Celtics

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and the Boston Celtics held off a frantic rally in the final seconds to reach the NBA finals for the first time since 2010.

An 9-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Max Strus with 51 seconds left, got the Heat within 98-96. Boston forced the Heat into nine consecutive misses during a crucial stretch of the fourth quarter, using that run to turn an 82-79 lead into a 90-79 edge – and the Celtics, who had lost each of their last four trips to the East finals, found a way to hold on. Bam Adebayo added 25 for the Heat, who were down 11 with under three minutes to go before trying one last rally.

Stephen Curry has a chance to own the championship stage, while Boston's big men loom large in this rematch of the 1964 Finals.

With their escape in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, they’re 10-1 when leading after the third quarter and 2-5 when trailing after the third. Over their 16 games, they’ve outscored their opponents by 25.4 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter, the best mark for any team in any quarter in these playoffs and what would be the second best single-quarter mark in the last 10 years for a team that has advanced past the first round. This edition of the Warriors has won the fourth quarter by double-digits twice as many times (six) as it has lost the period (three — once in each series). The dominance has been mostly about offense, with the Warriors scoring 133.9 points per 100 possessions over those 192 minutes. There’s some garbage time mixed in there, but the Warriors are 4-3 in games they trailed after the third period after going 7-19 in such games in the regular season. They need to flex that muscle in ways the Mavericks couldn’t in the West finals against Golden State. Al Horford is having a renaissance and Robert Williams III, assuming he’s healthy, is an athletic rim protector. Their veteran trio is championship-tested and the infusion of youth and quickness makes for a winning combination.

MIAMI (AP) — Not this time. After being thwarted on the doorstep of the NBA Finals three other times in the previous five seasons, the Boston Celtics have ...

Boston appeared to be headed for the lottery at the start of the season, but now have a date with the Warriors in the championship.

But I think you just trust in yourself, trust in the work that you put in to get to this point and continue to work, and it can’t rain forever. I knew that coming in today and the group knew that.” Awaiting Boston is Golden State, and this is a matchup the Celtics can win. Tatum was a rookie when the Celtics made the conference finals in 2018, overcoming season-ending injuries to Gordon Hayward and Irving to push LeBron James and the Cavaliers to seven games before bowing out. “I came in with the mindset today that I was willing to do anything it took to win this game, however that looked,” Tatum said. Back then, Tatum believed a trip to the Finals was inevitable. “They allowed us to fix it and work it out.” The man that who spent years coaching under Gregg Popovich seemed to think he was him. “He kind of puts it on you to let you know that, hey, I’m not taking no slack. That’s right: The Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals. From the podium, Smart allowed it all to soak in. But whether it was the 48 minutes he played, the balky knee that has troubled him or the leprechaun that has seemingly attached itself to these Celtics since midseason, Butler’s shot came up short. For three quarters the Celtics had fended off a relentless, never-ending Heat charge, battling as a 15-point first quarter lead was whittled to six at the end of the second, and as a 12-point edge with 3 ½ minutes to play was sliced to two.

Jayson Tatum has registered 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to help the Boston Celtics notch a...

The visitors sprinted out of the gates with leads of 12-3 and 24-9. Jimmy Butler recorded 35 points and nine rebounds to lead the Heat at home, but missed a three-point attempt with 16.6 seconds left that would have given Miami the lead. The Celtics pushed the lead to 72-58 with 6:46 left in the third before Miami cut down the deficit and trailed 82-75 entering the final stanza.

The Boston Celtics will face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals after beating Miami Heat in a do-or-die game seven of the Eastern Conference ...

Tatum was named conference finals MVP as the Celtics broke the tied finals series and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. - The Celtics will play the Warriors in the NBA Finals from Friday (AEST) - Miami's Jimmy Butler missed a shot with 16 seconds left to give the Heat the lead

The Celtics held off a late charge from the Heat to conclude a grueling seven-game series and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years.

It's the fourth time in six campaigns for Brown and the fourth in eight for Smart. It is Horford's first trip after 16 seasons. Miami fought tooth and nail to stay in the game, getting a big game from Bam Adebayo (25 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and making life miserable for Boston every second of the game at the other end. Ultimately, though, the Celtics won this series the way they have won so many games since turning their season around after a home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 21 dropped them to 23-24: by playing suffocating defense. After blowing an opportunity to end this series at home Friday night in Game 6, the Celtics were unanimous in their belief they would come back to Miami and win this one. Much of that was down to Butler's brilliance, as he had 35 points and played every second of the game. "I truly do," Tatum said, when asked if he thought those experiences helped the Celtics break through this time around. I've been a part of a lot of great teams, a lot of great teammates, and I'm so proud of this group." And for the first 46 minutes, they were true to their word. "[I] just didn't know how to act," said Celtics center Al Horford, who had been the record holder for most playoff games in NBA history without reaching the NBA Finals before Boston won this game. Instead of sending the Heat back into the lead, Butler's shot ricocheted off the front of the rim. And after Smart hit a pair of free throws, the Celtics could -- finally -- breathe easily. "Feels like it was always meant to be this way," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said.

Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum was named the inaugural Larry Bird award winner as the MVP of the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

This is the biggest game of my career thus far, and I wanted to wear that armband to honor him and kind of share that moment in a way." He's one hell of a player, that's for damn sure." That's an incredible DNA that he has inside of him." While Tatum earned the Bird award, it was Butler's performance that might last even longer in the annals of the game. He's a superstar, and he deserved that. He's a world-class competitor and he knows how to win basketball games. "Jayson, he's the head of the snake. Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors is Thursday in San Francisco. The fact that he did it while wearing an armband in honor of Bryant made it that much more special for the young star. "Obviously that was my idol," Tatum said. Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this. You look at the numbers, 26-point night and that's standard for him. Tatum came into Game 7 averaging 24.8 points, 8 rebounds and 5.5 assists and repeatedly made big plays when the Celtics needed them.

For the inaugural presentation of the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, it was only right to be given to a Celtic Legend in the making.

Look for bigger and better things, and obviously he's going to do the same in the championship series.” Well-deserved all the accolades he's getting and he's only 24 and not even touched his ceiling, not even close to that. Tatum’s ability to battle through adversity in the ECF reflected upon his full-season effort of helping the Celtics bounce back from a rough start. “He's a superstar, and he deserved that,” Butler said of Tatum’s first Finals berth. Friday night’s Game 6 loss could have been a breaking point for Boston, but Tatum did what he has done all throughout the postseason by leading them to a bounce-back win. Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this.

Boston stands tall behind Jayson Tatum on the road to take the Eastern Conference title and advance to its 1st Finals in 12 years.

The Celtics brought him back last summer, and Horford has been a huge part of their success. It was a critical two possessions, giving the Celtics a little bit of a cushion after they saw a big lead become a one-possession game. And again, Tatum didn’t hesitate, attacking Vincent, drawing help and dropping the ball off to Grant Williams for a layup. Tatum gave the ball up and Derrick White missed a floater in the lane. But he held the ball for a couple of seconds and eventually, Victor Oladipo came with another double-team. With the Celtics going scoreless on five straight possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters, their lead was cut to three. But with the win, the Celtics are 7-2 on the road in these playoffs. It was an ugly start, with the Heat scoring just 17 points on 25 possessions in the first quarter. But it will remain a fascinating “What if” for the rest of time. Butler had made a pull-up 3 from the right side of the floor when the Celtics didn’t pick him up earlier in the game. And the Celtics, oh boy … They led this series 3-2, with a chance to close it out at home. Jimmy Butler had the ball in transition with his team down two in the final seconds of Game 7.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler was looking to make his second NBA Finals appearance with the Miami Heat this season. When the Heat kicked off ...

While Boston had an opportunity to put the Heat away in six, Jimmy Butler put up nearly 50 points in the elimination matchup to force a Game 7. However, the return of Embiid allowed the Sixers to battle back and picked up two wins of their own. In round two, the Heat and the Sixers met for a seven-game series, which only required six matchups.

The Celtics did not take the easy route to the NBA Finals during a season that was heaped with adversity. And in the end, they even made things excessively ...

And before there was the nerve-tightening close to Game 7 in Miami, there was a chance to win the series at home in Game 6. A blowout Celtics win would not have fit the team’s identity, not after the wild swings that have defined Boston’s season, its first under Udoka. When Butler rose up for a transition 3-point attempt with 16 seconds to play and Miami down by two points, there was plenty of reason for Celtics backers to get a collective lump in the throat. That fourth-quarter lead was one the Celtics might have lost a few months ago, one they did blow against Milwaukee in Game 5. That forced the Celtics to win both Games 6 and 7 to advance. By the end of January, the team had climbed back to .500 and followed that with a stretch in which they were 26-6, so often blowing out opponents that the fourth quarter did not much matter. There was the 19-point lead with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter against Cleveland two weeks later, which the Celtics turned into a two-point loss.

MIAMI (AP) — Not this time. After being thwarted on the doorstep of the NBA Finals three other times in the previous five seasons, the Boston Celtics have ...

The other was Houston in the 2018 Western Conference finals; the injury-plagued Rockets were 6.5-point underdogs and lost to Golden State 101-92. Heat: Butler was the second NBA player this season to play every second of a game. “You certainly have to credit the Boston Celtics organization and their team and their coaching staff. Celtics: Derrick White had to leave early in the fourth quarter because he was bleeding after his head got struck by Adebayo under a basket. “Today was the biggest test,” Brown said. Butler was up to 24 points at the break and Miami had gotten within 55-49 going into the third. Miami thought it had gotten within 56-54 when Strus rattled in a corner 3 early in the third. This Celtics team roared to life down the stretch and is still roaring. … It’s one of the worst feelings into the world to address your locker room after a game like this.” “The road that we took to get here, not a lot of people believed in us,” Tatum said. Ime Udoka’s first season as coach of the Celtics was not without immense challenges. Tatum — wearing a purple-and-gold armband bearing the number “24” of Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, his favorite player — had lost two East finals in his young career.

The NBA Finals begin Thursday on ABC. What are the biggest keys to Warriors-Celtics?

The Warriors had a combined 32 assists in those games, a slight uptick over what they averaged per game the previous round against the New Orleans Pelicans (30.8). Those traits were on full display during Golden State's closeout win over Dallas, which switched 63% of the Warriors' on-ball screens in Game 5 per Second Spectrum -- the most of any Warriors playoff game. Golden State, meanwhile, hasn't had to play in a Game 7 this postseason and dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Think of how the Houston Rockets grounded Golden State's offense down at times in the 2018 conference finals, holding them below 95 points in back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 5. This Celtics roster enters the Finals with zero games of Finals experience, while Golden State has 123. None of the Warriors' three West opponents (Denver, Memphis or Dallas) were in the top half of the league in frequency of switching on-ball screens during the regular season, per Second Spectrum tracking. Boston followed that up with seven-game thrillers in the conference semifinals and conference finals. The Warriors know that with their style of play -- fast-paced with lots of ball movement -- turnovers are bound to happen. If the Warriors cut down on their turnovers, they will be far more difficult to beat. Golden State is averaging 14.8 turnovers per game in the playoffs (fifth worst of the 16 postseason teams) for 15.9 points. But unlike their dynastic run that spanned from 2014 to 2019, this trip to the Finals wasn't a given. The Golden State Warriors, led by three-time champions Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, are making their sixth Finals appearance in the past eight seasons.

MIAMI (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24 and the Boston Celtics held off a frantic rally in the final seconds ...

An 9-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Max Strus with 51 seconds left, got the Heat within 98-96. Bam Adebayo added 25 for the Heat, who were down 11 with under 3 minutes to go before trying one last rally. Al Horford added 14 rebounds for the Celtics, who never trailed on the way to pulling off a Game 7 win on the road — and not including the bubble, that was the first such victory for the storied franchise since beating Milwaukee for the 1974 NBA title.

Though they started strong and led by 15 after the first quarter, the Celtics couldn't shake the Heat until the final seconds of the game.

And they face the rested Golden State Warriors, who last appeared in the finals in 2019. Game 7 came down to the wire between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Sunday — but Boston ultimately prevailed. Boston now heads to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.