Derrick White scored a game winning putback just before the buzzer sounded as Boston Celtics beat Miami Heat to force game 7.
Celtics were visiting the Heat trying to force game seven with their back up against the wall. The Celtics were 4-0 when facing elimination and Jayson Tatum would stare at Jimmy Butler, particularly in the second quarter and be totally unfazed.
Tatum turnaround shot in the second quarter over Jimmy Butler put Celtics up by 7 points. Another Tatum crossover lay-up completed a twenty-five-point first half for him. It was his fifth career twenty-five-point in half time when facing elimination.
Tatum outplays Butler
Tatum won both ends of the match against Jimmy Butler. It was a brutal game for Jimmy Butler until the very end. With five minutes to go in the second quarter, A lob pass by Tatum resulted in a wonderful dunk by Robert Williams III. The score now read 50-41.
With three minutes to go in the second quarter, a Jimmy Butler dunk reduced the lead to six. The Heat somehow only trailed by four at the break.
A Marcus Smart three-pointer increased the lead to seven with the score reading 69-62. With four minutes to go in the third quarter, A Derick White assisted shot from Robert Williams III increased the lead to ten.
Duncan Robinson Resistance
The Celtic were up by seven points after the third quarter. A Long Duncan Robinson three pointer cut down the lead of the Celtics to just one. Duncan Robinson then assisted Jimmy Butler for the Heat take the lead by one and the scores now read 83-82.
The fourth quarter was a different story for Jimmy Butler after struggling through three quarters. 15 Of his 24 points were scored in the fourth quarter.
After some Celtics free throws, Heat was down by three points with the scoreline now reading 86-83. Bam Adebayo went for a dunk after a missed three but was blocked by Al Horford, then Jaylene Brown takes the ball the other way.
Jaylene Brown had 26-point 10-rebound performance. Jayson Tatum who had 25 points in the first half would finish with 31 points.
With two minutes to go down in the game and the Heat down by seven, Butler goes for a three and scores it and the Miami now have 96 points to the Celtics 100.
Another Jimmy Butler two-pointer along the foul reduced the lead to just one. Butler was then fouled by Al Horford at the three-point lane and Butler made all three free throws and the score now read 103-102 in favor of Heat.
With just 3 seconds remaining in the game, Derrick White who inbounded the ball throwed to Marcus Smart who missed the shot but the putback shot from Derrick White with just 0.1 second remaining in the game forced a game 7 for the Celtics.
Derrick White brilliance and Game 7
Derrick White, who was part of the All-NBA defensive second team showcases some effective offensive prowess to win the game for the Celtics.
Derrick White deserves a ton of credit for playing through the final buzzer. White has been an important piece for the Celtics. He is capable of playing on and off the ball and can guard a lot of different positions.
Celtics outplayed the Heat most of the game. They built a ten-point lead through the first three quarters. They were managing pressure very well. The Heat zone defense affected the Celtics.
Throughout the post season, Boston was scrutinized for not managing one possession pressure situations very much. Here they made the play they had to make to win the game. Boston lost the lead in the fourth quarter because of excessive fouling and stagnant possession.
The conservative approach of Celtics was taken advantage by the Heat and that was that made the game so tight.
Now the Celtics would face Heat at home in game 7 to accomplish something that no team in NBA history has never achieved. Jayson Tatum, Jaylene Brown and Marcus Smart scored more than 20 points in game 6 and they should continue building on it to win game 7.
