- The Miami Heat played Boston Celtics on Thursday night in the NBA Eastern Conference Final Game 5
- The Celtics needed a win to get into the game as a defeat would have knocked them out of the tie
- Celtics cruised to a 110-97 victory at the TD Garden to keep their hopes of playing in the NBA final alive
The Boston Celtics kept their hopes alive in the NBA Eastern Conference Final with an impressive performance on Thursday night against the Miami Heat. They took control of the game from the beginning and never relinquished it, shooting over 50% from the field and forcing the Miami Heat into 16 turnovers, which translated into 27 points. With four players scoring at least 20 points, the Celtics secured a wire-to-wire, 110-99 victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd at TD Garden.
This win brings the Celtics a step closer to achieving something unprecedented in NBA history: overcoming a 3-0 series deficit and winning a best-of-seven matchup. Throughout the 151 instances where a series was at 3-0, the Celtics are only the 22nd team to fall behind 3-0 while having a higher regular-season winning percentage than their opponent. The two teams that previously accomplished this feat were the Washington Capitols against the Chicago Stags in 1947 and the Orlando Magic against the Celtics in 2010.
Now, the Celtics will aim to achieve what those teams couldn’t: win in Miami on Saturday night and force a Game 7, scheduled for Memorial Day, back at TD Garden.
The Boston Celtics won Game 5 against Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference final to extend the series to Game 6. They need a win on Saturday to force Game 7. | PHOTO: Diario AS |
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In Games 4 and 5, the Celtics displayed the same level of play that characterized their performance during the regular season. After struggling with their 3-point shooting in the first three games, shooting only 29%, they improved significantly in the last two, shooting at least 40%, including a 16-for-39 (41%) performance on Thursday. This season, the Celtics have an impressive record of 38-2 when they shoot at least 40% from beyond the arc but are 29-31 when they don’t.
Turnovers were another critical factor in the Celtics’ success. They forced 16 turnovers in Game 4, leading to 27 points, and replicated the same feat in Game 5. The scoring was also well-distributed among the team, with four players scoring 20 or more points—a first for the Celtics this season, whether in the regular season or playoffs. Derrick White contributed 24 points, Marcus Smart scored 23, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown also reached the 20-point mark.
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The Celtics have experienced a roller coaster of emotions in recent weeks, alternating wins and losses over their last 11 games since Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 3.
Additionally, the Celtics are on the verge of making history. Only three teams have forced a Game 7 after being down 3-0: the New York Knicks against the Rochester Royals in 1991, the Denver Nuggets against the Utah Jazz in 1994, and the Portland Trail Blazers against the Dallas Mavericks in 2003. The Celtics are now just 48 minutes away from becoming the fourth team to achieve this remarkable comeback.
Although the Celtics have struggled at TD Garden in the playoffs over the past two years with an 11-11 record, they have been a different team on the road. Including their Game 4 victory, the Celtics have a 13-7 record on the road since the start of the 2022 playoffs and have won four consecutive road elimination games.
Their next challenge will be to secure their fifth straight road elimination victory with a win in Miami on Saturday.
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