The Boston Celtics did what they had to do last night, using timely offense and stifling defense to force Game 6 back in Miami on Saturday night. They won 110-97, but the score didn’t tell the full story, as Boston was in complete control throughout the night. As we expected, the Celtics got off to a fast start, scoring 35 points in the first quarter, and the crowd was fully engaged throughout the night.
The Celtics now have the momentum they need as the two teams head back to Miami for Game 6 on Saturday night. The Heat need to get it going offensively. After scoring over 100 points in each of the first 3 games, and stampeding their way to 128 in Game 3, they didn’t touch 100 points in the last 2 games. It also seems like the Celtics have figured things out offensively, with Tatum leading the way once again and role players like Derrick White and Marcus Smart dropping a combined 47 points last night. Quite frankly, the Heat don’t have the talent to keep up when the Celtics role players are playing like this. While it’s known that role players in the NBA typically play better at home, 4 players scored 21 or more points last night for Boston. That’s just not a winning formula for the Heat.
The beauty of Game 6 is that both teams desperately need the win. Obviously, if the Celtics lose, the Heat advance to the NBA Finals. However, there’s no way the Heat will have much confidence if they have to go back to Boston for Game 7 after being up 3-0. Boston will have all the momentum and have their home crowd backing them up.
With a win Saturday night, Boston will become the 4th team in history to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0, and will be the first team to have Game 7 in their own building.
Saturday night in Miami should be a doozy!