Boston Celtics: 3 moments that clinched an NBA Finals berth for the C’s
By Ryan Cinque
Moment that won game for Boston Celtics No. 2) Jimmy’s big miss
As mentioned before, it seemed inevitable that Miami would make a run and they did exactly that.
They found themselves down by 13 points with just a little over three minutes to go. From that point on, they landed a haymaker on the Boston Celtics and used an 11-0 run to pull themselves within two points of making the Finals.
Marcus Smart then missed a layup and Jimmy Butler grabbed the rebound with a chance to tie or take the lead for the first time in Game 7 with 20 seconds to go.
The Heat superstar came up the court and tried to put a dagger through the Celtics’ heart with a pull-up 3-pointer in transition. Luckily for Boston, his jumper came up just short and they secured the defensive rebound.
It was clear that the Heat and Jimmy Butler were gassed after clawing all the way back and this deep ball was their way of saying they had very little left in the tank.
In any other circumstance, Butler would’ve attacked the rim but, with his tank nearing empty, he went for the knockout blow. It is difficult to imagine any scenario in which Boston could recover after giving up a 14-0 run over the final three minutes.
That miss gave them one more chance to put the game out of reach and they did not waste that opportunity.