The Miami Heat reportedly already have a flight scheduled to take them to Denver for Game One of the NBA Finals at the conclusion of Game Seven of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.
Regardless of the outcome of their series decider against the Celtics, Miami will need to catch a flight, either back home or to the destination of their next game. The details of those arrangements are now coming to light.
Fox Sports, citing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, reports that the Heat have already made plans to fly out West to Colorado rather than down the East coast back to Southern California. Of course, they may need to make a diversion to South Beach should they not get the necessary result, but it is clear they have planned for a positive outcome.
Whoever wins at TD Garden will face the Denver Nuggets in the Finals, which starts Thursday (June 1). Depending on who wins decides where will host the series opener. As with the whole postseason, the Heat would start on the road in the Mile High City. The Celtics would stay in Beantown due to having a superior regular season record compared to the Nuggets.
Miami has lost three straight games in the series after taking a 3-0 lead to start the Eastern Conference finals. None of the 151 other teams in that position before have lost the series.
The Heat must hppe their positive thinking helps them prevail. Doing so would stop more recent history from repeating itself too.
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Boston and Miami played a Game Seven against each other in last year's Eastern Conference finals in Southern California. The Celtics, thanks to Jimmy Butler missing a potentially game-winning three-pointer, won 100–96.
Butler recalled that game and the symmetry it shares with this season in the aftermath of Game Six. “I think, I believe, as we all do, like you're going to get the same test until you pass it, I swear," he said post-game.
"We were in this same position last year. We can do it. I know that we will do it. We've got to go on the road and win in a very, very, very tough environment. But we are capable of it. So let's get busy.
Butler continued: "We have got to go on the road and do something special. But we've got a special group, so why not it be us?"
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is similarly bullish about their prospects. “This is one hell of a series. At this time right now, I don't know how we are going to get this done, but we are going up there and get it done. And that's what the next 48 hours is about."
With such public statements about their internal confidence in winning Game Seven and reaching the Finals, it should be no surprise that reportedly reflects in their post-game logistics. Whether such belief will manifest in their desired outcome remains to be seen.
