Superstar Luka Dončić and the Mavericks are in the NBA Finals as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, making them the second in history to do so as the fifth seed. The first was the Heat in the NBA Bubble, where they were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
The No. 5 seed is tied with the sixth and eighth seeds for the fewest appearances in the Finals, with two. Meanwhile, a No. 7 seed has never reached the championship series. The Heat battled past superstars including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum in the East, leaving Jimmy Butler exhausted to face the top-seeded Lakers. Both teams lost three games prior to the 2020 Finals, but the Lakers' having a superstar tandem allowed them to sustain more energy than Butler.
The Mavs are gearing up to face the talent-loaded Boston Celtics , who won 14 more games than the second-seed New York Knicks. The Celtics are well rested entering the series, losing two games in the postseason thus far. Many are describing their playoff run as fraudulent because of the numerous injuries to their opponents' stars, including Butler, Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and Tyrese Haliburton.