After the tremendous final game-6 with the basket on the siren by Derrick White, the Heat unleash a test of great mental strength and ferocious concentration, annihilating the Celtics on their field, taking possession of the game at the end of the first quarter, and breaking beyond the 20 lengths lead in the fourth, flying to the seventh Finals in their history.
Jimmy Butler dissects the Celtic’s defense without having the most efficient game of his career, needing 28 shots (12 shooting, 3/7 from long range) to finish with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 recoveries, marking anyone who passed in front of him and dragging Miami to the finish line. His performances in the series earned him the title of MVP of the Eastern Conference, taking revenge on the series lost precisely one year ago against the Celtics in game 7 of the conference finals.
The surprise protagonist of game 7, however, is Caleb Martin, who seals off a fantastic series (four voters out of nine for the MVP award indicate him as the best player, beaten however by the 5 preferences given to Butler) scoring 26 points with 10 rebounds and 3 assists, shooting 11/16 from the field including 4/6 from long range in almost 45 minutes of play. His baskets between the third and fourth period break the resistance of the Celtics, together with the triple-double touched by Adebayo (12 + 10 + 7) and the double figures of Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson (10 each).
Miami thus becomes only the second team in NBA history to reach the Finals starting with the number 8 seed in the playoffs, moreover after having to go through the play-in tournament in which they had lost the first game against Atlanta and won by risking against Chicago. Before them, only the 1999 New York Knicks had succeeded, then defeated in the final by the San Antonio Spurs.