76ers Rival Watch: Miami Heat Finish the Job vs. Celtics

The Miami Heat put the Boston Celtics away.

For the second time since parting ways with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jimmy Butler is headed to the NBA Finals. On Monday night, the Miami Heat had to pay a visit to the Boston Celtics for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Although the Heat nearly knocked out the Celtics in Game 6 on Saturday night, as Butler’s three free throws in the final seconds put them in the lead, a buzzer-beater tip-in from Boston’s Derrick White forced the Game 7.

The Celtics had the home-court advantage on Monday night. But playing at home doesn’t guarantee a victory. The Celtics needed to show up and show out, just as they’ve done the last few games. Unfortunately, they couldn’t match that same success for the fourth-straight game.

Through the first half of action in Game 7, the Heat took total control. After trailing by five points early on, Miami pulled out in front and led by as many as 17 points through the first half.

Going into halftime, the Heat led 52-41, draining nearly 50 percent of their shots. Miami forward Caleb Martin led the way with 14 points in the first half.

The Celtics weren’t going down easy, as they slightly outscored the Heat in the third quarter. However, Miami wasn’t taking its foot off the gas.

The Heat needed to close it out, and they dominated in the fourth quarter to ensure that they did. Knocking down nearly 70 percent of their shots, the Heat outscored the Celtics 27-18. Going up by as many as 23 points, it became clear that Heat were headed to the Finals.

By the end of the game, Miami had put away the Celtics with a 103-84 victory. Jimmy Butler led the pack with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Caleb Martin was behind him with 26 points, ten rebounds, and three assists.

For the first time since the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the Heat will play in the NBA Finals. Back then, Miami came up short against LeBron James and the Lakers. This time around, the Heat hope to find different results against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets as they search for their fourth championship in franchise history.