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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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat take a two-game lead over the Celtics as the series shifts to Miami

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Staggeringly, Friday, the team with a one-game lead in the series played with more desperation in the second match. That’s the same outfit that, before the first meeting, was rejected by the sportsbooks as not having a chance against the reigning eastern champs. The Heat is presently up 2-0 with the following games set in Miami.

In quarter one, the Green restrained the White and Red’s paint finishing to four of 13 attempts. Regardless, Jimmy Butler still recorded a putback off Bam Adebayo’s miss, a jumper in the post when the Celtics blew up Miami’s pick and roll, and layup in drop coverage.

After getting gashed by the Celtics on a 17-4 run, the Heat returned the favor with a 16-8 burst to close the half. Caleb Martin was the leading scorer with 14 points, followed by Jimmy Butler’s dozen.

The Heat held a four-point lead at intermission, but the Celtics charged out of its locker room, snatching command. Jayson Tatum detonated for an extra 15 on his scorecard while the Celtics doubled Miami’s production on the glass and held the visitors to 16% shooting from deep.

The dreaded turd quarter had returned, as the Heatles were outscored by 12 in frame three. Butler played every minute, gathering six points with three boards, two assists, a block and a steal. Martin logged seven, and Adebayo dropped 6 points, but the Celtics were at the firing range.

The Celtics entered the lane on impulse and finished seven of nine interior tries in the third quarter. Jaylen Brown supplied three baskets for the Green, hitting shots in the corner, in transition and euro-stepping past Kyle Lowry for a layup.

With over 10 minutes left, the hosts lead by 12, intoxicating its supporters with premature joy. But then, Miami went on a 34-16 point avalanche to seize the game. In crunch time, Butler and Grant Williams had to be separated while standing dome-to-dome. JB took the General (G. Williams) off the dribble from the left wing to the paint and hit a turnaround jumper before both got in each other’s grills.

Butler logged his next three field goals guarded by G. Williams, including the baskets to tie and take the lead for the Heat. From the right side, #22 dribbled past Party City Batman (G. Williams) and nailed a floater over his head. Then he motioned towards his hip, signaling his man was too small. At the elbow, Butler canned a jumper and fadeaway on the baseline before Celtics coach Joe Mazzula sat his backup forward.

With a minute to go and the Heat up three, Adebayo tracked Butler’s missed jumper in between multiple Celtics and went back up for a thunderous slam. Tatum came back the other way, hoisting up a shot from the top when Miami flashed its 2-3 zone. Gabe Vincent foolishly didn’t give him landing space. Next, Tatum converted three freebies.

Making amends for his infraction, Vincent dusted Tatum on the left side, burying a jump shot from 20 feet out.

In the last period, Miami held Boston to 38.9% shooting from the field. The Heat pulled down four offensive rebounds and committed two fewer turnovers, allowing it to take four additional attempts over the Celtics in the final quarter in a game that was decided by six points.

Mazzulla forgot to use his final timeout for Boston so it could advance the ball upcourt in the last five seconds. The Heat won 111-105.

On Boston’s bench, players wore warm-up shirts that said “Unfinished Business” on the front, referencing the squad getting two games shy of a title the previous season. The Green’s mission is likely staying that way after conceding home-court advantage.

The flight to Miami is a perfect opportunity for the Celtics to educate G. Williams about not upsetting the Beast of the East. Butler engaged because he caught some trash talk while Miami was coming up court with the ball.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra praised his group’s perseverance.

“Defensively, in the second quarter, we were really good to get back into the game,” Spoelstra said. “Same thing in the second half. And then Jimmy [Butler] and Bam [Adebayo] really anchored us offensively. It’s great when your two best players can lead you, and you have a place where the ball can go, and everyone else is playing off those guys…”

Butler said the fourth quarter is about getting buckets.

“It’s all about getting shots on goal,” Butler said. “I can only tell y’all so many times how much confidence that my teammates put in me, the coaching staff puts in me to just go out there and hoop, play carefree, and as we like to say in our locker room ‘take us there.’”

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Matthew Tkachuk scored the winning goal for the Panthers in the fourth overtime against Carolina.

Pressure Point: Panthers, Heat have S. Florida soaring on remarkable playoff ride

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Most of the time watching sports is a grind, often more heartbreak than happiness.

Right now for fans in South Florida, it’s an absolute gift.

The reward for sitting through nearly 140 minutes of Game 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals was seeing a Florida Panthers victory rat tossed on the ice in Raleigh, N.C., at 2 a.m.

Matthew Tkachuk’s goal ending the sixth-longest Stanley Cup playoff game came 12.7 seconds before the end of the fourth overtime early Friday morning.

The Panthers’ win against the favored Carolina Hurricanes came on the heels of the Miami Heat shocking the highly favored Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Eastern finals the previous night in Boston.

The Heat followed suit Friday night with a 111-105 comeback win, sweeping the first two games of the series at Boston’s TD Garden, the same building where the Panthers eliminated the record-breaking Bruins in the first round of this amazing playoff journey.

Panthers, Heat fans seeing double — in good way

It’s a challenge for fans to keep up with two teams playing like destiny’s children at the same time and you can’t help but hitch a ride for as long as it goes. That means nightly dinners in front of the TV and abbreviated sleep, hopefully continuing for awhile.

But hopefully not another marathon ice dance like had the Panthers and Hurricanes in a standoff that seemed as if it might last until dawn or the ice melted.

Four overtimes was an excess of hockey even for Mr. Hockey, Wayne Gretzky. The Great One, on the TNT studio panel, remarked before the fourth overtime that he hoped someone would score in that period because “enough is enough.”

Tkachuk scores goal for ages

Tkachuk obliged just before the end of that fourth 20-minute extra session with a quick snipe from the right circle.

It took a moment to register that the Panthers had finally penetrated the Great Red Wall of Carolina, goalie Frederik Andersen.

“Probably my favorite [goal] I’ve scored in my life,” said Tkachuk, who has more than met expectations from the trade that brought him to Florida from Calgary for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.

GM Bill Zito swung the deal as part of a plan to transform the Panthers from a freewheeling offensive team into one that could play the tighter, grind-it-out style needed to succeed in the playoffs.

The transition took half the season to gain traction under coach Paul Maurice and allay doubts, but Ka-Chuckie and Co. have revived the Spirit of ’96 in South Florida, when the lovable third-year expansion Panthers took the region on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals. That ended in a triple-overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

Panthers believe in ‘Bob’

This Panthers team has the talent and an upwelling of confidence that just might finish the job this time.

Since falling behind Boston 3 games to 1 in the first round, the Panthers have won eight of nine. Five of those wins have come in overtime. They have won seven away games in a row.

It took till tomorrow to score the winning goal in Game 1, but the Panthers put priority on making sure they didn’t give one up.

Veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who started the playoffs backing up journeyman Alex Lyon, is finally playing up to his $70 million contract. He set a franchise record with 63 saves — including all 34 he faced in overtime — and didn’t allow a goal for the final 97 minutes of Game 1.

The Panthers believe in ‘Bob’ like never before, and he’s earned it while going 8-1 since an overtime win over the Bruins in Game 5 of the first round.

Heat inspired by Panthers’ win

While the Panthers rest up for Game 2 on Saturday, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo led the Heat back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, combining for 17 points down the stretch that also saw key contributions from Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and others. Caleb Martin kept the Heat in the game with 25 points off the bench.

Friday morning, veteran forward Udonis Haslem told reporters at the Heat’s shootaround that he stayed up for the entire hockey game and was inspired by the Panthers’ dramatic win.

“Those boys got heart,” he said. “I loved the look on the fans’ faces after the game, too. That was amazing.”

Had to feel for the dejected Hurricanes fans who still had a traffic jam and a drive home ahead of them before an early wake-up call. Panthers fans had the most uplifting winning afterglow to carry them through work on Friday.

Tkachuk expressed that he feels kinship with the Heat’s Butler, who wore the Panthers star’s jersey at practice Thursday and plays a similar emotional style.

The impulse is to say that South Florida has never seen the likes of two teams simultaneously playing in the semifinals of their sport. Yet it was only about six weeks ago that the Miami Hurricanes and FAU Owls both made it to the college basketball Final Four.

The rarity of what the Panthers and Heat are doing is heightened by both barely making the playoffs as No. 8 seeds and beginning by knocking off the top teams of the regular season.

Both remain underdogs in their respective Eastern finals — incredibly, the Celtics are favored in Game 3 in Miami despite their 2-0 deficit in the series — but neither believe it.

Best time to be South Florida sports fan

If winning is contagious, it has caught on with multiple teams in South Florida like never before. Even the under-the-radar Marlins are second in the National League East and just got the first major league win from 20-year-old pitching phenom Eury Perez.

The Miami Dolphins have amassed a roster of talent to raise expectations for the fall. The football Hurricanes appear on the rise as well.

But right now, the Panthers and Heat are the gift that keeps on giving.

Get ready for more late nights at the local arenas or in front of the TV. This could take awhile.

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

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat take Game 1 from the Celtics in Boston

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The Celtics couldn’t stop Jimmy Butler from maneuvering left. In the first quarter, he logged a dozen points, unbothered by his matchup, with two dimes, two rebounds and two steals.

In the first quarter, the Heat converted 52.4% of its attempts and half from deep. Yet, the visitor’s issue throughout the first half offensively was ball security. Three poor passes and an illegal pick resulted in four turnovers to Boston’s three.

The Celtics also picked up five offensive rebounds in the opening frame. This resulted in the hosts taking six more shots to start, but they only had a two-point lead to show for it.

Kyle Lowry kicked off the second quarter by attacking Robert Williams III in drop coverage. He logged every minute of the interval and made five straight buckets off the dribble or in a stationary position on the wing.

Without Lowry’s contributions before halftime, Miami would have been toast. He was the only Heatle to register more than one field goal in the second quarter while the defense reacted slowly to rim pressure. In a six-minute stretch, the Celtics went on a 25-10 run that included eight paint finishes without a miss.

Jayson Tatum repped the hosts with 18 points on 53.8% shooting with five rebounds in the first half. His partner Jaylen Brown had 11 coming from putbacks, transition attacks, two floaters and a cutting layup through the middle. Williams, too, was problematic for Miami, hitting five shots off putbacks and rim runs.

The Heat was down 57-66 at halftime. The White and Red made 53.7% of its tries, but the Green had taken five more shots from the field and six extra at the charity line.

In the third quarter, the Heat stormed back into the match, outscoring the Celtics 46-25. Five consecutive baskets by Max Strus, Kevin Love, Gabe Vincent and Adebayo ignited the group and cut its deficit to a point after being down 12 a minute into the frame.

Butler logged another dozen points, plus a steal. He took three trips to the line, making all five freebies, nailing buckets on the baseline and in the corner.

Strus led for the Heat with 13 on his scorecard for quarter three. Mad Max splashed two pull-up triples on the wings and one catch-and-release banger in the corner.

Miami entered the fourth quarter up 12 points, but the offense cooling down allowed Boston to get within four.

Tatum didn’t register a field goal attempt for the Celtics in the fourth, but he was fouled on three drives and scored six points at the line. Brown punctured the lane three times, taking advantage of Miami’s willingness to switch. Brown’s only misses late were behind the arc.

Yet the Heat had Butler. With over six minutes left, #22 stripped Brown and picked up two interceptions in the passing lanes, bringing his total to six takeaways. Shockingly, Al Horford tried a cross-court pass from corner to wing that Butler stole. Unsurprisingly, Tatum’s tunnel vision blinded him from seeing Butler camped out at the elbow as a spy, waiting for the dish to Brown.

In crunch time, Butler isolated White on the right wing and darted into the paint for a turnaround jumper. Next, he targeted Malcolm Brogdon on a switch and dribbled down to the baseline for a 13-footer. His last basket was a right-wing triple contested by Brogdon that briefly extended the Heat’s lead to 10 points with a minute left.

The Heat won Game 1 123-116.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said there wasn’t much said at halftime regarding the nine-point deficit.

“Our guys knew,” Spoelstra said. “Playing against a very good basketball team in the first half, we had 11 turnovers, and they had 40 in the paint. I can’t say that’s just all us. That’s what they are capable of doing if we are not really on top of our game… We’ve been in a lot of these situations where we have to battle back from deficits even on the road. So, we started to chip away at it and finally got the lead and were able to take control from there.”

When Butler was asked about taking away home-court advantage from the Celtics, he said, “We are just playing really good basketball. More than anything, we are staying together through the good and through the bad. It is a game of runs, and we can talk to one another. I think that’s what ultimately makes me smile is the fact that when things aren’t going our way, we can look at each other eye-to-eye and know when somebody is messing around. And we can fix it…”

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