The Florida Panthers and Miami Heat reached their respective leagues’ conference finals just minutes from each other on Friday, much to the delight of Sunshine State fans.
• Also read: NHL: The Imperfect Lottery
• Also read: Five free agents being outbid
• Also read: Canada defeats the Latvian goalkeeper in five minutes, Montembeault saves the ball
Playing in South Florida, both clubs defied all odds and reached the finals.
The eighth-seeded Heat initially upset the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, despite the latter having the NBA’s best regular-season record.
Then, in the second round, Jimmy Butler’s band defeated the New York Knicks this time (5th). The Heat won Game 6 of the series 96-92 in Miami.
This year, the teams from Florida are not only surprising on the courts, but also on the ice. The Panthers first caused a shockwave by eliminating the mighty Boston Bruins and bounced back by ending the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season.
The Heat will face the Boston Celtics or the Philadelphia 76ers to secure their seat at the Silver Tour Grand Finals.
The Panthers, for their part, will team up with the Carolina Hurricanes.