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‘Absolutely stunned’: NBA world in meltdown after Boston forces Game 7

One of the most insane finishes the NBA has ever season has left TV commentators speechless after a video replay changed everything.

2 min read
May 28, 2023 - 2:10PM
The last bucket dropped after the buzzer.
The last bucket dropped after the buzzer.

Boston has created history to become the third NBA team to force a Game 7 decider after trailing 3-0 in an Eastern Conference finals series.

The Celtics are headed back to their home court for Game 7 after one of the most insane finishes the league has ever seen in Miami.

It took a video review of Derrick White’s final put-back basket for the game to have a result with the Celtics edging the heat 104-103.

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The Celtics led by eight points with just a few minutes to play, but a Jimmy Butler masterclass turned the game on its head.

Butler was awarded three free-throws with three seconds left on the clock with the Heat down by two points.

The ice cold finisher dropped all three to give the home side an unlikely lead 103-102.

But Boston produced one of the most astonishing final plays when Marcus Smart’s long-range field goal bounced in and out. It looked to be the end of the series, but Derrick White came from nowhere to grab the offensive rebound and tip it back into the hoop.

The last bucket dropped after the buzzer.
The last bucket dropped after the buzzer.

The buzzer sounded before the bucket dropped and TV replays showed there was just 0.1 seconds on the clock when the ball left his hands.

Just like that, the series is going to Game 7.

The NBA posted a video of the winner as seen by all camera angles - and it is a thing of beauty.

Replays showed Miami defenders had fallen asleep and did not even contest the rebound — assuming the game clock was going to expire. They were horribly wrong.

“Wow. Absolutely stunned,” NBA legend Reggie Miller said in commentary for TNT.

His colleague said: “We can’t find the words right now”.

White was one of the few people still composed in the madness that followed the buzzer.

“I’m just happy we won. Whatever it takes, we’ve got our back against the wall, just happy we won,” he said.

“We’re a resilient group. We pick each other up, we fight for each other, we’ve got a tough game seven and we have to find one more win. We ain’t done yet.”

The rest of the NBA world seemed to be trying to pick their jaws up off the floor.

Game 7 will take place on Tuesday morning.

Boston will have a chance to become the first team in the NBA to complete a series comeback after trailing 3-0.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 57 points for the Celtics while Butler had 24 points - waking up in the fourth quarter.

Despite trailing 98-88 in the fourth quarter, it was Miami’s game to lose in the frantic final minute and three-point assassin Duncan Robinson butchered two clean looks from long range to put the Heat up by three points.

They were misses hat came back to bite the heat after White pulled off one of the most insane game-winners in recent memory.

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Originally published as ‘Absolutely stunned’: NBA world in meltdown after Boston forces Game 7

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/sport/american-sports/nba/absolutely-stunned-nba-world-in-meltdown-after-boston-forces-game-7/news-story/1aea3a45e1d61b60c0ff4d555f6b9e63