The Boston Celtics have just booked their place to the Eastern Conference Finals following an epic Game 7 victory over the second-seeded Toronto Raptors on Friday. The C's are now set to face off the Miami Heat in the next round, which as it turns out, is a first in NBA history.
Our friends from SB Nation points out how a Celtics-Heat East Finals is history in the making:
For the first time in NBA history, the Eastern Conference Finals will NOT feature a No. 1 or No. 2 seed!
The No. 3 Celtics will face the No. 5 Heat pic.twitter.com/Vk9MwHJHkB
— SB Nation (@SBNation) September 12, 2020
Incidentally, it was these two teams that eliminated the first and second seeds in the conference this season. The Heat (surprisingly) made easy work of the first-place Milwaukee Bucks in the second round, ousting Giannis Antetokounmpo and company 4-1. On Friday, The Celtics set up an East Finals meeting with Miami after defeating the defending NBA champs and second-seeded Raptors, 4-3 in the series.
This anomaly is just one of the many storylines that makes this Celtics-Heat series so intriguing. Both sides have been very impressive all season long — much more than most experts had earlier projected of them — but they've been even more amazing in the postseason.
These teams have met three times in the regular season, with the Celtics holding a slim 2-1 advantage. Boston won their first matchup in December, 112-93, which they followed up with another victory in January, 109-101. The Heat, however, got the last laugh in their meeting inside the bubble, winning 112-106.
These two teams get a few days off to rest, recuperate, and prepare for what should be another epic showdown. Game 1 of the East Finals tips off on Tuesday.
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