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Tim Bontemps, ESPN
MIAMI — The Miami Heat had been two-tenths of a second away from the NBA Finals.
However in that valuable timeframe, Derrick White — who had served because the inbounds passer on the ultimate possession for the Boston Celtics — managed to transform a putback simply earlier than the buzzer sounded, giving the guests a heart-stopping 104-103 victory in Recreation 6 of the Jap Convention finals, sending this collection again to Boston for Recreation 7 on Memorial Day evening.
The win strikes Boston to inside 48 minutes of changing into the primary staff in NBA historical past to return again from a 3-0 collection deficit.
After Jimmy Butler buried three free throws with three seconds remaining to offer Miami a 103-102 lead over Boston, Marcus Smart took the inbounds move from White and fired off a turnaround jumper that appeared to be Boston’s final hope of saving a season that gave the impression to be over a number of instances in latest days.
However after Sensible’s shot spun across the rim and out, White, who had raced to the nook after inbounding the ball to doubtlessly get a move, lower to the rim, rose up and grabbed Sensible’s miss and laid it in, with the ball leaving his hand actually moments earlier than the buzzer sounded.
After a fast evaluate, the basket was counted by the officers, the Celtics celebrated on the court docket right here at Kaseya Middle and the sellout crowd left surprised after a staggering flip of occasions within the closing moments.
The Celtics had led 100-91 with 3 minutes, 4 seconds remaining after a pair of Jayson Tatum free throws. However in a scene eerily harking back to Recreation 7 of final yr’s Jap Convention finals right here in Miami between these two groups, the Warmth then stormed again. However in contrast to final season, when Butler missed a possible game-winning 3-pointer with lower than 20 seconds remaining, this time Butler — who completed the sport with 24 factors on 5-for-21 capturing however was dreadful many of the evening — was fouled within the nook by Al Horford with three seconds remaining.
At that time, it appeared just like the Celtics’ season was over. As an alternative, it was simply setting the stage for White’s heroics a couple of moments later.
Saturday’s victory continued Boston’s historic ascent again into this collection. The Celtics grew to become the fourth staff in NBA historical past to power a Recreation 7 after falling behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven collection, becoming a member of the Portland Trail Blazers towards the Dallas Mavericks within the first spherical of the 2003 playoffs; the Denver Nuggets towards the Utah Jazz within the Western Convention semifinals in 1994; and the New York Knicks towards the Rochester Royals within the 1951 NBA Finals.
The Celtics, nevertheless, would be the first of these groups to host Recreation 7 after falling behind 3-0.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has now gained 5 elimination video games in these playoffs, tying him with the late Paul Westphal for essentially the most elimination recreation victories by a first-time head coach within the postseason when Westphal led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals.
The eight wins Boston now has in elimination video games over the previous two playoffs are tied with the 1994-95 Houston Rockets for essentially the most elimination recreation victories in consecutive playoffs.
Boston’s fifth straight triumph in a street elimination recreation additionally tied the Celtics for the document for many consecutive wins in these conditions. What makes it all of the extra outstanding is that whereas the 2 earlier document holders — the Celtics from 1968 to 1974, and the Phoenix Suns from 1981 to 1990 — did so over a several-year stretch, all 5 of Boston’s street playoff wins with their season on the road have all come previously two playoffs.
The Celtics gained Recreation 6 of the Jap Convention semifinals in Milwaukee final yr, adopted by Recreation 7 of the Jap Convention finals right here in Miami. This season, the Celtics gained Recreation 6 of the Jap Convention semifinals in Philadelphia, adopted by Video games 4 and 6 towards the Warmth on this collection.
In the meantime, the victory improved Boston’s general street document over the previous two playoffs to 14-7, with these 14 victories now tied for the second most by any staff over consecutive postseasons in NBA historical past.
The Los Angeles Lakers throughout the 2001 and ’02 playoffs maintain the document with 15 victories, whereas the Cleveland Cavaliers gained a mixed 14 throughout the 2015-16 and 2016-17 postseasons, as did the Golden State Warriors over the 2018 and 2019 playoffs and people mid-Nineties Rockets groups.
All of these groups have one thing in widespread: They gained championships. With one more victory Monday in Recreation 7, Boston may have an opportunity to do the identical within the NBA Finals towards the Denver Nuggets.
And, because of White’s heroics, the Celtics will get an opportunity to make historical past.