Jae Crowder played for the Miami Heat when the team reached the 2020 NBA Finals and lost to LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship series. He recently reflected on his deep playoff run with the Heat on X.
🙏🏾 WISH WE COULDVE GOT IT DONE THAT YEAR AND FINISHED THE JOB.!! DEFINITELY A MEMORABLE RUN.! https://t.co/WGToh2WQYL
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) October 25, 2024
In addition, the 34-year-old reacted to the idea that if he had stuck around with the Heat past the 2019-20 campaign, perhaps Miami would have been able to finish the job. Crowder played for the Phoenix Suns the following season, and sans the forward, the Heat were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
I MEAN MAYB BUT WENT ON TO THE FINALS THE FOLLOWING YR WHICH WAS ANOTHER GREAT MEMORABLE RUN FOR ME.! BUT HEY BUSINESS IS BUSINESS.! https://t.co/WwEKkc1cjc
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) October 25, 2024
The year 2020 marked the Heat’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2014, when James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh spearheaded the team. Miami lost that 2014 series to the San Antonio Spurs in five games thanks in large to the play of Kawhi Leonard, who won the Finals MVP award for the Spurs.
In order to qualify for the 2020 NBA Finals, Miami had to beat the Indiana Pacers, Bucks and Boston Celtics in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
The Heat made quick work of their first two playoff opponents, as the team swept the Pacers in the first round and then eliminated the Bucks in five games. But Miami faced a real test in the Eastern Conference Finals, as it took the Heat six games to send Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics home.
Then, on the NBA’s brightest stage, Crowder and the Heat lost to the Lakers in six games. Miami’s two wins during the best-of-seven series came in Games 3 and 5.
Crowder appeared in 21 games (all starts) during the team’s 2020 playoff run and averaged 12.0 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.2 percent shooting from 3-point range. He also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.7 steals per contest. He was Miami’s fifth-leading scorer in that span behind Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
