You commented that the Heat had every intention of finishing second. The theory doesn't hold water because from the 31st of March with the win over Toronto, they had 51 wins with 9 games to play. Both Toronto and Chicago had 42 wins with 8 games to play meaning they had no chance of getting the second seed even if Miami lost all their remaining games and Toronto and Chicago won all of theirs. If their intention was to finish second, they didn't have to play Lebron or Wade or Bosh in any of those final 9 games, nor would they play their MVP for extended minutes in each game with a chance to win. They were just playing basketball, trying to get ready for the playoffs and if the wins came, they came. They've always said that they aren't focused on getting top seed, only Indiana have maintained that that was their goal this season. Miami was always about improving and being ready for the playoffs and having healthy bodies especially Wade who they've really limited his playing time and given him time to fully recover from injuries. In the past 12 games, Miami have lost 3 games by a single point. Their record would be 9-3 if the outcome had been slightly different, a missed free throw, a costly turnover. If their intention was to finish second, they could have done nothing in the past 9 games and still achieved that outcome.