Miami Wins Big
The Miami Heat finished on top of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with a record of 53-29 in the 2021-2022 regular season. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers all finished in a close second, tying with a record of 51-31. The Heat, led by six-time NBA all-star selection, Jimmy Butler, averaged 21.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game, 5.5 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game. Along with Butler, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry helped Miami’s run to the best of the east.
The team from South Beach dealt with many injuries throughout the season, leaving the players that sit further down on the roster to step up to get the job done. People like Max Strus, Kyle Guy, and Gabe Vincent contributed heavily and earned their roles on the team for the seasons to come.
The defense was an important factor in their success this year. They had the fourth-best defensive rating, mainly due to Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, P.J. Tucker, and the rest of the Heat putting the halt to the league’s best offenses.
In the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Heat, being the number one seed in the East, had to wait for the play-in tournament to conclude to find out who their first-round opponent would be. The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108. In the nine versus ten seed game, the Atlanta Hawks destroyed the Charlotte Hornets, 132-103. The Hawks then played the Cavaliers to reveal who Miami will play first. Atlanta came out on top, 107-101, thanks to point guard Trae Young’s 32-point second-half performance.
In the first game of the first round, the Miami Heat showed why they’re the best out East, winning 115-91, with shooting guard Duncan Robinson scoring 27 points and Jimmy Butler with 21 points. Game two was closer, but the Heat still managed to pull it out, winning 115-105. Jimmy Butler had a monster game with 45 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals to give Miami a 2-0 series lead over Atlanta. This team shows flashes of the 2013 roster, which won the Finals over the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat have a good shot at making the NBA Finals, but all the pieces of the team must come together for them to succeed.
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