Field Level Media
27 May 2023, 04:55 GMT+10
After losing the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics didn't look like a team ready to flash some dominance.
But after winning the past two games by an average of 15 points, the Celtics are very much alive. They will seek to tie the best-of-seven series at threevictories apiece with the Heat on Saturday when the teams play Game 6 in Miami.
No NBA team has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a series but Boston is now halfway there after staving off elimination for the third and fourth times this postseason. The Celtics also recorded two such wins against the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals.
"Our back has been against the wall," Boston standout Jaylen Brown said after Thursday's 110-97 home win. "Obviously, we didn't imagine being in this position, being down 3-0, but when adversity hits, you get to see like what a team is really made of. I mean, it couldn't get no worse than being down 3-0, but we didn't look around, we didn't go in separate directions. We stayed together. We doubled down on what we're good at on defense, and now I think it's a series."
The Celtics never trailed and led by as many as 24 points in Thursday's game. Two nights earlier, they led by as many as 18 during a 116-99 road win.
The stellar play comes after Boston appeared ready to start the offseason after it was whipped 128-102 in Game 3.
"Game 3, that was as low as you can be," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "The good part about being that low is you only can play better. It's only up from there.
"It kind of gave us a sense of just like everybody is counting us out. We're supposed to win. We're supposed to be done, and I think we started to play a little bit more free and relaxed."
Suddenly, the pressure is on the Heat.
The thought of possibly playing a Game 7 in Boston in a winner-take-all affair isn't appealing.
And that makes Saturday's contest feel like a must-win for both teams.
Yet Miami star Jimmy Butler is downplaying his team's recent issues.
"We've just got to play better," Butler said. "... We are always going to stay positive, knowing that we can and we will win this series. We'll just have to close it out at home."
Butler scored a series-low 14 points and has failed to reach 20 in two of the past three games.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra befuddled Joe Mazzulla over the first three games but it was the first-year Celtics coach pushing all the right buttons over the past two games.
"One game doesn't lead to the next game," Spoelstra said. "It just doesn't matter. It's about collectively preparing and putting together a great game. We'll play much better on Saturday. That's all we just have to focus on right now."
Mazzulla didn't have any profound explanation for the turnaround.
"It just says that our backs are against the wall and we're sticking together and we're competing at a high level to give ourselves a chance," Mazzulla said.
Heat center Bam Adebayo made it clear that his club's confidence remains high.
"When we started this journey, nobody believed in us," Adebayo said. "Everybody thought we were going to be out in the first round. Everybody thought we were going to be out in the second round. And now we are here one game away."
Boston had four 20-point scorers in Game 5. Derrick White made six 3-pointers and led the way with 24 points, Marcus Smart scored 23 and Tatum and Brown each scored 21.
Duncan Robinson led Miami with 18 points.
Heat guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) missed Game 5 and his status for Saturday hasn't yet been firmed up.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of Orlando Echo news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Orlando Echo.
More InformationPYONGYANG, North Korea: North Korea attempt failed to launch a satellite on May 31, which prompted raid sirens and a ...
HONG KONG, China: Describing the lack of women in China's top leadership as concerning, the United Nations has recommended the ...
BEIJING, China: Amid its rivalry with the US for reaching new milestones in space, reflecting their competition for global influence, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) report released this week revealed that over the Memorial Day weekend, the start ...
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Malaysia's maritime agency has said that it found a cannon shell believed to be from World War ...
KATHMANDU, Nepal - For the past three days, agitated students and guardians have been protesting against the school administration at ...
PORTLAND, Maine: Fishermen in the US's only commercial-scale fishing industry for valuable baby eels, called elvers, have recorded a productive ...
JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana: Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, has pleaded guilty to more ...
Could Saturday night's game be the one that snaps the San Diego Padres out of their season-long doldrums? Padres manager ...
The Arizona Diamondbacks will try to start a new winning streak on Sunday when they meet the Atlanta Braves in ...
One of the advantages of hiring a new manager is that every player gets a fresh opportunity. The Miami Marlins, ...
The Tampa Bay Rays have seen 19 of their past 28 games decided by two or fewer runs. The trend ...