Kiss by the Window, Edvard Munch, 1892

It really, really looked like the Boston Celtics were going to win Game 6 on Friday to move on to the NBA Finals. They went on a 10-2 run midway through the fourth quarter to pick up a 3-point lead and had the home crowd belligerent with glee. But Jimmy Butler was too much, as he had been all game long, and when at that point it looked like Boston’s defense had found a way to turn the tide, he just did a little bit more (and got some help from Kyle Lowry, too). Miami punched back and went on to win.

The Celtics cruised all game long on Sunday in Game 7 in Miami. They came blasting out of the gate, picking up as many easy points as possible by pushing harder than Boston ever pushes in transition, catching the Heat out of position. If on Friday the Heat punched back every time the Celtics got in a few blows, on Sunday the C’s simply never let Miami get close enough to get a good lick.

The Heat pulled within three early in the fourth quarter; Boston responded with an 11-2 run carrying into the midway point. During that run, Miami burned two timeouts in a 30-second span early in the quarter, first on a successful replay and the second as Lowry went to the floor to protect the ball.

At the end of that run, Boston led 93-81 with six minutes remaining. Miami could not score easily; Butler was starting to finally show his wear after playing 45 minutes on Friday and every second on Sunday. Tyler Herro played a few minutes in the first half but looked unable to immediately adjust to Game 7 intensity or focus. (Can’t blame him.) Shots that Butler and Bam Adebayo were making in the first three quarters stopped falling. The crowd was out of it. P.J. Tucker wasn’t on the court. (He left the game with eight minutes left in the third, no foul trouble, no injury announced. Hmm.) The game seemed over.

Over the next two and a half minutes, Boston stalled Miami’s efforts and went up 13. 3:35 left. Miami had one more run left in their season.

Lowry jumper. 11-point game.

Marcus Smart miss late in the shot clock.

Max Strus tip dunk. 9-point game.

Smart misses two open threes.

Adebayo misses a bunny (oof) and Victor Oladipo can’t get the putback.

Robert Williams stripped.

Oladipo fast break layup. 7-point game. 90 seconds left.

Remember that Miami has a single timeout remaining. So Ime Udoka doesn’t want to use one of his to help Miami set up, talk tactics and get Butler a breather.

Smart misses a three.

Lowry fast break layup. 5-point game. 1 minute left.

Jaylen Brown offensive foul, which is challenged and upheld, giving Miami a breather and a chance to talk tactics.

Strus three. 2-point game. 50 seconds left.

Miami needs one more stop and one more make.

They get the stop. Bam challenges a Smart layup attempt late in the shot clock and makes him miss. Butler picks up the rebound with 18.7 left and goes. And this is what he does.

ESPN @espn

Jimmy Butler went for the win.

May 30th 2022

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Ballgame. Series. Season.

Here’s my take on Jimmy’s shot: he absolutely could have tried to get to the rim and got a layup or three the old-fashioned way. Most likely, he gets fouled and has to try to tie it at the line with Boston having the ball and advantage. The only way for Miami to end this possession with the advantage is by scoring three, and Jimmy had made big threes in this series and had lots of airspace. He hit a similar three in transition late in the first half. He has lots of well-earned confidence in himself. And after playing 47 minutes and 50 seconds to that point, he earned the chance to take that shot. 100%. Something else was available to him, but he earned the chance to take that shot.

It missed, and so did Miami’s epic comebacks — the one they’d executed since the end of Game 5 (when Jimmy and Lowry both looked broken) and within this game.

Boston earned every bit of this NBA Finals trip, taking on the Nets, Bucks and Heat en route to the Warriors. Yes, the end was a little ugly. That collapse, had Butler hit the shot and had Boston been unable to answer, could have scarred a generation of Celtics fans. But like Butler earned that shot, Boston earned the chance to barely squeak by after an epic collapse in the closing minutes of a Game 7 by building up a series lead and a lead within this game.

The Celtics have looked like a title contender since February, and now they have a chance to actually win the title. Al Horford is finally in the NBA Finals after 141 career playoff games. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown made it, together. Ime Udoka, rookie head coach, doin’ it. (A picture of calm, always. Really one of the more soothing sideline presences in the game right now.)

One of the weirdest series in memory. Thrilling finish. Not much more you can ask for from basketball.

Back with a more normal newsletter on Tuesday. Be excellent to each other.