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Celtics vanquish Miami to advance to Finals: ECF review
The Boston Celtics took seven games to beat the Heat in what will be seen as a classic Eastern
Conference Finals series for the 75th year of the NBA.
Miami, the magic city where weather is controlled by a tropical heat, was not able to fight off the
storm from Boston in game seven at the FTX.
The Boston Celtics steals a third game from the Miami Heat in this series on the road in a
marquee matchup for the ages. Winning game seven, 100-96. However, it was an Eastern
Conference Finals that will be etched in NBA lore. Since game one, each of the first four games
was decided from what seemed to be off of one efficient run on offense as both teams blew each
other out in their first two victories of the series.
Going into game five, home court advantage wasn't a factor. Celtics taking game two in Miami
in dominating fashion would only be shadowed with Miami winning game three and never
giving up a lead despite the Celtics climbing back into the game off of an insane fourth quarter
comeback led by a Jaylen Brown 40 piece. In a tied series with only less than a week to decide
who would advance to the NBA Finals, no one knew what to expect from either side.
Game five's first half was a game that most basketball fans for the offensive side of the ball
would want to shield their eyes from being tainted. The score of the first half had the Heat
leading 42-37 over the Celtics as both teams shot below 40% from the field. In what seemed to
be the closest game in this series quickly started to look all too familiar to the previous four. To
start the second half, The Celtics in a span of 6 ½ minutes outscored the Heat 24-2. A turnaround
that would give Boston a quick double digit point lead that Miami would never recover from as
the Celtics won 93-80.
The Celtics were one game away from being back in the NBA Finals for the first time in a
decade and they now had a chance to advance in front of the city of Boston at home. Game six at
TD Garden seemed to be a stroll into a grave for the Heat. A season that saw Miami take the first
seed in the east and growth from a group of players that no one would assume they’d hold up
through multiple injuries during the year was now on the line in one of the most anticipated
games in the postseason. With everyone doubting the Heat, the team would need to win two
straight against Boston. A feat that hasn’t been done so far in the postseason this year.
Lighting the match
A team now and then usually levitates towards some sort of fuel to influence a comeback. Either
that be a player's performance, a moral cause, or just something that finds its way to a locker
room. For Miami, it was a simple quote spoken on TNT.
“We’re gonna play Boston,” said Golden State forward Draymond Green after the Warriors
game five victory over the Dallas Mavericks. This statement from Green echoed to the Heat. A
reminder that has followed them throughout this season that no one was giving the team in South
Beach the credit they deserved. In game six, it would be earned.
The Miami Heat, being led by a historical 47 point performance by Heat forward Jimmy Butler,
would win in Boston and again fight off a Celtics comeback late in the fourth quarter. A game
that replicates identically to a game six from 10 years ago where Lebron James dropped 45
points on the same stage seemed to only bring a deja vu gut feeling in the Celtics fans leaving the
building Friday night. As ESPN was wrapping up their post game broadcast, three-time
champion Udonis Haslem wanted a quick “thank you” to be relayed back to Green. The Heat
was on going into game seven.
Game 7 chaos
In a series like this one where no team has any health advantages, both squads knew it was all or
nothing. Miami guard Tyler Herro, who missed the past two games due to a groin injury in game
four, was made active today to join the team in its time of need coming off the bench. The
Celtics with guard Marcus Smart and forward Robert Williams III have been day-to-day
throughout this series and played this game with no minutes restrictions. Everyone was expecting
to play the entire game if needed.
As the Miami rain on Sunday began to fade away in time for tip-off, the FTX Arena appeared to
be buzzed with excitement. A Heat crowd hosting a game seven to decide on who will go to the
Finals. Miami, who wanted the 1st seed in the east for situations like a game seven at the Heats
House, would be tested to see if home court advantage was worth it.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who had a close relationship with the late Hall of Famer Kobe
Bryant, brought a token to this game; a visual representation of Tatum bringing a little bit of
Kobe with him as he wore a purple-and-gold armband bearing the number ‘24’. Tatum was
looking to win.
The game started slow offensively for Miami as they struggled from past the perimeter. The
Celtics would take advantage, leading after the first quarter 32-17. Despite the double digit lead,
the Heat would never go away in this game. A wave of runs being sent back and forth between
the two sides made the game closer than it seemed. Nearing the end, the Celtics were able to
control the game late in the fourth with a double digit lead. Then the 1 ½ minute mark came.
The Celtics leading by nine would see their Finals hopes in danger in what has to be an actual
representation of the Celtics season. If it wasn’t close, it wasn’t the Celtics.
Boston would give up a 7-0 run to Miami in the final 90 seconds of the game. Heat guard Kyle
Lowry with a layup to make it 98-93, forward Max Strus making a three in the clutch after an
offensive foul against Brown made it 98-96. All of a sudden, it was a two point game with 44.4
seconds remaining. Pure chaos.
Tatum would have the ball in his hands as the clock ticked down, passing it to Smart who would
drive into Miami center Bam Adebayo and miss a heavily contested shot. Miami, with 21.2
seconds remaining, had the ball in transition and was moving fast as Jimmy Butler saw an
opportunity that will live in the “what if” category for Heat fans for years to come.
Butler, running down to the right wing as Celtics center Al Horford back dropped into a
defensive position, would try to end the series with a pull up three with only 18 seconds on the
clock. As the ball went sailing in the air, everything paused for a second in time.
“When he shot that, I was like what the hell,” said Brown post game. As Celtics fans stood still,
Butler's shot would sail to the left, hitting the rim and rickashay back into the hands of Smart.
Smart would immediately be fouled and iced the game with two free throws at the line, winning
the game for the Celtics, 100-96.
A shot that will live in infamy for Heat fans became the talking point of the media for days.
However, the people of Miami can only talk about one thing. Why would he take that shot?
Either way, the Boston Celtics are on their way to the NBA Finals, beating Miami in seven
games. A series of insane story lines comes to an end in the most fitting way to explain it. The
Celtics held on as Butler lifted the Heat late. Butler’s playoff run this year will forever be
remembered as he scored four of his six 40 point playoff games in this year's postseason alone.
As the Heat heads into the offseason with questions on the roster for next year, the Celtics will
face against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday for game one of the NBA Finals.
Written by- Brandon Hernandez
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