The Celtics were on the cusp of being blown out of the TD Garden on Thursday night. The hosts were shooting a putrid 28 percent from the field and 21 percent from 3-point range as they faced a game-high 17-point deficit (64-47) against the defending champion Warriors with just 17 minutes remaining in the contest.
An anemic seven points in the first seven minutes of the frame was another sign of the scoring struggles that continued to hound the Celtics at various points of their 13-game winning streak. Finally, it seemed, the offensive woes would prove to be too much for the team’s superb defense to overcome. ESPN's game flow gave them a 3.7 percent chance of winning the game.
Incredibly, a mere three minutes and 39 seconds later, the Celtics were ahead 68-66. A lightning fast 19-0 run shell-shocked the Warriors and came while Kyrie Irving was watching the sidelines.
How exactly did the C’s manage to put together the outburst that ultimately gave them a chance to pull out a memorable 92-88 win over the champs? Let’s dissect the workings of what will probably be the best four minutes of basketball the Celtics might play all season.
The @celtics close out the 3rd quarter on a 19-2 run on @NBAonTNT! pic.twitter.com/jUaS8CMwR4
— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2017