Boston Celtics: 3 moments that clinched an NBA Finals berth for the C’s

The Boston Celtics are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 after their 100-96 Game 7 win over the Miami Heat!

The C’s led this game wire to wire and held a double-digit lead for the majority of the game. The gritty Heat team cut into that lead countless times, but the C’s were able to find an answer every single time.

Boston was able to just barely hang on after Miami made one final push to close the game. An 11-0 Heat run cut the Celtics’ lead down to just two but, luckily for the shamrocks, it never got any closer than that.

Jimmy Butler was phenomenal in Game 7, scoring 35 points while playing all 48 minutes. He gave the Celtics all they could handle with his elite toughness, difficult shot-making, and unrelenting drive to make winning plays.

Jayson Tatum led the way for the C’s by scoring 26 points, grabbing 10 boards, and dishing out six assists. He became the first-ever winner of the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award with his efforts as well.

Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown also chipped in 24 points apiece.

A remarkable win for Boston where their core players finally got over the Conference Finals barrier that had given them so much trouble in recent years. They made championship-type plays all night and finally got over the hump.

Here are 3 key moments that won Game 7 for the Boston Celtics.

Moment that won game for Boston Celtics No. 1) Tatum beats the shot clock

With just under five minutes left to play in Game 7, the Boston Celtics’ offense became a little stagnant. They were slow to get into their offensive sets and had to resort to tough shot-making to keep Miami at arm’s length.

Four straight points from the Heat cut the Celtics’ lead down to eight and it felt like they needed a bucket on their next possession in order to regain control of the game.

Boston found themselves in a tough spot on this pivotal possession. They had just 2.8 seconds to get a shot off of a baseline out-of-bounds play.

Smart inbounded the ball to Tatum who was guarded by Jimmy Butler and it was the Boston wing who came out on top. Tatum shook Butler with a slight shoulder fake which opened him up for an open midrange jumper that swished as the shot clock expired.

A crucial bucket that allowed the Boston Celtics to maintain control of the game late in the fourth.

It seemed inevitable that a team as tough as Miami had another run in them and this Tatum bucket may have kept them at bay just long enough for the C’s to pull out the win.