tca/dpa
Miami
The Celtics needed just one stop to force a previously unthinkable Game 7.
They didn’t get it, then still did it under even more unthinkable circumstances.
The Celtics’ season suddenly looked lost, taken away from them in an instant. Leading by two in the dying seconds, they suffered from an unfathomable sequence. Al Horford fouled Jimmy Butler. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla challenged the call. The foul was upheld, but Butler was given three shots, ruled behind the 3-point line. He sunk all three shots.
Then, needing a miracle, the Celtics pulled it off. Marcus Smart’s shot was no good, but Derrick White crashed the glass and tipped it in. Somehow, it came before the buzzer sounded. The Celtics escaped.
When it was official, they erupted into celebration on the court at Kaseya Center.
Celtics 104, Heat 103.
Unbelievable.
After falling behind 0-3 in these Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics have stormed back. They won three consecutive games, the last one in epic fashion. There will be a Game 7 on Monday night in Boston, where the C’s will look to become the first team in NBA history to overcome an 0-3 deficit and advance to their second consecutive NBA Finals.
Unbelievable.
The Celtics led by double digits on two separate occasions in this game, including by 13 with 3:27 to go in the third quarter. Despite their poor outside shooting, and Jayson Tatum (31 points, 12 rebounds) going absent for stretches, the C’s looked like they would pull away.
But turnovers mounted for the C’s in addition to missed shots, and the Heat mounted a comeback. Miami went on an 18-4 surge and an 11-3 run early in the fourth. The Heat pulled ahead by one on Butler’s tip layup.
But then one play changed the momentum. On the Celtics’ next possession, Brown was fouled and Bam Adebayo was whistled for goaltending the basket while hanging on the rim, which warranted a technical foul. Brown made both free throws as the C’s finished a four-point possession.
