Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics – Time for Miami to heat up
When LeBron James brought his talents to the South Beach, the landscape of the NBA radically changed. Miami Heat registered themselves as a new and potentially the
biggest power centre in the league. The hype created was enormous and the Heat were hailed by all as the most formidable unit in the league. The newly arrived stars publicly promised their fans that not one, but many Championships will follow.
However, as the regular season unfolded, the Heat failed to live up to the expectation and took a lot of time to synchronize. Although, they finished second in the
top-heavy Eastern Conference, the star-studded team has taken a lot of flak for their below par performances. They have been shaky, particularly in the clutch periods all throughout the season and have consistently struggled to tame the elites of the league.
However with time, the Heat have gradually transformed into a semblance of a team that they promised to be. They have learned to play together and have started to
get things right. They put aside the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games in the first round of the playoff series. However, the biggest test, since the Big-3 combined, beckons the Heat on Sunday night as they play their first game against the Boston Celtics in the
Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Boston have pretty much been the Heat’s nemesis this season. The resident big boys of the East did not take kindly to Miami’s growth in stature this season and have
been waiting for this series for a long time. They want to put Miami away.
The Big Three of Miami on the other hand, want to achieve what the Big Three of Celtics did, win a championship in their first season together. And they know they
have to conquer Boston before they could think of the finals. LeBron James confirmed that they were expecting the matchup,
“I think we always felt it would happen at some point,” James said. “We didn’t know if it was going to be first round, second round, Eastern Conference finals. But
we always felt that at some point we would have to go through Boston and play Boston to get where we want to get. So it’s here now.”
The stage is set for the dream duel and it is up to Miami to live up to the expectations. They know that the Celtics won’t lie down; they will play it hard, and would
be throwing a kitchen sink at them in the series. Miami know this because 3 out of 4 times in the regular season, the Celtics showed them who the Boss really is. However, in the last game, Miami hit back.
That game took place right before the playoffs, and Miami went out there to prove a point. With the home crowd behind them, the Heat did everything they need to do
now in order to win.
They played hard basketball, they played together and above all, they outfought Boston. If they are to knock out the Celtics last game was a blue print.
“(That win) was important from a mental standpoint,” Dwyane Wade said. “In Game 4, we got over that hump. But that doesn’t mean anything now.”
The first thing Heat need to do is to make a plan for Rajon Rondo, who will be unstoppable if guarded by Mike Bibby. Mario Chalmers will have to play a lot to keep
Rondo in check. Every little detail will have to be sorted out and all the plays will have to be drawn to counter every threat that Rondo presents.
The Heat need to be ready, because come Sunday night, the Celts will be. The star power of their big three won’t count for much against the Celtics. Boston neutralized
Dwyane Wade in the regular season, with Wade scoring low totals of 14, 16, 8 and 13. Chris Bosh also could not get the better of Kevin Garnett. LeBron will provide an edge, but will that be enough is yet to be seen. If they are to beat the Celtics, everyone
needs to stand up and be counted. The win will only be achieved by hard work, grit and team spirit.
Miami should look to its team, rather than the stars.
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