They did it again.
In 2020, the Miami Heat pulled off what seemed like the most improbable run to the NBA Finals in recent memory. Nearly three years later, the Heat have defied the odds again as the second No. 8 seed to make the Finals, and first since the New York Knicks in 1999 during the infamous lockout season.
The Heat's path to the Finals this postseason, much like their run in the Bubble, left two Eastern Conference powerhouses in their wake. In 2020, the Heat stunned the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round and outlasted the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
This season, they toppled the Bucks in five games in Round 1, and once again outlasted the Celtics in the Conference finals after a furious comeback from the C's, who nearly overcame an 0-3 deficit. What made the Heat's run even more impressive, and difficult, is the fact that they lost their opening play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks at home, forcing a winner-take-all game with the Chicago Bulls.