Alan Diaz / AP

Miami's Mario Chalmers celebrates the Heat's 94-86 double overtime victory over New Jersey on Wednesday.

The Heat are 1-11 in their last 12 games against the Celtics, the one win coming in a game where neither Rajon Rondo nor Kevin Garnett played and Miami still had to rally in the second half.

Miami went 0-3 against Boston this season, losing by seven, six and five points. It’s the first time the Heat and Celtics will meet in the playoffs.

“All three games were competitive,” Spoelstra said. “But it’s a tough place to play and they are champions, so you have to respect what they have done.”

Miami finished the season with wins in 18 of its last 22 games; the Celts lost seven of their final 10 to end the regular season.

For the Nets, there was just relief that the worst season in franchise history is over.

“It was not a good year for us,” forward Chris Douglas-Roberts said, “not at all.”

The first sign of trouble, fittingly, came for New Jersey on opening night, when the Nets blew a 19-point lead, got outscored 31-15 in the fourth quarter and lost to Minnesota. That was the first of 18 straight defeats to begin the year, costing coach Lawrence Frank his job, and the Nets seemed capable of bumping the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers out of the record books by losing more than 73 games.

The only other teams in NBA history to lose 70 games, besides Philadelphia’s 9-73 club, are Dallas (11-71, 1992-93), Denver (11-71, 1997-98) and the Los Angeles Clippers (12-70, 1986-87).

Much like the Heat, the Nets expect to have a much different look next season.

Miami and New Jersey are two of the teams with plenty of salary-cap room to utilize during the expected free agent bonanza this summer, and the Nets have made no secret that they are hoping for immediate upgrades.

They had plenty of chances Wednesday night.

In the end, a season marked by losses ended — naturally — with another.

“It was an abysmal season,” Harris said. “It was a disappointing season.”

NOTES: Heat F Quentin Richardson will be in the playoffs for just the second time in his 10 seasons. He went to the Western Conference finals with Phoenix in 2005. ... New Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall was at the game, sporting a Florida Marlins cap. ... Quinn and Keyon Dooling, both former Heat players, spent plenty of time greeting friends before the game.

More news

Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Not in his house

  Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Brian Babineau / Getty Images Contributor

PBT: Rondo simply cold-blooded  |  Highlights

PBT: Rajon Rondo's spectacular fourth quarter lifts the Celtics past the 76ers 85-75 in Game 7, but he'll have to be great from start to finish for Boston to have a chance against the Heat.

Headlines

• Label

CSN: Surgery ends season for Celtics' Bradley

SportsTalk: Do Heat actually want Celtics?

PBT: Spoelstra fined $25K for criticizing officials

PBT: Knicks give Woodson multiyear extension

PBT: Knicks' J.R. Smith arrested in South Beach

PBT Extra: Can young Thunder stun Spurs?

PBT: How do Thunder deal with Spurs' Parker?

PBT: As The Magic Turn — no decision on Howard