1. Wow.
It’s been roughly 11 hours and, simply, wow.
If the Boston Celtics pull off the 0-3 comeback towards the Miami Warmth, Recreation 6 will reside in recollections endlessly.
Derrick White’s buzzer-beating tip-in capped off a wild end that has seen Boston come again from the brink to even the Japanese Convention Finals at 3-3.
Win one to play another. The Celtics have carried out it one sport at a time. And now we’re right here.
Right here’s how the Celtics received the collection heading again to Boston for Recreation 7.
2. Derrick White saved his finest for final, however he did numerous good things earlier too. This was a pleasant mixture of White’s heads-up protection, adopted by a great discover to Al Horford:
White’s protection on Jimmy Butler has been in focus all collection lengthy. Within the first few video games, Butler was getting what he needed. White has made it lots tougher on him because the collection has gone alongside. This sort of play is turning into considerably commonplace from White:
Late within the sport, White wasn’t afraid of the second. This can be a assured pull when the Warmth didn’t navigate the display screen:
And, after all, White did this to maintain the Celtics season alive:
It’s only a good learn after making the inbounds go. Miami bought out to maintain the ball from Jayson Tatum, so White handed and instantly crashed the boards. Boston lives to battle one other day.
3. Jaylen Brown was on hearth early. It was among the finest examples of “First Quarter JB” that we’ve seen shortly. Foul hassle appeared to take him out of his rhythm as the sport went alongside, however Brown received Boston going.
When Brown will get a simple one early, it’s often a great signal. He went coast-to-coast for this layup to open the scoring:
The midrange pullup is one among Brown’s finest weapons. This can be a attractive shot after a dribble collection:
When Brown attracts a smaller defender, he’s pleased to rise and hearth over them:
When Brown attracts an even bigger defender, he’ll both drive them or set them up for the pullup. This was a few good jab steps right into a one-dribble pullup right here:
4. Jayson Tatum took over throughout a stretch within the second quarter. From the 9:18 mark of the second quarter to the three:41 mark, Tatum scored or arrange 16 straight factors for the Celtics.
Two dribbles from the mid-post space and proper to the elbow fadeaway:
Once more, Tatum went to work within the mid-post space. After preventing for place, it is a fairly turnaround over Jimmy Butler:
In transition, Tatum glided by and completed over Butler:
After forcing the steal, Tatum did a great job right here of not settling. He might have taken the contested jumper, however he blew by Bam Adebayo for a layup as a substitute:
5. Marcus Good made a number of large performs all through the sport. He was a chilled affect for the Celtics too. After they wanted a bucket, they performed via Good a number of instances.
Getting Good on the block all the time appears to end in one thing optimistic for Boston:
Good made good use of his pump fakes on this one. Jayson Tatum does a pleasant job studying the protection. Then, Good stays composed, get the fly-by, and drains the jumper:
A bit of later, it was the identical factor off this good cross-court discover from Grant Williams:
This can be a very nice set. Boston caught Jimmy Butler trailing and ball-watching right here, as Tatum slipped via the backdoor off the good go from Good:
6. Al Horford’s stat-line belies his significance to the sport. Sure, he dedicated a few fouls late, however that’s the unsuitable focus.
Horford made large performs all through the sport when Boston wanted them. That is good things from the just about 37-year-old:
And this restoration block was large for Horford and the Celtics:
7. Rob Williams was large off Boston’s bench as soon as once more. His vitality and athleticism simply change the sport when he will get in.
Williams’ timing and skim of offensive rebounds are off the charts:
This was a kind of ROB! performs the place you’re left questioning the way it even occurred:
Williams can be beginning to develop a great quantity of persistence when he catches it inside. It’s not all the time the hot-potato go or him instantly going proper up. Generally he settles himself and attracts the and-1:
8. Partly as a result of or Al Horford and Rob Williams, the Celtics inside protection was dominant in Recreation 6. However the guards and wings had lots to do with that too. Nothing was simple for the Warmth all sport.
Miami shot 19-of-63, or 30.2% on two-point pictures in Recreation 6. Included in that was 16-of-52 taking pictures on pictures within the paint.
Boston was contesting the whole lot. It ended up in fouls on some performs, however that’s the value of bodily, aggressive protection.
9. To be balanced, regardless of our pleasure…Boston needs to be higher to shut these video games.
The Celtics had a 10-point lead with 4:56 to play. That’s not a lot of a lead, with the best way groups shoot threes as of late. So, it’s a must to maintain enjoying and working offense.
As they have a tendency to do, Boston performed too gradual. Miami sat in a 2-2-1 token press, then dropped again into their matchup 2-3 zone. It wasn’t that the Celtics didn’t understand it or didn’t assault it correctly, they simply took too lengthy to get into their stuff.
Simply maintain pushing and conserving working stuff. Miami isn’t going to go away. They by no means do. You need to play a full 48 minutes, and it’s a must to play the total 48 minutes your method.
10. Recreation 7. On Memorial Day, after followers may have been celebrating for 2 straight days.
Yeah, it’s going to be an all-time crowd in Recreation 7.
It’s as much as the Celtics to make use of the gang and that vitality to elevate them. The Warmth look exhausted, and so they might need emptied their tanks making an attempt to win Recreation 6.
You may’t make historical past if there isn’t historical past to make.
It’s now not about profitable one to play another.
Win one to play within the NBA Finals.
