Three Takeaways From The Miami Heat Punching Their Ticket To The NBA Finals In Game 6

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals was, fittingly, both teams throwing haymakers in the form of various runs throughout the game.

It started with Miami jumping out to a sizable lead, only for the Celtics to cut it to two at the half. The Heat would again jump in front in the third quarter, only for the Celtics to erase that lead with a 22-8 run that saw them go in front by as many as six. From there, however, it was all Miami, who went on a 26-6 run of their own in the fourth quarter to take a lead they would, this time, not relinquish.

The end result was a 125-113 win for the Heat, who punch their ticket to the NBA Finals to face an old friend in LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Here are our takeaways from an excellent Game 6 that sets us up with a very intriguing Finals matchup.

1. Bam Adebayo needs to impose his will

The Heat have gotten to the Finals by way of a varied approach to who will lead them offensively on any given night. Sometimes that’s Jimmy Butler, who started off hot in this one but was pretty quiet in the second half. Sometimes it’s Goran Dragic, who wasn’t even in the closing lineup for Miami in Game 6. Sometimes it’s Tyler Herro, the hero of Game 4. In this one, it was Bam Adebayo, who dominated on both ends and was the catalyst for their fourth quarter run.

Adebayo finished the game with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists on 11-for-15 shooting (10-for-11 from the free throw line), as he simply dominated the Boston frontcourt and made seemingly every big play when the Heat needed it. As they shift their attention to the NBA Finals, Adebayo’s presence is going to need to be massive, given that Anthony Davis and a very big Lakers frontcourt are waiting. Adebayo is more than capable of putting forth this kind of performance regularly, but the Heat should make a point of involving him early and often because drawing attention inside to him can further open up opportunities for their shooters on the perimeter. How he fares against Davis and the Lakers frontcourt will be a key factor in the Finals, and his final showing in the conference finals more than proved he’s capable of dominating.

2. The Celtics had their opportunities

Boston had ample opportunity in this one as their offense seemed to figure out the Miami zone, but they just could not make enough of the good looks they created at the rim — or hit enough threes, as they were just 15-for-46 from deep. Boston will look back at this as a series they let slip away, from the late leads Miami erased in the first two games to a Game 6 that they took a 96-90 fourth quarter lead in. Instead, it’s a disappointing end to what was a tremendous season, with plenty to work out in the offseason.

Jayson Tatum still needs to find a bit more offensive consistency, as there were too many stretches in this series where his impact was minimal, if he’s to be their leading man. He was 9-for-26 from the field for 24 points in Game 6, playing well but, like many of his teammates, simply couldn’t find the net efficiently enough given the looks he and others created. Jaylen Brown led the way with 26 points, but likewise has some growth to show in impacting the game offensively on a nightly basis — something you could say about Kemba Walker as well.

There’s plenty of good to look back on for the Celtics this offseason, but the ending certainly stings. They’re well positioned to continue being a contender in the East, but the front office will surely be thinking of ways to upgrade the roster, particularly in the frontcourt, and their young star duo still has some work to do — but work they seem more than willing to put in.

3. The Heat keep getting role players to step up

Miami can lean on Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo to provide a baseline of competitiveness every night, but what’s been incredible to watch this postseason has been how their role players have stepped up when their number has been called. Herro’s Game 4 is the most prolific example, but Duncan Robinson continues to do what’s asked of him — mostly shoot threes, but sometimes doing more. Jae Crowder has cooled off but his scalding shooting performance against the Bucks was hugely important, and on Sunday night it was Andre Iguodala who caught fire with a perfect 5-for-5 night, including 4-for-4 from three-point range, to give Miami a shooting lift off the bench.

Iguodala’s offensive contributions are always a bonus, but then again you could say the same about Crowder when he joined this Heat team and for Miami to get here they have needed those contributions. The Lakers series figures to bring Kelly Olynyk back into the fold, and his shooting has the opportunity to be a pivot point, as does the stress presented by Herro and Robinson running around the perimeter. We know Miami’s three All-Star caliber players are going to be important and have to find ways to matchup with the Lakers superstar duo, but Miami’s role players can out-duel the Lakers role guys and that is where this Finals could get very interesting.