BOSTON (AP) — In the fog of the Celtics’ Game 5 loss to Milwaukee that dropped his workforce right into a 3-2 sequence gap, Boston coach Ime Udoka made a prediction.
“It’ll make it sweeter when we bounce back,” he mentioned.
Two wins later, the Celtics turned their coach’s prophecy into actuality.
Grant Williams scored a career-high 27 factors and hit seven 3-pointers, Jayson Tatum added 23 and Boston set a Game 7 file with 22 3-pointers to eradicate the NBA champion Bucks 109-81 on Sunday within the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics will face top-seeded Miami starting Tuesday in a rematch of the 2020 East finals. The Heat beat the Celtics in six video games in that sequence at Walt Disney World.
Tatum mentioned his workforce embraced the “backs against the wall” moments it confronted in having to win the ultimate two video games after their late collapse of their earlier residence sport.
“As much as it hurt to lose Game 5, I was looking forward to that challenge,” Tatum mentioned. “I believe in myself, I believe in this team. I expected to play the way I did and for us to respond the way we did.”
The Celtics trailed early in Game 7 earlier than outscoring the Bucks 61- 38 within the second half to cruise to the victory. Boston used a whopping 54-point benefit from behind the arc to enhance to 25-9 in decisive seventh video games.
The Bucks at the moment are 3-9. They went 4 for 33 (12.1%) from the 3-point line. That’s the second-worst 3-point proportion in a playoff sport ever (minimal 30 makes an attempt).
Williams was timid early, lacking 5 of his first 7 3-point makes an attempt. It was a pep discuss he acquired from Jaylen Brown throughout a timeout after Williams handed on a open shot that modified his mindset.
“For me it was like, they’re encouraging it, I might as well take advantage,” Williams mentioned. “Each one as time got on got more comfortable.”
Williams completed 7 for 18 behind the arc. The Celtics have been 22 for 55.
It helped silence one other relentless night time from Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had 25 factors, 20 rebounds and 9 assists. But he was simply 3 of 11 within the paint within the second half, together with 1 for six the fourth quarter.
“Shots that I usually make wasn’t going in. That’s basketball. That’s sports,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. There’s a winner. There’s a loser. You’ve just got to live with it.”
Jrue Holiday added 21 factors and eight assists. Brook Lopez completed with 15 factors and 10 rebounds.
Boston began the second half on an 11-4 run to open a 59-47 lead.
It was 63-53 when Tatum went to the bench after being whistled for his fourth foul. But the Celtics rallied with out him, outscoring the Bucks 16-11 the remainder of the quarter to take a 79-64 result in the fourth.
Udoka mentioned he’s largely been capable of preserve tunnel imaginative and prescient all through his first season as a head coach, however mentioned he allowed himself to absorb the roar of the TD Garden crowd within the closing seconds.
He mentioned having the ability to have Game 7 at residence mattered. The Celtics gained on the ultimate day of the common season to earn it for this matchup when the Bucks rested their regulars and have been blown out 133-115 by Cleveland.
“This is what we played for, why we played the season out, to have home-court advantage in a Game 7,” Udoka mentioned. “If you believe in the basketball gods, those things matter.”
Brown mentioned their coach has been the catalyst to place them on this place.
“We didn’t want it to be over. We didn’t overcome all the stuff we did during the regular season for that to be it. .. At the end of the day, we wanted to come out, leave it all out there. I think we did.”
TIP-INS
Bucks: There was a pregame second of silence held for the victims of mass shootings this previous week in Milwaukee and Buffalo. … F Khris Middleton missed his tenth straight playoff sport with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. … Milwaukee missed their ultimate 11 3-point makes an attempt of the primary half.
Celtics: Were 9 of twenty-two from the 3-point line within the first half. … Patriots workforce proprietor Robert Kraft sat courtside, together with Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and receiver Kendrick Bourne.
NO WILLIAMS
Celtics middle Robert Williams III was obtainable to play after lacking three straight video games with soreness and a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee. But he didn’t play.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com