BOSTON — The Boston Celtics couldn’t put the finishing touches on their historic comeback as they suffered a crushing 103-84 defeat to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night at TD Garden.
Boston’s season ends one win shy of making the NBA Finals for a second consecutive year while the Heat, who took the series, 4-3, advance to face the Denver Nuggets.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Celtics were attempting to do what none of the other 150 teams before them could do. But they met the same fate and it was made even worse due to Boston falling flat on its home court.
The Celtics got behind early and could never make up the ground. A team that lived and died by the 3-point shot missed their first 12 attempts from beyond the arc and didn’t hit its first triple until 2:07 to go in the second quarter.
And every time the Celtics tried to make a run, the Heat showed poise and resiliency, which Boston lacked, at every turn. The Celtics got as close as seven points in the second half only for the Heat to see their advantage swell over 20 points in the final frame. It didn’t help matters that Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who turned his ankle less than 30 seconds into the game and never looked the same, performed well below their capabilities. Brown turned the ball over an eye-popping eight times.
And in a reversal of roles from last year, it was the Celtics watching the Heat celebrate on their home floor this time. And for Miami, there’s no better record right now than 0-151.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Caleb Martin continued to be an X-factor for the Heat. He tallied 26 points and on an efficient 11-for-16 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds to make a huge difference.
— Jimmy Butler delivered big buckets yet again. The Heat star netted 28 points on 12-for-28 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
— Derrick White tried to will the Celtics back with a sensational third-quarter effort. He scored 12 of his 18 points in that frame.
WAGER WATCH
Tatum didn’t perform well offensively, but still hit the Over for rebounds with FanDuel Sportsbook setting the over/under at 10.5. The Over had -115 odds and with Tatum recording 11 rebounds, a $100 wager would have netted a total of $186.96.
