After three video games and three quarters of methodically chipping away – and coming tantalizingly shut to creating historical past – the Celtics ran out of steam in Recreation 7 towards the Warmth.
Miami earned a 103-84 victory on Monday at TD Backyard, successful the sequence 4 video games to a few and advancing to face the Denver Nuggets within the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle on the primary play of the sport, Jaylen Brown had eight turnovers, the Celtics shot 21.4 p.c from 3, and Boston scored simply 18 factors in a dreadful fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler led the best way with 28, and Celtics killer Caleb Martin added 26.
The Celtics have been sluggish and out of types the majority of the night time. They confirmed indicators of life in flashes, however the Warmth withstood each surge and avenged final 12 months’s loss on the similar juncture.
NBA groups are actually 0-151 after falling behind 0-3 in a sequence – not 1-150.
It wasn’t fairly early, both, however they did sufficient to hold round.
Tatum injured his ankle 26 seconds into the sport and seemed to be in some ache the remainder of the best way. Brown turned the 1A possibility and saved the Celtics afloat, but Martin continued to prepare dinner and the Warmth took a 22-15 edge by means of one.
The Celtics shot simply 6-for-23 (26.1 p.c) from the sector and 0-for-10 from 3-point vary and had almost as many turnovers (4) as they did area objectives within the quarter. They got here out with these early-game jitters that usually appear to accompany an enormous recreation like this one. It was as tough because it sounds.
Miami prolonged its result in 38-21 with 7:32 left within the half. Boston fell behind by 17 or extra 11 instances this season and misplaced all 11. The chances have been considerably stacked towards the Celtics as soon as once more, however (for no matter motive) that’s precisely the place they really feel their most snug.
As they’ve constantly accomplished all season, and all sequence, they responded. Robert Williams completed an alley-oop, Tatum scored in transition and Derrick White buried a 3. The Celtics briefly reduce it to eight, and so they trailed, 52-41, on the half.
It was a basic “they performed terribly, however they’re solely down 11” half, nevertheless it was true. They have been solely down 11.
A mini 8-0 flurry from White – together with an and-one with a celebration from the bottom – reduce the deficit to 59-51 within the third quarter. Williams discovered Tatum for 3, then White scored inside once more. The Backyard crowd was able to explode – concurrently antsy and enthusiastic, prepared for a run.
However Martin saved the Warmth in entrance with a sequence of spectacular pictures. The Warmth took a 76-66 edge into the fourth.
The Celtics have been proper there, and so they wanted to discover a solution to recover from the hump, however Martin and Co. merely wouldn’t permit it, although. Miami saved its finest for final and pulled away to forestall the Celtics from getting again to the NBA Finals.
Boston in the end dug itself in too deep of a gap. Recreation 7 was a microcosm of the sequence, because the Celtics faltered early, responded, then struggled mightily late.
There will probably be no parade. A protracted and pivotal offseason awaits.
