The Celtics-Heat Eastern Conference finals series concluded in an anticlimactic blowout win for Miami. The Heat defeated Boston 103-84 to advance to the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The finals are set to begin on Thursday.

Miami last played for the title in 2020. In this game, Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Caleb Martin also had a big game with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

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After winning three games in a row, the Celtics forced a Game 7, which Miami eventually closed out. In the series, the Heat won the first three games, including a 26-point margin in Game 3. On Saturday, Boston's Derrick White tipped in the game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds left on the clock to keep the Celtics alive.

Now, the Heat will face the Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokic in the Finals. While this is the Nuggets' first-ever Finals appearance, the Heat will make their seventh franchise appearance and their first since the 2020 bubble season.

How did the Heat-Nuggets fare during the regular season?The No. 1 seed Nuggets won both matchups against the No. 8 seed Heat during the regular season, once at home in Denver's Ball Arena and once on the road at Miami's Kaseya Center:

• Dec. 30: Denver 124, Heat 119◦ Jokic: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists◦ Butler: 17 points, 8 assists, 4 steals
• Feb. 13: Denver 112, Heat 108◦ Jokic: 27 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists◦ Butler: 24 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists

Is there a rivalry between the Heat and Nuggets?According to Jimmy Butler, there is no rivalry between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets. "I don’t think that’s a rivalry. It sounds good. But I don’t even want to get into it. (Jokic) is a hell of a player," Butler told Complex in February 2022.

However, the two teams were involved in an altercation on November 8, 2021, resulting in a suspension for Jokic and a fine for Butler. Following a hard foul from Markieff Morris, Jokic shoved him from behind, causing Heat players to be upset at what they perceived to be a cheap shot. Butler was seen telling Jokic to "bring your (expletive) to the back." A viral photo showed Butler, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo lined up outside the Nuggets' locker room postgame.

Jokic received a one-game suspension and Morris received a flagrant foul and a $50,000 fine, which led to him missing 58 games with whiplash. Butler received a technical foul and a $30,000 fine "for attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview as part of the review process pertaining to an on-court matter," according to the league. However, it seems the incident is now water under the bridge.

The 2023 NBA Finals schedule• Game 1: Nuggets vs. Heat | Thursday, June 1 | 8:30 p.m. ET• Game 2: Nuggets vs. Heat | Sunday, June 4 | 8 p.m. ET• Game 3: Heat vs. Nuggets | Wednesday, June 7 | 8:30 p.m. ET• Game 4: Heat vs. Nuggets | Friday, June 9 | 8:30 p.m. ET• Game 5: Nuggets vs. Heat | Monday, June 12 | 8:30 p.m. ET• Game 6: Heat vs. Nuggets | Thursday, June 15 | 8:30 p.m. ET• Game 7: Nuggets vs. Heat | Sunday, June 18 | 8 p.m. ET

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