Heat do it the hard way but shut down Celtics in Game 7, reach NBA Finals

Jimmy Butler kept promising a Miami Heat series-clinching victory, loss after loss after loss, against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.

Even after a 3-0 series lead for the Heat dissolved into a 3-3 tie, Butler remained confident. “We can do it. I know that we will do it,” Butler said after the Celtics forced Game 7 with a 104-103 victory on Saturday.

Would, could Butler make good on his word?

He did.

The Heat escaped ignominy, beating the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night in Boston. Miami did not become the first team in NBA history to lose a series after building a 3-0 lead, and teams are now 151-0 after winning the first three games of a series. Boston was just the fourth team to force a Game 7 in such circumstances but failed to make history.

The Heat are the second No. 8 seed in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks did it in 1999 in a 50-game, lockout-shortened season and lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Heat did it the hard way, that’s for sure. Suspense multiplied game by game, quarter by quarter with history on the line, until the Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter. Miami advances to the Finals for the second time in four seasons and will play the Denver Nuggets, starting with Game 1 on Thursday in Denver.

Butler’s determination pushed the Heat across the finish line. He scored 28 points, making timely shots. His back-to-back baskets early in the fourth quarter put Miami ahead 83-66. He also had seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Miami’s Caleb Martin scored 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-6 on 3-pointers.

Gabe Vincent had 10 points and Bam Adebayo had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Miami was 14-for-28 on 3-pointers.

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The Celtics’ season came to a disappointing end. Though Boston forced a Game 7, it fell short of expectations. All-NBA star Jayson Tatum played in pain, twisting his left ankle 26 seconds into the first quarter when he landed on Vincent’s foot on a shot attempt.

He grimaced through the pain, and midway through the second quarter, had just three points and had taken two shots. Tatum, who helped the Celtics extend the series, finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18 points but he also had eight turnovers.

Second-seeded Boston struggled offensively, missing its first 12 3-point attempts. The Celtics trailed 38-21 in the second quarter and were just 17-for-44 shooting in the first half, including 4-for-21 on 3s. They shot just 21.4% on 42 3-point attempts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat finally push past Celtics, reach NBA Finals vs. Nuggets