And with Game 106 – through the preseason, regular season, postseason – it’s over.
The Miami Heat’s wild ride through COVID absences, injuries and playoff challenges ultimately came to an end with Sunday night’s 100-96 loss at FTX Arena to the Boston Celtics in the winner-take-all Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.
For the Celtics, it’s on to Thursday’s start of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
For the Heat, it is the short-term lament of falling in a series they led 2-1, after powering past the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers in the first two rounds.
But there also was a closing act that produced the top regular-season record in the East and playoff heights that took them to the league final four, well beyond most preseason expectations.
For Jimmy Butler, it was a fight to the finish, following up his 47 points in Game 6 with 35 on Sunday night. He was supported by 25 points and 11 rebounds from Bam Adebayo.
But, otherwise, there was not enough, with Tyler Herro limited in his return from a groin strain and Kyle Lowry still not himself after missing extension postseason action with a hamstring strain, closing with 15 points.
Ultimately, there was too much from the Celtics, including 26 points from Jayson Tatum, 24 from Jaylen Brown and 24 from Marcus Smart.
Five Degrees of Heat from Sunday’s game:
1. Closing time: The Heat trailed 32-17 after the first quarter, went down 17 in the second, but then rallied within 55-49 at halftime.
The Heat then appeared to close within two early in the third period, but that’s when review from the NBA replay center in New Jersey ruled minutes later that Max Strus had stepped out of bounds.
Soon the Heat deficit was up to 13, before the Heat closed within 82-75 entering the fourth.
The Heat then moved within three early in the fourth quarter, before the Celtics went up 13.
From there, A Lowry layup with one minute to go got the Heat within 98-93. And then, with 44.4 seconds left, a Strus 3-pointer got the Heat within 98-96.
Butler then pulled up for an ill-timed 3-pointer with 16.6 seconds left, effectively ending it.
2. Butler battles: Butler consistently tried to keep the Heat afloat, including 19 of the Heat’s first 34 points.
It was Butler’s eighth 30-point game of these playoffs, the most by a Heat player in the postseason since LeBron James had eight in the run to the 2013 title.
Butler stood at 24 points at halftime, with 18 in the second quarter.
Butler’s first point moved him past Horace Grant for 72nd on the NBA all-time playoff list. His third moved him past Dwight Howard for 71st. His fourth moved him past Oscar Robertson and Maurice Cheeks for 69th. His eighth moved him past Carmelo Anthony for 68th. His 10th moved him past Chet Walker for 67th. He later also passed Alonzo Mourning for fourth on the Heat all-time playoff scoring list.
3. Power play: Adebayo returned to the aggression of his 31-point Game 3 effort, this time confident with his mid-range game and aggressive at the rim.
He played for extended stretches in smaller-ball lineups, often with Butler cast at power forward, on a night P.J. Tucker was limited with his contribution and Dewayne Dedmon again was out of the rotation.
The Heat entered 13-4 this season when Butler and Adebayo eached 20 or more, which showed the lack of support in this one.
4. Herro back: Herro made his first appearance since Game 3, entering Sunday 23 seconds into the second period, with the Heat down 15.
Herro entered in a smaller-ball lineup alongside Adebayo, Lowry, Butler and Victor Oladipo, who played ahead of Herro in the rotation.
The return proved brief, with Herro limited to a single first-half stint of 6:43, going scoreless, missing both of his shots.
Of Herro’s return, coach Erik Spoelstra said pregame, “Right now it’s all hands on deck. He passed his testing with the trainers. He’s really been working diligently the last few days.”
5. Sordid start: Victimized by an 18-1 opening Celtics burst in losing Game 4 in Boston, the Heat this time were down 24-9 early, with a 4-of-15 start from the field, an 0-for-5 start on 3-pointers and two fouls on Lowry in the opening 3:01.
Lowry returned by the end of the period, which ended with the Heat down 32-17, at 7 of 21 from the field, 1 of 7 on 3-pointers, with just one assist.
The Heat’s second assist did not come until 9:06 remained in the second period. With 3:25 left in the second period, Oladipo became first Heat player other than Butler, Adebayo or Vincent with a basket.
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