The series most everyone wanted to see is here at long last:
The Miami Heat vs. the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven that has the potential to be mesmerizing.
"We knew before the season that if we were going to get to where we need to be as a championship team, we knew we were going to have to play Miami," Boston's Paul Pierce told news reporters. "It's finally here."
It's a captivating clash of the 2008 NBA champion Celtics, a combination of heart, mind and soul, against the star-studded, meticulously built Heat trying to prove they are substance over hype — with the heart, mind and soul of a champion, too.
This series won't determine the NBA champion and not even the Eastern Conference victor.
Has there been a bigger second-round matchup?
Reputations are at stake. Legacies will be shaped.
"This is the series everyone wanted," said Heat forward LeBron James whose last second-round playoff series ended in a loss to the Celtics and his exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago.
Before the Celtics eliminated the Cavs last season, they knocked off Dwyane Wade and the Heat. There's history, maybe not ancient, yet fresh enough to matter with so much at stake.
This series was telegraphed from the start of the season. Which teams opened the schedule in late October? Which teams played each other on the final Sunday of the season?
Boston's Big Three vs. Miami's Big Three. Pierce vs. James. Ray Allen vs. Wade. Kevin Garnett vs. Chris Bosh .
That alone is worth it.
Unflappable Celtics coach Doc Rivers vs. oft-questioned Heat coach Erik Spoelstra .
How will Miami contain Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo
Then there are the role players who have their parts, sometimes big, sometimes small.
•Will Heat shooters James Jones , Mike Miller and Eddie House be three-point equalizers? How much can Miami point guard Mike Bibby give?
•Will Boston center Shaquille O'Neal , bothered by right calf and Achilles injuries and limited to just five minutes since Feb. 1, be able to contribute?
•Can Boston's bench outplay Miami's? "This is going to be real serious," Celtics reserve forward Glen Davis said.
Pierce relishes an opportunity to play in the series.
"There's going to be a lot of hype around it like it's a championship series, but you've got to understand this is still just the second round but a very big second round," he said. "Because you have two potential teams that can win it all.
"I'm excited. This is a great stage for basketball. It's going to be great for fans."
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