The Boston Celtics managed to throw away their season before being resuscitated at the last second (or 0.1 seconds) by Derrick White in their stunning 104-103 Game 6 victory over the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference Finals series to force a winner takes all Game 7 between these two teams. In the process, the C's kept their hopes of being the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history alive, but even more importantly, their NBA Finals hopes as well.
It's tough to not get too caught up in the Celtics Game 6 victory. Considering how crushing of a defeat was seemingly in store, how improbable White's shot was, and everything that is on the line in Game 7 now, it's safe to say Boston is in a state of euphoria right now. But the most important thing to remember is that there is still one game left to be played, and in Game 7s, all cards are on the table.
Nothing Boston has done up until this point matters anymore. Everything has to be about winning Game 7 to complete their comeback against the Heat and advancing to the NBA Finals. The party may have been started prematurely by some after Game 6, but if the real party is going to end up taking place, the C's are going to have to continue to play lights out defense against Miami's top player in Jimmy Butler.
Why Celtics defensive game plan for Jimmy Butler is so crucial in Game 7
It's safe to say that Butler is having one of the most legendary postseason runs in NBA history currently, and he has one last shot to further add to his legacy in Game 7 against the Celtics. Butler hasn't been at his complete best against the C's, but the threat of him stepping up with Miami's back truly up against the wall for the first time in this series looms large.
Butler's overall numbers on this series still look pretty good, aside from his efficiency from the floor (24.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 41.7 FG%). However, when you look at Butler's numbers over Miami's three losses (22.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6 APG, 36.5 FG%) you begin to see where things are going wrong. Butler is working his tail off to impact the game in every way possible, but he's going to have to find a way to score the ball consistently in Game 7.
While Game 6 was probably Butler's worst performance of the series in the grand scheme of things (24 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 5-21 FGM), it was extremely concerning to see him finally start to get whatever he wanted on offense down the stretch of this game. Butler had 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, with 13 of them coming in the final four minutes of the game. Butler certainly was aided by a friendly whistle, as eight of these points came at the charity stripe, but points are points.
Butler has gotten a huge helping hand from his supporting cast through this series, but in Game 7, the ball is going to be in his hands more often than not. It's telling that Butler and his 5-21 shooting were given the opportunity to tie or take a one-point lead on the Heat's final possession of the game, and again, while he got some help from the refs, he drew three free throws that gave Miami a brief lead.
The Celtics have had a lot of success using their collective length to slow Butler down on offense. He's looked hesitant on his drives to the paint, and the C's aren't exactly biting on his pump fakes that help him get to the free throw line with such frequency. Butler isn't going to shoot 5-21 in Game 7 again, which is why this is a huge storyline to pay attention to heading into this game.
Boston has to keep their foot on the gas pedal, even after the miraculous win they just took part in on Saturday night, because Butler is going to come out and kill them if they don't. The C's let off the pedal late in the fourth quarter of Game 6 and Butler erased a ten-point deficit on his own. It's more likely than not that he will carry over his fourth quarter momentum into a do-or-die Game 7.
Sticking with what has worked on Butler over the past three games is going to be the key in this one. White has done a great job at holding Butler up long enough to draw a secondary defender, and his hesitation when he gets to these spots is precisely what Boston is looking for. And while Butler loves to hunt White on switches, his primary defender in Jayson Tatum has been a nightmare matchup to this point in the series.
Butler is going to hit his shots in Game 7, but Boston cannot let their defensive intensity waver. They gave themselves an opportunity to play for everything that's on the line in this Game 7 contest, and they cannot rest on their laurels now. Butler certainly isn't, and if the Celtics want to complete this comeback and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals, it all starts with slowing down the Heat's best player for one final game.
Follow Us
Subscribe