Franchise that defines winning in this market does it again
Itwasn’t easy. Is it ever?
Itwasn’t pretty. Does that matter?
With resolve and reserves, the Miami Heat closed out Milwaukee in Game 5 of their playoff series Tuesday, 103-94, and bloomed again like a single, solitary rose in a barren land, spreading their petals for everyone to behold.
Again, they achieved something consequential.
Again, they earned everything conversational.
Again, by being smarter and better, by reversing misfortune and mistakes, the one blue-ribbon franchise in South Florida returned to the Eastern Conference finals by showing everyone how success is made. And remade. And reremade.
No, this plateauwon’t make Pat Riley drop another ring before the next freeagent whale. TheHeat aren’t near the
top of the mountain considering howmuch heavy climbing is ahead to that point. But take a moment. Look back at the achievement to reach this far.
It’s been five cursed and confounding years since theHeat advanced this far, and it’s been a painfulwait for them.
“Not used to being out this time of year,” Erik Spoelstra said when the playoffswere raging a year ago and theHeatweren’t in them.
Look what they’ve done – what they keep doing, really. Six years ago LeBron James left, five years ago Chris Bosh left and that’s the kind of one-two sucker-punch that sends NBA franchises to lottery hell for for years. They made the playoffs once, even advancing a round.
Then theyHeat rebuilt without a top-10 pick. They reconfigured with no spare bundle of salary-cap dollars. They did this Riley by doing whatever is necessary to put a winner on the floor.
Think better? Philadelphia signed TobiasHarris. TheHeat signed Jimmy Butler.
Scout stronger? TheHeat turned has 14th and13th picks into BamAdebayo and Tyler Herro. Adebayowas named second-team all-defense Tuesday before struggling the game. AllHerro didwas hit some big shots again Tuesday as the rookie closed with 14 points.
Thiswasn’t about rings. This was about returning to form. This is about recognizing an organization that keeps losing big players through the years and keeps returning to the top in manner to tip your cap right now. It’s not just what they’ve now, in the bright moment.
Riley did this first in getting AlonzoMourning and Tim Hardaway to be franchise centerpieces. Then, when they left, in came DwyaneWade and, soon, Shaquille O’Neal. When Shaq tired ofworking, Riley thought bigger than anyone in forming The Big Three – LeBron James, Bosh andWade.
And when those two rings and four NBA Finalswere done?
Here they are, in the Eastern Conference Finals again. It’s not easy, folks. Not the building. Not the winning. Not Game 5 on Tuesday even with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo out with an ankle injury.
TheHeat started putrid. Jimmy Butler, three turnovers. Herro, airball. Milwaukee had a 11-point lead at the quarter. Panic? Anger? Surely, something time to take the volume up three notches in the team huddle between quarters?
Erik Spoelstra, during his between-quarters TV interview, was the face of calm. He knew what everyonewas thinking. He took the volume down three levels instead.
“You don’t knowhowmuch wewant this,” Spoelstra said.
TheHeat then played like the Heat. Theywent on a 30-9 run, led by six at halftime and never looked … OK, they looked back right to the final minute. Right to when Jae Crowder, one of those smart in-season pick-ups, hit two foul shots with 11.5 seconds left to send Milwaukee into the off-season.
Next?
Boston leads Toronto 3-2. There will be time to measure that soon enough. But for now, relish the smiles you never see until moments like this. Spoelstra as the seconds counted down. Dragic, knowing they’d closed it out. Riley, perhaps somewhere up in the bubble stands, too.
Itwasn’t easy or pretty, but that’s not the story Tuesday. The Heat bloomed again. The franchise that defines winning in this market is winning again.