The Boston Celtics, one of the most storied teams in the NBA, are heading to the NBA Finals for the 22nd time in franchise history. It also marks the first time that the Celtics have reached the NBA Finals since 2010, when they were looking to win a second NBA title in three years. However, the lost to the same team that they had defeated in 2008, their arch nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers.
For much of the game, Boston seemed to be comfortably in control. They sported a double-digit lead for much of the fourth quarter, including late in the quarter. It seemed like the game was out of reach for Miami.
However, the Heat rallied and made a late run, at one point pulling within two points with less than a minute left to play. They actually managed to stop the Celtics with their defense, and got the ball back. Then, however, Jimmy Butler surprisingly took a 3-point attempt for the win, rather than remaining patient and going for the tie. It is a decision that some may criticize, and indeed, since he missed, it seems like perhaps it killed the chances for the Heat. However, he would have looked like an absolute genius had he made that shot, which would have given Miami a lead, and a ton of momentum, with little time left.
Instead, he missed, and Boston got the ball back. The Heat fouled, and remained Smart cool and collected, and sank the two free throw shots to put his team up by four with less than 12 seconds.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be played in Oakland, with the Golden State Warriors hosting the newly crowned Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics. The Warriors are slight favorites (3 points) to win the NBA Finals series over the Celtics. Golden State obviously has a lot of experience at this level. They made five straight NBA Finals appearances from 2015-2019, winning the NBA title three of those times. They will also enjoy home court advantage, meaning that they will play the first two games of the series at home, and will host four games if the series goes to seven, which of course means that the deciding Game 7 would be played at Golden State.
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