(CNN) — Derrick White of the Boston Celtics scored a miraculous goal with 0.1 seconds left in the game, sealing a dramatic 104-103 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, erasing a 0-3 series deficit and leaving the Celtics on the brink of NBA history.
The Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler hit three free throws with three seconds left in the game to put the Heat ahead 103-102 in what looked like a sure win for the team and a berth in the NBA Finals. .
However, on his next possession, White rebounded a botched 3-point attempt by guard Marcus Smart and scored with 0.1 seconds left on the shot clock to seal the shock victory at Miami’s FTX Arena.
“I’m glad we won,” White told “NBA on TNT” after the game. “Whatever it takes, with our backs against the wall, I’m glad we won.”
Boston will now return home to TD Garden Stadium to play Game 7 this Monday, in which the Celtics will look to become the first team in league history (0-150) to erase an 0-3 deficit and win a best- of seven series. This postseason, the Celtics are 5-0 in the playoffs.
The Celtics led most of the game on their forward Jayson Tatum’s 25 points in the first half. However, late in the third quarter and into the fourth, the Heat orchestrated a 15-3 run to momentarily take a 83-82 lead on a shot by Jimmy Butler.
With Tatum struggling offensively in the second half, Celtics guard Jaylen Brown scored six straight points to retake Boston’s lead. Smart would then give the Celtics a 10-point lead with less than five minutes left in the game, before Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler hit 11 of the team’s next 13 points, including all three free throws to score. in the final seconds by White.
Tatum finished with 31 points in the game, scoring just 6 points in the second half, while Brown added 26 points as the Celtics became the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after trailing by 0-3. The other three teams that forced a Game 7 were the Celtics. The other three teams to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 are the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers, the 1994 Denver Nuggets, and the 1951 New York Knicks.
Butler struggled on the scoreboard scoring 24 points but missing two assists before a triple-double with 11 rebounds and 8 assists.
“That thing just bounced a different way. That’s the only place it could have bounced to hurt us,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of White’s touchdown run in the final second of the game. “I thought we talked a lot about that play and sometimes things don’t go our way.”
“I don’t think there’s anything to regret. It’s a shame. But look, that’s how it went this season. This is one hell of a show. Right now, I don’t know how we’re going to get it, but we’re going to get it there. And it’s about this is what the next 48 hours will be talking about.
“This season has not been easy for our team, so we have to do it the hard way. This is how it has to be for our group. We would like to put the finishing touches, right now. Right now, let’s forget it and play another 48 minutes, but we’ll wait 48 hours and do it in Boston,” concluded Spoelstra.
The winner of Game 7 will face the Denver Nuggets on Monday in the NBA Finals, which kicks off June 1.
