It’s September 15, 2020. Were in Mickey Mouse’s backyard for Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals — Bubble Ball in Florida Baby. Up three in overtime, the overachieving Miami Heat can snatch a win… technically on the road against the favored Boston Celtics. But with just a smidge over two seconds on the clock, the C’s have just enough time to send this to double overtime. It’s already been an unpredictable year, so anything could happen. But before we see what comes next, let’s rewind.
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00:00 It's September 15th, 2020.
00:04 We're in Mickey Mouse's backyard
00:05 for game one of the Eastern Conference Finals.
00:08 Bubble ball in Florida, baby.
00:10 Up three in overtime,
00:12 the overachieving Miami Heat can snatch a win,
00:15 technically on the road,
00:17 against the favorite Boston Celtics.
00:19 But with just a smidge over two seconds on the clock,
00:22 the C's have just enough time
00:24 to send this to double overtime.
00:26 It's already been an unpredictable year,
00:29 so anything can happen.
00:30 But before we see what comes next, let's rewind.
00:33 It's nuts that Miami is here.
00:40 This franchise being seconds away
00:42 from stealing game one of the Conference Finals,
00:45 let alone being competitive at all in the postseason,
00:48 seemed unlikely years ago.
00:50 But this is a new chapter of Heat basketball,
00:52 led by a new star, shining during unprecedented times.
00:56 Following the end of the Big Three era,
00:58 the organization struck out on landing a star
01:00 to replace LeBron James,
01:02 and instead doubled down by extending free agents
01:05 who fit Heat culture,
01:07 unselfish players ready to grind the hardest they can
01:10 to find success.
01:12 To Miami's credit, they established a distinct identity
01:15 while smoothly developing undervalued prospects
01:18 into solid players.
01:20 But culture didn't amount to wins.
01:23 Midway through the 2018 season,
01:25 rival executives were stunned
01:27 at how a premier franchise slipped into the dumps.
01:30 They had average players tied up to big deals
01:33 and poor draft capital,
01:35 leaving journalists to believe it would be impossible
01:37 for them to escape their purgatory.
01:40 But this offseason,
01:41 Miami landed four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler
01:44 in a massive multiple team trade.
01:46 Experts applauded Miami's brass for finessing the move,
01:50 but the jury was still out.
01:53 With Butler entering his ninth season,
01:55 journalists worried about the mileage on his body,
01:58 and while he was certainly an upgrade,
02:00 media members believed the team had to add another playmaker
02:03 to be legit competitors in the East.
02:05 Plus, Jimmy was a unique type of star.
02:09 With each stop throughout his career,
02:11 Jimmy never seemed satisfied.
02:13 He came into the league as an overlooked prospect
02:15 who worked his ass off
02:17 and expected his peers to match their energy,
02:20 something he made very apparent
02:23 in a now infamous practice session
02:25 where he cherished the entire Timberwolves organization.
02:28 Except it was that type of sicko attitude toward the game
02:32 that drew Butler to Miami.
02:34 When Jimmy arrived,
02:36 Heat head coach Eric Spolstra
02:38 thought he should have been in Miami ages ago.
02:40 Jimmy's crazed energy could be fostered in South Beach.
02:44 They were a perfect match.
02:46 Jimmy immediately became the centerpiece,
02:49 answering any doubts on how he would look
02:51 as the unquestioned number one guy.
02:53 Around Jimmy, Miami did what they do best,
02:57 found diamonds in the rough
02:58 and turned them into productive players,
03:00 rounding out one of the league's most balanced rosters.
03:04 But even with their new leader,
03:06 Miami had room to grow.
03:08 By late March of the season,
03:09 Miami held the fourth seed in the East
03:13 and as they geared up for the playoffs,
03:15 the world crumbled around them.
03:17 On March 11th, the NBA shut down the league
03:21 due to the raging COVID-19 virus.
03:24 After what felt like years stuck in the house
03:26 entertained by shit like Tiger King,
03:29 the league managed to successfully bring back hoops
03:32 months later in a summer camp style control bubble
03:35 at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida.
03:37 Hoopers played beach volleyball in their off time,
03:41 went fishing and Jimmy in particular
03:44 thrived as an entrepreneur starting his own coffee business.
03:48 As Butler found his new passion
03:50 for slinging cappuccinos off the court,
03:53 he and the Heat flourished on it.
03:55 While Miami didn't appear to be a threat,
03:57 sloppily finishing the season as the fifth seed,
04:00 they wrecked shit when it mattered most.
04:03 Behind unreal performances from Jimmy,
04:05 the underdog Heat swept the Pacers in the first round,
04:09 then went on to smoke the number one seed at Bucs
04:11 to set up a conference showdown against the Celtics.
04:15 It's been an incredible run
04:16 and Jimmy has Miami in position
04:18 to possibly become the first fifth seed
04:21 to make the NBA finals.
04:23 In tonight's game,
04:25 the supporting cast mostly held things down
04:27 but Jimmy pulled through in the clutch.
04:30 Down 14 at the top of the fourth,
04:32 Butler helped get right back in the thick of it,
04:34 hitting shots, forcing turnovers
04:37 and finding the open man in key spots.
04:39 Facing a two point deficit with less than 30 seconds to play,
04:44 Butler got shifty before draining a tray,
04:47 giving Miami the late advantage.
04:50 However, on the Celtics ensuing inbound,
04:53 the Heat got hit with a strange foul,
04:55 sending Boston to the line where they took the game to OT.
04:59 But in overtime, Jimmy kept working his magic.
05:03 Down one with the shot clock turned off,
05:05 Jimmy took the ball into the top of the key
05:08 and finished with a tough end one
05:10 to give the Heat a late lead.
05:13 Miami wouldn't be this far without Butler
05:15 and here he was again, lifting them to the top.
05:18 But this thing ain't over yet.
05:20 With the touch under three seconds,
05:22 Boston has a chance to send this to double OT.
05:25 Similar to the Heat,
05:26 the Celtics entered a new era this season,
05:29 which mostly lands on the shoulders of this dude
05:32 who could keep them alive.
05:33 While Miami floundered,
05:36 Boston remained one of the top teams in the East
05:38 stacked with a talented roster.
05:40 This dude played a part in keeping them out
05:42 of the NBA finals,
05:44 but a top squad doesn't amount to much
05:46 if the vibes are off.
05:48 When Kyrie Irving walked in free agency this off season,
05:51 the franchise turned the keys over
05:53 to their fresh-faced duo, Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown.
05:57 The two had already proved
05:58 they were past the driver's edge stage,
06:01 nearly making the finals without Kyrie years prior.
06:04 As the Young Bucks took over,
06:06 media members didn't think championship robust,
06:09 but with the addition of veteran point guard
06:10 Kimbal Walker to replace Irving,
06:12 and Bron out West,
06:14 the Cs were expected to be a heavy hitter in the East.
06:18 It all hinged on this fella.
06:21 Boston drafted Tatum third overall in 2017,
06:24 and this season,
06:25 he truly proved he's one of the league's new stars.
06:29 Without Kyrie,
06:30 the Celtics ran the less ball-dominant offense
06:32 that benefited the entire team,
06:34 but Tatum especially comfortably slipped into the role
06:37 of Boston's new number one,
06:39 earning his first All-Star nod.
06:41 And as impressive as his regular season was,
06:44 Jay went crazy in the bubble.
06:47 In Boston's first round matchup against Philly,
06:49 Tatum lit up the Sixers in an easy sweep
06:52 where he dropped back-to-back 30 balls to open the series.
06:56 Then in the next round, shut down the defending champs
06:59 with a dominant closeout game seven.
07:02 With Tatum as the X-Factor,
07:04 experts favored Boston over Miami,
07:06 and early on in tonight's matchup,
07:08 Tatum proved why.
07:10 There wasn't a spot on the floor he couldn't get to
07:13 and do damage.
07:14 Pull-up transition three,
07:16 but a mid-range step back,
07:19 oof.
07:20 The dude was green nearly all night
07:23 and entered the final quarter with 23 points.
07:26 Heat defenders put the clamps on him in the fourth
07:28 and clawed back into the game,
07:30 but after that strange foul down the stretch,
07:33 Tatum knocked down the clutch free throw to tie the game.
07:36 Boston had time to finish it in regulation,
07:39 drawing up a last-second shot for Tatum,
07:41 but he came up just short on a deep three.
07:44 In overtime, though, he dusted it off.
07:47 Boston looked his way early and often,
07:49 and especially in a pivotal moment.
07:51 Down two with 12 seconds remaining,
07:55 Tatum caught the rock near half-court
07:57 and surveyed the floor before making his first move.
08:00 Was he setting up for another deep three?
08:03 Nope, he cooked Jimmy with a nasty cross,
08:06 got downhill with a clear path to the rim,
08:09 but hold up, someone's about to get embarrassed.
08:14 Who's that sliding into the lane
08:16 about to get put on a poster?
08:18 The hell is that man thinking?
08:20 Miami drafted Bam Adebayo 14th overall in 2017.
08:26 As a big-bodied, versatile 6'9" defender,
08:29 NBA scouts rated Bam highly,
08:31 but his lack of offensive production in college
08:34 saw him slide down the board.
08:36 University of Kentucky coaches strongly told franchises
08:40 that Bam was a do-it-all dude
08:41 who could come up with key defensive stops
08:43 like a huge block in critical moments.
08:46 But more than anything,
08:48 Bam stunned Heat brass during his private workouts.
08:52 After running drills to the point of exhaustion,
08:55 one section stuck out in particular.
08:57 When asked to switch on to perimeter players,
09:00 Bam flawlessly executed the move
09:02 and let Miami executives know
09:04 exactly who they were dealing with.
09:07 Cussing out the very dudes in control of your future
09:10 is a bold strategy, but that type of crazed energy
09:13 is exactly what the franchise loved
09:15 and they knew they needed him.
09:18 Bam spent his first two seasons
09:19 predominantly on the bench, backing up Hasan Whiteside,
09:23 but when he got chances on the floor,
09:25 he showed signs he could be a menace on defense.
09:29 During his second year in a matchup against Milwaukee,
09:32 Giannis tried to boom on Bam,
09:34 but Bam met him at the rim to come up with a clean block.
09:38 Here was one of the most ferocious finishers in the NBA,
09:42 getting denied by a dude off the bench.
09:45 Entering this season, Bam's opportunities were endless.
09:50 Miami shipped off Whiteside in the deal to Land Jimmy,
09:53 which opened up room for Bam.
09:55 With more minutes on the floor, he terrorized opponents.
10:00 He had the strength to download a bang with bigs
10:02 and the quickness to step out on the wing
10:04 to stick speedier guards.
10:07 With his versatility and great feel for the game,
10:10 Bam anchored the Heat defensively,
10:12 backing his teammates on switches and various schemes.
10:15 His defense alone was incredibly valuable,
10:18 but with more touches, Bam got to flex his offensive bag,
10:22 proving he could get it done on both ends.
10:25 The Heat as a collective worked well as Jimmy's sidekick,
10:28 but if anyone was robbing to Jimmy's Batman, it was Bam.
10:33 He solidified himself in the regular season as an all-star,
10:36 but Bam has been the key
10:37 to Miami's unexpected playoff run.
10:40 He spent most of the season as a power forward,
10:43 but Coach Spoh switched him to a full-time small ball five
10:46 during the playoffs in a move that leveled up the Heat
10:49 on both sides of the ball.
10:51 He's been crucial to Miami's success in the postseason,
10:54 especially in the past round,
10:55 taking on the nearly impossible task of slowing down Giannis.
11:00 And tonight against Boston, he kept rolling.
11:03 Whether it was bullying folks in the paint
11:05 or locking down spots one through five,
11:07 Bam made his presence felt the entire game,
11:10 but his performance in making Tatum's life a living hell
11:13 down the stretch specifically stood out.
11:16 On this possession in overtime,
11:18 watch Bam man the middle of the floor,
11:20 slide out to Tatum at the three-point line,
11:23 and force him into an ugly sidestep three,
11:26 leading to an easy dunk on the other end.
11:29 Perfection.
11:30 Bam's been in Tatum's grill throughout OT,
11:33 but Tatum could dramatically get his payback.
11:36 He's surely about to yam on him, right?
11:39 - Got down the hill, couldn't punch it!
11:41 Bam says, "Get it out of here!"
11:43 - Holy shit.
11:45 Not only could that possibly be the game-sealing block,
11:48 but just look at how much force Tatum came with.
11:51 Bam's left wrist damn near snapped
11:53 keeping that ball out the rim.
11:55 And with Boston forced to foul,
11:58 Bam could finish them off at the free throw line.
12:01 Okay, a little strong on that one,
12:05 but he sank the second, which brings us here.
12:08 In what's already been a wild-ass year,
12:12 a dramatic ending to take our minds off things
12:14 even for a second couldn't be better.
12:17 Two organizations entering new eras,
12:19 each equipped with young stars ready to take over the league,
12:23 but only one can punctuate a win for their team tonight.
12:27 Welcome to a moment in history.
12:29 - Three, do they foul or not?
12:32 We'll see if they do it on the catch, not.
12:34 Tatum makes the catch.
12:36 Got it off in time!
12:38 On line, but no good!
12:40 And the Heat win game one.
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