Game Recap

Marc D'Amico

Things got away from the Celtics in a hurry at the start of Monday’s fourth quarter. It took only 70 seconds for their 10-point deficit entering the frame to swell to 17. Miami’s top two players of the series, Caleb Martin and Jimmy Butler, accounted for the entire 7-0 run.

Martin opened it up with a wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the arc to push Miami’s lead to 13. The shot came in transition after Martin found himself unguarded thanks to a miscommunication by Boston’s defense. Derrick White, who stopped the ball in transition, seemingly thought that one of his teammates getting back on defense from the other end was going to switch onto Martin. As such, White backed off of him. When no other Boston player stepped up, Martin then stepped right into the 3-pointer and drilled it.

Boston went on to commit consecutive turnovers on its next two possessions that led to another four Miami points, all of which were scored by Butler. He first canned a pullup jumper and then dunked one home after poking away a steal from Jaylen Brown that led to Butler’s uncontested slam at the other end.

That was Miami’s knockout punch. The Celtics never responded from there, as the Heat’s lead remained at 15 or more the rest of the way before the team closed out its 103-84 victory.

Derrick White saved the day with his miraculous tip-in to force Game 7. He nearly saved the day during Game 7 as well, as he was Boston’s only offensive weapon during the second half of Monday’s series finale.

White scored 13 of his 18 points during the second half to give the C’s a fighting chance. He single-handedly sliced Miami’s 16-point lead in half by scoring eight straight points from the 10:14 mark to the 8:29 mark of the third period. He then cut Boston’s deficit down to seven with a three-point play at the 3:33 mark of the same quarter.

Unfortunately for Boston, no one else on the team could muster up any offense during that second half, which allowed Miami to regain complete control. White was the only Celtics player who scored more than seven points during the second half.

White finished the game with 18 points on 5-for-12 shooting, to go along with two rebounds, one assist and one steal.&nbsp;

- Jimmy Butler (28 points) and Caleb Martin (26 points) led the game in scoring.

- Boston's leading scorer was Jaylen Brown with 19 points, while Derrick White added in 18.

- Boston committed 15 turnovers and shot just 39 percent from the field.

- Jayson Tatum (14 points, 11 rebounds) was the only Celtics player who logged a double-double, while two Heat players, Martin (26 points, 10 rebounds) and Bam Adebayo (12 points, 10 rebounds) did so.

- Miami shot 50 percent from long range (14-for-28).

- The game featured only 35 total bench points.

"That's one of the best locker rooms I've been around."

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Keys to the Game: Heat 103, Celtics 84

The old sports adage says that defense wins championships. If there’s truth in that statement, the Boston Celtics might just be headed toward an 18th&nbsp;banner, because they’re playing their best defense at the most opportune time of the season.

Saturday night’s Game 6 in Miami marked the third consecutive game of the Eastern Conference Finals during which Boston limited the opposing Heat to 103 or fewer points. The Celtics have smothered the Heat with a deadly combination of effort, physicality and teamwork, which has limited Miami to just 99.7 points per game on 43.0 percent shooting from the field over those three contests.

There is no wondering why Boston is now in prime position to pull off the improbable. The answer for the team’s turnaround is simple.

“Defense, defense, defense,” Jaylen Brown said after Game 6. “Our defense kept us in games, and defense is why there's going to be a Game 7.”

The fact that there will be a Game 7 means that Boston’s defense has featured a shocking turnaround in the middle of this series. Through the first three games of the Conference Finals, the Celtics had surrendered an average of 120.7 PPG on 51.9 percent shooting. Miami was getting everything it wanted, and with ease.

Now, the Heat’s offense is at the other end of the spectrum. Miami is putting in legitimate work for nearly every shot it takes, and rarely does the team find easy looks. Such was the case throughout Game 6 as the Heat shot just 31.1 percent from the field through the first three quarters. That level of defense kept the game in Boston’s favor while the Celtics navigated their worst 3-point shooting night of the entire season.

“Yeah,” Jayson Tatum said bluntly, “it was defense that kept us in the game, that allowed us to stay in the game.”

And, from a macro level, it has allowed them to stay in the series.

Even Miami has taken notice of the defensive turnaround for Boston and is now publicly acknowledging it. Well, kind of.

Following Game 6, Bam Adebayo was asked what the Celtics are doing differently at the defensive end of the floor after they limited him to 4-for-16 shooting in the game. His initial response was, “I feel like they’ve been more active.”

Just seconds later, Adebayo drifted away from crediting Boston’s defense, but the toothpaste had already been let out of the tube with his initial, honest answer. He knows full well that the C’s have dialed it up at that end, and that it’s affecting every Heat player who takes the floor.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was much more open when it came to crediting Boston’s defense.&nbsp;&nbsp;He acknowledged following Game 6, “They jammed us up. It looked like at one point, (like) we were in the 80s.”

That right there says a lot about these Celtics. That right there is the greatest compliment Spoelstra could give them.

What was defense all about in the 80s? It was about physicality, effort… and a lot more physicality. Boston has upped the ante in those categories, and in significant fashion.

You know Boston is playing at an extremely high level at that end if it’s conjuring up thoughts of the days when Kevin McHale was clotheslining Kurt Rambis. You know, the days that just so happened to coincide with a trio of Celtics titles.

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Physical 'D' Continues Buoying C's in ECF Comeback

What an absolutely, positively, unpredictably insane ending to Game 6, all capped by a play that could go down in NBA history as the one that ignited history.

Down by two with 3.0 seconds remaining, Marcus Smart caught an inbound pass and fired up a fadeaway 3-pointer that rattled around the rim and popped out. This play wasn’t about him, though. This play was all about the man who passed him the ball.

That man was Derrick White, who, after passing the ball in to Smart, crashed the glass from the near-side corner and tipped the ball in with a tenth of a second to spare to force Game 7 in the most improbable of ways.

The play was downright shocking to everyone who was watching – the Celtics included. Neither the Celtics nor the Heat knew whether or not to celebrate. But after a moment of discussion between the officials, the shot was deemed good and the Boston burst into celebration knowing that it had somehow forced Game 7.

With that Game 7, the Boston Celtics now have a true opportunity to become the first team in league history to ever overcome an 0-3 series deficit. If that happens, this shot by White will be one that will never, ever be forgotten as long as the NBA is still around.

Jaylen Brown said after Game 6 that the Celtics feel “like we’ve been to hell and back.” Brown somehow navigated his own such trip during Game 6 alone.

Brown opened up the contest red-hot from the field, scoring 10 points during the opening quarter on 5-for-6 shooting. Soon, though, he became saddled with foul trouble and picked up his fourth with 9:49 left in the third quarter.

That moment could have taken Brown out of the game. Instead, he found a way to dial in and play foul-free for the remainder of the night while compiling a monster double-double.

Brown finished the contest with 26 points and 10 rebounds, including 13 points and three boards following that fourth foul. This marked his second double-double of the postseason, and he also pitched in three assists and two steals during the victory.

While his gaudy numbers are strong enough to garner all of the attention, his shooting efficiency should also earn praise. Brown shot 9-for-16 from the field. He, along with Miami’s Caleb Martin, were the only starters in the game who shot better than 47 percent from the field.

What a night by Brown. He battled through a very difficult basketball position to help power his team to a Game 7. If he can do the same Monday night, the Celtics might just wind up feeling like they’re heaven.

- Three Celtics scored 21 or more points, with Jayson Tatum scoring a game-high 31, Jaylen Brown scoring 26, and Marcus Smart adding in 21.

- Boston blocked eight shots, including three from Derrick White, and two apiece from Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.

- Tatum (31 points, 12 rebounds) and Brown (26 points, 10 rebounds) each logged double-doubles.

- Jimmy Butler led Miami with 24 points, but he shot just 5-for-21 from the field.

- Boston won despite its worst 3-point shooting game of the season, at 20 percent.

- The Celtics made as many free throws, 29, as Miami attempted.

- Tatum shot a perfect 15-for-15 from the free-throw line, while Butler shot 12-for-14 from the stripe.

- Three Heat players logged double-doubles, including a 21-point, 15-rebound game from Caleb Martin.

"D-White, like a flash of lightning, just came out of nowhere and saved the day."

- Jaylen Brown on Derrick White's game-winner

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 104, Heat 103

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The Celtics got the momentum going early and didn’t look back as they forced a Game 6 with a 110-97 victory Thursday night.

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5/25 Putnam Postgame Report: Physical Basketball

The Boston Celtics haven’t exactly been elite this season when it comes to preserving big leads. During Thursday night’s Game 5, however, they couldn’t have been better in that category.

Boston built an early 20-5 lead and never let go of the rope the rest of the night. The Celtics responded at every moment to maintain a double-digit lead through the final buzzer while closing out a 110-97 victory.

The team’s most critical response of the night came at the end of the first half, when this game could have either remained comfortable for Boston, or it could have became dicey. The C’s made sure it was the former.

Boston’s 18-point lead dropped down to 12 following of a timeout at the 2:59 mark of the second quarter. Jimmy Butler converted on a three-point play and Miami seemingly had life. The Celtics needed to close out the quarter strong to maintain their momentum, and that’s exactly what they did.

Derrick White responded on Boston’s next possession with a 3-pointer to bump the lead back up to 15. All told, the Celtics went on to rattle off an 8-0 run overall to push their advantage to 20, their largest of the game to that point, with 1:31 remaining in the half. The only points scored from there on out before the halftime buzzer were two free throws from Jimmy Butler.

That stretch of play was absolutely critical for Boston. It maintained momentum heading into halftime and, in the long run, secured the victory in Game 5.

Instead of dropping 51 points in a do-or-die game, he instead spread the wealth throughout his box score line. It started with his 21 points on 50 percent shooting, and it carried through to his game-high 11 assists, his eight rebounds, and his two steals.

Tatum opened the game with 12 points during the first quarter, including a monster slam dunk, to build a world of momentum for Boston. He finished it by dishing out nine assists over the final three periods.

This was a high-level, all-around performance during which Tatum read the game perfectly. Boston would certainly welcome more of the same during Saturday’s Game 6.

- Four Celtics scored between 21 and 24 points: Derrick White (24), Marcus Smart (23), and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (21 apiece).

- No Heat player scored more than 18 points, with Duncan Robinson leading the way in that category.

- Robinson also led the Heat with nine assists.

- Boston scored 27 points off of Miami's 16 turnovers.

- The C's shot 50.6 percent from the field and 41 percent from long distance.

- Both teams made 40 field goals, yet the Celtics won by 13.

- Al Horford led the game with 11 rebounds.

- Tatum and Brown each scored 21 points on 50 percent shooting (8-for-16 for Tatum, 9-for-18 for Brown).

- Boston forced Bam Adebayo into a game-high six turnovers.

"It started on defense. We set the intensity, and we came out and played good basketball tonight, and it looked fun out there."

- Jaylen Brown on what led to the Game 5 victory

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 110, Heat 97

Jayson Tatum dominated Game 4 to help the Celtics force Game 5 back in Boston.

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5/23 Putnam Postgame Report: Tatum Dominates Game 4

One might assume that an 18-0 run during the third quarter would need to be chosen as the Key Moment of Game 4. However, it was what happened after that 18-0 run that determined the outcome of the contest.

Boston’s 18-0 spurt turned a nine-point deficit at the 10:39 mark of the third quarter into a nine-point lead at the 6:24 mark. Miami did not fade, however, and the Celtics needed even more juice the rest of the way in order to log their first win of the series.

The Heat cut Boston’s lead back down to four on two occasions during the final five minutes of the third. The Celtics responded each time, first with five straight points, and then with six straight points.

Another response, possibly even more critical, arrived during the early minutes of the fourth quarter. Miami scored the first four points of the final period to pull back within five. Yet again, the Celtics responded – this time after a timeout by Joe Mazzulla.

Mazzulla called the timeout to get Jayson Tatum back into the game and that decision was monumental. Tatum immediately flashed to the center of Miami’s zone defense, caught an entry pass from Grant Williams, turned, and swished home a jumper from the free-throw line. That bucket bumped Boston’s lead back up to seven.

Miami then missed a 3-pointer on its ensuing possession and that’s all the C’s needed to take complete control of the game. Jaylen Brown threw down a loud slam just five seconds after that missed 3 and Boston went on to complete a 12-0 run to pull ahead by 17 with 7:25 remaining. That stretch broke the Heat’s will and deposited the victory into Boston’s back pocket.

There were plenty of comments following Game 3 that questioned Boston’s fortitude, and rightfully so. Those voices had better be just as loud following these consistent responses from the Celtics throughout the second half of Game 4.

Jayson Tatum looked like Jayson Tatum again Tuesday night. And yes, that includes during the fourth quarter.

Tatum scored 11 of his game-high 33 points during the final frame of Game 4, and 25 overall during the second half. He finished the contest having made 14 of his 22 shots from the field, four of his eight 3-pointers, and one of his two free throw attempts. No other player in the game made more than nine shots.

The superstar wing also notched his 12th&nbsp;double-double in 17 games this postseason by hauling in a game-high 11 rebounds. Ten of those boards were captured at the defensive end – four more than any other player in the game.

So, he led the game in scoring. He led the game in rebounding. What else could he possibly have done? Oh, just led the game in assists and blocks as well.

Tatum dished out seven helpers on the night to lead all players. Five of those assists were dished out during the second half, compared to just one turnover. He also logged two blocks at the defensive end of the court to tie for the game’s top mark. That means Tatum led the game outright in points, rebounds and assists, and tied for the game high in blocks, all while shooting 64 percent from the field.

- Boston outscored Miami by 30 points from beyond the arc (54-24).

- Jayson Tatum tied or led the game outright in points (33), rebounds (11), assists (seven) and blocks (two).

- Tatum's 14 made field goals were five more than any other player.

- Caleb Martin led all reserves with 16 points.

- Grant Williams led Boston's bench with 14 points and six rebounds. He was a plus-15 in the plus/minus category.

- Al Horford stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one blocked shot.

- Boston dished out 28 assists compared to just 10 turnovers.

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Keys to the Game: Celtics 116, Heat 99

Despite Jaylen Brown getting hot early on, the Heat took a 3-0 series lead in Game 3.