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Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra hasn't lost any hope, despite his team being on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead to the Boston Celtics. The Heat have lost three consecutive games and will have to play Game 7 on the road. The Celtics won Game 6 104-103 dramatically after Derrick White's buzzer-beater canceled Jimmy Butler's go-ahead free throws with three seconds left.
Spoelstra reflected on the loss, suggesting the Heat's season has been a struggle. He guaranteed his team will close this series in TD Garden, saying (via Hoops Hype's Michael Scotto):
"I don't know how we're going to get this done, but we're gonna go up there and get it done. That's what the next 48 hours are about. There's been nothing easy about this season for our group, so we just have to do it the hard way. We wish we could tip this thing off right now"
Erik Spoelstra was spot on about his assessment of the Miami Heat's season. They entered the playoffs after going 1-1 in the play-in tournament and qualifying as the eighth seed. The Heat were heavy underdogs to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in round one, especially after Tyler Herro got sidelined for multiple weeks due to a hand injury.
The Heat still battled and took a 3-0 lead in the conference finals. They aren't new to the grind, so Game 7 could swing either way, despite the Celtics' homecourt advantage.
Miami Heat need more from their superstars to advance to the NBA Finals
The Miami Heat are only as good as their superstars, especially with multiple key players like Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo out injured. However, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have failed to deliver over the last three games against the Boston Celtics.
Butler started Game 4 3-of-10 before finishing with 29 points. Adebayo had 10 points. In Game 5, they combined for 30 points in 23 shots. During Saturday's Game 6 contest, Butler and Adebayo produced one of their worst shooting games. The former tallied 24 points on 5-of-21 shooting, while the latter recorded 11 points on 4-of-16 attempts.
The Miami Heat desperately need the two to rediscover their rhythm ahead of the series decider in Game 7. The Heat have been near unstoppable when they find their touch. Butler proved that in Game 6.
He scored 13 of his 24 points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter. Butler also iced a hattrick of free throws with three seconds left, giving Miami a one-point lead.
Guess the Lakers players!
