Celtics

We've been through a lot,” Marcus Smart said after Boston's Game 7 win over the Miami Heat. “Literally blood, sweat and tears."

We know we’ve got a long road in front of us, but we’re up for the challenge.” Horford collapsed to the ground. “No matter what adversity is put in front of us, no obstacle, no loop, we’re going to get through it, we’re going to get over it, we’re going to get around it,” Smart said. For months, the Celtics struggled to learn the way Udoka wanted them to play. The Celtics lost their scruples over the final three minutes but still did enough to advance. In the celebration, Tatum and Brown hugged each other. Butler, dominant over the last two games of the series, pulled up for a 3-pointer instead of driving to the rim. The Celtics were a golden franchise loaded with enough talent, both young and established, to control the Eastern Conference for years to come. As Miami tried to mount a comeback after that drought, Tatum drilled a stepback 3-pointer from the left wing, then lost Butler with a great move at the end of the shot clock. Why would the Celtics dwell on the pain when the future promised to heal it? At the end of a series that left both teams hobbled, Tatum, Brown and Smart became the second trio in NBA history to record at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists each during a Game 7. MIAMI — Four years ago, back when this all seemed easy to Jayson Tatum, the Celtics ripped off a run to the Eastern Conference finals.

After a sometimes chaotic Eastern Conference finals against, the Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

“It's not easy, clearly, this is my first time being in the championship. It took time for Tatum and Brown to rely on and trust the pass. “That was the lowest moment for me,” he said. “And they have probably done it the way that it's supposed to happen in this league. “But I think shortly after that, things started to turn around.” This was Boston’s fourth trip to the conference finals in the past six seasons. He wanted versatile defenders that could guard on the perimeter, guard multiple positions, switch when necessary and have big men who can protect the paint. It took us a while, but I feel like once we started to understand how we needed to play, we became more consistent.” They've all been here, and to get to the championship is obviously the next step, but our focus is getting four more.” “Ime just did a tremendous job this year building on what they have done the last six, seven years,” Celtics coach Erik Spoelstra said. Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this.” He averaged 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and shot 46.2% from the field.

Boston appeared to be headed for the lottery at the start of the season, but now have a date with the Warriors in the championship.

But I think you just trust in yourself, trust in the work that you put in to get to this point and continue to work, and it can’t rain forever. I knew that coming in today and the group knew that.” Awaiting Boston is Golden State, and this is a matchup the Celtics can win. Tatum was a rookie when the Celtics made the conference finals in 2018, overcoming season-ending injuries to Gordon Hayward and Irving to push LeBron James and the Cavaliers to seven games before bowing out. “I came in with the mindset today that I was willing to do anything it took to win this game, however that looked,” Tatum said. Back then, Tatum believed a trip to the Finals was inevitable. “They allowed us to fix it and work it out.” The man that who spent years coaching under Gregg Popovich seemed to think he was him. “He kind of puts it on you to let you know that, hey, I’m not taking no slack. That’s right: The Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals. From the podium, Smart allowed it all to soak in. But whether it was the 48 minutes he played, the balky knee that has troubled him or the leprechaun that has seemingly attached itself to these Celtics since midseason, Butler’s shot came up short. For three quarters the Celtics had fended off a relentless, never-ending Heat charge, battling as a 15-point first quarter lead was whittled to six at the end of the second, and as a 12-point edge with 3 ½ minutes to play was sliced to two.

Boston stands tall behind Jayson Tatum on the road to take the Eastern Conference title and advance to its 1st Finals in 12 years.

The Celtics brought him back last summer, and Horford has been a huge part of their success. It was a critical two possessions, giving the Celtics a little bit of a cushion after they saw a big lead become a one-possession game. And again, Tatum didn’t hesitate, attacking Vincent, drawing help and dropping the ball off to Grant Williams for a layup. Tatum gave the ball up and Derrick White missed a floater in the lane. But he held the ball for a couple of seconds and eventually, Victor Oladipo came with another double-team. With the Celtics going scoreless on five straight possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters, their lead was cut to three. But with the win, the Celtics are 7-2 on the road in these playoffs. It was an ugly start, with the Heat scoring just 17 points on 25 possessions in the first quarter. But it will remain a fascinating “What if” for the rest of time. Butler had made a pull-up 3 from the right side of the floor when the Celtics didn’t pick him up earlier in the game. And the Celtics, oh boy … They led this series 3-2, with a chance to close it out at home. Jimmy Butler had the ball in transition with his team down two in the final seconds of Game 7.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he studied one of the all-time greats ahead of Sunday's Game 7 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference ...

"Just to have something to show him in the biggest game of my career so far." ... Today, before I took my nap, I do it sometimes, I was watching film and some moments from him and his career." The Warriors have reached their sixth Finals in the past eight seasons and are in search of their fourth title during that time. In a 100-96 victory, Tatum led the way for Boston with 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and he played 46 of 48 minutes, cementing his status as Eastern Conference Finals MVP. According to Jay King of The Athletic, Tatum said he watched some film of late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, adding: "Obviously, that was my idol, that was my inspiration, that was my favorite player. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he studied one of the all-time greats ahead of Sunday's Game 7 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Boston Celtics secured a nerve-wracking 100-96 Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years.

Butler had twice exceeded 40 points during this series to drag Miami to a Game 7 but said he wasn't happy with his performance on Sunday. The Boston Celtics came out and did what they had to do in the series. This is the biggest game of my career thus far and I wanted to wear that armband to honor him and kind of share that moment in a way." "The shoes that I've been wearing the last couple games were dedicated to him. "Not good enough," Butler said. This is a typical Celtics win."

fter being thwarted on the doorstep of the NBA Finals three other times in the previous five seasons, the Boston Celtics have broken through.

Boston finally breaks through to Finals after making it to fourth conference championship since 2017.

"You know to be able to get over that hump and have a chance to make it to the NBA Finals," he said. And now, after all of that, the Boston Celtics will be representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. So, playing for championships, we're here now, let's try to finish the deal." And I think it's alright to be proud of ourselves today and enjoy this. "But he missed, we get the rebound, we move on." "You know, this is every athlete's dream is to get to that final stage and have an opportunity. "It took us a while, but I feel like once we started to understand how we needed to play, we became more consistent," he said. We don't celebrate Eastern Conference championships in the Celtics organization, so we all fall in line and appreciate that standard of excellence. And in a snap, Miami had blazed an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 98-96 with under a minute to go. With just over three and a half minutes left in the game, Boston held a 98-85 lead over what looked like a gassed Miami team desperate for relief. And the team turned the ball over twice. Any other year and this would be right around when the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" theme music would start playing.

The Boston Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 after beating the Miami Heat on the road 100-96 in Game 7 Sunday night.

Butler looked just as spry in the closing minutes of the game as he did at opening tip, and to put the cherry on top of this crazy sundae he's been dealing with a nagging knee injury as well. Butler played the full 48 minutes, and he put his all into his performance to try and will the Heat to a win. It's the exact type of performance you want out of your key players in a win-or-go-home contest, and the stars were out for Boston on the road. With the win Sunday night, Tatum now improves to a 4-1 record in Game 7s, while Brown is now at a 5-1 record in Game 7s. Miami went on a late run and cut the deficit to two points, but Boston managed to hang on for the win. The Boston Celtics are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 after beating the Miami Heat on the road 100-96 in Game 7 Sunday night.

Former Philadelphia 76ers star Jimmy Butler was looking to make his second NBA Finals appearance with the Miami Heat this season. When the Heat kicked off ...

While Boston had an opportunity to put the Heat away in six, Jimmy Butler put up nearly 50 points in the elimination matchup to force a Game 7. However, the return of Embiid allowed the Sixers to battle back and picked up two wins of their own. In round two, the Heat and the Sixers met for a seven-game series, which only required six matchups.

The Celtics did not take the easy route to the NBA Finals during a season that was heaped with adversity. And in the end, they even made things excessively ...

And before there was the nerve-tightening close to Game 7 in Miami, there was a chance to win the series at home in Game 6. A blowout Celtics win would not have fit the team’s identity, not after the wild swings that have defined Boston’s season, its first under Udoka. When Butler rose up for a transition 3-point attempt with 16 seconds to play and Miami down by two points, there was plenty of reason for Celtics backers to get a collective lump in the throat. That fourth-quarter lead was one the Celtics might have lost a few months ago, one they did blow against Milwaukee in Game 5. That forced the Celtics to win both Games 6 and 7 to advance. By the end of January, the team had climbed back to .500 and followed that with a stretch in which they were 26-6, so often blowing out opponents that the fourth quarter did not much matter. There was the 19-point lead with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter against Cleveland two weeks later, which the Celtics turned into a two-point loss.

The Celtics are 6-0 following a loss in the playoffs, and are 3-0 in elimination games.

"But I think you just trust in yourself, trust in the work that you put in to get to this point and continue to work. Not when they blew that game to the Knicks and were sitting outside of play-in tournament position. For the past four months, they've been focused on the next game and the next opportunity. And finally, when the Heat got it back down to two in the closing seconds, Marcus Smart hit two clutch free throws to help seal the deal. He referenced it again on Sunday, calling it the "lowest moment" of the season. When the Heat made another charge at the start of the fourth quarter to make it a three-point game, the Celtics rattled off an 8-0 run. They blew a 14-point lead to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the second round, lost Game 6 of this series at home despite holding a late lead and saw their 13-point lead in the final few minutes of Game 7 get whittled down to two in the closing seconds. When their 17-point lead was cut to six at halftime (in part due to some questionable officiating), they went on a quick 7-1 run out of the break to push it back to double figures. That was the Celtics' fifth loss in seven games, and dropped them to 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 18-21. Five months later, the team has not only come together, it has advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. The Celtics' first-year head coach called them out for a "lack of mental toughness to fight through those adverse times." We've got to find in ourselves the fight to just come together."

The NBA Finals begin Thursday on ABC. What are the biggest keys to Warriors-Celtics?

The Warriors had a combined 32 assists in those games, a slight uptick over what they averaged per game the previous round against the New Orleans Pelicans (30.8). Those traits were on full display during Golden State's closeout win over Dallas, which switched 63% of the Warriors' on-ball screens in Game 5 per Second Spectrum -- the most of any Warriors playoff game. Golden State, meanwhile, hasn't had to play in a Game 7 this postseason and dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Think of how the Houston Rockets grounded Golden State's offense down at times in the 2018 conference finals, holding them below 95 points in back-to-back wins in Games 4 and 5. This Celtics roster enters the Finals with zero games of Finals experience, while Golden State has 123. None of the Warriors' three West opponents (Denver, Memphis or Dallas) were in the top half of the league in frequency of switching on-ball screens during the regular season, per Second Spectrum tracking. Boston followed that up with seven-game thrillers in the conference semifinals and conference finals. The Warriors know that with their style of play -- fast-paced with lots of ball movement -- turnovers are bound to happen. If the Warriors cut down on their turnovers, they will be far more difficult to beat. Golden State is averaging 14.8 turnovers per game in the playoffs (fifth worst of the 16 postseason teams) for 15.9 points. But unlike their dynastic run that spanned from 2014 to 2019, this trip to the Finals wasn't a given. The Golden State Warriors, led by three-time champions Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, are making their sixth Finals appearance in the past eight seasons.

With the Boston Celtics' Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday, the 2022 NBA Finals matchup is set. The Celtics, the East's No. 2 seed, with face the ...

Curry, Poole and Gary Payton II, who is expected to be back for this series, are all much smaller than Tatum and Brown, who will be able to shoot over the top when they get in those matchups. The Warriors have, statistically, been a better rebounding team than the Celtics in the postseason, but look at the matchups. It is going to be tough sledding for the Warriors to create consistent quality looks in the half-court. They are going to grab and hold the way Miami grabbed and held them. Game 1 is set for Thursday in San Francisco. The Warriors are favored (-155 to Boston's +135, per Caesars Sportsbook), but I'm taking the Celtics in seven. The Warriors aren't a big matchup-hunting team, which is good, because there's really no weak link to hunt on Boston's defense.

Miami mucked the game up, so the Celtics won in the mud; will this prepare Boston for Golden State?

To Brown, Game 7 was "the biggest test, not just of the year, but of our careers." Throughout the playoffs, it has been the same story for the Celtics: They are terrifying defensively, and, while they've had some setbacks, slip-ups and sloppy stretches, they tend to find themselves before it's too late. For much of Game 7, it felt like the only thing that was working for the Heat was Butler's hero ball. But look at Tatum switch onto him, stay attached and contest the shot, and then look at how far Strus is from the basket when he gets into his shot -- this is a deep, difficult, uncomfortable look: The Bucks scored 99.4 points per 100 halfcourt plays in the regular season, which ranked sixth in the league, per Cleaning The Glass, and scored just a horrific 81.9 per 100 in the halfcourt against Boston. (As a point of reference, Oklahoma City and the Detroit Pistons ended the season in a last-place tie: 88.6 per 100.) Games when the offense doesn't click to the level it should, we can always rely on that. They finished with 13 turnovers, and only three of those led to a Heat transition opportunity. In the Heat's four losses in the conference finals, they scored 85.2, 65.7, 58.8 and 75.9 points per 100 halfcourt plays, respectively. In the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks, it was just as stifling: Another seven-game series, another 19 quarters in which the Celtics allowed 26 or fewer points, another four wins in which the opponent cleared that number only three times. We just couldn't make enough plays during the course of the game. Out of the 28 quarters that comprised the series, Miami managed more than 26 points only nine times, including those two garbage-time-heavy periods. This is a league in which the Oklahoma City Thunder, its worst offensive team, averaged 103.7 points per game, i.e. about 26 points per quarter.

Though they started strong and led by 15 after the first quarter, the Celtics couldn't shake the Heat until the final seconds of the game.

And they face the rested Golden State Warriors, who last appeared in the finals in 2019. Game 7 came down to the wire between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Sunday — but Boston ultimately prevailed. Boston now heads to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday to advance to the NBA Finals. Former Indiana Hoosier ...

Morgan signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors in December of 2021 but was reacquired by the Maine Celtics on Jan. 1, 2022 after his 10-day contract expired. Nevertheless, it's good to see the undrafted Morgan have a chance to win basketball's most coveted trophy. It might not happen this year, but Woodson wants Kentucky and Louisville back on the schedule.CLICK HERE He was waived a few weeks later, but was quickly resigned by Boston's G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. Playing 13 games, Morgan averaged 12.3 points on 53.1 percent shooting, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in 28.2 minutes per game. As the No. 3 seed, the Celtics have now taken down the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat en route to the NBA Finals where they'll face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series. Former Indiana forward Juwan Morgan signed a two-year, $1,834,863 deal with the Boston Celtics in April to fill an open roster spot before the NBA playoffs. He spent the following two seasons playing for the Jazz and their G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars. Morgan could see an increased role if Williams or another Boston forward is sidelined with an injury. He started 85 of 128 games and was part of Indiana's 2016 Big Ten regular season championship team as a freshman. He scored his lone point of the playoffs in Boston's 127-102 game two win in Miami on May 19. Jayson Tatum became the first player to win the newly-named Larry Bird Trophy, which is given to the MVP of the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics defeated the Miami Heat 100-96 in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.

The ebbs and flows of these 2021-22 Celtics have been wild, but as our Chris Forsberg writes, the mental toughness and perseverance shown by this group ...

And that’s coming from a guy who missed most of the more harrowing twists and turns at the start of the year. Every time it seemed like the season was slipping away, the Celtics dug in and made sure it didn’t. For the Tatum-Brown-Smart trio, it was validation after the Celtics fell short in the East finals on three previous trips. The Celtics, even with their bumps and bruises, will pack some swagger as they head west. It had already been an emotional week for Horford but Sunday’s Game 7 win delivered him to a stage that had defied him throughout his career. Instead of splintering in that moment, the Celtics rallied together. "We did all that on purpose to make it interesting," deadpanned Brown. "No, I'm just kidding. Today was the biggest test, not just of the year but of our careers, to mentally come into a Game 7 away after losing on our home court, which was tough, and we got it done." And Udoka found himself under a deluge more severe than any of the rainstorms that Will Smith told us were nothing to mess with. Every time these Celtics have been counted out, including those wondering if this team could bounce back from letting Game 6 slip away in Boston, they’ve answered the bell. Maybe in a couple of weeks that water will be champagne. Smart posted the snapshot online with the caption, "Some said a split.

With the Celtics on their way to the Bay Area for a date with the Warriors in the NBA Finals, our Tom E. Curran can't help but recall how bad the first half ...

The upshot of all of this, though, is that it’s bonus basketball. What this will hinge on is whether the Celtics’ size and defensive aggressiveness/athleticism can short-circuit the Warriors "beautiful game" offense. The Celtics are, however, bigger and better up front with Rob Williams and Al Horford. That was the nadir. When the season started, I figured they were a 40-win team. I said they needed to get by Brooklyn. That was it.

The Celtics have been by far Golden State's biggest riddle to solve, with Boston owning a winning record against the Warriors since 2015. As our John Tomase ...

Curry's healthy now and the Warriors breezed to the Finals while only losing four games vs. Since the Warriors became the Warriors in 2015, they're 7-9 (.438) against the Celtics and 499-219 (.807) against everyone else. They nearly won again on the road a few months later in what looked like the gravest threat to the defending champions' reign. The Celtics must remain disciplined to guard for the entire clock as Curry and Thompson dart around screens. Even at the absolute height of their powers, the Warriors rarely waltzed to victories. We haven't had a Finals pairing this intriguing since the Warriors met LeBron James and the Cavs for the first time seven years ago.

That's especially true for Robert Williams, who's dealing with left knee soreness and swelling that limits him movement-wise. After Sunday's victory, Ime Udoka ...

I've got the quad injury, I have the foot injury, and then I have the ankle injury. He understands we're not asking him to be the all-world second team defensive stopper." With no travel necessary before Game 4, it takes place Friday night. "It's not going to be the same long rotations as his average minutes from the year, but what he gives us out there is invaluable. Provided there isn't a sweep, any of the remaining three games that happen will come on the heels of three-day breaks as the Finals goes from San Francisco for Game 5 to Boston for six and back to the Bay for Game 7, if it's necessary. Now, he gets some rest, some much needed rest."

The Boston Celtics are heading to the NBA Finals thanks in large part to a trade with the OKC Thunder a year ago bringing back Al Horford.

While it can never be proven, you have to wonder if time off and not making a postseason run for the first time in his career helped Al Horford reach these heights in the NBA Postseason. On June 18th, the Thunder shipped Al Horford back to Boston, the Organization he desperately wanted to go to and an NBA Finals contender that with his leadership got there this season. He had done enough to prove that the mishap in Philly was not an Al Horford problem but rather a 76ers problem, he recouped his value and the Thunder wanted to lose games, so the veteran big man got so much needed rest. The five-time All-Star, former-All NBA, and All-Defensive team member is a lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame after eight season’s in Atlanta he spent three in Boston before inking a deal with the 76ers which did not go according to plan. Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder, who traded for Al Horford at the 2020 NBA Draft. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti shipped Terrance Ferguson, Danny Green, and Vincent Poirier to the 76ers for Al Horford, Theo Maledon, and the draft rights of Vasilije Micic along with a 2025 first-round pick. While some will retroactively look back at that decision and say how outrageous it is to shut him down after the deadline and claim OKC should have dealt Horford mid-season last year, that lacks a lot of contexts.

The former Boston guard posted a picture on his Instagram story and made it clear who he's rooting for in the Finals.

He played for the Celtics for less than a season and only appeared in 49 games. He played 15 games for the Rockets where he averaged 10.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. It was already his third NBA team at that point.

The Golden State Warriors face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. A look at key...

After sitting out the end of the regular season, he hurried back for the playoffs, only to look hobbled in the first three series. His length and physicality should help him against a Celtics team that is only middling on the glass. His efficient offensive approach was a big reason the Celtics held off Jimmy Butler and the Heat in the East finals. This should be the Warriors’ most daunting test this postseason. At 6-foot-9, 237 pounds with a 7-6 wingspan and high basketball IQ, Williams is at his best roaming the key and contending anything that goes up. In Game 7 against Miami on Sunday, Williams had a noticeable limp and only played 15 minutes. The Warriors want to get out in transition a lot because they know they might have a tough time getting open looks against the Celtics’ halfcourt defense. The big question is how much Smart’s right foot will bother him in this series. Curry has never played in the Olympics, in large part because he values his offseason rest. It will be vital for the Celtics to pick up on the Warriors’ motion-heavy attack quickly. Plenty of people feel he is bound for a huge scoring night — something that would only buoy his Finals MVP chances. Head coach Ime Udoka has only employed a seven- or eight-man rotation in the playoffs, and all those players are at least above average defensively.

The Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors play in the best-of-7 NBA Finals beginning June 2.

Game 2: Sunday, June 5: Boston at Golden State, 8 ET Game 1: Thursday, June 2: Boston at Golden State, 9 ET The Warriors dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in five games to win the Western Conference title, securing their sixth trip to the NBA title series in eight years.

Steph Curry gave his thoughts on the matchup against Jayson Tatum and Boston Celtics.

“[They] got some guys playing at a really high level, very well-rounded team, they got the size,” Curry said. “They’ve had a group together, gone through a lot in the last four, five years. “Obviously a great team, they’re in the Finals,” Curry said.