On Sunday, Sep. 27, the Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 to face the Los Angeles Lakers. The Heat entered the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, giving them the chance to become one of the lowest-seeded teams in NBA history to win a championship. Conversely, the road to the finals has been less surprising for the Lakers as they are the first seed in the Western Conference.
Not only did Miami make it to the finals but they did so in a dominating playoff fashion. For starters, the Heat swept the Indiana Pacers in the first round and then went on to overcome the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Then, in the conference finals, they defeated the Boston Celtics in six games to advance to the championship.
During their two regular-season matchups, the Miami Heat have fallen victim to the impressive roster of the Lakers, as both games have resulted in defeats. The first game played against each other resulted in a 95-80 loss for Miami, while the second had a much more promising score of 113-110.
Making the playoffs was no easy stint for Miami as they are a relatively young team that is full of potential and promise. Despite the addition of five-time All-Star Jimmy Butler, the team has had to rely heavily on contributions from several young players, including that of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Los Angeles has an experienced All-Star-stacked roster featuring notable top performers such as Lebron James, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard.
Tyler Herro, the twenty-year-old out of Kentucky, has been an unexpected strong performer for Miami. Off the bench, the rookie has significantly stepped up for the team and has routinely frustrated all Western Conference competitors. For instance, during game four of the semifinals against the Celtics, Herro helped the Miami Heat come away with a win by contributing with a 37-point performance. This is just one of the highlights made by the rookie in the playoffs thus far.
While this may seem like a normal championship matchup at first glance, there is certainly more to unpack here than what initially meets the eye. The last time that Miami had made an appearance in the finals, they had Lebron James on their side as opposed to having to compete against him. After Lebron and veteran Dwayne Wade left in 2014, Miami entered into their rebuilding phase that has led them to where they are today. On top of this, this is the first time the Lakers have made the playoffs since basketball legend and former player Kobe Bryant passed away. To honor his memory, as well as his contributions to the sport and the Lakers team itself, many of Bryant’s past teammates have been wearing his signature shoe to pay tribute to him.
With the NBA finals now underway, and the Miami Heat being the clear underdogs, they have a great deal to prove in their fight to defeat the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
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