.

 

The Heat will not practice Friday.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat Drop Game 4 to Celtics in Miami

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The Heat remain one win away from the Finals. It was favored by a point and a half to wrap up the series Tuesday but was gashed in a 17-point defeat for its first in Miami during the Playoffs. This Just In: Coach Joe Mazzulla prepared for the outing by watching Good Will Hunting instead of his thousandth rerun of The Town.

An L in Game 4 sends the group back into the wolf’s den with an opportunity to deliver Boston cold, hard payback for last year. The 2022 Celtics beat the Heat in its previous three games in Miami. Returning the favor is now the objective.

The White and Red came out as flat as a plasma screen in the second half after leading by six. The rest of the way, the hosts converted 35% of their attempts and 18.8% from behind the 3-point line.

Jimmy Butler was the entire offense coming out of halftime. He logged 15 points by attacking drop coverage, isolating Robert Williams III on a drive and canning an open triple. Yet, the Heat recorded just 22 points in the frame.

Jayson Tatum supplied 14 of Boston’s 38 third-quarter points. He later overcame his late-game stage fright. Marcus Smart unexpectedly turned into a threat behind the arc. Al Horford dismembered the Heat’s defense with his passing. And Grant Williams swatted Butler’s shot on the baseline after getting targeted on a switch.

At the postgame presser, Butler said the loss would build momentum for Miami.

“We got to play like our backs are against the wall,” Butler said. “But I think all year long, we’ve been better when we had to do things the hard way.”

He’s not wrong. The Heat lost the first play-in game to Atlanta on its home court, which set up a winner-take- eighth seed match with Chicago. Miami won the latter, then pantsed the Bucks and conquered the Knicks.

Remember, FanDuel opened with Milwaukee beating Miami at a -1200 line. Giannis Antetokounmpo got hurt 11 minutes in and only played in two more games, but the Heat took out the darlings in five. BetMGM slightly favored New York to go to the ECF, and it was sent home in six by the Heat.

For Game 5, the Heat need Bam Adebayo to rediscover his form so the Cs don’t continue to extend the series. Tuesday, Adebayo attempted seven shots but only one in 17 second-half minutes. I reckon the ball didn’t find him more because he didn’t have his hands up often after a screen.

In the fourth quarter of Game 4, #13 wasn’t looking at the basket with malicious intent. The best adjustment the Heat can make is having Adebayo crank up the RPMs to maximum levels. I’ll wager Miami’s marksmen will strike their targets consistently if the big man attracts doubles inside the paint.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said there wasn’t flow to the offense, and the Celtics capitalized on it.

Defensively, [the Celtics] took advantage of our ball holding, “ Spoelstra said. “We were late getting into our stuff. They have good individual defenders. We have to do this thing collectively, that’s when we’re at our best. And then dial into the transition and the threes…”

Butler said the team would listen to some tunes and down beers to regroup. Then he said the Heat would win on the road.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat push Celtics to the edge of elimination

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Ben Affleck couldn’t have written a more stomach-turning piece for Bostonians. What seemed impossible before the first encounter became a reality as the eighth-seeded Heat captured a three-game lead over the Celtics.

Is now a bad time to remind everyone that no squad in NBA history has come back from down 0-3 to win a playoff series?

FanDuel, DraftKings and Barstool Sportsbooks opened the series with the Green as overwhelming favorites to win the conference. Even for Game 3, the experts had decided Boston should win despite the craterlike deficit while going behind enemy lines.

Then ESPN’s so-called “Matchup Predictor,” based on company analytics, gave the Heat a 27.3% chance of winning the match. Early and adjusted prognostics on Miami never passed the smell test, but two games in, Jayson Tatum confidently walked into the Kaseya Center, covered in white, like he was heading for Tony Montana’s wedding.

At halftime, the hosts led by 15 points, while Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were still in single digits on their scorecards. Gabe Vincent burned the allegedly reputable defender Derrick White off the dribble, plus hit deep jumpers in his face. Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson combined for 21 of the Heat’s 25 bench points, while the visiting reserve crew logged 10.

Through 24 minutes, Miami had suppressed Boston to 31% shooting behind the arc with a mix of man-to-man coverage and the 2-3 zone. Ten offensive rebounds provided the Cs with nine additional shots at the goal, but it had converted three fewer attempts than the Heat.

In the third quarter, the hosts emerged beaming into the lane and converting shots at the top of the key. Within a few minutes, the Celtics yielded as Heat’s lead broke 20 points, and White Hot supporters bounced off their seats in elation.

Butler dribbled to the baseline for a jumper over White and isolated Robert Williams III at the elbow, nailing a pull-up. Vincent scored against Al Horford in drop coverage twice, from outside and up close, and splashed a fastbreak trifecta. On pick and roll with Max Strus, Adebayo slammed a ferocious lob over Grant Williams’ head.

Heading into the fourth interval, the Heat was up 30 points. The only starter to see the floor for Miami was Vincent. For the Celtics, it was Smart, indicating the white flag waved early.

At the postgame presser, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla fell on the sword, yet said his group had no mentality in his last breaths.

“I didn’t have them ready to play,” Mazzulla said. “Whatever it was, whether it was the starting lineup, whether it was an adjustment, I have to get them in a better place. That’s on me.”

Mazzulla’s guys lost their poise. The Heat was up 18 points two minutes into the second half when Marcus Smart threw a punch at Caleb Martin while tracking a miss under the rim. Referee Curtis Blair stopped the clock as the officials gathered for a review of a hostile act.

Naturally, the refs were too slow on the draw to call a second technical foul on Smart. They didn’t need a previous infraction to toss him after watching the replay of his loose hands. I suspect Smart wasn’t exiled because he seemed remorseful, and Martin didn’t look to want to whoop his rear.

I wager the Green Goblin would not have walked away from that unscathed had he tried it with someone he didn’t know on the blacktops. Smart lost control. Keeping him in the game was a dangerous decision by the refs.

When Mazzulla was asked about the disconnect between him and his players, he said, “It’s where I have to be better to figure out what this team needs to make sure that they are connected, they are physical, and they are together by the time they step on the floor.”

At least he didn’t give away publicly what caused the rift. If I were Mazzulla, I’d invest in a Ouija board with hopes of communicating with Red Auerbach for sage counsel on Xs & Os and motivating the troops.

In the Heat’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra credited his team’s pent-up feelings with the inspiration for the statement performance.

“We are getting closer, but we still have to finish this off… You could tell by the morning session how much it means to everybody, but then you have to prove it and do it on the wood.”

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