NBA fans were rubbing their hands before a possible Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, but these legendary franchises are now on the verge of elimination and in search of a chimerical miracle that has never occurred in the history of the league.

After the 3-0 victory of the Denver Nuggets in the West final on Saturday, the Heat tore apart the Celtics in the East on Sunday and also achieved a 3-0 that puts them just one step away from the Finals despite being the eighth best team in their conference in the regular season.

No team in the history of the NBA has managed to overcome a 3-0 against in the playoffs and there is no shortage of precedents: on 149 occasions that result was given in the playoffs and in the 149 times the team that dominated the series won.

But clinging to that burning nail and a thread of hope is the only thing left for the Celtics and the Lakers, protagonists of the greatest rivalry in the NBA and the most decorated franchises in the league (17 titles per head).

By different paths (Boston was second in the East and Los Angeles entered the playoffs as seventh in the West), those in green and those in purple and gold have met in their respective finals with two blocks without cracks, exceptionally intertwined, very well directed from the bench and with secondary actors giving the best of themselves.

The best example of the latter was given by the amazing Heat in a third game in which they ridiculed the Celtics (128-102) and in which their three top scorers were undrafted players: Gabe Vincent (29 points on 11-of-14 shooting and 6-of-9 on three-pointers), Duncan Robinson (22 points on 7-of-11 basket attempts and 5-of-7 three-pointers) and Caleb Martin (18-of-7 points with three-pointers). 11 of <> in shooting).

The same can be said for the Nuggets in their third game against the Lakers, as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (17 points), Bruce Brown (15 points) and Michael Porter Jr. (14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists) were instrumental in taking Los Angeles.

In any case, the playoffs are the habitat of the stars, the territory in which the real figures grow like giants, and there have also suffered both the Celtics and the Lakers.

As a sample, Jayson Tatum (14 points on 6-of-18 shooting, 1-of-7 on three-pointers) and Jaylen Brown (12 points on 6-of-17 attempts, 0-of-7 from the perimeter) scored less between them in their dismal third game than the surprising Vincent in the Heat.

Without reaching the disappearance and collapse of the figures of Boston, far from the team that reached the Finals in 2022, the Lakers have also seen how LeBron James and Anthony Davis have arrived very fair of gasoline against the Nuggets of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, who have known how to alternate with much success under the spotlights to hit the Angels.

At least the Lakers have the consolation that in all three games they fought the victory practically until the end.

But the Celtics, very disconnected, irregular and unknown in this series against Miami, crashed in a dreadful third game (-33 in the third quarter) and also let slip double-digit advantages in their first two duels in Boston against Jimmy Butler.

With all this, the Celtics and the Lakers will have to win four consecutive games if they want to sign a historic comeback.

However, they will not have much time to recover strength: the Lakers face their first game of life or death on Monday in Los Angeles and the Celtics will try to win on Tuesday in Miami to avoid going on vacation.

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