Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat attempt to make it two in a row over the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals set Friday morning Manila time.
The Fil-American coach and the Heat are hoping to repeat over the Celtics in the match set at 7 a.m. Manila time after stealing the opening game of the best-of-seven series.
Miami came away with a 117-114 overtime win Wednesday inside the bubble in Orlando after a three-point play by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo’s block over a driving Jayson Tatum in the dying seconds.
It was the Heat’s ninth win in 10 postseason games, continuing their remarkable run highlighted by their five-game mastery of the top seed Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Expected to bounce back are the Celtics, who blew a 14-point lead early in the fourth and five with over a minute remaining in regulation.
Tatum, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker are expected to step up for Boston in hopes of leveling the series.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks were named to the All-NBA First Team on Thursday Manila time.
Joining them are the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic.
Making the All-Second Team are the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chris Paul and Toronto Raptors’ Paskal Siakam.
The All-Third Team consisted of Butler, Tatum, Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert, Philadelphia 76ers’ Ben Simmons and the Rockets’ Russell Westbrook.
