The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 100-96 on Sunday night to reach the NBA finals for the first time since 2010. Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart each added 24, and the Celtics fought off a frantic rally in the final seconds.
Al Horford added 14 rebounds for the Celtics, who never trailed en route to a Game 7 triumph on the road – the first for the historic team since it defeated Milwaukee for the NBA title in 1974.
The Boston Celtics will face the Golden State Warriors in a series that will begin on Thursday in San Francisco.
Jimmy Butler, who willed Miami into Game 7 with a 47-point performance in Boston on Friday, led the Heat with 35 points in the season finale. Bam Adebayo added 25 points for the Heat, who trailed by 11 points with under three minutes remaining before attempting one more rally.
The Heat pulled within 98-96 thanks to a 9-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Max Strus with 51 seconds left. Butler attempted a three-pointer from the right wing with approximately 17 seconds left, but it missed – and the Celtics escaped with a victory.
During a crucial stretch of the fourth quarter, Boston pushed the Heat into nine straight misses, turning an 82-79 lead into a 90-79 advantage — and the Celtics, who had lost each of their previous four visits to the East finals, found a way to hold on.
For the Heat, Kyle Lowry scored 15 points. For the Celtics, Grant Williams had 11 points.