Celtics Win Game 7, Clinch NBA Finals Berth
May 29, 2022
The Boston Celtics are champions of the Eastern Conference. They certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves, and perhaps exerted more energy than was necessary, but ultimately none of that matters. After a painful game six loss at home, the Celtics were left to think about the opportunity they had squandered in TD Garden. Once again, as they have done many times in these playoffs, they were forced to go on the road with their backs against the wall and survive a do-or-die game seven in Miami. And survive they did. Boston bounced back from that gutting loss and showed the type of resolve in the face of adversity that has become almost expected from this group. The Celtics threw the first punch, dominating the first quarter and building up a 15 point lead that they were able to ride to victory. Things got a little hairy down the stretch, and Jimmy Butler had a shot that would have given the Heat a one point lead in the final seconds. But the Heat could never get over the hump and the Cetlics were able to hold on for a wire-to-wire game seven win, 100-96. The team will now face the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA finals, the first finals appearance for every player on the Celtics roster, and the team’s first appearance since 2010.
Following the crushing game six loss, it was clear that Boston needed to come out with much more urgency from the opening tip. That was clearly a point of emphasis for game seven on the road and the Celtics responded. They blitzed Miami in their own building up a double digit lead within the first six minutes of the contest. Boston was pushing the pace, getting out in transition and attacking. They were getting easy baskets on fast breaks and not allowing the Heat to set up defensively, where they have been very successful. The Celtics were also taking care of the ball and making Miami work to score. In fact, the Celtics were pretty dominant in the first half, really only keeping the Heat in the game by fouling. Despite being thoroughly outplayed, the Heat only trailed by six at halftime thanks in large part to shooting 14 more free throws than the Celtics before the break. The third quarter was pretty even, with the Celtics pushing the lead up to 7 for the final 12 minutes. The final quarter was a back and forth roller coaster. Miami quickly trimmed the deficit to just three before the Celtics imposed their will and took over, pushing the lead up to 13 with just under three and a half minutes to play. Then Miami got going again with an 11-0 run, dialing up a frantic comeback that cut the lead all the way to two before Marcus Smart hit a pair of free throws to seal the four point victory.
Jayson Tatum was named the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, and it was certainly well deserved. Miami did everything they could to make life miserable for Tatum, blitzing him, doubling him, and running their best defenders at him relentlessly. At times they were successful and able to frustrate Tatum, but he was able to solve it and make the right play for his team when they needed it most. Tatum finished game seven with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists on 9/21 shooting, while turning the ball over just twice. For the series he averaged 25/8.3/5.6 on 46% shooting and 35% from three. Those stats may not jump off the page, but given the physicality and defensive nature of this series that is pretty impressive. Throw in just how much attention the Heat were giving to Tatum and how much they were selling out to stop him, and it’s pretty remarkable. Tatum repeatedly did what was asked of him, hitting big shots, getting to the cup, setting up his teammates, and trusting them to deliver. And he did it all while providing great defense, usually on Jimmy Butler or Kyle Lowry. Tatum has delivered one superstar performance after another in these playoffs, and he’s the biggest reason why the Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals.
Tatum’s supporting cast also showed up for Boston in this one. Jaylen Brown was stellar, with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists on 8/15 shooting. His attacking and aggression set the tone early as the Celtics jumped out to a big lead, and at times it looked like he was playing at another speed, but was also able to stay under control. Marcus Smart was also spectacular for Boston, providing a huge 24 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals with just one turnover. When the Jays were doubled, Smart was constantly able to slip into the right spots, making himself available to his teammates, and finishing around the rim. Al Horford had a rough shooting night, but had 14 massive rebounds and played typically excellent defense all night. This finals trip has been a long time coming for Big Al, the grizzled veteran of the group. He can finally cross his name off the top of the list of active players with the most playoff games played without a finals appearance. Plain and simple; the Celtics would not be in this position without Al, and nobody deserves this more than him.
It’s hard to say enough about this team and the run they’ve been on since January. Rookie head coach, Ime Udoka has completely turned this team around and played a huge role in this team’s success. Edging arguably the league’s best coach, Erik Spoelstra, to make the finals in his first year is a fitting achievement for Ime after the work he has put in this season. He pressed all the right buttons in this series, adapting to what the game called for. In game seven that was mostly leaning on his best players. The Jays, Al, and Marcus each played 40+ minutes and did the bulk of the work in this one. Rob Williams was clearly not 100% as he was only able to give the Celtics 2 points and 3 rebounds in just 14 minutes, giving way to Grant Williams for much of the night. Grant had a big 11 points and 6 rebounds off the bench in 29 minutes, while Derrick White added 8 points, including 2/3 on threes, in 18 minutes. Payton Pritchard was dusted off for two very forgettable minutes of action, and that was it. Udoka basically stuck with his top seven guys, especially his top 4. Those are clearly the guys he trusts the most on both ends, and they rewarded his trust by outlasting the Heat and securing a hard fought 4-3 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals.
For Miami it was the same story as it has been for much of the series. Butler was fantastic, playing every single minute and scoring 35 points on 13/24 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds. But the Celtics held him mostly in check after halftime and were able to limit his playmaking, as he had just one assist. The problem for Miami has been the supporting cast. Bam Adebayo finally showed up, playing much more aggressively and contributing a much-needed 25 points and 11 rebounds, but there wasn’t much else there for the Heat. Kyle Lowry gutted it out and put in 15 points but did so on just 4/12 shooting and 1/6 from three. No other Heat player scored in double figures and the Celtics were able to completely erase most of Miami’s role players. As a team, the Heat shot just 42% from the field and hit just 6/30 from beyond the arc. This was a theme for the entire series, as Boston just never let the Heat offense get into any kind of rhythm, and other than a few Butler explosions it was a pretty lackluster showing for seven games.
The final sequence of the game will have Miami fans shaking their heads all summer long, wondering what could have been. The Celtics turned into the worst version of themselves, and almost gave this game away with stale offense and missed shots, setting up Butler’s pull up three in transition that essentially decided the game. Should Butler (a 24% three point shooter) have driven the ball at Horford for a potentially easier shot, or to draw a foul? In hindsight it’s easy to say that, but keep in mind Butler had played all 48 minutes, and was likely exhausted and starting to slow down. He’s not a great shooter, but he is streaky and clutch. He walked right into a pretty good look and frankly, if the Heat had won it would’ve been a pretty miraculous comeback (and choke from a Boston perspective). All things considered I thought it was a decent look and once the pain of losing subsides, Butler and Miami should be able to live with it.
Next up for the Celtics, a trip to the NBA Finals and a date with the Golden State Warriors. In one corner we have the league’s most storied franchise, and in the other we have the dynasty that has defined the current era of the NBA. This should be an amazing matchup and fans will likely be treated to some excellent two-way basketball. There is a lot to break down on and off the court and I will get into all of that in the coming days both on the blog and via podcast with extensive analysis and breakdowns. But for now, let’s enjoy the moment, Celtics fans. The job isn’t done yet, but this is still a hell of an accomplishment already. Since their last finals trip in 2010, Boston has made the Eastern Conference Finals four times before this season, with each ending in a loss. Three of those losses came in the past five seasons. Sure, some of them were easy enough to get over. In 2017 the Celtics were lucky to even be there and steal a single game from the mighty LeBron James. In 2018, we came close, pushing the Cavs to 7 and suffering a heartbreaking loss at home. But that team was playing without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, and was led by a rookie Jayson Tatum and second year Jaylen Brown. The 2020 loss to the Heat in the bubble was harder to stomach, but it still felt like we were lucky to be there and an ECF appearance was a success. But this year and this team was different. It felt like we belonged. We are still a young team, but these guys are battle tested, and they’ve cut their teeth. While losing in the ECF would still have been an amazingly impressive season, it would have felt disappointing and like a wasted opportunity. The Celtics were the best team in the Eastern Conference and they proved it by beating their three toughest competitors, exorcizing demons from each of the last three postseasons in the process. For all the BS and nonsense we’ve had to endure recently (and we’ve heard a LOT) from: “break up the Jays” to “Marcus can’t be the point guard” and everything else in between, it’s nice to finally sit back and soak it all in. The Boston Celtics are your 2022 Eastern Conference Champions. Now let’s go win four more!
