Discover Top Posts Tagged with #eastern finals

The Celtics’ Bill Russell goes up to block the shot of the Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain. Photographed by George Silk, 1961.

#NBA #Boston #Philadelphia #vintage #1960s #Eastern Finals #playoffs #basketball #Wilt the Stilt

Eastern Conference Finals Storylines

#3 BOSTON CELTICS VS. #5 MIAMI HEAT

• MATCHUP HISTORY: Boston and Miami are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time. The Heat leads the overall series 2-1. Most recently, the Heat defeated the Celtics in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals on its way to winning the first of back-to-back NBA championships.

• RIVALRY RENEWED: The Celtics and Heat met in the playoffs three consecutive seasons from 2010-12, forging a compelling rivalry with memorable games and thrilling moments. One classic matchup was Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, when Miami’s LeBron James finished with 45 points and 15 rebounds as the Heat avoided elimination with a victory at Boston. (The Heat went on to win Game 7 in Miami.)

• SURPRISE, SURPRISE: Boston is the third seed and Miami is the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. This is the first Eastern Conference Finals without a first or second seed since the NBA’s current 16-team playoff format was implemented for the 1983-84 season.

• FIVE ALIVE: Miami is the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Since the current 16-team playoff format was implemented for the 1983-84 season, no team seeded fifth has reached the NBA Finals. During that time, only two teams seeded lower than fifth have made the NBA Finals: the 1994-95 Rockets (who won the NBA championship as the sixth seed in the Western Conference) and the 1998-99 Knicks (who lost the NBA Finals as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference).

• NEXT STEP: This is Boston’s third appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in the last four seasons. The Celtics are seeking their first NBA Finals berth since the 2009-10 season. Boston has won an NBA-record 17 NBA championships and made 21 NBA Finals appearances (second most behind the Lakers’ 31 Finals appearances).

• HEAT OF THE MOMENT: Miami missed the playoffs last season with a 39-43 record. But the addition of Jimmy Butler, the emergence of Bam Adebayo and the development of unheralded players such as Duncan Robinson have lifted the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

• SHATTERING EXPECTATIONS: Miami has exceeded expectations as a team, which is in line with what its players have done as individuals in their careers. Of the Heat’s top eight players in minutes played this season, three went undrafted (Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn and Derrick Jones Jr.), two were second-round draft picks (Goran Dragić and Jae Crowder), one was the last pick in the first round (Jimmy Butler) and two were mid-first-round draft picks (Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro). Some had long odds to even make or stick in the NBA based on their draft position, let alone become impact players on a Conference Finals team.

• SEASON RECAP: Boston won two of three meetings with the Heat across regular-season and seeding games. Miami won the only matchup during the seeding games, a 112-106 victory despite the absence of Jimmy Butler.

• BUTLER DID IT: Miami forward Jimmy Butler’s NBA stardom has been hard earned. As a teenager, Butler was without a permanent residence for a few years in a small Texas town before moving in with a friend’s family. He started his college career at a junior college. He was the last pick in the first round of the 2011 NBA Draft – not a spot that produces many NBA standouts. He averaged fewer than three points a game as an NBA rookie. But he earned playing time with his tenacious defense and relentless effort, developed his offensive game and is now a five-time NBA All-Star. Butler turns 31 on Monday, Sept. 14, the day before Game 1 of his first Conference Finals.

#nba #nba basketball #eastern finals #boston celtics #miami heat #košarka #nba liga #nba sezona #finale #history #storylines

Cavaliers Win Third Game, Continues With 3-0 Lead...

...and the Cavaliers have done it again. Down to the wire, neck and neck, they continue their lead in the current NBA Eastern Finals, winning the third consecutive game against the Atlanta Hawks. With the game having stretched into overtime, the Cavs bested the Hawks with a score of 114-111. Lebron James scored 37 points with 18 rebounds and 13 assists. Some fans were worried, as Kyrie Irving sat out this game due to a knee injury and subsequent tendinitis. He also say out for game 2.

This win places the Cavaliers at a 3-0 advantage. Tonight's game was held here in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena, as will game 4, which is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26 at 8:30pm.

#EASTERN FINALS #Cleveland #Hawks #NBA #Cavs #Atlanta