4. Caleb Martin’s 26 points in Game 7 of the ECF
After going up 3-0 against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat lost the next three as Boston forced a Game 7. The Heat appeared to be on the ropes. They were feeling the loss of Herro (broken hand) and a sprained ankle had blunted Butler’s impact. It appeared that the Celtics’ talent finally overwhelmed the Heat. But then Caleb Martin stepped up in the Garden and outscored both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with 26 points on 11 of 16 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists. This was the best game of Martin’s career, and it was enough to do away with the drama, lead the Heat to a blowout win and Finals berth and even garner consideration for the Eastern Conference finals MVP.
Revisit: Jimmy Butler always believed in the Miami Heat, even when no one else did