NBA News: Celtics' Brad Stevens Says Heat Deserves To Represent East In Finals

Brad Stevens has nothing but well wishes for the Miami Heat as the Boston Celtics reaches the end of its road in the 2020 NBA season after a 125-113 loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night at the Orlando bubble.

Gracious in defeat, Stevens offered no excuses as he gave credit to the Heat, which banked on a late fourth-quarter surge to pull away from the Celtics and secure a finals berth for the first time since 2014.

"Miami deserves a lot of credit," Stevens said, per ESPN. "They're super physical, super tough, very, very savvy. I think they're the best team in the East and deserve to be representing the East in the way that they have played."

The sense of urgency from the Celtics was evident as they were looking poised to force a Game 7 after a scorching start in the final frame that had them leading by six, 96-90.

But Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo sparked a rampage from the Heat, turning the deficit into a commanding 116-102 lead that was well enough to set off a bench celebration before the final buzzer.

"This means everything," Herro said after racking up 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes off the bench.

It was a complete team effort for Erik Spoelstra’s troops as six players scored in double figures, led by Adebayo, who put up 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting, along with 14 rebounds and five assists in almost 40 minutes of play – just days after taking the blame for the Heat’s Game 5 loss.

"Four more," the All-Star big man said. "That's what matters."

The Heat will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals series starting Wednesday, with the spotlight focused on LeBron James and his bid for his fourth NBA title, this time against the team he led to four straight Finals and two titles.

Although the weight of animosity was not like his first breakup with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, James’ decision to leave Miami in 2014 still left a bad taste in the Heat’s mouth. There was also speculation that some even told the four-time MVP that he was making the biggest mistake of his career.

But as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst would put it, playing for "revenge" may not be the motivation for James to seize another ring nor will be it be for the overachieving Heat and its aim to place its culture at the top of the NBA.