The 2021-22 NBA season has come to a close for the Miami Heat. In a close Game 7 battle with the Boston Celtics, the Heat came up short, being eliminated just one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals.
The end is absolutely disappointing. There is no sugarcoating it.
This team had championship aspirations, they had the right pieces, and mentality to complete their mission. But a few things didn’t go their way.
Unfortunately, they will have to wait until next season to go for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. As disappointing of a loss as it was, the Miami Heat should be proud of the way they fought in Game 7 and the entirety of the postseason.
Most teams in their situation would have backed down. They battled all the way through the circumstances up to a Game 7 in the Conference Finals.
That is still a great accomplishment, even if the end result is not what the team had in mind. First, they played their way through several injuries this season but still became the top seed in the East.
The injury plague didn’t go away in the playoffs. Instead of letting it affect them, the Heat continued what they had done all season.
Players stepped up. By the time they reached the Conference Finals, five of their six starters had dealt with some form of discomfort.
It was clear that it affected them at certain points in the series. However, they did not make any excuses.
Instead, they played through the pain and forced a Game 7.