J-Speaks: Clippers Oust Coach Doc Rivers After Seven Seasons

 

No head coach has registered more wins; reached the postseason and had a better winning percentage in the history of the Los Angeles Clippers than the lead man they have had on their sidelines the past seven years. They went from a perennial failure of a team to one that became a destination for A-list free agents. A team that was in the conversation of competing for a championship. But after another disappointing finish that saw them fall in the Second-Round again, the front office felt it was time for a change.

On Monday, the Clippers fired head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers after seven seasons.

The moves comes two weeks after the Clippers lost a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals to the No. 3 Seeded Denver Nuggets, falling in seven games.

“Doc has been a terrific coach for the Clippers, an incredible ambassador, and a pillar of strength during tumultuous times,” Clippers Chairman Steve Ballmer said in a statement at the start of this week. “He won a heck of a lot of games and laid a foundation for this franchise.”

The Clippers said that the decision for Rivers to depart as head coach was a joint decision made by him and Mr. Ballmer.

In a statement that Coach Rivers posted on his Twitter page @DocRivers late Monday afternoon, “Thank you Clipper nation for allowing me to be your coach and for all your support in helping make this a winning franchise. When I took this job, my goals were to make this a winning basketball program, a free agent destination, and bring a championship to this organization. While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won’t be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support. Thank you to all the players, coaches, and staff for helping us get there. Most importantly, thank you to the fans. We went through a lot, and I am grateful for my time here.”

During his seven seasons as the Clippers lead man on the sideline, Rivers produced a mark of 356-208. Those 356 regular season wins are the most in the teams 50-year history. Rivers also finished his Clippers coaching career No. 1 in winning percentage (.631) and games coached at 564. In what was his final season, the Clippers under Rivers went 49-23 during the regular season, the fourth-best mark in franchise history.

To put the kind of run the Clippers had under Coach Rivers into context, five of the team’s six best regular seasons happened under Coach Rivers’ watch.

While the Clippers reached the playoffs in six of Rivers seven seasons, they never made it passed the West Semis in the three chances they had under their now former head coach, who had a postseason record of 27-32 with the Clippers.

Them blowing a 3-1 series lead this time around against the Nuggets was more painful than  the 2015 Semis against the Houston Rockets, losing in seven games because they were extremely high expectations because of the additions of two-time Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion, and two-time Kia Defensive Player in Kawhi Leonard and perennial All-Star Paul George.

They had three chances to take down the Nuggets in this year’s Semis and they did not do it.

In their first two chances to clinch their first Conference Finals berth, the Clippers were outscored by the Nuggets in the second half of Games 5 and 6 131-84 combined. Were outshot 61 percent to 31 percent from the floor overall and 57 percent to 28 percent from three-point range.

The Clippers collapse was completed in Game 7 with a 104-89 loss on Sept. 15, where they were outscored 28-18 in the third quarter, getting outshot from three-point range to the tune of 6 for 9 in the period for the Nuggets to the 2 for 7 for the Clippers. The 89 points were a season-low (regular season and playoffs) for a Clippers squad that finished second in the league in points per game during the regular season at 116.1.

This was the 8^th career Game 7 loss in the postseason for Rivers, which is three more than any other coach in NBA postseason history.

The Clippers star acquisitions as mentioned from the summer of 2019 in Leonard and George did not have it on this night scoring 14 and 10 points on 6 for 22 and 4 for 15 shooting respectably, with George going a dismal 2 for 11 from three-point range. They also combined to register just 10 rebounds and eight assists, and seven turnovers.

It was especially brutal in the second half for Leonard and George, who combined for just five points on 2 for 18 shooting from the field.  The Clippers as a team registered just 33 points in the second half of Game 7 on 13 for 44 shooting (29.5 percent), which tied their all-time franchise low for a half of a playoff game. This was on the heels of scoring 32 points in the second quarter. That second half production also included a 15-point output in the fourth quarter on 6 for 22 shooting (27 percent).

The loss also marked the third straight game the Clippers built a double-digit lead on the Nuggets but could not close the deal falling to 0-8 all-time in games where they could punch their ticket to the Conference Finals.

In his postgame presser following the loss, Coach Rivers took responsibility.

“We didn’t meet them. That’s the bottom line,” he said during his postgame presser after the loss versus the Nuggets in Game 7 on Sept. 15. “I’m the coach and I’ll take any blame for it. But we didn’t meet our expectations clearly.”

Kia Sixth Man of the Year Finalists Lou Williams, who struggled to find any offensive consistency averaging just 12.8 points on 23.5 percent from three-point range in the 2020 Playoffs said in his postgame presser, “You know, we’re pissed off. It’s simple and plain. We’re pissed off. We’re up 3-1, had two opportunities to win this series, and we didn’t. We didn’t close it out. So, we’re pissed off. We look forward to the opportunity to get on the floor together.”

This marked the third time in Coach Rivers coaching career that his team blew a 3-1 series lead in a best-of-seven playoff series. Along with the two that happened as coach of the Clippers as mentioned in 2015 and earlier this month, it also occurred when he was head coach of the Orlando Magic in the First-Round of the 2003 postseason when his squad as the No. 8 Seed blew a 3-1 series lead against the No. 1 Seeded Detroit Pistons, and lost in seven games.

The departure of Coach Rivers means that there are six head coaching vacancies in the NBA in the Clippers, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Orleans Pelicans. Three teams filled their head coaching vacancies in their off seasons with the New York Knicks signing former Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau; the Brooklyn Nets signing Hall of Famer Steve Nash; and the Chicago Bulls hiring former Thunder head coach Billy Donovan.

Rivers’ departure also means “The Association” number of African American head coaches currently employed is at four: Lloyd Pierce with the Atlanta Hawks, J.B. Bickerstaff with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Monty Williams with the Phoenix Suns and Dwane Casey with the Detroit Pistons. Rivers joined former Pacers head coach Nate McMillan and Alvin Gentry of the Pelicans as the third African American head coach that either stepped down or was fired this off season.

Among the coaches rumored to be the next head coach of the Clippers are Rivers former lieutenants Tyronn Lue, who already has an NBA title to his credit as a head coach when he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and Sam Cassell. Lue, who won two titles as a player with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 alongside Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant was also Doc’s assistant coach with the Celtics from 2011-2013. 

It is also rumored that current Lakers assistant coach in Hall of Famer and NBA champion Jason Kidd is in the running to be Rivers’ successor. 

Rivers has said long said that Cassell, who also won two titles with the Rockets back in 1994 and 1995 is ready to be an NBA head coach.

“I am immeasurably grateful to Doc for his commitment and contributions to the Clippers and the city of Los Angeles,” Ballmer said on Monday. “I am also extremely confident in our front office and our players. We will find the right coach to lead us forward and help us reach our ultimate goals. We will begin the search and interview process immediately.”

Whoever the Clippers chose as their next head coach, they will be coming into a great situation because that person will have two superstar players in Leonard and George to lead the team.

The question for the Clippers is will the surrounding cast from this past season still be around?

Three key players of their rotation this past season in Kia Sixth Man of the Year Award recipient Montrezl Harrell, Marcus Morris, Sr., and Reggie Jackson will be unrestricted free agents once the offseason begins.

The only pick they have in the upcoming draft is the No. 57 overall pick, and Leonard and George can opt out of their contracts in the offseason of 2021. On top of that, when the Clippers acquired George in the summer of 2019, they said goodbye to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a solid rookie season last year for the Clippers and five future First-Round picks.

What will really help the Clippers is being able to keep their roster healthy for an entire season.

If you count the regular season before the hiatus because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, the league’s restart, and the playoffs, the Clippers had their full roster available for a game just 23 times this past season.

To put that into context, the Clippers when starting guard Patrick Beverly played, they were (including the postseason) 42-16 with him, in contrast to being 14-13 without him.

That lack of chemistry really showed in the back end of the Semis for the Clippers against the against the Nuggets, and it cost them in the end.

“Just got to build some chemistry,” Leonard said postgame after the series clinching loss against the Nuggets. “We got to be smarter…We were close, you know? Denver’s great. We shot ourselves in the foot the last three games.”

This was supposed to be a special season for the Los Angeles Clippers. The season where they finally reach the Conference Finals, possibly the NBA Finals to compete for their first title in franchise history. They were supposed to meet their so-called big brothers in the 16-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Those dreams went up in smoke in their Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier this month, which Hall of Famer and five-time NBA champion with the Lakers in the 1980s in Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson tweeted that night @MagicJohnson, “The Clippers chocked again. They chocked against the Rockets in 2015 and they chocked tonight against the Nuggets. “The @Lakers will always own Los Angeles. It will never change.”

Now with head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers no longer leading them on the sidelines, the Clippers now must find a new head coach to lead them to what Chairman Steve Ballmer hopes is the promise land of an NBA title.

“It’s obvious pressure, you know, to live up to the title expectations. But as a player, you want that,” George said in his postgame presser after his ninth career playoff game of shooting 25 percent or worse in Game 7 against the Nuggets.  

“The fact of the matter is, we didn’t live up to that expectation,” he added. “But I think internally, we’ve always felt that this is not a championship or bust season for us. You know, we can only get better the longer we stay together, and the more we’re around each other. The more chemistry for this group, the better.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 7/3/2020 9 p.m. NBATV’s “Clippers Restart,” brought to you by Burger King with Matt Winer and Caron Butler; 8/20/2020 12 p.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” with Kristen Ledlow and Jared Greenberg; 9/14/2020 1 a.m. edition of ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter” with Kevin Connors and John Anderson; 9/15/2020 9 p.m. “Denver Nuggets versus Los Angeles Clippers,” Game 7 of Western Conference Semifinals on ESPN, presented by Wells Fargo with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Rachel Nichols; 9/16/2020 3:30 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Matt Winer, Isiah Thomas, and Caron Butler; 9/28/2020 www.nba.com story, “Doc Rivers Out As L.A. Clippers Coach After 7 Seasons,” by Tim Reynolds of “The Associated Press;” https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2799/lou-williams; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/3964/patrick-beverly; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyronn_Lue; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Rivers.   

J-Speaks: Hollywood Versus South Beach In The 2020 NBA Finals

 

If there is one thing that we all have learned in the face of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic is to never take anything for granted or not to wait to do something special. When you have the opportunity to do something, like make history, you should always do your best to take advantage of that chance. That chance to win a championship is what awaits the 2020 Western Conference champions from the “City of Angels” against the squad from “South Beach” that is making unexpected return to the championship round after a six-year absence.

The 2020 NBA Finals from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, FL between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (52-19), the No. 1 Seed in the West versus the Eastern Conference champions in the No. 5 Seeded Miami Heat (44-29) will feature a plethora of storylines that would make those that create and produce soap operas and dramas for the silver and small screen jealous.

Four-time MVP, three-time NBA champion and three-time Finals MVP LeBron James will be trying to lead his third team to a title against the team in the Heat he helped to lead to four straight Finals appearances (2010-2014) and two straight Larry O’Brien trophies (2012-2013).

He looked every bit like a player on a mission to lead the Lakers to their fourth title registering his fourth triple-double of this postseason and 27^th of his postseason career with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in the 117-107 Game 5 clinching win of the Western Conference Finals versus the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

James was especially at his best scoring 16 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter in punching the Lakers ticket to their 32^nd trip to The Finals in franchise history.

“I channeled it through my teammates,” James said to NBA on TNT’s Allie LaForce during the Western Conference Finals trophy presentation after the win. “My teammates said, ‘bring us home.’ And it’s my responsibility to try to make the right plays, and to the right things out on the floor to help us win ball games.”

“We have a few guys on this team that’s never been to The Finals. So, I took that responsibility as well, and my shoulders is wide enough to carry a lot of load, but my mind is stronger. I always keep my mind strong, and I’m happy to just be in this position.”

This will be the 10^th appearance for James in the league’s championship round, tying him with Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who led the Lakers to five championships playing alongside fellow Hall of Famers Earvin “Magic” Johnson during the “Showtime” era of the 1980s. Only famed Hall of Famers of the Boston Celtics Sam Jones and the great Bill Russell have appeared in The Finals more times at 11 and 12 respectably than James has in NBA history. He is looking to join Robert Horry and John Salley as the only three players to win a title with three different teams.  

"I'm extremely proud to be a part of this franchise, getting back where it belongs, and that's playing for championships and competing for championships. And representing the Western Conference this year in the championship," James said in his postgame presser after the Game 5 clincher. "This is what I came here for."

It is no surprise that the Lakers are in position to win their 17^th title in franchise history, which would tie the Celtics for the most in NBA history once they acquired now seven-time All-Star Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans last summer.

Davis was also great in the Game 5 clincher versus the Nuggets with 27 points, five boards and two steals.

“It feels good. You know, it’s good to get something like this accomplished with this group of guys,” Davis said to LaForce also during the trophy presentation. “We’ve battled through a lot this year, starting at the beginning of this season. It’s a great feeling, but we got four more wins for the ultimate goal.”

The 2020 All-NBA First-Team members in James and Davis have been sensational in leading the Lakers to a 12-3 mark in defeating the No. 8 Seeded Portland Trail Blazers (35-39); the No. 4 Seeded Houston Rockets (44-28) and the No. 3 Seeded Denver Nuggets (46-27) in the first three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs. They won their first three series 4-1.

James has averaged 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists on 54.7 percent from the field so far in the postseason, while Davis has registered a team-leading 28.8 points, 9.3 boards, and 3.6 assists on 57.1 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range.

When Davis have combined for 60-plus points this season (regular season and playoffs), the Lakers are gone 18-1.

As impressive as the Lakers have been in their run to the championship round of the 2020 NBA postseason in Orlando, the team that resides just south of Central Florida in the Heat have been just as, if not more impressive in their playoff run in the East.

They swept the No. 4 Seeded Indiana Pacers (45-28) 4-0 in the First-Round. Proceeded then to take down the No. 1 Seed in the East and overall top record in the league in the Milwaukee Bucks (56-17) in the Semifinals 4-1. The Heat capped their run through the East by taking down the No. 3 Seeded Boston Celtics (48-24) in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2 to equal the Lakers mark of 12-3 in the 2020 Playoffs.

The Heat during this incredible run have been led by their prized off-season acquisition in 2020 All-NBA Third-Team member in Jimmy Butler (20.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.9 spg, 45.7 FG%, 36.7 3-Pt.%), whose no-nonsense, tell it like it is, never back down, work until you drop personality was embraced by the organizations leaders in Hall of Famer Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra, and its young players right from the start because they are cut from the same cloth.

It is a credit to the five-time All-Star, whose personality was scoffed at by Bulls, who drafted him with the No. 30 and final overall pick in 2011; and simply did not mesh with the Minnesota Timberwolves and their All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns or with the Philadelphia 76ers, and their leading men in All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

As a result, rookie guard Tyler Herro (16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 46.3 FG%, 37.8 3-Pt.%); first time All-Star in his second season in big man Bam Adebayo (18.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 4.9 apg, 57.1 FG%) and second-year sharp-shooter Duncan Robinson (11.3 ppg, 40/.0 3-Pt.%), along with veterans in Goran Dragic (20.9 ppg-Leads team, 4.7 apg, 45.2 FG%, 36.3 3-Pt.%) and Jae Crowder (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg. 34.4 3-Pt.%) along with Butler have risen to the moment and never settled on the fact of growing into a title contender, but played to the level that they can win the franchise’s fourth title in their first Finals appearance after a six-year absence.

Butler after a couple of subpar games in the East Finals had a solid performance with 22 points and eight assists in the Game 6 clincher versus the Celtics with 22 points and eight assists in the 125-113 win on Sunday night.

“It means everything,” Butler said to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols on making it to The Finals for the first time in his career during the Eastern Conference Finals trophy presentation. “This is why we all play. To win it.”

“We talked about all year long. We stayed confident through the injuries, the ups and downs. We always stayed together. Continued to play together. We do this as a team…four more to go. But if a group can do it, we can do it.”  

Adebayo, who took full blame for the 121-108 loss in Game 5 at the Celtics came through in a big way with a career-high of 32 points with 14 rebounds and five assists on 11 for 15 from the field in the Game 6 victory.

“I just had to get locked in. You know, I couldn’t let my teammates down like I did in the game before,” Adebayo said to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols during the Eastern Conference Finals trophy presentation after the win. “So, just tried to execute, make plays and I did that tonight.”

It is that mindset that could be the Heat’s best friend as they head into a series where they cannot match the skill and talent of the Lakers dynamic twosome of James and Davis.

That was proven during their tilts during the regular season where the Lakers won both, outscoring the Heat 104.0 to 95.0; outshot them 47 percent to 41 percent and scoring 10 more second chance points 17.5 to 7.5.

Davis in the two wins against the Heat averaged 29.5 points and nine boards on 59 percent from the floor.

For the Heat to have a real chance of winning this series, they will need the All-Star tandem of Butler and Adebayo to really play well on both ends.

While stopping James from being dominant is wishful thinking, Butler will have to at least contain him, which is also wishful thinking.

Adebayo will need to dominate his matchup against the Lakers big man duo of in Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Herro, Dragic, Robinson, Crowder and Kelly Olynyk will have to play to the level they have throughout this postseason, especially from three-point range. 

During this postseason, the Heat have connected on 38 percent of their three-point attempts. After a solid start from three-point range in the first two games where they hit 16 and 14 triples on their way to a 2-0 series lead in the East Finals, the Heat managed to hit 12, 10, and seven threes in Games 3, 4, and 5, connecting on 27, 27 and 19 percent on their threes respectably in going 1-2 in those contests.

In their 121-108 loss in Game 5 on Friday, the Heat were registered a postseason-lows with those seven made three-pointers, going 7 for 36, an in percentage from three-point range at 19 percent.

They got back on track in the Game 6 clincher where they went 13 for 27 (48.1 percent) from three-point range, going 5 for 10 in the first quarter; 4 for 10 in the third quarter and a perfect 3 for 3 from three-point range in the fourth quarter.

Dragic has played at an elite level throughout this postseason with his ability to score by getting to the free throw line by attacking the basket, while also making shots from the mid-range and three-point range.

Adebayo and Butler’s ability to initiate the Heat’s offensive is a major reason why Dragic has been able to be an effective scorer and how the Heat’s shooters in Herro and Robinson have been able to get solid looks from three-point range and make them.

“Obviously, this group here more than anything, they just love to compete,” Coach Spoelstra said during the trophy presentation about the team’s mindset since the NBA’s restart. “We’re so grateful for this opportunity in this bubble.”

“This group would’ve done it in an empty gym with nobody watching. Just toss that ball up, and I just love the fact that this group is so pure, and they enjoy each other’s success. Its’ a special group.”

As important as it will be for the Heat to make shots offensively, especially from three-point range, it will be vital that if they get a lead on the Lakers, they maintain it. Why? When the Lakers have led entering the fourth quarter counting the regular season and postseason, they are a perfect 53-0.

While the Heat supporting cast may have the edge in youth, talent and skill, the Lakers supporting cast around James and Davis outside of youngsters in Kyle Kuzma (10.5 ppg, 45.8 FG%) and Alex Caruso (6.6 ppg), and veterans of seven and nine years Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (9.9 ppg, 42.1 3-Pt.%) and Markieff Morris in Rajon Rondo (9.1 ppg, 7.2 apg 1.6 spg, 50.0 FG%, 44.8 3-Pt.%), Danny Green (8.1 ppg, 36.4 3-Pt.%), McGee and Howard bring Finals experience, which consists of six rings won between those four individuals. 

“When you have a talented group like we have that buys into playing harder than our opponent every night, playing more physical than our opponent every night, playing scrappy, you can accomplish great things,” Lakers first-year head coach Frank Vogel, who will be the 10^th Lakers’ head coach to reach The Finals said after win.

Rondo and Green will have to be especially scrappy defensively this round as they will be tasked with slowing down the Heat’s top offensive player in Dragic. This might be the one series where they might miss the defensive talents of perimeter defensive ace Avery Bradley, who opted out of the NBA’s restart in Orlando.

The task of slowing down Adebayo, especially from dominating in the paint on both ends will go to Howard, McGee, Davis, the 2019-20 Kia Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and possibly James.

How much attention the Lakers give to Adebayo will all depend on how often the Heat call Adebayo’s number at the offensive end because as good of an all-around player that he is, Adebayo is not really counted on to strike a match consistently down low offensively, even though he did exactly that against the Celtics in Game 6 clincher against the Celtics, where he had 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists coming in the second half of the Game 6 clincher.  

The only championship experience the Heat possess is from Coach Spoelstra, 17-year veteran, who is more of an assistant coach in Udonis Haslem, and 16-year veteran of three titles won with the Golden State Warriors during the last decade in 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who had a flashback in the Game 6 win of the East Finals versus the Celtics with 17 points on a perfect 4 for 4 from three-point range.

This moment for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat of reaching the 2020 NBA Finals is one to cherish because for both franchises it took a lot of hard work to get to this point again.

To put what this Finals tilt between these two squads into context, this will be the first time in NBA history that the finalists are teams that did not make the playoffs the year before as the Lakers and Heat began their off seasons early in 2019.

For the Lakers, this will be their first appearance in the Finals since 2010, where the late great Kobe Bryant led them to their 16^th title over the arch-rival Celtics in seven games.

On top of that, this was their first postseason appearance after a franchise-long six-year absence.

For the Heat, this will be their first Finals appearance since 2014, where the James, future Hall of Famers Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh led crew lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.   

Prior to this postseason appearance, the Heat had missed the playoffs in three of the past five seasons.

They will join the 1999 No. 8 Seeded New York Knicks and the 1995 back-to-back World Champion Houston Rockets, the No. 5 Seed that postseason as lower seeds to reach The Finals under the 16-team seeding format that began in 1984. The Heat hope to be the second team to capture the Larry O’Brien trophy.

“I think Coach Pat [Riley] and everybody else in the organization did a great job of putting this group together. We’ve been together. Been in each other’s corner all year long, and it doesn’t stop here. We got four more to go,” Butler said of the Heat’s confidence entering The Finals. 

Butler added in his postgame presser after their Game 6 clincher, "If you want to win, you're going to have to go through a LeBron James led team. Obviously, you can't just focus in on him because he has so many good players around him. But you're going to get the same test over and over again until you pass it. And that test is LeBron James.

The Heat will not be out-worked, out-hustled or lack for effort, energy, or purpose when they face the Lakers in The Finals starting with Game 1 on Wednesday night, especially under head coach Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley’s watch. For them to win this series though, they will have to play with that energy, enthusiasm, and determination from the opening tip and not let up on either end of the floor.

“Man, we’ve been underdogs our whole lives,” Adebayo said about the Lakers being favored big time to beat them in The Finals. “Everybody up here got a chip on their shoulder from something. So, man, it’s a toss-up when we get in The Finals.”

That will not be easy against a Lakers squad that will features two of the best in the game in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, where James is looking for add to his future Hall of Fame legacy and Davis is trying to start his own legacy in just his third career appearance in the postseason.

On top of that, if the Lakers win this title round, they will tie the Boston Celtics for the most championships by an NBA franchise with 17.  

While the Heat will bring grit, hustle, and tenacity to the floor in this series, they will not bring a top-tier player that hears his legacy calling his name.

James, who has gone 3-6 in his first nine Finals appearances hears that call and is ready to answer it in a big way starting in as mentioned Game 1 on Wednesday night in Orlando, FL at 9 p.m. on ABC.  

“There’s only two teams that can advance to The Finals every year…,” James said. “But we got to understand that we’ve got bigger fish to fry. We understand there’s a bigger goal. But we can’t take this for granted because this doesn’t happen every year to anybody.”

Prediction: Lakers in six games.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 9/16/2020 3 p.m., “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN, presented by Best Buy with Rachel Nichols, Richard Jefferson, and Kendrick Perkins; 9/18/2020 11:30 p.m. “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 9/26/2020 11:30 p.m. “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia, the Western Conference trophy presentation on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allie LaForce; 9/27/2020 7:30 p.m. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals “Boston Celtics versus Miami Heat” on ESPN, presented by AT&T 5G with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Rachel Nichols; 9/292/2020 6:30 p.m. NBATV's "Gametime," presented by YouTubeTV with Ro Parrish and Gary Payton 9/29/2020 www.nba.com story, “2020 NBA Finals Preview: LeBron Faces Former Squad, Rebuilt In His Wake,” by Shaun Powell; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/lal/los-angeles-lakers; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/mia/miami-heat; https://www.espn.com/nba/matchup?gameid=401247147; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Jones_(basketball).   

J-Speaks: Hollywood Versus 'Mile High City' Comeback Cats In NBA Western Conference Finals

 

The 2020 NBA Western Conference Finals will have a team from L.A. competing. Unfortunately, the anticipated match between the 16-time NBA champions versus their so-called little brothers will not take place. Instead, they will be taking on the comeback boys from the “Mile High City” of Colorado in their quest to be NBA champions for the 17^th time in franchise history.

For both the No. 1 Seeded Los Angeles Lakers and the No. 3 Seeded Denver Nuggets, just getting to the point that they stand one series away from competing for the Larry O’Brien trophy is something to behold, even though both teams took entirely different paths to reach the other half of the NBA’s version of “The Final Four.”

The Nuggets had to rally from a pair of 3-1 best-of-seven series deficits and win a pair of Game 7s against the No. 6 Seeded Utah Jazz and the No. 2 Seeded Los Angeles Clippers to earn their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2009, where they were led by current Portland Trail Blazer and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony and 2004 Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons Chauncey Billups played against ironically enough the Lakers, who were led by the late Hall of Famer to be Kobe Bryant. The Lakers won that series 4-2 on their way to the front end of back-to-back titles.

For the Lakers, they reached this moment of being eight wins away from earning their 17^th title in franchise history by winning the final four games in each of their first two rounds after dropping the opener to take down the No. 8 Seeded Portland Trail Blazers and the No. 4 Seeded Houston Rockets 4-1 respectably.

One thing this series will come down to is which dynamic duo will outdo the other in this series for the Western Conference title.

The Lakers bring double-trouble in four-time Kia MVP and three-time Finals MVP LeBron James and perennial All-Star Anthony Davis, who both were named to the 2019-20 All-NBA First-Team on Thursday.

James, who earned his league-record 16^th All-NBA selection (13^th on the First Team) has showed no signs that he is in season No. 17 with postseason averages of 26.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals on 55.3 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from three-point range.

Davis, who will be competing in his first Western Conference Finals has been equally as spectacular leading the Lakers at 27.6 points along with 10.9 boards, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 block shots so far this postseason on 58.6 percent shooting, including 39.1 percent from three-point range.

“I just feel like everything’s falling into place, you know” Davis, who was acquired by the Lakers from the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer of 2019 said after his double of 13 points and 11 rebounds in the Game 5 clincher said in his postgame presser. “When I first got here, obviously, the goal is to win a championship, and we’re eight wins away. So, it’s been a great process for me. Been great, you know, being around the guys we have. Obviously, being around ‘Bron, and just helping me through it all.”

“Obviously, at this point now, Western Conference Finals is new for me. So, that process is going to be fun. But it’s everything I envisioned.”

As good as those two have been, the Lakers are where they are because of the fact that the supporting cast around LBJ and A.D. has played better and better as this postseason has gone on.

That truly was the case in the West Semis against the Rockets as Kyle Kuzma and veteran guard Rajon Rondo really shined.

Rondo, who missed the seeding games and the opening-round against the Trail Blazers because of a broken thumb and then a back injury played like the star he has shown over the years during this time of the season.

After registering eight points and four assists in the 112-97 loss in Game 1 on Sept. 4 versus the Rockets on ESPN, Rondo responded with 10 points, nine assists, and five steals in the 117-109 win in Game 2. He followed that up with 21 points and nine assists going 3 for 5 from three-point range in the 112-102 win in Game 3, and had a near triple-double of 11 points, 10 boards, eight assists with two steals in the 110-100 win in Game 4.

For much of this season, Kuzma (11.0 ppg 3.7 rpg, 45.1 FG%) has been up-and-down in terms of his production. In the playoffs though, we have seen him take strides in building his consistency on both ends, which really showed in the Semis against the Rockets.

He had 13 points and six rebounds in Game 2, followed 14 points on 7 for 10 shooting in Game 3. The third year forward out of the University of Utah saved his best for the series clincher with 17 points on 3 for 6 from three-point range in the 119-96 win in Game 5 versus the Rockets last Saturday on ESPN.

“Well, I think especially as the playoffs continue, guys are singling in on LeBron and A.D. So, it’s up to us collectively as a group to when those guys are collapsed on, and they kick it out, they trust us. And we have to make those shots,” Kuzma told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt on “Sportscenter” after the win.

“For this series, we shot it pretty well, and we just got to continue to make those shots. Be ready and be confident in ourselves.”

One adjustment that head coach Frank Vogel made against the Rockets is he went small taking JaVale McGee, the team’s starting center all season out of the starting lineup, replacing him with Markieff Morris, who was a big reason the Lakers won Game 2 as he registered 16 points and five rebounds on 4 for 6 from three-point range off the bench to help tie the series at 1-1. In the Game 5 clincher as a starter, he again registered 16 points on a perfect 4 for 4 from three-point range.

The other constant for the Lakers throughout this season besides James and Davis has been their play at the defensive end.

In their series against the Rockets, the Lakers held one of the top scoring and three-point shooting teams in terms of makes and attempts on the season to 103.8 points in the five games on 43.9 percent shooting and 36.8 from three-point range.

They also dominated them on the boards, outrebounding them by a +12.8 (45.4 to 32.6).  

“Well, from day one, Coach Vogel and the coaching staff said that we need to be the best defensive team in the league, and we took that to heart,” James, who averaged 25.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on 51.1 percent shooting against the Rockets in the Semis said postgame after the Game 5 win. “And we’ve had some great months. We’ve had a couple of weeks where we were not that good defensively. But we’re hitting our stride at the right time, and that’s in the postseason.”

The Lakers three-point shooting has been inconsistent for much of this season. But they were able to find some consistency in that department, shooting 37.7 percent from distance against the Rockets in the Semis.

In the Game 5 clincher, the Lakers beat the Rockets at their own game going 19 for 37 from three-point range.

“When we’re sharing the ball, and the ball has energy behind it. So, when we’re getting into the paint, we’re sharing the ball, our shooters are in great rhythm,” James said to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth after the win.

The Nuggets are back in the West Finals in 11 years because of the play of their dynamic duo of Jamal Murray (27.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 50.2 FG%, 49.1 3-Pt.%) and Nikola Jokic (25.4 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 6.0 apg, 51.5 FG%, 44.0 3-Pt.%).

After trailing 3-1 in the opening-round versus the Jazz, it was Murray who got the Nuggets back into gear beginning in 129-127 loss Game 4 with 50 points to go along with 11 rebounds and seven assists on 18 for 31 shooting, including 9 for 15 from three-point range in the. He followed that up 42 and 50 points in respective victories in Games 5 and 6 that tied the series for the Nuggets at 3-3.

In Game 7, Murray, who was going point-for-point and shot-for-shot with Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, struggled scoring just 17 points on 7 for 21 shooting, including 1 for 6 from three-point range in Game 7 on Sept. 1 on ABC. It was Jokic who stepped up to lead the Nuggets on in the clincher with 30 points and 14 rebounds on 12 for 24 shooting.

However, the Jazz still had a chance to win the series, but Joe Ingles game-winning three-pointer in the closing seconds fell short as the Nuggets became the 12^th team in NBA postseason history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit in a best-of-seven series.

In the Semis against the heavily favored Clippers, the Nuggets again fell behind in the series 3-1 and Murray really had his problems. Aside from the 27-point, six-assists performance he had in the 110-101 win in Game 2 on Sept. 5 on TNT that nodded the series at 1-1, the Nuggets starting lead guard was averaging 14.7 points on 34 percent from the field to that point in the series.

He eventually figured out how to strike a match offensively though against the perimeter defensive aces of two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, perennial All-Star Paul George, and Patrick Beverly registering 26 and 21 points in the Game 5 and 6 wins to tie the series at 3-3. He saved his best for the clincher scoring 25 of his game-high 40 points on 15 for 26 shooting, including 6 for 13 from three-point range in the 104-89 win in Game 7. Jokic was spectacular in that Game 7 also with the fifth triple-double of his postseason career with 16 points, 22 rebounds, 13 assists, three blocks and two steals.

The Nuggets with that win became the first team in NBA postseason history history to comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in a best-of-seven, and the 13^th team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.  

The Nuggets are also the first team in NBA playoff history to register three straight comeback wins when facing elimination, as they improved their mark to 7-1 in elimination games dating back to last season, with their only loss in Game 7 of the 2019 West Semis versus the Portland Trail Blazers. Their six wins when facing elimination this postseason ties the league’s all-time postseason mark that the 1993-94 Nuggets squad led by Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis, Bryant Stith, Robert Pack, Rodney Roger, Reggie Williams, and head coach Dan Issel.  

“I’m really excited about what is to come, and you know, last year we got to the same situation in a loss to Portland,” head coach Michael Malone said postgame. “To get over the hump against that team, growth, improvement, belief, and, you know, the skies the limit for this team. We’re not afraid of anybody.”

After the win, Murray made a point during his postgame presser to tell all the naysayers in the media, especially those at Turner Sports and FOX Sports 1 about the Nuggets that they should be in the conversation as one of elite teams in the league.

“You got Shaq [Shaquille O’Neal]. You got Charles [Charles Barkley]. You got I think Zach Lowe’s name. Stephen A. [Stephen A. Smith]. All y’all better start giving this team some respect because we put in the work and we got a resilient team,” Murray said. “And you know, we shouldn’t have been down 3-1. But, you know, to come back from 3-1 against the Clippers is a big achievement.”

“So, it’s fun, you know, to change that narrative. Y’all can finally start to change that narrative and look at us in a better light.”

That perspective might change even more if the Nuggets can beat the Lakers to reach the NBA Finals. 

The Lakers while they have been impressed by how the Nuggets have played coming back from 3-1 deficits in their first two series this postseason, they feel if they play to their level, they can find a way to wear down the Nuggets like they did against the Trail Blazers and Rockets. 

"We still have ceiling that we feel like we can get better. And it's our job not to put a cap on where we can go," James said. "So, we know as the series goes on, we start to get more comfortable with our opponent, with our schemes, with our system of what we want to do, and we hope to continue that in this series." 

During the regular season though, the Lakers won three of the four meetings, with two of those four tilts decided by four points or fewer.

Murray and Jokic averaged a combined 52.2 points per game against the Lakers on 50.8 percent from the field.

James and Davis combined to average 54.2 points on 56.9 percent from the field against the Nuggets during the regular season.

During their regular season tilts, both the Lakers and Nuggets scored well against each other averaging 113.3 and 115.3 points on 49.6 and 49.1 percent shooting against each other.

The difference was in the rebounding where the Lakers were a +6.5 (45.5-39.0).

The Nuggets during the seeding games of the NBA’s restart played with no sense of urgency and focus defensively. It was much of the case in the opening-round against the Jazz, until Game 7 where they held the Jazz to 38.0 percent shooting, including 8 for 34 from three-point range.

The Nuggets raised their defensive intensity in the Semis against the Clippers in the second half of the final three games of the series.

In the second halves of Games 5 and 6, the Nuggets out scored the Clippers 131-84; outshot them 61 percent to 31 percent overall and 57 percent to 28 percent from three-point range to tie the series 3-3.

The Nuggets second half defense is what helped them close the door on the Clippers playoff run in the 104-89 win in Game 7 on Tuesday, holding the Clippers to 33 points in the second half on 13 for 44 shooting (29.5 percent), including 6 for 22 from three-point range.

Leonard and George in Game 7 combined for 24 points on 10 for 38 from the field, including 4 for 18 from three-point range, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and seven turnovers. They combined for just five points on 2 for 18 shooting in the second half of Game 7.

What will make the difference is who will play consistently at the defensive end in a series that is expected to be high scoring? Which team’s role players can perform at a consistent level and who can play their strengths the best?

For the Lakers, McGee and Dwight Howard will play a pivotal role in this series compared to the Semis because the Rockets played a small lineup. Things will be different as they will be tasked to try to slow down Jokic, along with Davis. 

"He's a talented player. One of the best players in this league," Davis, who averaged 25.4 points and 12.4 rebounds, on 60.0 percent shooting in the Semis against the Rockets said about Jokic. "I just take pride in my defense in guarding him. He's a tough guy to guard offensively. He's able to shoot the ball. He can pass extremely well. He can shoot. He can go in the post. So, there's a lot of ways he can beat you." 

While Rondo, Kuzma, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Morris will be tasked to continue to make perimeter shots and to outduel the supporting cast of the Nuggets in Michael Porter, Jr., Jerami Grant, Gary Harris, Monte Morris, Paul Millsap, and Mason Plumlee.

This will mark the sixth all-time postseason meeting between the Lakers and Nuggets, the Lakers have won the previous five matchups in the playoffs. Aside from their meetings in the opening-round 1979, 1987, and 2008 which the Lakers won 2-1, 3-0, and 4-0 respectably, the other two tilts in the Conference Finals in 1985 and in as mentioned in 2009 won by the Lakers in five and six games respectably were a stepping stone to them winning the Larry O’Brien trophy those seasons.

The 2019-20 version of the Denver Nuggets will try to do something that the head coach Doug Moe led Nuggets of the 1980s and the Carmelo Anthony led Nuggets of 2008 and 2009 could not do. Beat the Lakers in the playoffs and keep them from another title.

They have shown that even when they are down that they can comeback and win. But their challenger in the Lakers are on a mission and LeBron James sees his best chance to win a fourth title and the Lakers first in a decade.

History is on the Lakers and James side, considering he has a 9-1 mark all-time in the Conference Finals, and has a 37-10 mark in this round of the playoffs.  

At 35, James knows that this is his best chance to win another title, and that if he wants to be mentioned in the same sentence as all the Lakers greats that came before him, bringing the 17^th Larry O’Brien trophy back to Hollywood is the most important thing to get a seat at that table next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.  

“It’s the reason I wanted to be a part of this franchise, to take them back to a place that they were accustomed to being-and that’s competing for a championship,” James said after the Game 5 win versus the Rockets. “It’s an honor for me to wart the purple and gold, and for us we try to continue that legacy.

“The opportunity to play for a championship, that’s what we’re all here for. That’s what we all signed up for.”

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 91/2020 8:30 p.m. “Utah Jazz versus Denver Nuggets,” Game 7 First-Round on ABC, presented by Mountain Dew with Mark Jones, Mark Jackson, and Cassidy Hubbarth; 9/1/2020 11 p.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” brought to you by AT&T 5G with Chris Miles; 9/10/2020 5:30 p.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” presented by State Farm with Matt Winer, Caron Butler, and Greg Anthony; 9/13/2020 10:30 p.m. ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter With Scott Van Pelt,” from Washington, D.C.; 9/14/2020 1 a.m. ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter” with Kevin Connors and John Anderson; 9/16/2020 1 a.m. ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter,” from Los Angeles, CA with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett; 9/14/2020 1 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Kristen Ledlow, Jim Jackson, Grant Hill, and Sekou Smith; 9/15/2020 9 p.m. “Denver Nuggets versus Los Angeles Clippers,” Game 7 West Semis on ESPN, presented by Wells Fargo with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Rachel Nichols; 9/16/2020 www.nba.com story, “Series Preview: Battle of Dynamic Duos Favors Lakers,” by Shaun Powell; 9/17/2020 9:30 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Matt Winer, Isiah Thomas, and Caron Butler; 9/18/2020 8:30 a.m. NBATV's "Gametime," with Kristen Ledlow, Jim Jackson, and Kevin McHale; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/den; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/lal; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3206/rajon-rondo; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3134907/kyle-kuzma; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3936299/jamal-murray; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/6461/markieff-morris; https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2020-nba-western-conference-semifinals-Rockets-versus-Lakers.html; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Denver_Nuggets_seasons.   

J-Speaks: Beantown Meets South Beach In 2020 NBA Eastern Conference Finals

The 2020 NBA Eastern Conference Finals will not feature the two-time No. 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference in the Milwaukee Bucks. It will not feature the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Instead, the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the 2020 NBA Finals in Orlando, FL will be decided between the team that just knocked off the defending champs hoping their third crack in the last four seasons at winning the East will be the charm against the boys from South Beach, who are looking for their first trip to The Finals since 2014.

While there would have been plenty of juice to quench the thirst of basketball fans had either the Raptors or Bucks reached one half of the NBA’s Final Four, the No. 3 Seeded Boston Celtics against the No. 5 Seeded Miami Heat will provide plenty of juice and contrast for basketball fans in a series that figures to go the distance.

The Celtics are back in the East Finals after a one-year absence because of their dynamic threesome in first-time All-Star Jayson Tatum (25.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 4.3 apg, 41.9 3-Pt.%), Jaylen Brown (21.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.5 spg), and Kemba Walker (19.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 45.1 FG%), who have literally and figuratively carried them at the offensive end.

Tatum specifically has risen his game to another level from the First-Round against the 76ers, where the Celtics swept their Atlantic Division rivals 4-0 to making big plays at big moments in the Semifinals against the defending champion Raptors averaging 24.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists, on 37.0 percent from three-point range in the seven games.

He finished the series with four straight double-doubles, including his effort of 29 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists two steals and two blocks on 4 for shooting from three-point range in the 125-122 double-overtime loss in Game 6 last Wednesday night on ESPN that squared the series at 3-3. Tatum registered 29 points again, with 18 of those 29 coming in the second half, with 12 rebounds and seven assists on 4 for 8 shooting from three-point range again in the 92-87 win in the clinching Game 7 at the Raptors on Friday night on TNT. Brown had 21 points, eight boards and four steals on 10 for 17 shooting as well in Game 7 for the Celtics.

While Tatum had a great stat line in Game 7, his biggest rebound came late in the game when he grabbed an offensive rebound off the second missed free throw by rookie Grant Williams, where he got fouled and split a pair at the line that gave the Celtics a 90-87 lead, which they would preserve.

“That’s’ what we do. If you want to survive and advance in the playoffs, you got to get dirty and do whatever it takes. And that’s what we try to do, and we got the win,” Tatum said to TNT’s Rebecca Haarlow after the win.

As impressive as Tatum, Brown, and Walker have been for the C’s so far this postseason, they would not be one round away from The Finals without the contributions of now back-to-back NBA All-Defensive First-Team selection Marcus Smart (13.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.2 apg) and starting center Daniel Theis (9.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 49.4 FG%).

When the Celtics lost All-Star forward Gordon Hayward to a Grade 3 right ankle sprain in the early part of the opening-round against the 76ers, the Celtics needed to find scoring from another place other than their main three of Tatum, Brown, and Walker. Smart provided that along with his stellar defense and hustle, which were on full display in the Semis against the Raptors, particularly in the Game 7 clincher.

To put this into context, Smart in the First-Round against the 76ers averaged 8.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and just 2.5 assists, going just 2 for 15 from three-point range but did average 1.5 steals.

He began the Semis against the Raptors with 21 points and six rebounds going 5 for 9 from three-point range in the 112-94 blowout win in Game 1 on Aug. 30 on ESPN. In the aforementioned Game 6 loss, Smart had the second triple-double of his career with a series-high 23 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds going 6 for 11 from three-point range, which matched his efforts from distance in the Game 2 win, where he had 16 for his 19 points in the fourth quarter on 5 for 6 from three-point range. While he registered 16 point and six boards in Game 7, going just 2 for 10 from three-point range, Smart had three steals and blocked the breakaway layup attempt of the Raptors Norman Powell with under a minute left in regulation.

While his number have not been eyepopping for head coach Brad Steven’s squad, Theis has been steady for the C’s in the middle on both ends. He had 13 points and 15 rebounds in the aforementioned Game 1 victory in the Semis. Registered 15 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in the Celtics 111-89 win in Game 5 at the Raptors that put them up 3-2 in the series on Sept 7 on TNT. He followed that up with 18 points and seven boards in the aforementioned Game 6 loss in double-overtime. On five occasions so far this postseason, Theis has registered two or more block shots.

“Theis has been unbelievable for us all season, and you know, Smart is First-Team All-Defense. The best defender in the league in my opinion,” Tatum said to “Inside the NBA” on TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal after the Game 7 win. “He made the play of the series getting that block on Powell 30-something seconds left.”

“And you know, Smart just makes those plays that don’t really show up in the stat book. But, you know, can change a series, change the dynamic of a game, and if you’re going to war, if you’re going into a Game 7, that’s who you want on your team.”

The Celtics upcoming series opponent have their own version of Smart, who is a better score but as much of a leader in five-time All-Star and four-time NBA All-Defensive Second-Team selection in Jimmy Butler (21.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.1 spg, 47.7 FG%, 50.0 3-Pt.%), who has fit in like a glove in his first season with the Heat after his first eight seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and the previously mentioned 76ers. 

Before this year’s NBA Playoffs, the former late First-Round pick out of the University of Marquette in 2011 had not earned the precise answer to the question of “Can you win a title if Butler is your best player?”

The answer to that question for this postseason is “yes” because he is the perfect fit for a team who is four wins away from the chance to compete for their fourth title in franchise history thanks to the tenacity and resourcefulness of Butler, who has emerged as the team’s cornerstone during the Heat’s restart with as much of his will as his skill set and as much by his tenacity and talent.

Along with the play and leadership Butler has brought to the Heat in the first two rounds of this postseason, All-Star guard Goran Dragic (21.1 ppg, 4.7 apg, 45.8 FG%, 38.1 3-Pt.%), who battled injuries earlier in the season before the hiatus, and spent much of this season coming off the bench has been nothing short of sensational in the postseason.

Butler and Dragic got the Heat’s postseason off to the right start combining for 24 of the team’s 32 fourth quarter points in their 113-101 win at the Pacers in their opening-round series on Aug. 18 on TNT.

In the 4-0 sweep of the Pacers, Dragic averaged 22.8 points and five assists, on 48.0 percent from the field and 40.3 three-point percentage. Butler averaged 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals on 57.1 percent from three-point range.

Not a whole lot of people gave the Heat a chance in the Semis against the No. 1 Seeded Bucks, despite that they won the season series 2-1 and they had the formula of slowing down the more than likely back-to-back Kia MVP in perennial All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Heat rose to the moment again led by Butler and Dragic, who averaged 23.4 and 19.8 points respectably to the lead the Heat in the Semis winning Game 1 (115-104) and Game 3 (115-100) by double-digits and winning Game 2 in a nail biter (116-114) to put the top seeded Bucks in a 0-3 series hole.

While the Bucks avoided being swept winning Game 4 (118-115) in overtime on Sept. 6 on ABC, without Antetokounmpo from early in the second quarter on because of a right ankle sprain, the Heat took down the Bucks in Game 5 two nights later 103-94.

“It was tough. They’re a really good team. Obviously, they missed their MVP but we knew we were going to have to get one out of the mud and I think this was the one,” Butler, who had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the Game 5 clincher said to Haarlow after the win. “So, this was the best win we’ve had as of late.”  

Along with the play of Butler and Dragic, the Heat are four wins away from The Finals thanks to the stellar play on both ends from youngsters in first-time All-Star and runner-up for Kia Most Improved Player Bam Adebayo (16.2 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 4.8 apg, 54.1 FG%), rookie Tyler Herro (14.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 40.0 3-Pt.%), and second-year sharp-shooter Duncan Robinson (10.6 ppg, 39.3 3-Pt.%), and veterans Jae Crowder (12.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 40.0 3-Pt.%), Kelly Olynyk (6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 55.6 FG%, 36.4 3-Pt.%), three-time NBA champion and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, and Kia Rookie of the Year runner-up Kendrick Nunn.

During the regular season, the Celtics took two of the three meetings, with their victories of 112-93 and 109-101 coming on Dec. 4, 2019 and Jan. 28 respectably before the 4.5-month hiatus because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

The Heat’s lone win (112-106) came during the seeding games on Aug. 4, without Butler because of a sore right ankle. Adebayo in the win had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Robinson also scored 21 points going 5 for 11 from three-point range. Dragic contributed 20 points, while Olynyk had 15 points, six boards, eight assists and two steals. Herro had 11 points on 3 for 7 from three-point range.

“At the end of the day, we’re a totally different team. Certainly, than the first time we played them in December [2019], and they’re a much different team,” Coach Spoelstra said. “That’s what you expect out of, you know, high quality, high level teams.”

The Heat’s advantage coming into the East Finals will be their depth and versatility of the aforementioned Adebayo, Olynyk, Crowder, Robinson, Iguodala, Nunn, and Herro.

The Celtics though have held their own with a short rotation that has consisted of the likes of reserves Brad Wanamaker, Robert Williams III, the aforementioned Grant Williams, and Semi Ojeleye getting spot duty.

One player that could make a difference in this series if called upon is reserve center Enes Kanter because of his ability to score and rebound, especially on the glass against Adebayo, Crowder, and Olynyk.

Another player that could tip the scales for the C’s is the aforementioned Hayward (17.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.1 apg, 50 FG% regular season), who is now out of quarantine after returning to the Orlando campus not too long ago. His recovery has been slow but he has been working with the team’s training staff but has not been cleared for full contact yet. The team hopes he can play at some point in the East Finals, which would provide yet another offensive threat against the Heat defense.

“I think he’ll be back at some point in the series, but I don’t know when,” Coach Stevens said.  

The one stat that will make the difference in who moves on to The Finals and who goes home in this series is who can consistently light a match from three-point range.

During the regular season, the Heat ranked No. 2 in three-point percentage at 37.9 percent and are ranked No. 3 so far this postseason.

The Celtics during the regular season ranked second in three-point percentage allowed at 34.0 percent and are No. 1 during the playoffs at 30.5 percent.

In the Semis against the Raptors, the Celtics shot 39 percent from three-point range in the three wins entering Game 7 and just 32 percent in the three defeats.

While they shot just 9 for 38 (23.7 percent from three-point range in their Game 7 triumph at the defending champions, they held the Raptors to just 8 for 28 from three-point range (28.6 percent). That three-point defense shadowed a poor night from the foul line by the C’s who went just 13 for 23 in Game 7.

For the series, the Celtics made 87 three-pointers, the second most in a single series in the storied history for the 17-time NBA champions. They made 94 threes in their seven-games series win versus the Washington Wizards in the 2017 East Semis.  

The Celtics know that if they have any chance of beating the Heat, they must make their threes and their free throws.

This series the Celtics feel will prepare them for the kind of physicality and resourcefulness the Heat will bring to the floor in this upcoming series against them.

“They’re bigger than us for the most part and they’re a great team, well coached,” Tatum said. “Got some great players, and they compete. So, I think Toronto was a great test for use because Toronto, they compete as hard as anybody, and they make you bring it every night.”

Walker, concurred by saying about what the Heat did in the Semis against the Bucks, “Those guys, they balled last series, man. Those guys are nothing to play with.”

The advantage the Heat have entering this series is the fact that they believe in themselves and no matter whose in front of them as long as they play hard on both ends, share the ball and understand the game plan, they will land on the winning side of this series.

“There are adjustments that need to be made but I don’t know what percentage-70, 80 percent of what you do and who you are is already established. And the further you get along, like deeper the series goes, there’s fewer surprises,” Coach Spoelstra said. “Then it comes about what it’s supposed to be about, and that’s competition.”  

When this season began, the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat were not a top the list of many that follow basketball as the two teams that would tangle for who would represent the Eastern Conference in the 2020 NBA Finals. That as they say is why they play the game, and both the Heat and Celtics have played the game well this postseason, registering records of 8-1 for the Heat and 8-3 for the Celtics respectably through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs.

The Heat are the third team in NBA playoff history seeded No. 5 or lower to reach the Eastern Conference Finals in the last 25 seasons. This will be their seventh trip to the East Finals since 2005, which is the most by any team in the East in that span and is tied with the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs for the most in “The Association” in that span as well. They are trying to reach The Finals for the first time since 2014, where they lost in five games to the Spurs.

“If you’re not ready for this game. I mean’ it’s the Eastern Conference Finals, there’s something wrong with you, you know?” Dragic said. “Everybody’s going to, you know, be pumped. Everybody’s going to give 100 percent on the floor. So, that’s going to be something that’s going to be really exciting.”

For the Celtics, this will be their third crack at winning the Eastern Conference in the last four seasons. Now Los Angeles Lakers’ four-time Kia MVP and three-time NBA champion LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers blocked their path to their 18^th title in franchise history in 2017 and 2018 as they lost in five and seven games respectably. The Celtics title run ended at the Bucks in 2019 East Semis in five games.

While there is no James or Antetokounmpo in their path this time around, the Heat are not to be estimated, and the Celtics know their chance at adding to the league’s all-time best 17 Larry O’Brien trophy case will not be an easy task. But they did not come this far just to back down now.

“We always think we’re going to win every game we play. You know, we didn’t come down here just for the First or Second-Round,” Tatum said. “We really, don’t pay attention to the outside noise, whether we’re favored or not. That doesn’t matter to us. It’s all about the guys in that locker room. We know what we’re capable of. We’re going to go out there and do it.”  

The Heat also understand that adding a fourth Larry O’Brien trophy to their case will not be easy either. But they are up for the challenge.

“We all think that we’re the better team. We all think that we’re supposed to be here. We just out there hooping, having fun, [and] competing,” Butler said.

“It’s kind of like whose in our way next. You can’t go around them. You got to go through them. So, for us right now, it’s the Boston Celtics.”  

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 8/4/2020 scores via www.nba.com;  8/18/2020 2 a.m. ESPN news crawl and “Sportscenter” from Los Angeles, CA with Neil Everett and Stan Verrett; 9/12/2020 9 p.m. East Semis Game 7 “Boston Celtics versus Toronto Raptors,” on TNT with Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy, and Rebecca Haarlow; 9/11/2020 11:30 p.m. “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 9/12/2020 7 p.m. “NBA Countdown” on ESPN, presented by Mountain Dew with Maria Taylor, Jalen Rose, Jay Williams, and Stephen A. Smith; 9/12/2020 www.nba.com story, “Series Preview: Can Miami’s Tenacity Stop Boston’s Talent?” by Steve Aschburner; 9/13/2020 2:30 a.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” brought to you by AT&T 5G with Ro Parrish, Kevin McHale, and Sam Mitchell; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/bos; https://www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/_/name/mia; https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2020-nba-eastern-conference-semifinals-html; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boston_Celtics_seasons; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Butler.