The Boston Celtics achieved the impossible and became only the fourth team in NBA history to force Game 7 after being 3-0 down. Derrick White is the man of the hour, as the guard released the ball and scored with just 0.1 seconds on the clock, taking the series back to Boston for one final game on Monday evening.
The Season Was on the Line
But the Celtics could have very easily been already eliminated. They were staring down the barrel after another late lapse in concentration and going from ten up to one point down with 3 seconds to go. So, it all came down to that one last play and the Celtics’ entire season was going to be defined by those last three seconds.
Fortunately, despite Marcus Smart’s three-pointer not going in, Derrick White came to the rescue with a buzzer-beating putback. After the play was reviewed, it was determined that White released the ball with 0.1 seconds on the clock, meaning the Celtics could start celebrating.
Jaylen Brown praised White for coming out of nowhere “like a flash of lightning” and saving the day, calling the instinctive putback “an incredible play.”
White was elated to have scored the game-winning shot, especially as the “season was on the line” and the Celtics didn’t want to go home. He said that the ball came to him and he just made the shot. As soon as he made it, he knew it was good. Referees had to check to give the green light, of course.
Could Become the First Team to Win the Series after Being 3-0 Down
The Celtics are now the fourth team in NBA history that has come back from being 3-0 down. Boston is the first team that will play in front of its own fans for Game 7.
That home advantage is something Celtics fans should be happy about, as the previous three teams that forced Game 7 after being written out all played away from home. They all lost too.
The team that wins on Monday night will be crowned the Eastern Conference champion and will play the Denver Nuggets on Thursday in the first game of the title series. The Nuggets will be the fresher team after sweeping out the Lakers and benefiting from extra days of rest.
However, if Boston is the opponent, the Nuggets should be prepared for everything and expect the unexpected. Something the Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat found out the hard way.
