AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh
The Miami Heat clinched a playoff spot for the third straight season Wednesday after defeating the Boston Celtics 106-98.
Miami also needed a loss by the Cleveland Cavaliers to earn the berth, and the Cavs fell to the Dallas Mavericks 120-112.
The Heat are heading to the postseason despite six of their top seven scorers missing 10 or more games this year because of injury or illness. Better yet, they appear on track to compete for their second Eastern Conference title in three seasons.
The Heat are 49-28, good enough for first in the East. They have a well-rounded team that features three players averaging at least 19 points per game in Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
Kyle Lowry has been fantastic since coming over in free agency, pacing the team with 7.5 assists per game. He’s the type of pure point guard and floor general the Heat lacked last year, and he’s excelled on the defensive end too.
That quartet is surrounded by a host of outside shooters who have made teams pay all year. Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Caleb Martin, P.J. Tucker and Gabe Vincent have all made at least 36 percent of their three-pointers.
Dewayne Dedmon has admirably stepped in for Adebayo when needed, and big man Omer Yurtseven has been efficient when called upon as well.
All told, this is a deep, talented roster with no discernible weaknesses that should be a dangerous matchup for anyone it faces this spring.
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