Heat eliminate Celtics, will face Lakers in 1st Finals appearance since 2014

The Miami Heat have booked a showdown against a familiar friend as they attempt to win their fourth title in franchise history.

Miami beat the Boston Celtics 125-113 in Game 6 on Sunday to close out the Eastern Conference finals.

As a result, the East's scrappy, fifth-seeded underdogs are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, the last year of LeBron James' four-season run with the team.

Fittingly, James will stand between his former team and its fourth championship, as the 35-year-old superstar's Los Angeles Lakers eliminated the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals Saturday to clinch their first Finals berth since 2010.

The Lakers and Heat will play Game 1 on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

Center Bam Adebayo - who criticized his performance after Miami's Game 5 loss - led all Heat scorers Sunday with 32 points and added 14 rebounds and five assists. The 23-year-old's biggest impact came in the fourth quarter, when his 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the final frame alone allowed the Heat to pull away for good.

This is Miami's sixth Finals trip since the team joined the Association in 1988 - all six appearances have come since 2006.

This will be the Heat's first championship-round appearance without franchise icon Dwyane Wade, who retired after the 2018-19 season. However, longtime Heat big man Udonis Haslem remains on the roster, meaning the 40-year-old has now been present for each Finals appearance in team history, including title wins in 2006, 2012, and 2013.

Meanwhile, veteran Heat forward Andre Iguodala - who Miami acquired at the trade deadline from the Memphis Grizzlies - will be competing in his sixth consecutive Finals following five straight trips with the Golden State Warriors.