Orlando (United States) (AFP)

Heat on Miami: The Heat will challenge the Lakers of its former superstar LeBron James in the NBA final, after eliminating the Boston Celtics 4-2 in their Eastern Conference series on Sunday at Disney World.

This is the sixth time that Miami, winner of match N.6 (125-113) reached the ultimate stage of the play-offs.

He was crowned in 2006, 2012 and 2013, failing to win the title in 2011 and 2014.

This duel against LA, which eliminated Denver in the West, will start Wednesday, but Erik Spoelstra, preferred to savor at least for one evening the performance of his team.

"It's a good story, but we have to let it enjoy a bit. It's so hard to get to this point, I want the guys to understand it and enjoy this moment," said the Florida coach who has been of the previous four finals.

Unique fact of a season which is just as much, finished after four and a half months of interruption in the bubble of Disney World safe from the coronavirus, it is the first time in the history of the NBA that two teams that did not participate in the play-offs the previous season find themselves in the final of the following year.

The Florida franchise, which had made the break again in match N.4 after leading 2-0, is having an impressive run, having conceded only three defeats in three series.

Before dismissing Boston, she had first swept Indiana (4-0) and blocked the road of the big favorite Milwaukee and his double MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (4-1).

This return to this stage of the championship bears the seal of coach Erik Spoelstra and President Pat Riley, who have rebuilt a competitive team, six years after the end of the LeBron James / Dwyane Wade / Chris Bosh era, by recruiting including the key man Jimmy Butler whose star status never encroaches on the collective.

"Reaching the final, that's why we play, to win it. It gives us enormous confidence, we are united, we all play together, we advance as a team. There are still four victories, but if there is a group that can do it is ours ”, he commented.

- Ultra-dominant Adebayo -

It must be said that the captain has enough to trust his partners as they are talented, like the pivot Bam Adebayo, who has taken on a higher dimension in recent weeks and the hair-raising rookie Tyler Herro, uninhibited as one should be 20 years old.

These two players took responsibility for the N.6 game, long dominated in score by Miami before Boston exceeded it by five points at the start of the 4th quarter.

Moment at which the first, ultra-dominant, sounded the charge, in particular with an overpowered dunk among his 32 points (11/15 on shots, 14 rebounds, 5 assists), while the second planted fatal banderillas (19 pts, 7 assists ).

Butler also brought a lot (22 pts, 8 assists), just like Duncan Robinson so skilful behind the arc (5/7, 15 pts).

And what about veteran Andre Iguodala, the X factor of the evening with his 15 points at 100% on shots?

The latter, a three-time champion with Golden State (2015, 2017, 2018) knows how to win titles and he is the only one on the squad with Udonis Hasleem, the oldest active player, not used so far.

This illustrates the resources displayed by this energetic team, beautiful to watch, hard in defense as proved by this 4th quarter where it definitively stopped Boston (37-27).

Celtics side, precisely, the quest for a 22nd NBA final and an 18th record title ends there, with a third setback in the Eastern Conference final in four years.

The next step is not yet taken, but like Denver in the West, its players will still have their say in future games, like the duo Jayson Tatum (24 pts, 11 assists), Jaylen Brown (26 pts, 8 rebounds) very courageous, despite obvious fatigue.

© 2020 AFP