This wasn't the path the Heat envisioned after going up 3–0 on the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals on May 21.
At that point, Miami stood on the precipice of its sixth NBA Finals appearance in the last 13 seasons. Boston looked lost, with star forward Jayson Tatum and guard Jaylen Brown scuffling. The hot-handed Heat appeared destined to meet a Nuggets team that had just polished off the Lakers in the Western Conference finals.
A funny thing happened, though: the Celtics won the next three games, taking Game 6 on guard Derrick White's buzzer-beater that put a bow on one of the most dramatic finishes in franchise history. It was the kind of ending that made Miami coach Erik Spoelstra’s attitude toward Game 7 surprising.
