Heat eliminated in NBA Finals to end magical playoff run

In the end, Miami had no miracles left. The Heat were eliminated from the NBA Finals last night, and the Denver Nuggets won their first-ever championship.

Why it matters: The Heat defied expectations by making a historic playoff run after nearly missing the playoffs.

• Jimmy Butler was arguably the best player in the entire playoffs during the first round, but he appears to have been hobbled by an ankle injury sustained in the second round.
• The Heat were the second No. 8 seed to make the NBA Finals in league history.
• And it's been incredibly fun to be a Heat fan, especially after Miami beat the rival Knicks and Celtics.

Game recap: Denver won the scrappy, back-and-forth game 94-89.

• Nikola Jokić led all scorers with 28 points and 16 rebounds.
• Denver bullied Miami with its size, scoring 60 points in the paint and grabbing 71 rebounds to the Heat's 50.
• Butler led the Heat with 21 points, most of them in a fourth quarter flurry, but made a costly turnover late in the game and missed a game-tying three-pointer.

The intrigue: Tyler Herro never returned from the broken hand he suffered in the first round, despite being available in last night's game.

• Miami made it this far without him, and now he's in trade rumors after Portland star Damian Lillard expressed interest in playing for the Heat.

Meanwhile, the Panthers — also down 3-1 in the Stanley Cup Final — play Game 5 tomorrow against the Vegas Golden Knights.