Miami Heat oust Boston Celtics, advance to NBA Finals

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- The Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 after a 125-113 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night inside the NBA bubble near Orlando, Fla.

Bam Adebayo scored a season-high 32 points and brought down 14 rebounds for the Heat, who won the Eastern Conference for the sixth time in franchise history. Miami will play LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers for the championship. Game 1 of that series is Wednesday night.

"This group, more than anything, they just love to compete," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said during the trophy celebration.

Heat star Jimmy Butler, who will be playing in his first NBA Finals, notched 22 points and eight assists. Tyler Herro had 19 points, seven assists and five rebounds, while Andre Iguodala and Duncan Robinson each scored 15. Goran Dragic added 13 points for Miami.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Jayson Tatum scored 24 and had a career-best 11 assists.

Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker each added 20 points for the Celtics, who fell in the East finals for the third time in the past four seasons. Gordon Hayward recorded 12 points and two assists off the bench.

The Heat are the only NBA team with six Finals appearances in the last 15 years. They are seeking their fourth title in franchise history.