Just in: Joe Mazzulla shed tears ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ as he received a message concerning death of his key player while having a strong match
And a season of not quite measuring up. That game’s fourth quarter was essentially the written script for the offseason plot.
However, Derrick White intercepted Smart’s miss with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game. And he was able to get the ball back on track in less than thirty seconds by banking it off the backboard and through the hoop.
It was a good shot. The assembly was in disbelief. And the Celtics, who simply enjoy teasing death as much as they can, had pushed the envelope to the furthest extent and survived to tell the story.
After Boston defeated Indiana 104-103, Jaylen Brown admitted, “To be honest, at that point, I’m in full prayer mode.” I find myself mentally repeating whatever prayer I have. I was aware that our season was almost over.
When the Celtics led by two points in the closing seconds of the game, Al Horford fouled Jimmy Butler behind the 3-point line, pushing Boston to the verge of defeat. Miami had a one-point lead after Butler made his tenth, eleventh, and twelve free throws of the game despite having a terrible shooting night.
The Celtics attempted to pass the ball to Jayson Tatum following a timeout, but Max Strus and Butler positioned themselves in between him. This compelled Derrick White, the inbound traveler, to look for other options and a heads-up Marcus Smart acknowledged the circumstances and offered his assistance. Smart’s shot eventually spun out, but it nearly went through.
From there, White was able to make his game-saving play thanks to a mix of incredible skill and pure luck.