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The Miami Heat took care of business and averted disaster on the road Monday with a 103-84 Game 7 win against Boston. Following the game, NBA Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson took to Twitter to congratulate the winning team, as well as his former coach.
Congratulations to Miami Heat owners Micky Arison and Nick Arison, Heat President and my former Coach Pat Riley, Coach Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler and the entire Miami Heat team for advancing to the NBA Finals!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 30, 2023
“Awesome! Gonna be a great Finals” wrote one commenter named KJ in response.
“Sir! I told you before! Miami was that Cinderella story that’s going all the way to finals !!!! Let’s Go MF HEAT!!!!!” another commenter named Howard said.
“Erik Spoelstra has become a legendary coach,” another fan added.
Still another speculated that Johnson was happy because the Celtics won't win their 17th NBA title, which would be one more than Johnson's Lakers.
We know why you happy pic.twitter.com/nEynlsszO1
— Virgo (@ActMontana) May 30, 2023
Riley, who coached Johnson's Showtime Lakers, has been the president of the Heat organization since 1995. He served as the Heat's head coach from 1995 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2008.
Miami won NBA titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013. Their Finals opponent, the Denver Nuggets, has never won an NBA title in their 47 seasons in the league.
The franchised played seven seasons in the ABA, making that league's championship round in 1976 under then-head coach Larry Brown.
Johnson also appears to be looking forward to the matchup of Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Heat star Jimmy Butler.
The NBA Finals will feature the two players who dominated the NBA Playoffs this year, Nikola Jokić and Jimmy Butler.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 30, 2023
Jokic and Butler won't guard each other, of course. The task of slowing down the two-time MVP will go to Bam Adebayo of the Heat. With his length, strength, and basketball IQ, Adebayo presents a challenging matchup for ‘The Joker.'
Butler will be tested by the length and athleticism of 6-foot-10 Michael Porter, Jr. of the Nuggets.
The Nuggets swept two high scoring games this season against the Heat, led by two strong performances by Jokic. If Miami is to win its fourth NBA title, it's going to take a Herculean effort from Adebayo in the middle to slow down Jokic.
