The Boston Celtics return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 after beating the Miami Heat 100-96 in a game 7 on Sunday night. Jason Tatum led with 26 points, and Jaylan Brown and Marcus Smart added 24 points each, while the Celtics continue to play with the Golden State Warriors for the championship, starting with a game on Thursday 1 in San Francisco.
The Celtics kept in touch and answered every time Heath ran away. Miami continued late and reduced the deficit to two points, but Boston managed to hold on to the victory. Jimmy Butler finished most of the offensive work for Miami, finishing with 35 points while playing the entire game. But Butler couldn’t do it alone for the No. 1 Heat.
With the victory of Boston, Name Udoka became the first rookie head coach in NBA history to win several 7 games; Boston beat Bucks 109-81 in Game 7 earlier in the East semifinals.
Here are three conclusions from Boston’s victory over Miami in Game 7.
1. Tatum and Brown and Smart, oh my God
Tatum and Brown live for Game 7s. You do not believe me? Here are some statistics that will blow you away. With the victory on Sunday night, Tatum is already improving to a record 4-1 in Game 7s, while Brown already has a record 5-1 in Game 7s. So it’s safe to say that these guys glow when the lights are brightest. Tonight was no different, as Brown and Tatum combined 50 points. Add 24 Smart points and it’s pretty easy to see why the Celtics won this game. From the starting lineup you can tell that the Celtics wanted to be aggressive and while Heath scared Boston in the last minutes of the match, it was due to the performance of Tatum, Brown and Smart, which brought C victory.
This is exactly the performance you want from your key players in a race to win or at home, and the stars were out for Boston on the road. But not only the result was impressive from all three players. It was Butler’s defense of Smart and Brown not to bite his fake pump and limit the contribution of everyone else in the Heat. It was Tatum’s game, a much improved skill we saw from him this season, that led to open 3s in the corners for Boston. You can see all the improvements these key guys have worked on over the years that pay off in the biggest game of their career tonight, and it just so happened to lead to a place in the NBA Finals.
2. Jimmy against everyone
Butler played the full 48 minutes and did his best to try to beat Heath. I have a feeling that Butler, who is playing the whole game, will probably be ignored, but I don’t think there are many players in this league who could do what he did tonight. Which is even crazier, he made it look easy. Butler looked just as energetic in the final minutes of the game as he did in the beginning, and to put the cherry on this crazy sweet cake, he copes with an unpleasant knee injury.
Butler was masterful in his performance in Game 7. He reached the free throw line essentially whenever he wanted, as Boston struggled to control him for the second game in a row. He fought for fights, loose balls, and played Jimmy Butler’s basketball brand all night without a break, longer than a timeout.
Unfortunately, Butler’s performance was not enough, as he received minimal help outside of Bam Adebayo’s 25 points. Lowry also scored 15 points, but it really felt like Butler’s show tonight and that’s why Heat ultimately lost the game. This is not entirely surprising, given that Miami has gradually cooled down in the course of this series, and when Tyler Hero tries to come back after three missed games and plays only six minutes, you are already at a disadvantage. Leaving Hero aside, Max Strus’ shootings also continued, and although he knocked down an important 3-pointer at the end of the game to reduce Boston’s lead to just two points, he finished the night with 2 to 7 to 3 points.
3. Al Horford will finally get a chance at the title
Horford holds the record for most playoff games (141) played without reaching the NBA Finals. But with the victory of Boston tonight, this series was interrupted and the veteran striker will receive his first blow in the championship. Horford has reached the playoffs 13 times in his 15-year career and reached the conference finals three times – once with Atlanta and twice with Boston – before that, but dropped out each time. But after years of failing to reach that point, Horford will have his first and perhaps best blow in the ring.
While the Celtics will face the Warriors, who start out as favorites to win it all, it’s not the same Golden State team from a few years ago that bothered teams every night. While the Warriors quickly beat the Dallas Mavericks in the West Finals, the Celtics will play a far tougher game for the Warriors in the finals. Horford will play a crucial role in trying to make Warriors’ lives more defensive, and if he continues to knock down 3s in a high-profile video like he did throughout the postseason (45.6 percent), then that will put Boston in a good position to try to win the title for the first time since 2008
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