The Miami Heat as we know them expired Wednesday night in Boston, and did so without doubt, emphatically, yet quietly even amid the howling cacophony of Celtics fans. The Jimmy Butler era closed with him in street clothes — fitting of a calamitous season that ended begging change.

Miami was eliminated 4-1 in the first round of the NBA playoffs with a 118-84 rout-loss at Boston to a Celtics team that will vie for a league championship as the Heat try to figure out how far they are from contending again and how to bridge that gulf.

First, to be generous and kind: The season ended in valiant futility for Miami, if there can be such a thing. That it ended in the playoffs at all is a credit to coach Erik Spoelstra, who because of injuries had to use 38 different starting lineups this season and yet somehow had a winning season.

Appreciate this from Spoelstra, postgame: “We’re not going to put this on the fact that we had some injuries. Let’s not take anything away from Boston. They’ve been the best team in basketball all season long.”

At the very end, though, the deeply talented Celtics were able to dominate the Heat without injured center Kristaps Porzingis, while the Heat could not even pretend to compete without Jimmy Butler. Boston was 21-4 without Porzingis this season. Boston is that great. But it will likely need him back from his calf injury to win it all.

The clinching first-round game Wednesday was no contest. No playoff game should be so lopsided. Spoelstra’s roster was threadbare. It was embarrassing.

Miami made 3 of 29 3-point shots. Only blindfolded would those numbers be decent. I mean, 3 for 29? That’s blindfolded and wearing catcher’s mitts. Tyler Herro was especially awful Wednesday. Other than Bam Adebayo, the Heat not only did not rise to the occasion, they cowered from it. Ran from it.

I loved this quote from Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, afterward, on the Heat: ”I thought they missed a lot of shots.”

Spoelstra said after the first quarter, down 18 points, “Our mental toughness has to be a lot better.”

Leaning into intangibles again. Into Heat Culture.

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