The Miami Heat finished first in the Southeast Division with a 44-29 record and were the East’s 5th best team during the regular season overall. Guided by the two-time coach of the year, Erik Spoelstra, it will be his fifth finals with the club.
On the court, the Heat is led by Jimmy Butler, who averaged 20 points per game, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo. All three stepped up in the playoffs and averaged more points per game during their playoff run.
In the playoffs, the Heat swept the Pacers in the first round and shocked the NBA world when they beat the favored Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced the Boston Celtics and took the series in six games, winning the Eastern Conference for the sixth time and playing in their first finals since 2014.
Heat in the Regular Season
While the Heat was not the best team in the East they did manage to have an impressive home record of 29-7, on the road the team struggled losing 22 games and winning 15. It was the team’s first season without Dwyane Wade, who retired last year. Still, Jimmy Butler stepped up to fill the void and Goran Dragic, and Duncan Robinson, who shot at a 93% in free throws, all contributed after the team missed the playoffs last season.
Heat in the Playoffs
In the NBA playoffs the Heat showed up to play, sweeping the Pacers in 4, but it was the Conference semi-finals where the team truly showed they might contend for the title. Winning the first 3 games against a shocked Bucks side. Jimmy Butler hit for 40 points in Game 1 and Butler and Dragic finished the Bucks in Game 5 with 17 points each. The Celtics put up more of a fight and took the series to 6 games, but the Heat gained an early series advantage winning the first twogames. The Heat will face the Lakers in the finals.
