Well, that game took at least a week of my life. If you ever see someone challenging the old adage that "basketball is a game of runs" be sure to show them this game. Even the no longer, but at the time they tweeted this, defending NBA Champion Raptors said so.
What a wild, back and forth, dogfight of a series and game seven that was. Celtics had a quick 10-0 run in the first and before you could even tweet out your excitement the Raptors went on 15-2 of their own. After a quarter, Toronto held a one point lead.
Of course, coming out on the right side of the series makes that a lot easier to say. Otherwise ya boi would've have been crying that the fix was in after multiple unforgivable mistakes by the refs in game six. After going up 2-0 (largely in part to Eastern Conference Semi-Finals MVP Marcus Smart's five straight 3 pointers) the Celtics were 0.5 seconds away from a 3-0 lead. Of course we all know what happened next.
Credit to the Raptors for fighting back and making this a mother fuckin' SERIES. The champs gave a valiant effort; even if I have zero respect for Nick Nurse or Kyle Lowry.
I know it's not a thing, but if there ever was an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals MVP, it should go to Marcus Smart. Ever since Paul Konerko went off when White Sox swept the Red Sox in the '05 ALDS and Chris Berman said he would've been ALDS MVP if that existed I've been waiting my moment and this is it. Marcus Smart was the heart and soul of this Celtics team all series long. Triple Double in game six and some clutch defensive plays tonight when the C's desperately needed them. You basically expect four steals a night from this two-time 1st Team All-NBA Defender.
It's almost 1 am and I've been up since 6 so let's fast forward to 35.4 second left in the 4th. After getting fouled with like 0.4 left on the shot clock after a great feed by Kemba, rookie Grant Williams, who was only in that late because Theis had fouled out went to the free throw line with a chance to give the Celtics four point lead. After returning from a timeout break, Williams missed both. Thankfully superstar Jayson Tatum showed some Smarfff like effort and earned at least 10 Tommy Points for this play.
Tatum missed one to keep it a one possession lead. I was capital V worried. With how this series has gone, you cannot give the Raptors any life. After going 1-4 from the line in that stretch I really was expecting Toronto to bang a three and have us in overtime again. Thankfully, Fred VanVleet shot a three ball that went about 12 feet and just like the C's are back in the ECF. You gotta love how close this team is.
After losing 4-1 in 2017 and suffering a crushing home loss in game 7 the next year, the Celtics have returned to the Conference Finals for the third time in four seasons. This time instead of facing Lebron, they're up against his former team in the Miami Heat (who just gentlemen swept the Bucks). No Bron (until the Finals) is good news for the Celtics as they're 0-3 against him in the ECF with two (2) game seven L's. None of that history matters right now, the Celtics pulled a Washington Nationals and won four games on the "road" and have knocked the champs out. Now it's time for Ole Dozo to knock out for the night. Oh what's that Marcus?
LFGGGGG! C's in whatever it takes!!!
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