There were three seconds left in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Boston Celtics were losing to the Miami Heat by one point, which meant they would be eliminated and Miami would advance to the NBA Finals. Then, the unthinkable happened. Boston started the play with the clock ticking down to one-tenth of a second to go when Derrick White became the hero of the night.
DERRICK WHITE SENDS THE EAST FINALS BACK TO BOSTON FOR GAME 7!
HE WINS IT FOR THE CELTICS AT THE BUZZER 🚨#TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/ybUb5CT6l1
— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2023
After Marcus Smart's three-pointer, White swooped in, grabbed the rebound and made a game-winning layup as the buzzer went off, keeping the Boston Celtics alive in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston won 104-103 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, forcing a seventh and final game in the series.
We may be facing a historic, unique milestone. Never before has a franchise managed to come back from being down 3-0 in an NBA playoffs series. Miami started the Eastern Conference Finals by winning the first three games but their opponents have proven they are not about to give up. Boston managed to even the series in the next three games, two of them played on the Heat's home court. Both teams will now go into Game 7, something that nobody believed would happen a week ago.
ANOTHER ONE#UnfinishedBusiness pic.twitter.com/K2OH0yg2mb
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 28, 2023
Derrick White (11 points and 6 assists) was the clear star for scoring in the last few seconds but he was not the best player of the game. Jayson Tatum's leadership dominated the court per usual. The forward finished the game with a double-double (31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists). Jaylen Brown played his best game of the series so far. He finished with a huge double-double (26 points and 10 rebounds plus 3 assists). Marcus Smart scored 21 points and Al Horford went unnoticed with 4 points and 7 rebounds.
Six Miami Heat players scored 10 points or more, although it wasn't enough. Three players from Miami recorded a double-double: Jimmy Butler (24 points and 11 rebounds), Caleb Martin (21 points and 15 rebounds) and Bam Adebayo (11 points and 13 rebounds).
The Celtics will have the chance to clinch their spot in the NBA Finals on Monday at home at the TD Garden, surrounded by their fans. The Miami Heat will do everything possible to avoid getting eliminated this close to the end, like what happened last year against the Celtics.
THE BRACKET 🗣
A whirlwind East Finals continues as Boston forces Game 7!
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📲 https://t.co/MndHjxCujI pic.twitter.com/qckil3Q3fL— NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2023
