As we prepare for Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and… Miami HeatThe term “making history” is still thrown around everywhere. Yes, that’s right: no team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff game, and now the Celtics stand on the cusp of an unforgettable feat.
Making history in front of your hometown crowd at TD Garden will also make things a little sweeter. Your slice of history for a franchise that is as scripted as it is successful. However, for all the drive we expect the Celtics to have and all the desire we expect them to display, we can’t forget that Miami has the exact same reasons to fire.
The Heat is a proud organization. The term “Heat Culture”, though often overused, is a term that demonstrates how well their organization is run while praising their keen interest in talent and commitment to player development. This franchise won’t be keen on falling on the wrong side of the history books on Monday night.
Jimmy Butler and Pam Adebayo will not return to Boston with the idea of being remembered for all time. Instead, they’ll want to stop rewriting the scripts of NBA folklore. They will want to strangle the clerks who will wait for the final whistle, forcing them to tear up their rough drafts.
But most of all they want revenge for last year’s seventh game.
Miami had to give way to the Celtics last season. Miami was watching NBA Finals from home, wondering if they could have a different score vs Golden State Warriors. And Miami had to watch how the Celtics ripped the NBA in the early part of this season. So, it’s fair to assume there’s a pretty big chip on their shoulder right now.
Let’s not twist it, though; No team participates in this competition without heavy pressure on their shoulders. Sure, the Celtics carry all the momentum, and Jayson Tatum has a track record of hitting 7s at home. However, Butler has a great track record for success when it matters, too.
The difference is that the Heat plays with house money. No one expected Miami to return to the Eastern Conference Finals, while everyone expected the Celtics to be there. So, only one team is playing to live up to preseason expectations, and that in itself is a real mountain Boston will need to climb in the full 48 minutes.
But passion and pressure will not be decisive factors in Monday’s match. Instead, it will come down to the team executing their coach’s game plan and being able to impose their brand of basketball on their opponent.
For all the talk of Miami bumping the Celtics in the opening three games, those losses were as much about Boston failing to play their game as they were about Miami dead-on 3-point shooting, while the Celtics’ three straight wins came from execution and game planning.
The decision to place an assistant around the nail stifled Miami’s elbow action that would normally see a slanting crease before he went downfield. Weakside defensive courses stress archers as they attack approach points. And making sure there is a big man between the ball and the basket when guarding devious dribblers from picking movements and rotations ensures that there is no easy bucket.
Boston rediscovered their identity in this series. In a way, it reminds me of the fight scene from Cobra Kai season 3, where Miguel Diaz finally gets tired of whacking and digs deep to fight through the mental block he had after his spinal injury.
With all of this being said, I still pray for the Celtics to win, so that we can see them enter the NBA Finals as a team with more experience. I also want to rejoice in making history. But I’m under no illusion that the Heat will do everything they can to prevent the history books from adding a new entry late Monday night.