The Miami Heat have encountered inconsistencies and challenges throughout the season, needing to navigate the play-in tournament to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Their best player, Jimmy Butler, is sidelined for a while due to an MCL sprain sustained in their first play-in game. Their reward for making the postseason is a daunting first-round matchup against the juggernauts Boston Celtics.
Despite these adversities, the Heat secured a surprising 111-101 victory in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday, April 24, at the TD Garden in Boston.
Heat star Bam Adebayo offered insights into the team's mentality in the postseason amid their challenges this year.
"We've been doubted a lot through our playoffs runs. There's people saying we couldn't do a lot of the stuff that we did... Why lose belief now? Backs against the wall, everybody always against us. We use it as fuel," the 26-year-old said during the post-game interview.
Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics is a brewing rivalry
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics are meeting in the postseason for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in the last five years.
The teams clashed in the Eastern Conference Finals in all three previous encounters, with the last two series extending to seven games.
The gap between the two teams is notably wider this season, with the Celtics finishing with the best record in the league at 64-18, while the Heat secured the 8th seed with a record of 46-36.
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