The remaining two teams in the east had a long and fun second round. Boston and Miami were more committed and better coached than Philadelphia and New York. The Heat are on a roll led by coach Erik Spoelstra. It’s possible their run cements Spoelstra’s case for being a top five all-time NBA coach. One of these two dedicated teams has to advance to the championship round. Time to break down which one has the best chance to represent the east in the finals.
#8 Miami Heat v. #2 Boston Celtics
The second of two conference champion matchups audiences saw in the 2020 bubble, one team looks to correct previous playoff mistakes while the other has a chance to continue a storybook season. Like the other series, one team clinched an early playoff berth while the other had to make the playoffs by winning a lower seed at the end of the season from the play-in tournament. However if one watched both teams without knowing the seed number, there’s no question which of the two played better the last month.
The Celtics stumble continues despite their conference finals appearance. While their previous opponents were either inexperienced or got in their own way when it mattered most, Miami is neither. Jimmy Butler is the most determined star Boston’s starting five will guard before the finals and Erik Spoelstra will give rookie Joe Mazzulla coaching fits. Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love can counter Al Horford and Jaylen Brown while Butler and Jayson Tatum play at all-star levels. The Celtics have to grind out four wins against a more focused and rested opponent. It’s fair to assume Miami’s strengths and determination pull off another upset.
Upset conference finals prediction: Heat win series and advance to the NBA finals 4-2
Eastern conference playoff picks record: 4-2
JD's Sportscorner 