Many of the NBA teams that make it to the Conference Finals or are serious contenders for the championship do so with star power.
This year’s Eastern Conference Finals presents two teams with variance in roster formation.
The Boston Celtics are a bit of a heavyweight — centered around star duo Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they have another legitimate offensive threat in backup guard Malcolm Brogdon.
Their opponents, the Miami Heat, on the other hand, have one superstar in Jimmy Butler, who is score-prone but a team player.
The Heat tend to win with an offensive balance, and that’s exactly what they did on Wednesday in Game 1 when six players scored at least 15 points, equaling an NBA record.
Tied an NBA record with 6 players scoring +15 in a playoff game. Balanced attack pic.twitter.com/RTAlSoOAxR
– Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 18, 2023
The Heat’s formula over the past few years has been for their support players to help keep them in the game along with their defense, loudness, and overall resourcefulness.
They know how to do the little things, like getting offensive rebounds, keeping the ball alive on offense, seeking loose balls and making the extra pass to get open shots.
But in crunch time or in key stretches before that, it’s Jimmy Buckets’ time for Miami.
In Game 1, he scored 35 points along with seven assists, five rebounds and a whopping six steals, and 20 of his points came in the second half.
Meanwhile, Tatum, who played well statistically, was practically invisible in the fourth quarter and was called out for two travel violations in the last few minutes.
the next:
The Heat continues to advance in the NBA Clutch brand