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Tim BontempsESPN
Understanding the depths and animosity between the Miami Heat Boston CelticsYou must return to March 2013 to enter this year’s NBA Eastern Conference finals.
A Heat public relations officer approached the traveling media contingent in New Orleans with a message from Pat Riley. It would instantly go down in history.
Riley stated, “Danny Ainge must shut the f—up and manage his team.” via that hand-delivered statement. “He was the biggest whiner when he played and that’s what I know because I coached against him.”
Riley understood that the animosity was not just about Ainge’s criticism of then-Heat star LeBron JamesHe also complained about officiating. Riley was very upset with Ainge and the entire Celtics team.
He has been with the company for almost three decades. the godfather of Miami Heat basketballRiley, who now lords over one of the most stable and successful franchises in the league, began his career as a player and coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, and spent many decades battling for championships with their Boston rivals.
Over the past two decades Riley’s Heat have been among the East’s elite, but the Celtics have often been compared against them. Boston will be making its seventh trip to the East finals in the last 18 years, while Miami is making its eighth.8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN), that shared history helps inform what could lie ahead.
Everything goes back to 2007, when the Celtics traded Ray Allen for Kevin Garnett. Boston won the 2008 NBA championship and was back in the NBA Finals two year later. The story is only one part. James and Chris Bosh decided to go to South Beach in order to be with Dwyane Wade in the summer 2010 because of their star-powered rise to the top in the East.
James was defeated by Boston, and the Cleveland CavaliersIn the second round of both 2008 and 2010, In 2008 and 2010, Pierce defeated James in Game 7. This caused James to have two of his worst playoff series, along with the 2011 NBA Finals. James was then able to shock the Cavaliers in 2010 by a stunning win. Pierce scored a buzzer-beater to send the Heat home in the third round.
These collective failures led to “The Decision” as well as the three young stars who were in their prime. deciding they had to team up.
The Heat then had to do it again — first, they beat the Celtics in five rounds in 2011 and then the Heat won Game 5 with an 16-0 victory to officially win over their opponents. This was the first time James and Wade had defeated Boston in the postseason.
The conference finals were the next season and things got even more intense. Boston took a 2-0 advantage over the Heat and won three consecutive games, pushing Miami into the finals. The Heat’s loss in the NBA Finals the previous year was followed by Miami’s Game 5 defeat — punctuated with a fan telling the defeated Heat “good job, good effort”As they left the room, critics suggested that it was time for Miami’s big three to break up.
However, it did set the scene for what was to come. the signature moment in James’ career: His 15-rebound, 45-point game allowed Miami to win in Boston. This allowed the Heat to come back in the series and win the title a few weeks later.
James said, “In an atmosphere like this you want to play a big game.”
Ten years ago, the East finals were the last straw for the Pierce/Garnett/Allen triumvirate. A few weeks later, Allen shocked basketball fans when he chose to join the Heat — of all teams — in free agency. It was a move that set up the scene for what would be the last blow. a decade of animosityBetween the former colleagues.
Allen continued to hit the jackpot. one of the greatest shots in NBA historyBoston was able to deliver Miami a second consecutive title the next year by dismantling the previous roster.
The Celtics sent Pierce Garnett, Jason Terry and Garnett to the Thrilling Transaction. Brooklyn NetsA bevy of draft selections were available — two of which turned out to be a raft. Jayson Tatum Jaylen BrownThe Celtics’ one-two punch is now the leading factor in four wins from the Finals a decade ago.
In the intervening years, both teams were mostly absent each other: Miami made the NBA Finals 2013 and 2014; Boston made it to the Eastern Finals 2017 and 2018.
However, two seasons later, the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort created a new situation where these two teams faced off. Bam AdebayoBoston won Game 1 an all-timer of a block of Tatum at the rimThe final seconds of overtime were decisive in Miami’s win in six games.
Celtics guard: “They were just more aggressive.” Marcus SmartThis was after Boston lost its season to the Heat. “They were getting everything they wanted. … Unfortunately, we didn’t combat it. We didn’t respond in the right way.
It’s part. We were a very good team. These guys are to be commended. It’s time to get back to the drawing boards and fix what is broken and return next year.
It took two more years, but “next season” is finally here. We’ve witnessed one team react to the other once again. The Celtics have become a team that values aggressive, physical play after beating Boston to the ground in the East finals.
Ime Udoka is a first-year coach for the Celtics and uses the word “physicality”, to describe his team’s play. Boston has size all over the board, and it uses it to beat down its opponents. This was evident in the loss to the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics in Round 1. Milwaukee BucksIn the second.
Ainge is now gone, and many other ties to the clashes of 10 years ago have been lost from Boston. But, in Miami, these memories are still very strong. Many people were present for each of the memorable battles in Heat history. This group includes Riley as the leader, but Erik Spoelstra is also a veteran forward coach. Udonis HaslemAnd many other things.
Spoelstra stated, “You have two really dedicated organizations and teams to do everything at a high-level on both ends of each end of the floor.” There are teams that have accumulated a lot of good habits over the course the regular season. It’s not going be extravagant. It will be very good competition.”
It seems like the perfect time to have another playoff match between the Heat and Celtics.