Celtics Fairy Tale of a Season Still Has A Chapter Left To Be Written

After blowing a chance to move on to the NBA Finals at home in Game 6, the Celtics hit the road to beat the Miami Heat wire-to-wire in Game 7 to advance to the Finals for the first time since 2010.

MIAMI – Never a dull moment with these Boston Celtics, right?

Lovers of the rough and rugged path of success, it was only fitting that they would punch their ticket to the NBA Finals by nearly blowing a double-digit lead with minutes to play.

But this resilient bunch did just enough to hold on for a 100-96 Game 7 win to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, where they will face the Golden State Warriors.

As the final horn sounded, Celtics players rushed the court, hugs and tears highlighted an overflow of emotions for a Celtics team that has been on a fairy tale of a season that still has a chapter or two left to be written.

And while Boston led wire-to-wire, Miami certainly made the Celtics sweat a bit in the closing seconds of play.

Jimmy Butler had a chance to put the Heat ahead in the closing minutes but missed the potential go-ahead 3-pointer.

Marcus Smart drained a pair of free throws with 11.6 seconds to play that would ultimately seal the win and the series, for Boston.

After trailing by as many as 17 points, the Heat made it a one-possession game early in the fourth after a driving lay-up by Jimmy Butler.

Boston, ahead 82-79, called a time-out with 10:56 to play.

This game did not have the makings of a close finish considering how it began.

The Celtics opened the game with the first six points, with their first-quarter lead peaking at 24-9 after a Grant Williams basket.

The Heat was more competitive through the first, but Boston was able to finish the quarter with an 8-0 run to lead 32-17.

Boston’s control remained steady for most of the second quarter.

But in the closing minutes of the quarter, Miami ended the quarter with an 11-2 run to cut Boston’s lead to just 55-49 at the half.

The start of the second half looked a lot like the first, as Boston soon pushed its lead back to double digits, leading to a Heat time-out at the 6:45 mark and the Celtics ahead, 72-58 after a 3-pointer by Smart.

But the Heat, as we’ve seen throughout this series, should never be counted out.

Boston’s double-digit lead soon evaporated courtesy of a 7-0 Miami run that brought the Heat within 72-65 with 5:16 to play in the third quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter, Boston led 82-75.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Game 7.

STARS

Jayson Tatum: From the opening tip-off, Jayson Tatum played with a good pace, flow and rhythm. He would finish with a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds along with six assists.

Jimmy Butler: For most of Game 7, the Butler was doing it for the Miami Heat. He delivered yet another impressive performance in leading all scorers with 35 points and nine rebounds.

STUDS

Jaylen Brown: The scoring and overall decision-making by Jaylen Brown hasn’t been this good in a long, long time. He would finish Game 7 with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Bam Adebayo: For large chunks of Game 7, Jimmy Butler had little support offensively other than Bam Adebayo. He had a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists without a turnover.

Marcus Smart: This was the healthiest Smart has been since he returned to the lineup following a mid-foot sprain. He found his shot (and maybe took a couple he probably shouldn’t have, but that’s another story for another day) and did an excellent job of organizing the offense while also playing strong defense. He had a near double-double with 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

DUDS

Robert Williams III: It’s hard to say if it’s health or did the moment of being counted on to perform in a Game 7 get to Robert Williams. But for most of his time on the floor, he provided very little in terms of production or a positive impact. Williams getting stripped early in the fourth quarter led to a Jimmy Butler lay-up that made it a one-possession game for the first time since the early minutes of the fourth quarter. For the game, Williams had two points and three rebounds.

Tyler Herro: The long-awaited return to the Miami Heat did absolutely nothing for Miami. Herro, the league’s Sixth Man of the Year this season, was scoreless during the seven minutes he saw on the floor. But it was long enough for the Celtics to make him a target offensively. Boston targeted Herro on four consecutive possessions but only converted one of those trips into points with a Marcus Smart driving lay-up.