The Miami Heat were eliminated from the 2024 NBA Playoffs in the first round after suffering a decisive loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5, 118-84, on Wednesday, May 1 at the TD Garden in Boston.
The Heat played Game 5 without three key players, including Jimmy Butler, who had been sidelined for the entire series due to an MCL sprain in his right knee.
However, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra refused to cite injuries as the main reason for their elimination.
"First of all, we're not going to put this on the fact that we had some injuries. Let's not take anything away from Boston. They've been the best team in basketball all season long and in this series in four of the games," the 53-year-old tactician told the media in the post-game press conference,
In addition to Butler, guard Terry Rozier was absent from Game 5 due to a neck injury, and rookie wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. was sidelined with a right hip flexor strain.
The newest Heat vs Celtics chapter closes
The latest playoff series between the two Eastern Conference powerhouses concluded in five games in favor of Boston.
The Heat and the Celtics have met in the playoffs four times in the 2020s decade, notably in the past two Eastern Conference Finals, where each team emerged victorious in seven games-the Celtics in 2022 and the Heat in 2023.
They also squared off in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat prevailing in six games.
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