Moore: Who should Sixers fans want to win in Heat-Celtics conference finals?

What’s a 76ers fan to do?

The Miami Heat are playing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, which begin Tuesday night in the Orlando bubble. Neither team is a favorite of the Philly faithful.

Miami’s best player is Jimmy Butler, who spurned a potential five-year, $190-million maximum contract with the Sixers in favor of four years and $141 million from the Heat. According to a Yahoo! Sports report last month, the Sixers would've given the mercurial Butler a max deal if he declined to meet with other teams, which didn't happen.

Butler was the best player on the floor while leading Miami to a 4-1 conference semifinal victory over defending MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the top-seeded Bucks, highlighted by a 40-point outburst in Game 1.

Sixers fans didn’t forgive Butler for leaving town and booed him every time he touched the ball during the Heat's two regular-season games at the Wells Fargo Center.

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It’s interesting the narrative with Butler seemed to change while he starred in the playoffs and the Sixers bowed out in four games to the Celtics. There was a lot of “Why didn’t the Sixers push harder to keep Butler rather than re-signing less-talented-but-better-teammate Tobias Harris to a five-year, $180 million deal?” And “Why in the world did GM Elton Brand pay Al Horford a guaranteed $97 million for four years?”

The Sixers were concerned that Butler's outspoken nature would continue to rub teammates and coaches the wrong way. That apparently outweighed the fact that he gave them a closer they sorely missed this year. Remember Butler's game-winning 3-pointers against the Hornets and Nets, and his clinching jumper vs. Boston in South Philly?

Though the Sixers-Celtics rivalry pales in comparison to what it was like in the 1960s-80s, Boston remains a big deal. The Celtics outlasted the defending champion Raptors 4-3 after dispatching the Sixers in the first round this summer. Two years ago, Boston downed Brett Brown’s team 4-1 in the conference semifinals.

And don’t forget Danny Ainge convinced Bryan Colangelo to give up the No. 3 pick and a future first-rounder (Romeo Langford, No. 14 in 2019) to land Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 overall selection. It didn’t work out with Fultz as a backcourt complement to Ben Simmons and the Sixers sent him to the Magic on Feb. 7, 2019, for what turned out to be the No. 21 choice in this year’s draft.

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The Sixers probably could’ve landed Fultz just by staying at No. 3 since Ainge wanted Tatum, who is an emerging star, all along and the Lakers apparently were locked into Lonzo Ball at No. 2.

Since Boston and Miami can’t both lose, who should Sixers fans want to reach the NBA Finals from the East?

The Philly faithful and Beantown fans are similar in terms of the intensity with which they support their teams. I’ll never forget a college classmate who claimed the Red Sox would’ve been the best third-place team in baseball that year except they finished fourth. I didn’t even know how to respond to him.

The Sixers have far less postseason history with the Heat, a franchise that came into existence in 1988. They lost 4-1 in the 2011 opening round to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company, and won 4-1 two years ago. That’s it.

Philly and Boston have met a record 21 times in the playoffs, with the Celts prevailing in 14 of them, including the last five times.

I’d suggest Sixers fans will prefer if Miami advances. While Tatum is a stud and Brad Stevens a terrific coach, longtime fans rooting for the Celtics would be akin to Eagles supporters pulling for the Cowboys.

Being annoyed at Butler for heading to South Florida is small potatoes compared to the history with a seven-decade division rival.

And don't blame Sixers fans if they're a little jealous of both teams since their squad has only been to one conference finals in 35 years.

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly