Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Game 6 Win vs. Heat: Derrick White Saves Celtics Season as March Toward History Continues

Derrick White's buzzer-beating put-back preserves the Celtics' championship hopes.

Bobby Krivitsky

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics led nearly the entirety of Game 6. That almost didn't matter. Their ten-point lead with under five minutes left slowly faded.

Duncan Robinson drilled a three. Jimmy Butler elevated for one from the right corner, burying it over Marcus Smart.

And even though Boston went 11/13 on fourth-quarter free throws and 29/34 overall, when Smart went 1/2, it left the door open for Miami, who trailed 102-100 with 16.2 seconds remaining.

Butler, demonstrating his veteran savvy, capitalized, earning three free throws and putting the hosts ahead by one with three seconds on the game clock.

But resiliency is a hallmark of this team, and even with Smart's three rolling in and out, Derrick White swooped in to save the Celtics' season, forcing a Game 7 on the TD Garden parquet.

What happens beyond the arc is crucial to the outcome in today's NBA, and this Eastern Conference Finals has reinforced that. But Saturday night in South Beach, the Heat went 14/30 (46.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Conversely, the Celtics shot 7/35 (20 percent).

But along with six more points at the stripe, Boston overcame that by manufacturing a 16-12 edge in second-chance points. And even though the visitors committed 12 turnovers to Miami's five, they limited the damage to 11 points off those giveaways.

That and outstanding defense inside the arc, inducing the Heat into 35.5 percent shooting from the field, including a third-quarter stretch where they missed 17/20 shots, were essential to overcoming the disparity from three-point range.

Now, a deep dive into what stood out as Boston found a way to continue its march toward history.

1. Attacking in control, Jaylen Brown got off to a fantastic start, keying Boston's offense. The All-NBA wing scored ten of the visitors' first 20 points on 5/5 shooting.

Even his first miss proved productive, as Robert Williams slipped the screen when Miami avoided getting Cody Zeller switched onto Brown, who drove downhill for a layup cleaned up by the Time Lord.

And in a prime example of the two-time All-Star playing in control, avoiding multiple situations that could've led to him dribbling into traffic and a potential turnover, Brown was quick to pick up his dribble, then fed Williams for a deuce down low.

2. The Celtics ended a low-scoring first frame where the stakes and intensity were palpable with a 26-20 edge.

Getting stops allowed them to consistently play up-tempo, a combination that's paramount to their success. It helped them generate 12 points in the paint and six on the fast break.

They also had success putting Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler in the pick-and-roll.

Boston shot 59.1. percent from the field, but only three of those baskets were from beyond the arc. The visitors also manufactured a 7-2 advantage in second-chance points, helping them consistently put points on the board.

3. Helping the Heat stay close was an outstanding first quarter from Caleb Martin, who Erik Spoelstra inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this series.

Martin rewarded that decision with 12 points in the first 12 minutes, leading all scorers.

The hosts making 4/7 threes also aided their cause.

4. Jayson Tatum had nine points in the first quarter, primarily thanks to faring 5/5 at the free-throw line. In the second period, he started 5/5, burying back-to-back turnaround jumpers, slicing through the defense, including Butler, and went 6/6 at the stripe.

The four-time All-Star also teamed up with the Time Lord on an alley-oop the latter went full extension to finish.

The two-time All-NBA First Team member paced all participants with 16 points in the second frame. He entered halftime with 25, a game-high after 24 minutes.

5. Tatum's performance fueled a 10-2 Celtics run, but Miami responded with a 12-3 burst, raising its energy and physicality to go from down 11 to within four, 57-53 at the break.

The hosts did that despite Butler (nine points) and Adebayo (five points) combining for 14 on 4/17 shooting.

Martin's first quarter was vital for the Heat. The same sentiment applies to Gabe Vincent's 11 points in the second.

And with the importance of what happens beyond the arc getting reinforced in this series, Miami making 9/15 attempts while Boston went 3/15, including the latter settling for some that fed into the hosts closing the gap to close the second frame, was crucial to the former overcoming the lack of first-half scoring from its stars.

6. The Celtics' defense induced a stretch in the third quarter where the Heat missed 17/20 shots, helping the visitors build their most sizable lead through 36 minutes, extending their advantage to 12.

Boston's length, especially Robert Williams', who had a significant impact protecting the rim, bothered Miami, who shot 19.2 percent from the field, including 2/9 (22.2 percent) from three-point range, and registered only 19 points.

But the hosts were in the bonus for over nine minutes in the third frame, taking nine and making seven. The fouls racked up by the visitors included Brown picking up his fourth personal.

Five offensive rebounds leading to four second-chance points also helped the Heat prevent the deficit from becoming more lopsided.

7. The Celtics, who lead 79-72, need to get back to attacking in the final 12 minutes. There's a huge difference between generating threes from playing inside-out or at least collapsing the defense compared to just swinging the ball around the perimeter, then launching from beyond the arc.

Boston went 2/10 on third-quarter threes, another reason at the root of only scoring 22 points in the period and not being up by more than seven after 36 minutes.

8. After Miami took its first lead since it was 11-9, a Brown drive turned into a four-point play that swung momentum back in the visitors' direction.

Adebayo grabbed the rim, resulting in a goaltending. Voicing his frustration with that ruling earned him a technical. And Brown also made the free throw stemming from getting fouled on his rim attack, putting the Celtics in front 86-83 with 7:37 left.

At the other end, Al Horford stood up Adebayo at the rim, a block of massive importance that led to two more foul shots for Brown, who put Boston ahead 88-83.

Marcus Smart helping too far off Duncan Robinson as the shot clock neared expiration led to a three that ended an 8-0 run. But the Celtics kept their foot on the gas, with an 8-2 burst that extended their lead to 98-88 with under five minutes remaining.

The visitors' slowing the pace down and Miami's press, and its zone defense, got the hosts within one with under a minute to go. Then, with three seconds left, Butler went to the line for three free throws with the Heat trailing 102-100. 

Initially, he was headed there for two shots, but Boston's challenge backfired, with the officials seeing on replay that he was behind the arc.

Butler capitalized on that, converting on all three attempts, putting Miami ahead 103-102.

But then, the miraculous occurred, as a Smart three went in and out, but Derrick White swooped in for the game-winning put-back to beat the buzzer.

With their 104-103 win, the Celtics are the fourth team in NBA history to go down 3-0 in a series, then force a Game 7. Even better for Boston? It's at TD Garden.

Up Next

Game 7 between the Celtics and Heat is Monday; tip-off is at 8:30 ET. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the matchup before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

The Celtics Could've Folded and Flamed Out, Instead, They're Inching Closer to History: 'We're Not Going Down Like This'

Jayson Tatum Sings Celtics' Fans Praises: 'They're a Big Part of What We Do'

Here's What Stood Out in Game 5 Win vs. Heat: Celtics Reconnecting to Swing Series Momentum

Film Room: Grant Williams' Value on Full Display in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Heat

Celtics Stars Speak on Team Sticking Together Down 3-0: 'We Didn't Want That to Define Us'

Celtics Discuss Returning to Identity Best Suiting Them in Game 4 Win: 'We're a Team That Believes in Us No Matter What'

Jaylen Brown Responds to Rumors of Disconnect in Celtics Locker Room

Here's What Stood Out in Game 4 Win vs. Heat: Celtics Get Back to Defensive Identity to Save Their Season

Looking to do the Impossible, Celtics Channel Kevin Millar: 'Don't Let Us Get One'

Trading Jaylen Brown is a Gamble the Celtics are Better Off Not Making

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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