The Celtics looked dead this time last week. Down zero to three in the East Finals and facing Game Four on the road, they seemed destined for a consequence all 150 teams in the same position before them suffered: a series loss and elimination from the playoffs. Even their diehard followers appeared resigned to what even National Basketball Association annals deemed inevitable. After all, they were outplayed in every contest, with their ineffectual showing on the court and the glaring underperformance of their brain trust enabling the supposedly overmatched Heat to take the commanding lead.
Between Games Four and Six, however, the Celtics have managed to turn their fortunes around. Now, not only are they in prime position to change their fate; they have in their hands the capacity to make history. Unlike the three previous wannabes who only went so far as to force a winner-take-all affair from the same position, they will be taking on the challenge at home. In other words, 19,156 fans will be cheering them on as they aim to ride on momentum to buck the odds. The TD Garden will be rocking, and every moment in Game Seven is expected to make the Heat, well, feel the heat.
To be sure, the 2023 postseason has not been lacking in surprises. Considering how the Celtics have navigated their campaign so far, it’s also fair to wonder if they can be consistent enough to finish the job. Even as they’re vastly superior on paper, they have displayed an alarming predisposition to highlight their Hyde side at the most inopportune times. Yesterday, for instance, they made their path to victory much harder by doing all the wrong things in the last four minutes of the fourth quarter. Only starting point guard Derrick White’s followup shot at the buzzer protected their investment in the previous 44 minutes.
So, yes, Game Seven is up in the air — just as it should be. There may be a blowout, which the protagonists have proven capable of orchestrating. There may be a close contest, with a bounce here and there once again deciding the final score. And, fittingly, any development will be etched in the record books. The Celtics can become The One out of 151, while the Heat are in line to be the first eighth seeds to claw their way to the NBA Finals. Who’s to say what will happen? Even the Nuggets await with bated breath.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.