NBA: Celtics, Heat go for history in Game 7

Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Warmth is defended by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics throughout the third quarter of sport one of many Japanese Convention Finals at TD Backyard on Could 17, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Photographs/AFP

MANILA, Philippines—The 2023 NBA Japanese Convention Finals marks the 151st time in league historical past {that a} crew has trailed 0-3 in a best-of-seven sequence.

No crew has ever come again from a 0-3 gap to win a playoff sequence.

That is solely the fourth time {that a} crew—down 0-3—has pressured a Sport 7. The final crew to take action previous to the Celtics have been the Portland Path Blazers towards the Dallas Mavericks within the 2003 Western Convention first spherical.

The Celtics, nevertheless, are the primary to host a Sport 7. The Warmth, alternatively, are aiming to develop into simply the second eighth seed to make the NBA Finals after the New York Knicks in 1999.

Déjà vu

The Celtics and Warmth will meet in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals for the second season in a row.

Sport 7 of the East Finals can be performed on Could 29 for the second yr in a row. Earlier than final yr, there had by no means been a Sport 7 performed on today.

It marks the primary time that the identical groups will meet in Sport 7 of a Convention Finals sequence in back-to-back years for the reason that Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1981 and 1982 additionally within the East Finals.

Additionally it is the primary time that the identical groups will meet in Sport 7 of any playoff spherical in back-to-back years since 1994-1995 when the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns performed a Sport 7 within the Western Convention Semifinals in each 1994 and 1995. The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks additionally went seven video games within the East Finals in 1994 and the Japanese Convention Semifinals in 1995.

Knockout kings

Derrick White #9 of the Boston Celtics reacts to a three-point basket throughout the first quarter M in sport 5 of the Japanese Convention Finals at TD Backyard on Could 25, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs/AFP

Exhibiting nice resolve, the Celtics have gained 5 knockout video games within the 2023 playoffs.

If the Celtics win Sport 7, they might match the NBA file for many victories when going through elimination in a single postseason.

The 1994 Nuggets and the 2020 Nuggets presently share the file with six.

The Celtics have a file of 27-9 (.750) in Sport 7s. They’re 22-5 at dwelling and 5-4 on the street.

The Celtics can be enjoying their thirty seventh Sport 7, by far essentially the most in NBA historical past. After Tuesday’s sport, Boston can have performed in precisely 25% of all NBA Sport 7s (37 of 148).

The Warmth have a file of 6-5 (.545) in Sport 7s. Miami is 6-3 at dwelling and 0-2 on the street.

Sport 7 information

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates as he’s taken out towards the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the fourth quarter in sport seven of the 2023 NBA Playoffs Japanese Convention Semifinals at TD Backyard on Could 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Adam Glanzman/Getty Photographs/AFP

In Sport 7 of the 2023 East semis, Celtics ahead Jayson Tatum set a Sport 7 scoring file with 51 factors towards the 76ers.

The file has been damaged in every of the 2 earlier Sport 7s within the 2023 postseason in only a two-week span.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry scored 50 factors towards the Kings in Sport 7 of the Western Convention First Spherical on April 30.

The earlier file getting into this postseason was 48 factors by Kevin Durant for the Brooklyn Nets towards the Milwaukee Bucks within the 2021 East semis.

Miami Warmth head coach Erik Spoelstra seems to be on towards the Boston Celtics throughout the fourth quarter in sport 5 of the Japanese Convention Finals at TD Backyard on Could 25, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Meyer/Getty Photographs/AFP

Warmth head coach Erik Spoelstra has a 4-3 file in Sport 7s. He’s set to function a head coach in a Sport 7 for the eighth time, which is able to tie him for the fifth most in NBA historical past (together with Purple Auerbach and Okay.C. Jones).

The one head coaches with extra Sport 7s coached than Spoelstra are Doc Rivers (16), present Warmth President Pat Riley (11), Larry Brown (10) and Phil Jackson (9).

Repeat or redemption

The Celtics held on to beat the Warmth, 100-96, in Miami in Sport 7 of the 2022 Japanese Convention Finals.

In that sport, Boston led by 13 factors with lower than 4 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter.

Miami rallied inside two within the closing minute solely to fall brief on its comeback bid after Jimmy Butler missed a possible game-winning 3-pointer with 16.6 seconds remaining. Butler had 35 factors in that sport.

The Celtics and Warmth have performed 13 video games within the Japanese Convention Finals during the last two seasons. The street crew has a 9-4 file in these video games.

The Celtics and Warmth will play a Sport 7 within the East Finals for the third time: 2023, 2022 and 2012.

In 2012, the Warmth defeated the Celtics, 101-88, in Miami. The Warmth went on to win the primary of its two consecutive NBA championships.

Elite firm

Celtics massive man Al Horford is about to play in his tenth profession Sport 7.

Solely Ray Allen (11), Paul Pierce (10) and Invoice Russell (10) have appeared in additional Sport 7s.

Horford has a 7-2 file in Sport 7s. If he performs in a Celtics victory on Tuesday, Horford would develop into the third participant to win eight or extra Sport 7s, becoming a member of Russell (10) and Sam Jones (9).

RELATED STORIES

Learn Subsequent

Do not miss out on the newest information and knowledge.