Their march forward seemed irrepressible. After sweeping Philadelphia (4-0) in the first round of the play-offs, the Celtics led 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against outgoing champion Toronto. But patatras, a nasty defense on the last action, they are beaten (103-104) and their Canadian opponents revived. Still, the franchise to 17 NBA rings impresses. We praise his collective more than his individualities, so is it above all the success of coach Brad Stevens?
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The Heat is hot too. Miami marks the spirits thanks to its team play, its intensity and, unlike the Celtics, has not lost a meeting in the play-offs. Indiana did not see the light of day (4-0) in the first round and, more surprisingly, the best team of the regular season in the East, Milwaukee, is so far dominated (2-0). A name nevertheless seems to emerge from the collective, that of Jimmy Butler. Still, the coach, Erik Spoelstra, and the president, Pat Riley, appear as the guardians of a continuity in Florida.
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The Celtics lost their last NBA final in 2010, for the Heat, it was in 2014. So can the Eastern strongholds surprise the big favorites of the West, the Lakers and the Clippers?
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Animated by Guillaume Degoulet, with Arnaud Lecomte, Amaury Perdriau and Yann Ohnona. Realized by Roland Richard.
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