2020 Eastern Conference Finals — Heat defeat Celtics, 4-2 (Orlando bubble)

The 2020 Eastern Conference Finals took place inside the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida, with the Miami Heat defeating the Boston Celtics 4–2 to advance to the NBA Finals [11]. The series featured playoff basketball without home-court advantage and with extensive league health protocols, changing the usual playoff environment. Miami's core performance—headed by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo—proved decisive across multiple games, while Boston's younger nucleus, including Jayson Tatum, provided resistance but ultimately could not win four games in the six-game series [11]. The clinching Game 6 secured Miami's trip to the Finals, and postgame coverage emphasized Miami's tactical execution and defensive focus over the series [11]. The Orlando bubble context made the matchup one of the most unusual postseason settings in NBA history, with a neutral-site format and no typical travel patterns influencing preparation or crowd dynamics [11].

The 2020 series is a major chapter because it renewed competitive stakes between the franchises after roster changes and placed the matchup in an unprecedented neutral-bubble environment [11]. It validated Miami's Heat core as a Finals-caliber group and further established the Celtics as a rising contender led by Tatum, ensuring that future postseason meetings would carry renewed strategic and narrative weight.

Miami's advancement to the 2020 NBA Finals immediately followed the series; for Boston, the loss prompted continued roster and developmental decisions as the franchise sought a path back to conference-final contention [11]. The bubble-era series remained a reference point in later meetings, informing how coaches and front offices—across both teams—approached playoff matchups in subsequent seasons [11].