With history and NBA Finals on the line, do Celtics or Heat win Eastern Conference final?
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isn’t conceding anything after a 3-0 Eastern Conference finals lead against the Boston Celtics turned into a 3-3 series.
"I don't know how we are going to get this done, but we are going up there and get it done," Spoelstra said of Monday’s Game 7 against the Celtics.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum isn’t counting on a second consecutive finals appearance just because the Celtics came back from a 3-0 deficit to force a series finale.
"We're all aware it's not time to celebrate," Tatum said. "We didn't accomplish anything. We won a big game that we had to win in incredible fashion. We're proud of the way we played, proud of the way we figured it out. But the job is far from finished."
History is on the line for both teams with the winner facing Denver in the NBA Finals.
No team in 150 tries has come back from a 3-0 deficit and won a series. Boston can become the first.
And the Heat are trying to become just the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.
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A look at the historical context of Game 7 between the Heat and Celtics on Monday in Boston (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT):
NBA Game 7 history
There have been 147 Game 7s in league history, and the home team has a 111-36 record.
Hall of Famer Bill Russell was 10-0 in Game 7s.
Of the three previous teams to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, they all lost on the road in the series finale. None were at home for Game 7.
This season, the Celtics beat the Sixers in Game 7 in Boston, and Golden State beat Sacramento in Game 7 on the road.
While there have been just 36 Game 7 road winners, it has happened 15 times in the past 12 seasons, including Boston over Miami last season. Technically, Denver was the road team won it won back-to-back Game 7s in the Orlando bubble.
LeBron James is the record-holder for most career points (279) in Game 7s.
Denver’s two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and former NBA player Rajon Rondo each have two triple-doubles in a Game 7.
Miami Heat Game 7 history
The Heat are 6-5 in Game 7s, including 0-2 on the road. Spoelstra will coach in his eighth Game 7, going 4-3, including a Game 7 victory over San Antonio for the NBA title in 2013.
Most recent Game 7: The Heat lost to Boston in Game 7 of last season’s Eastern Conference finals.
Boston Celtics Game 7 history
The Celtics have played in a league-record 36 Game 7s and have a 27-9 record, including 22-5 at home. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla will coach in his second Game 7, and Boston center Al Horford will play in his seventh Game 7, which will put him in a five-way tie for third-most all-time.
Tatum holds the record NBA record for most points (51) in a Game 7. It happened just two weeks ago against Philadelphia. Teammate Grant Williams shares the record for most 3-pointers (seven) in a Game 7.
Most recent Game 7: Boston defeated the Sixers in seven games in the conference semifinals this season.
How do the Celtics win Game 7
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have led Boston’s comeback in the series. Yes, they have had help, especially from Marcus Smart and Derrick White, the hero who made the game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 6. But Tatum is averaging 28.3 points on 50% shooting, 10.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks; and Brown is averaging 21.3 points on 50% shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in Boston’s three victories. Tatum had 33 points in Game 4 and 31 in Game 6.
For Boston, it starts with their two All-NBA players.
How do the Heat win Game 7
Role players matter, and the Heat have had the necessary contributions from players like Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Duncan Robinson. But the Heat will have a difficult time pulling off a Game 7 road victory if Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo aren’t at or near their best. They weren’t in Game 6, at least offensively, shooting a combined 9-for-37 from the field. The Heat still were close to winning, but that won’t be good enough at Boston.
Butler's supreme confidence needs to carry over to supreme production.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celtics vs. Heat: NBA Finals on line in historic Game 7 matchup
