HEAT-CELTICS IN GAME 7: NO MORE TOMORROW
BOSTON— Moments after Boston’s dramatic win at Miami on Saturday night, Jaylen Brown began thinking about the future. He raised his hands, put up seven fingers and began yelling, “Game 7! Game 7!”
Game 7, indeed.
Brown and Boston are on the brink of history after Derrick White’s buzzer-beating putback lifted the Celtics to a 104-103 victory over the Heat in Game 6.
One of the league’s most storied franchises is trying to become the first team in National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs history to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a bestof-seven series.
Next up is one more game in the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night in Boston. And it looks as if the back-and-forth series could be on its way to an epic conclusion.
The Celtics are the fourth NBA team to erase a 3-0 deficit in a bestof-seven series and force a deciding game. The previous three teams—the 1951 New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the 1994 Denver Nuggets in the second round and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers in the first round—lost Game 7, all on the road.
“We’ve got another chance, another opportunity,” said Jayson Tatum, who had 31 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in Game 6 to join Larry Bird as the only other Celtic with double-digit playoff games with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. “It’s far from over. Still an uphill battle. But it always feels good to give yourself another chance, another opportunity.”
Boston is looking to extend a wild postseason ride that already includes five wins when facing elimination— twice in the East semifinals after falling behind 3-2 to the 76ers, and now three straight times against the Heat.
The Celtics are 27-9 in Game 7s and have won their last four— including a 112-88 win against Philadelphia in the previous round that featured Tatum breaking out for 51 points, the most in a Game 7 in NBA history.
Boston also beat the Heat in Game 7 in Miami in last year’s East finals when Jimmy Butler missed what would have been a go-ahead threepointer with about 17 seconds left.
The Heat are 6-5 all-time in Game 7s, losing their last two. Miami is 0-2 when facing such a game on the road.
The winner of Sunday’s matchup will advance to face the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
Despite being denied a finals berth in three straight games, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said his message to the team after Saturday’s loss was just to focus on the next game. Let the past be the past.
“Let’s just rally around each other,” Spoelstra said. “These are emotional games and things can swing in that Game 7. The pressure can go back and forth in Game 7s quite a bit. We’re not going anywhere.”
But what may be most concerning for the Heat heading into Monday is the Celtics—typically reliant on their ability to make three-point shots— were able to pull out Saturday’s win despite making a playoff-low 7 of 35 attempts from deep.