(WSVN) - For the first time, the Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers are both headed to the finals at the same time. The two South Florida teams will now compete for a championship.
Both teams entered the playoffs as 8 seeds and both won a Game 7 in Boston along the way.
It’s the seventh finals appearance for the Heat. The Panthers haven’t been to the Stanley Cup Finals in nearly 30 years.
The teams have been rooting for each other.
It’s fun to watch them, it’s fun to see the heart that they’re playing with,” said Miami Heat guard Max Strus.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said the Florida Panthers winning may have been just the distraction his team needed.
“It’s unbelievable. That’s been one of the great joys of everyone in our locker room, is having something to rally around and get our minds off of this,” Spoelstra said.
Panther fans are getting ready for a Vegas team that rolled the Dallas Stars.
On the basketball court, fans will get familiar with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets who just swept LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The public is going to get to see how good he is,” said Ethan Skolnick, Miami Heat Insider. “The Heat know how good he is. He is the major task in this series.”
It is a special moment for South Florida sports, which started in the spring when the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University both made it into the Final Four back in March.
Both teams are now chasing championships at the same time, with each just four wins away.
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