HHH Roundtable: Miami Heat-Boston Celtics Game 7 ... again.

Miami's going to make history tonight regardless, but on which side will they be on? Let's ask the team!

Mandatory Credit: Surya Fernandez/HHH

Well, here we are again: Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics! Let’s ask the team about their thoughts heading into the pivotal game—one of those that could define legacies on both sides.

1. Heat suffers a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Derrick White. What were your initial reactions to Game 6?

Brandon Di Perno: Pain. There are peaks and valleys in sports, and this was no doubt one of the deepest valleys. Miami’s produced a lot of these heartbreaking moments from the other side over the years (Here’s to you Ray!) but it wasn’t fun on the other end, and that’s because of the ramifications it could have. It’ll be hard to forgive a missed shot at the finals. 

Surya Fernandez: A mixture of anger, frustration and bewilderment with how the Heat got to where they are in this series and how the last play unfolded. Miami had their ticket punched for the Finals and literally in seconds it was taken away because of poor execution, poor coaching decisions and the fact that the Celtics were gifted at a minimum more than the 0.1 seconds they should have after Jimmy Butler was fouled by Al Horford with less than three seconds left. Should it have gotten to that? Of course not but it doesn’t help when seemingly every controversial play in this series goes Boston’s way in some shape or form – even when the Heat supposedly “win” a coach’s challenge. 

Dan Riccio: My initial reaction was that the tip-in by White did not count actually, as Stan Van Gundy who was on the call for the TNT crew initially said himself that the shot did not get off in time. For a few seconds, I actually believed him and I thought the Heat escaped with a trip to the NBA Finals. However, the second I saw that replay and realized he did indeed get it off, my heart felt like it shattered. It truly felt like the same pain as getting dumped by a girlfriend … I was disappointed, angry, sad, upset; every sort of negative feeling came to me at that exact moment. I said to myself “I don’t know if this Heat team is ever going to get another chance like that.”

Matt Hanifan: Lost in the sauce. That was an epic sports moment, objectively, but when you’re on the wrong side of it, it feels like the sting of 1,000 wasps simultaneously. It was an Allan Houston-esque type feeling, but dang it the Heat still have another chance this time.

2. Do you, in your heart of hearts, believe the Miami Heat win Game 7?

Brandon: Of course. This Heat team shouldn’t even be here this season, and we’re asking them to win just ONE game. Empty the tank here, give it all you got. If Bam and Jimmy show up today, then the sky’s the limit.

Surya: Definitely! Miami didn’t play all that great in Game 6, their two stars certainly played way below their regular standards, and yet they still had a golden shot to win the game. Butler is overdue for a big game and the Celtics have been playing amazing basketball for three straight games but their shooting has to cool off, right? Miami won the first two games in Boston so I don’t think homecourt advantage will affect the Heat much. Spoelstra got a lot of praise during this postseason for his tactics and effective adjustments, but now it’s time to really show that tonight because the Heat need to come out and play well from the start and not allow the crowd to get into it. Boston doesn’t play nearly as well if they’re not leading.

Dan: As a Heat lifer and a fan of the team for 13 full seasons, I have been through and seen a lot with this franchise. In my heart, I believe Jimmy Butler’s three free throws to give Miami the lead with three seconds left in Game 6 was indeed their last chance.

Obviously, I want my team to bounce back and recover from that heart-crushing moment the other night, but I don’t think it will happen. Game 7 could go one of two ways in my opinion; either an absolute blowout by Boston right out of the gate or another one goes down to the wire. Either way, I don’t think the Heat win and recover from being just THAT close to advancing to the NBA Finals as they were on Saturday night. If that Game 6 loss was earlier in the series maybe I would think differently. But Miami has somehow blown a 3-0 series lead going back to a hostile environment in Boston for a Game 7 where the Celtics have absolutely all of the confidence and momentum. This is a Celtics team that has been a thorn in the Heat’s side for years now, and is one of the best teams in the entire league. I think they will be the first team in history to complete the 0-3 comeback, with the Heat being on the wrong end of that history.

Matt: Which version of Jimmy Butler is Miami getting? Which Bam Adebayo is Miami getting? If they play poorly, none of what I’m about to say matters.

Though I’m genuinely not sure how a team who loses its third straight game recovers emotionally in time for a Game 7, especially after it lost in heartbreaking fashion in Game 6 inside its own building. Neither team played well, but Miami had half as many turnovers while twice as many 3s as Boston—who shot their worst from 3-point range all season—and still lost. That said, the Miami Heat are full of psychopaths (in the best way possible), and the moment you count this team out, they’ll reel you back in.

I think it’ll be competitive, but I still think Boston wins at home; they’re 22-5 all-time at home in Game 7s, compared to Miami’s 0-2 on the road. While the Celtics sometimes have the propensity to throw up on themselves, I think Game 6 was Miami’s best opportunity to “steal” one. It did not, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in a Game 7, so who knows?

(As HHH’s resident New York Yankees diehard—please Miami! I beg of you!) - Matt

3. Assuming they do, who’s your East Finals MVP?

Brandon: It’s Caleb Martin. This man has been consistently great this series averaging 18.2 points per game, and coming through when Miami needed him to. If the Heat gets it done tonight, he’ll be a big part of that — and will very much deserve his flowers. Go Heat! 

Surya: Whoever can step up tonight and lead this team to victory is my East Finals MVP. It should be Butler, but if Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, Bam Adebayo and/or Caleb Martin can make a big impact tonight then the Heat will be in a good position to take this game. 

Dan: If the Heat can somehow pull together a victory tonight, the MVP is Jimmy Butler. I get that guys like Caleb Martin, Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson have had huge moments, especially Martin, but the team has gotten to this point because of Butler’s heroics. The crazy thing is even a “bad” Butler performance shooting-wise in Game 6, going 5/21 from the field, wound up being a good game overall statistically. He almost finished with a triple-double… 24 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists. Even hit all three of those extremely clutch free throws to give the Heat the lead at the end of the game. This team is Jimmy Butler, and Jimmy Butler is the team. I’m hoping deep down that regardless of Butler’s struggles the last couple of games, he can string together an authentic “Playoff Jimmy” performance on Boston’s home court en route to the Finals, and snag that MVP.

Matt: For the first six games, it should go to Caleb Martin. He’s consistently been Miami’s best player this series, and I don’t think that’s a hot take. Though under the assumption Miami wins Game 7 on the road in a hostile environment, it likely comes on the back of Jimmy Butler. And I don’t think *most* voters would vote against him regardless, so I think Butler gets it anyway. But I would vote Martin.

Burn the boats. Let’s do this.