| USA TODAY
How the Miami Heat went from ‘dark horses’ to the NBA Finals
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon looks at how Miami returned to relevancy and constructed the most dangerous team in the bubble.
The NBA Finals are set.
The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the Finals for the first time in 10 years after they defeated the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals. LeBron James was sublime in the closeout Game 5 — the third straight series the top-seeded Lakers won in five games — recording his 27th postseason triple-double. The Lakers, who last won an NBA championship in 2010 under the guidance of the late Kobe Bryant, are seeking a record-tying 17th league title.
They will be playing the Miami Heat, which advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2014 — James’ last season with his former club. Miami, which made history as the first No. 5 seed to advance to the Finals, won titles with James taking Finals MVP honors in 2012 and 2013. Heat team president Pat Riley, who also coached Miami to a championship in 2006, won four championships with the Lakers in the 1980s.
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(All times Eastern . * — Games 5-7 if necessary.)
NBA Finals
(1) Lakers vs. (5) Heat
- Game 1: Wednesday, 9 (ABC)
- Game 2: Friday, 9 (ABC)
- Game 3: Sunday, 7:30 (ABC)
- Game 4: Oct. 6, 9 (ABC)
- Game 5: Oct. 9, 9 (ABC)*
- Game 6: Oct. 11, 7:30 (ABC)*
- Game 7: Oct. 13, 9 (ABC)*
Eastern Conference finals
(3) Celtics vs. (5) Heat
Heat win series 4-2
- Game 1: Heat 117, Celtics 114 (OT)
- Game 2: Heat 106, Celtics 101
- Game 3: Celtics 117, Heat 106
- Game 4: Heat 112, Celtics 109
- Game 5: Celtics 121, Heat 108
- Game 6: Heat 125, Celtics 113
Western Conference finals
(1) Lakers vs. (3) Nuggets
Lakers win series 4-1
- Game 1: Lakers 126, Nuggets 114
- Game 2: Lakers 105, Nuggets 103
- Game 3: Nuggets 114, Lakers 106
- Game 4: Lakers 114, Nuggets 108
- Game 5: Lakers 117, Nuggets 107
SECOND ROUND
Eastern Conference
(1) Bucks vs. (5) Heat
Heat win series 4-1
- Game 1: Heat 115, Bucks 104
- Game 2: Heat 116, Bucks 114
- Game 3: Heat 115, Bucks 100
- Game 4: Bucks 118, Heat 115 (OT)
- Game 5: Heat 103, Bucks 94
(2) Raptors vs. (3) Celtics
Celtics win series 4-3
- Game 1: Celtics 112, Raptors 94
- Game 2: Celtics 102, Raptors 99
- Game 3: Raptors 104, Celtics 103
- Game 4: Raptors 100, Celtics 93
- Game 5: Celtics 111, Raptors 89
- Game 6: Raptors 125, Celtics 122 (2OT)
- Game 7: Celtics 92, Raptors 87
Western Conference
(1) Lakers vs. (4) Rockets
Lakers win series 4-1
- Game 1: Rockets 112, Lakers 97
- Game 2: Lakers 117, Rockets 109
- Game 3: Lakers 112, Rockets 102
- Game 4: Lakers 110, Rockets 100
- Game 5: Lakers 119, Rockets 96
(2) Clippers vs. (3) Nuggets
Nuggets win series 4-3
- Game 1: Clippers 120, Nuggets 97
- Game 2: Nuggets 110, Clippers 101
- Game 3: Clippers 113, Nuggets 107
- Game 4: Clippers 96, Nuggets 85
- Game 5: Nuggets 111, Clippers 105
- Game 6: Nuggets 111, Clippers 98
- Game 7: Nuggets 104, Clippers 89
FIRST ROUND
Eastern Conference
(1) Bucks vs. (8) Magic
Bucks wins series 4-1
- Game 1: Magic 122, Bucks 110
- Game 2: Bucks 111, Magic 96
- Game 3: Bucks 121, Magic 107
- Game 4: Bucks 121, Magic 106
- Game 5: Bucks 118, Magic 104
(2) Raptors vs. (7) Nets
Raptors win series 4-0
- Game 1: Raptors 134, Nets 110
- Game 2: Raptors 104, Nets 99
- Game 3: Raptors 117, Nets 92
- Game 4: Raptors 150, Nets 122
(3) Celtics vs. (6) Sixers
Celtics win series 4-0
- Game 1: Celtics 109, Sixers 101
- Game 2: Celtics 128, Sixers 101
- Game 3: Celtics 102, Sixers 94
- Game 4: Celtics 110, Sixers 106
(4) Pacers vs. (5) Heat
Heat win series 4-0
- Game 1: Heat 113, Pacers 101
- Game 2: Heat 109, Pacers 100
- Game 3: Heat 124, Pacers 115
- Game 4: Heat 99, Pacers 87
Western Conference
(1) Lakers vs. (8) Blazers
Lakers win series 4-1
- Game 1: Blazers 100, Lakers 93
- Game 2: Lakers 111, Blazers 88
- Game 3: Lakers 116, Blazers 108
- Game 4: Lakers 135, Blazers 115
- Game 5: Lakers 131, Blazers 122
(2) Clippers vs. (7) Mavericks
Clippers win series 4-2
- Game 1: Clippers 118, Mavericks 110
- Game 2: Mavericks 127, Clippers 114
- Game 3: Clippers 130, Mavericks 122
- Game 4: Mavericks 135, Clippers 133 (OT)
- Game 5: Clippers 154, Mavericks 111
- Game 6: Clippers 111, Mavericks 97
(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Jazz
Nuggets win series 4-3
- Game 1: Nuggets 135, Jazz 125 (OT)
- Game 2: Jazz 124, Nuggets 105
- Game 3: Jazz 124, Nuggets 87
- Game 4: Jazz 129, Nuggets 127
- Game 5: Nuggets 117, Jazz 107
- Game 6: Nuggets 119, Jazz 107
- Game 7: Nuggets 80, Jazz 78
(4) Rockets vs. (5) Thunder
Rockets win series 4-3
- Game 1: Rockets 123, Thunder 108
- Game 2: Rockets 111, Thunder 98
- Game 3: Thunder 119, Rockets 107 (OT)
- Game 4: Thunder 117, Rockets 114
- Game 5: Rockets 114, Thunder 80
- Game 6: Thunder 104, Rockets 100
- Game 7: Rockets 104, Thunder 102
