MIAMI — The Boston Celtics are on the verge of something unprecedented in the NBA, an extremely rare feat in the history of major American professional sports.
Behind Derrick White’s stunning response before the buzzer sounded, the Boston Celtics won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals 104-103, defeating the Miami Heat.
The Celtics came back to tie the series at 3-3, after losing their first three games, and could become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game after falling behind, 3-0. One hundred and fifty have tried and failed.
Only five teams combined in the NHL and Major League Baseball, including in 2004, when the Red Sox did so with their arch-rival Yankees to reach the World Series, have won Game 7 after falling behind by three in the series.
Historically, Miami isn’t the Celtics’ main rival (hello, Lakers), but the Heat and Boston have faced each other three times in the last four seasons in the Conference Finals. And for the second year in a row, the Celtics-Heat Conference Finals are heading to Game 7.
No matter what happens in Game 7, which takes place at 8:30 Monday night at the TD Garden, no one on either side will soon forget this series.
Jimmy Butler hit three foul shots with three seconds left to give the Heat a 103-102 lead. Marcus Smart missed a 3-pointer after a timeout, but White rebounded and returned it with 0.11 remaining—a play that withstood the officials’ video review.
Jason Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points, including 25 in the first half. Jaylen Brown added 26 points, and Smart was blazing for the second straight game with 21 points.
Boston was playing without umpire, NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, who missed the game with a right forearm strain.
Butler suffered one of the worst shooting games he has ever had – in the regular season or playoffs – missing 16 of 21 shots he took. But he scored 13 of his team-high 24 points in the fourth quarter, including the Heat’s last 10 over the final 2:04.
Al Horford fouled a layup, and while he calmly hit all three foul shots, it seemed as if Butler had found the best compensation, since it was he who missed the wide open 3 nets near the end of Game 7 in last year’s Eastern Finals against the Celtics who He could have won that match.
Rather, it was the most bitter defeat.
Caleb Martin continued his historic conference finals record with 21 points and 15 boards. In his first start for the series—Heat coach Erik Spoelstra replaced Martin in Kevin Love—Martin came into play and averaged 17.6 points off the bench in the series for the fifth-highest average by a reserve in Conference Finals history.
Bam Adebayo continued to struggle on offense, shooting 4 of 16 for 11 points.
Boston joins the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers, 1994 Denver Nuggets, and 1951 New York Knicks as the only NBA teams to lose 3-0 and even force a Game 7. Obviously, all of those teams lost, but they all played Game 7 way.
The Celtics, who are now 5-0 in elimination games this postseason, have played more Game 7s (so far) than any other franchise and, in the Tatum-Brown era, are 5-1 in Game 7s dating back to 2018. .
And they will be at home. With a chance to write a piece of American history.
Crazy ending to the game 6
What a stressful, urgent and desperate game. He led the Celtics in double digits in each half. The Heat canceled their way back every time even while shooting at 35.5 percent from the field for the game. The action looked like a Game 7, as both teams knew the entire season could be on the line.
For the Celtics, it was actually their season. And they choose the most interesting way to expand it. They all lost a double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter.
After a replay review by Joe Mazzola gave Butler a chance to put Miami ahead, not just tie the game, White returned a clever fumble at the buzzer to force a Game 7.
That ending couldn’t be more insane. – king
White saves the Celtics
The Celtics missed a win to save their season, and then somehow White saved them. White always finds a way to be in the right place at the right time while making play faster than anyone else can.
Most of the time, there’s suspense when the reaction goes up just before the bell, but you know right away that White will get it out just in time. He sneaks into every crevice of the game to make plays at the right time and he literally saved the Celtics’ season from dying. – Weiss
(Photo: Mike Ehrman/Getty Images)