With eleven points, four rebounds and six assists, White became the unexpected hero of the evening.
This Monday at the TD Garden one of the most unpredictable series will be decided
A miraculous basket by Derrick White with 0.1 seconds left on the clock gave him a win this Saturday by 104-103 to the Boston Celtics in the field of the Miami Heat and equalized the series from 0-3 to 3-3 to force the seventh game this Monday at the TD Garden in Boston.
No team in NBA history has managed to come back from 0-3 in a playoff series in 150 precedents and The Celtics are now one step away from creating a true sports miracle after winning the Heat three times in a row. They were out with 0.1 left, but White grabbed an offensive rebound off a 3-pointer from Marcus Smart and left Miami’s Kaseya Center speechless.
It was a heart-stopping finish to a match of tremendous intensity, with the Heat who, despite their tremendous offensive troubles, managed to come back from ten points behind in the fourth quarter and took a 103-102 lead on three free kicks scored by Jimmy Butler with three seconds left.
It seemed to be the sentence on the Celtics, but White’s play will take the series to Boston for the seventh and decisive gamewith the ticket to the Finals against the Denver Nuggets at stake and a comeback for the history of sports.
White finished with eleven points, four rebounds and six assists and became the unexpected hero of aa night in which Jason Tatum signed 31 points25 of them in the first half and in which Jaylen Brown finished with 26.
The Celtics, who connected seven of 35 triples, they defeated some Heat who, despite their 33 of 93 shooting, were one step away from flying to the Finals for the second time in three years.
Butlerin tremendous trouble for three and a half quarters, shot his level at the decisive moment and finished with 24 points, eleven rebounds and eight assists despite his 5 of 24 shooting.
Caleb Martin’s 21 points and fifteen rebounds were not rewarded either. in Erik Spoelstra’s team, now forced to succeed at the TD Garden to avoid suffering an unprecedented comeback.
Tatum, 25 points in the first half, 6 in the second
Tatum put on a recital in the first half. He took responsibility and already scored 25 points at halftime. He charged the Heat with fouls and was perfect from the free throw line, with eleven of eleven.
He scored eight straight points for the Celtics in the second period and drove in a 10-2 run that shot the lead up to eleven points at 52-41, against some Heat in which Butler was slow to pick up the pace.
The Heat star started 2-of-10 shooting, but he showed his face at that moment and, with nine points, put Miami four points behind at halftime.
The Heat touch the comeback
Smart was the only one to shoot with ease from the triple and hit the third of his night to make it 62-55, but his team got stuck and Miami managed to place just two units (62-60), with Jaylen Brown forced to sit on the bench by committing his fourth foul with 9.45 left in the third quarter.
Balance was restored and intensity increased. It was at that moment when the party presented an unusual image, with Caleb Martin who lost a shoe in an offensive action and he returned to defend with his shoes in one hand, until committing a foul, so as not to leave his team with one less in that play.
Miami had tremendous trouble scoring and suffered a 0-9 run after missing 17 of 20 field goals that allowed the Celtics to add their maximum advantage at 78-65.
But a long series of fumbles allowed Spoelstra’s men to keep seven units behind despite the fact that their two leaders, Butler and Adebayo together added a five of 28 shooting.
Throughout this postseason they demonstrated their competitive soul and this Saturday they did it again by taking their first lead since 11-9 at 83-82 and by coming back, once again, ten points behind to be ahead 103-102 with just three seconds to play.
The Derrick White Miracle
They did it guided by a Butler who, with 100-102 in the light and 16 seconds to play, forced a foul on Horford to go to the free throw line to shoot three. He didn’t tremble. He hit all three to put the Heat ahead with three seconds left.
In the stands the party has already started, but on the Heat Butler bench, he asked his team for maximum concentration.
The Celtics, who showed all the worst and all the best in these ‘playoffs’, they launched Smart’s desperate three-pointer. The rim repelled him, but White appeared with a ‘tap-in’ with 0.1 on the clock.
His teammates jumped on him to celebrate while the referees were still reviewing the play. The images showed that he had arrived on time and that une of the most unpredictable series ever will be decided in Game 7, this Monday at the TD Garden.