Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens broke down his team's opponent, the Miami Heat, ahead of their Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Stevens said the Heat are among the more well-coached teams in basketball, adding they have been one of the best teams in the NBA since the restart began:
“Super well coached and organized on both ends. … They defend to win,” Brad Stevens said, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “They're smart, they're tough, they're in the right spots, they know where the threats are. … I think they've played as well as anybody in the last two months.”
The Heat have looked quite impressive during their playoff run.
Miami made quick work of the Indiana Pacers in the first round, sweeping Victor Oladipo and Co. and dominating nearly every facet of the game.
Moreover, although the Heat entered their series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks as the underdogs, they quickly asserted themselves as the aggressor.
Miami won each of the first three games, packing the lane against Giannis Antetokounmpo and hounding every attempt at a straight-line drive. Jimmy Butler dominated in Game 1 before a total team effort — seven players in double figures — gave the Heat a win in Game 2.
The South Beach franchise then demoralized the Bucks in the fourth quarter of Game 3, outscoring Milwaukee 40-13 in the final period and essentially wrapping up the series. A Bucks win in Game 4 only prolonged the inevitable.
Interestingly, Stevens' description of the Heat sounds an awful lot like the Raptors team the Celtics just beat in seven games. Of course, each team presents a new challenge, and the Celtics will have their hands full as they prepare for Game 1.
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