Miami Heat

The Miami Heat are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating Philly in Game 6. Along the way, they made James Harden look far less than himself.

The Miami Heat were not having it on Thursday in Game 6. The Miami Heat would hold James Harden to just 11 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. Well, he was, however, the Miami Heat were there too.

Jimmy Butler scored 14 of his 32 points in the third quarter to help the Heat reach the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years.

Game 6 of that series is Friday night in Milwaukee. A Bucks-Heat matchup would mark the third straight season the two teams have met in the playoffs. Butler had 73 points combined in Games 3 and 4 and racked up 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists during a crucial Game 5 win Tuesday night. "I guess where I should have been a long time ago, a place where I'm welcome. I'm here for a reason, and we're going to ride this wave and take it back to the 305. He wasn't going to let this go to [Game ] 7." "Jimmy is a great competitor," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Butler. "I think he's one of the ultimate competitors in this profession. Butler acknowledged there was a moment he thought he would be teammates with Embiid in Philadelphia for a long time, but "it didn't work out." "Now I'm where I belong," Butler said. And when his only focus is just about driving a team to win, all the other things are just irrelevant -- that a lot of players and teams get caught up in. Get ready for the next round and work our way towards this championship." Joel Embiid's injuries were the main storylines, both coming into and during the series. As has been the case throughout the series, it was Jimmy Butler who led the way when his team needed him the most.

Jimmy Butler, Miami's charismatic front man, has sat on the cusp of being considered an elite NBA player for what seems like years.

The top-seeded Miami Heat won 4-2 in their series with the Philadelphia 76ers and it’s full speed ahead towards the Eastern Conference Finals for Jimmy Butler and his gang. "When you get into a competition, he understands the full deal -- that you have to do it on both ends” said Spoelstra, “And he's able to compete with a ferocity and an incredibly stable mind. That is really unique -- when it gets the craziest is when he's really locked in on making sure that it's solid winning basketball for our team." He is continually making sure his team is in the right set and getting good shots according to the game plan. He’s averaging 25 points per game this postseason and has his squad up 3-2 against the Dallas Mavericks, looking to close out and head to the Western Conference Finals. The numbers back that up too, as Butler’s 11.8 plus/minus is the highest of anyone in these playoffs, except for his own wingman, Miami Heat shooting guard Max Strus (11.9).

Your Miami HEAT announced today that individual game tickets for the Eastern Conference Finals home games of the 2022 White Hot HEAT Playoffs will go on ...

During the on-sale, fans will be able to purchase Home Games 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Home Games 3 and 4 will only be played if necessary. All Miami HEAT home playoff games will be mobile-only entry. Fans can purchase tickets online at HEAT.com/tickets and Ticketmaster.com.

The Heat has now made it back to the conference finals, their second trip in three seasons, and is now just four wins away from another NBA Finals appearance – ...

And he’s not just doing it on the offensive end. Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s fair to simply gloss over what the Heat and Jimmy have done this season. Oh, and Bam Adebayo hasn’t even been that consistent on the offensive end so far in the postseason. Respect optional, what Jimmy and the Heat have done this season (and in the playoffs) is nothing short of magical. The Heat hasn’t missed a beat. Many laughed at the Heat’s two big offseason moves – in which they acquired Kyle Lowry and re-signed Duncan Robinson to a $90 million extension.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in a do-or-die scenario on Thursday night. A victory in Game 6 forces a Game 7, which would've taken place in Miami this weekend ...

Miami Heat Put Sixers Away in Six: The Philadelphia 76ers had an opportunity to bounce back after collecting their worst loss of the postseason during their Game 5 matchup on the road on Tuesday night. Danny Green Suffers Injury in Game 6: Philadelphia 76ers veteran sharpshooter Danny Green left Thursday’s Game 6 matchup early as he suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. The Sixers' 99-90 loss to Miami officially ended their season in six games. Several times in this year's playoff run, the Sixers have looked like a second-half team. The Philadelphia 76ers were in a do-or-die scenario on Thursday night. “Forget just the second half, we never got any offensive rhythm throughout the game, in my opinion, more than just the second half," said Rivers after the game.

Philadelphia traded Jimmy Butler to Miami after falling short of the conference finals in 2019. Now he's going, and they're going home.

Butler was on the court that day, watching helplessly from the lane as Leonard’s shot danced around the rim and then dropped, but he never got a chance to answer it the following season. On May 12, 2019, the 76ers were tied with the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series when Kawhi Leonard, then with the Raptors, launched a final shot from in front of the Raptors bench as time expired. He scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds on Thursday, but his injuries cleared the way for Butler to be the best player in the series. “He gets incredibly desperate in close games or when he sees the light at the end of the tunnel to close out a team,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. Like Butler, Harris, who still plays for the 76ers, was acquired by Philadelphia during the 2018-19 season. I think a lot of things get lost in translation.” Spoelstra laughed it off after that game, attributing the moment to tempers flaring during a loss. In the three seasons since he moved south from Philadelphia, Butler has led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals twice. Butler is known for a lot of things, not all of them flattering. And it might be different game to game.” The two stars were teammates in Philadelphia during the 2018-19 season, and there was a time when Butler thought he might remain in the city longer. The 76ers had other plans, though, and that slight has stayed with Butler.

The Miami Heat are headed to the Easter Conference finals for the second time in three years but it didn't come easy. It was a hard-fought series with the ...

He had 32 points while hitting two 3-pointers against his former team. -No more free shots: During this series, the Sixers averaged 22.6 free throw attempts. It was a hard-fought series with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jimmy Butler has led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three seasons and eliminated his former team, the 76ers, ...

The Timberwolves made it back to the playoffs this season, but were eliminated in the first round. Figure out a way to get us to where we want to go.’ I’m on my way to doing that. But I wish I could have gone to battle with him still. Instead, the 76ers have now not made the East finals since 2001. “I guess where I should have been a long time ago. When his only focus is just about driving a team to win, all the other things just are irrelevant that a lot of players and teams get caught up in. Butler led the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in his three seasons with the franchise. I’ll try everything in my power to make sure that we win, whether it’s getting stops or an offensive rebound or making a shot or making the right pass. His heart, how he’s never scared of the moment and that in itself is a talent. Because I’ve played with guys that are really good, but when they get in those big moments, they shy away and they don’t want it. “They really be hyping me up out there and I just go play. I think as this league sometimes gets younger, I think it ends up being about some things that are not about winning.

We don't want to jinx anything ahead of Game 6 tonight, but should the Bucks win and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, here's what the schedule ...

On this Friday the 13th we are trying hard not to jinx anything, but thought we'd share the schedule just in case. - 7:30 p.m. CT We aren't trying to jinx anything by sharing this but...

In any sport, the postseason is where stars carve out their legacy. The NBA playoffs are no different. In the NBA, it's said that teams usually need a ...

Butler has the Heat back in the ECF for the second time in three years. Most times, he isn’t even mentioned in the top 15. Whenever the best players in the league are talked about, Butler’s name is never mentioned among the top five or 10. The Phoenix Suns had two with Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Butler’s never been viewed among the top 10 in the NBA, yet he’s outplayed most of them through the first two rounds of the playoffs. He already has two 40-point performances in the postseason after having zero in 57 regular-season games. In the NBA, it’s said that teams usually need a superstar or multiple stars to compete for a championship.

The Miami Heat's 99-90 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers earned them a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. They will either face the Milwaukee Bucks or ...

Antetokounmpo is physical and near unstoppable in the paint. The Celtics have All-Star Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. They also have the defensive presence of Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews, and the size advantage with players like Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. Their shooting guard Pat Connaughton has been solid for them as well, averaging 9.8 points in the playoffs. The Bucks have two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who many call the best player in the world. In addition, Adebayo has also done slightly better against Tatum, who averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists against Adebayo. The Heat have familiarity with both squads.

The full schedule for playoff series between the Heat and either the Bucks or Celtics, with how to watch each game. Plus, info on Heat playoff tickets.

Tickets for all four potential home games in the East finals will be available for purchase, but home games 3 and 4 will only be played if necessary. American Express Card Members get early access to tickets before the general public on Friday at noon. The Bucks currently lead that second-round series 3-2 and will have a chance to close out the Celtics in Game 6 on Friday night in Milwaukee. “We’ve been doing this now for 27 years since Pat [Riley] came down to South Florida. ... Every single year, we’ve had that goal to get to the Finals and compete for a title. Game 5: May 25, FTX Arena, 8:30 p.m., ESPN. (if necessary) Game 7: May 29, FTX Arena, 8:30 p.m. ESPN. (if necessary) [Victor Oladipo] has never been and he’s played on a lot of good teams in this league. Game 6: May 27, TBD, 8:30 p.m., ESPN. (if necessary) And there’s a handful of guys that have never been to the conference finals. “You do want to acknowledge the steps along the way. Game 2: Thursday, FTX Arena, 8:30 p.m., ESPN. Game 1: Tuesday, FTX Arena, 8:30 p.m., ESPN.

Basketball forward Jimmy Butler's 32 points helps Heat Defeat 76ers, Miami Heads to NBA's Eastern Conference Finals after defeating Philadelphia 99-90.

It has to be a disappointing result for a fan base that watched Joel Embiid lead the league in scoring this year on a team with a very promising roster, only to be bounced in the second round. This came as a surprise to many experts who had predicted Philadelphia to be the more physical team in the post due to the size of Embiid and Harris. He’s averaging 12.5 points per game and has the best plus/minus of any player in the postseason at 12.9. Despite another poor shooting performance from beyond the arc, making only 25% of their shots, Miami was able to walk all over Philadelphia in the paint again. He’s only shooting 24% from long range but he did have four triples in one game during the first round and has made multiple threes in each of the Heat’s last three games. His 32-point outburst to seal Game 6 was the type of playoff performance that has become customary for the 32-year-old swingman.

The Miami Heat are headed to the ECF on the back of their best player, Jimmy Butler. And though he misses Embiid, he knows he belongs in Miami.

Don’t you ever question if Jimmy Butler is happy about where he is and who he plays for though. They seem like similarly minded guys, though Jimmy Butler’s work ethic and tendency to be a joyful jerk about winning is probably what Joel is missing. They made it there and they now have that chance after, almost, everyone considered them to be a paper tiger of a number one seed.

The Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 99-90 on Thursday night, winning this Eastern Conference Semifinals series in six games and advancing to the ...

If you want a perfect example of this, just look at what he did in the 2020 NBA Bubble when he carried the Heat to the NBA Finals with Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic hurt! As a result, they held the Sixers to just 85 and 90 points the final two games of this series, both of which were won by the Heat. These are really good numbers for the six-time All-Star. Perhaps the X-factor that emerged for them in this series though was Max Strus, who scored 20 points in Game 6. Proving to be a factor both shooting from the perimeter and scoring at the rim, Butler has really transcended his game to the next level in the postseason yet again and he is the reason why the Heat have a great chance of advancing to the NBA Finals for the second-time in the last two seasons. - What's Next For James Harden, 76ers Entering The Offseason: The Philadelphia 76ers lost in six games to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, casting doubt on the future of this franchise and All-Star James Harden’s long-term future in Philadelphia.CLICK HERE. When it is playoff time, Jimmy Butler is one of the best in the league and he has proven that with the Miami Heat over the last few seasons. When you compare Miami’s roster compared to that of Philadelphia's, it is very clear to see that the Heat have much more depth and that their roster is built for a series like this one that just concluded. Set to turn 33-years-old in August and coming off some very lackluster performances in the postseason, there are going to be a ton of questions this offseason about whether or not this is it for the best of Harden. Other than winning a ring, there is not much James Harden has left to prove in his career and due to the fact that he has regressed tremendously as a player since leaving Houston, the end of his career could very well be upon him. At times, the 76ers looked like they could not be bothered and this lack of energy and effort is definitely going to be a key point of emphasis for them as they head into the offseason looking to prove that they are in fact championship contenders moving forward. The Miami Heat closed out their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night up in Philadelphia, winning 99-90 and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second-time in the last three seasons.