Over the last few years, some of the best matchups in the NBA playoffs have come between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. It has become somewhat of a mini-rivalry around the league, with the two teams meeting each other in the postseason in four of the past five years.
The two teams have split the four series, with Miami taking two of the three series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami knocked out the Celtics last season in seven games to reach the NBA Finals, but Boston got their revenge this season.
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The Celtics defeated the Heat in a quick five-game series to open the postseason this year. However, the series was clouded a little due to the fact that Miami’s star player Jimmy Butler missed the entire series due to an injury he had suffered in the Play-In game. Either way, Boston advanced and went on to win the NBA title this year for the first time since 2008.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 21: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics hoists the Larry O’Brien trophy as he is introduced during the Boston Celtics Victory Event following their 2024 NBA Finals win at TD…
Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
During the Celtics’ championship celebration, Boston star Jayson Tatum seemed to throw some shade toward the Heat. He was asked by former Celtics big man Brian Scalabrine about the team making the trip down to Miami to celebrate the title and if it was a little sweeter than during previous visits. Tatum then took a shot at the Heat in the moment.
“They’re always easy,” Tatum told television analyst Brian Scalabrine about the Heat prior to the Celtics’ Friday championship parade.
Brian Scalabrine: “You guys have been on a lot of hard-fought trips to Miami, was this one a little sweeter?”
Jayson Tatum: “They’re always easy.” 😅 pic.twitter.com/EvuhSrUWD6
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 21, 2024
While the series against Miami was easy for the Celtics this season, it hasn’t always been that way. Just a year ago, Tatum and the Celtics dropped a home game in Game 7 to Miami in the conference finals, after they had battled back from down 0-3 in the series. Miami has given Boston all the team can handle over the years, so this shot at the Heat was a little unwarranted. After the Celtics eliminated the Heat this season, Tatum spoke about how he wanted to play Miami again this year.
“I wanted to play Miami in the sense that, maybe last year, playing against Atlanta, we might have relaxed a little bit,” Tatum said this May. “Knowing the history… with Miami, how hard they play, how well-coached they are, that, for a first-round matchup, regardless of the seed, that we were going to have to be ready to play and be ready to fight.”
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The Celtics star averaged 21.8 points to help get Boston over Miami in the first round this season. While Boston was the best team all year and deserves to be called the champions, not having to play Butler likely changed the entire series. We will never know what could have happened but for now, Tatum can take his victory lap after winning his first NBA title.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Source : Newsweek