BSJ ECF Game 6 report: Heat 111, Celtics 103 - Jimmy Butler carries Heat to win as Tatum, Brown disappear in fourth quarter

Everything you need to know about the Boston Celtics' loss to the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

It really was the same old story early on for the Celtics with turnovers and second-chance points giving Miami the lead. The difference this time around was that Miami started hitting their 3-pointers. At one point, they were shooting over 50% from deep, and no matter what Boston did to make a run, it seemed that Miami hit a momentum-killing shot. Meanwhile, Boston continued to shoot themselves in the foot with crushing turnovers giving up 22 points off miscues. When push came to shove, Jimmy Butler took over in the 4th quarter scoring 17 points while Boston’s entire starting 5 combined for 15.

Box Score

HEADLINES

Butler LeBron’ed Boston: No matter what you think of the game, you have to give credit to Butler for willing his team to this win. He seemed broken after Game 5, and then he came out and dropped 47 points on 16-29 shooting, including a 4-8 night from deep and a perfect 11-11 from the line. He also had 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and block. He didn't want to lose. 

Disappearing act: There's just no excuse for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each getting only one shot in the fourth quarter and seven combined shots in the second half. 

“I just didn't make enough plays down the stretch,” Brown said. “They started doubling, we made some right plays, but definitely got to find more ways to be aggressive next game. I only think I took one or two shots in the second half, and it's a fine line between letting the game come to you and almost being aggressive.”

(Note: He took 3 shots in the second half)

Worst case scenario: Now Boston has to go into Miami for a Game 7. They talked all this talk about not being Milwaukee, and that's exactly who they ended up being in this game. Who knows what’s going to happen Sunday night. 

TURNING POINT

Kyle Lowry fouled out with 2:18 to go, putting Brown on the line with the game tied at 99. This could have been a huge swing considering Lowry was one of the guys who woke up in this game and hit huge 3-pointers. Brown missed both free throws, and Butler came up the other end and drew an and-1. Miami led the rest of the way after that. 

SECOND GUESS

It’s too late now, but I still want to see Tatum and Brown off ball more on nights like this where Miami is loading up and taking the ball out of Tatum’s hands. Tatum’s doing what he’s told in those situations, which is draw the crowd and give up the ball, but what’s that doing besides willingly taking the ball out of the star’s hands? 

ONE UP

Derrick White: He really was the big reason why Boston even had a chance. He finished with 22 points on 7-14 shooting (4-7 3pt) along with 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals. He had 11 in the fourth quarter and put Boston in a position to win. 

THREE DOWN

Marcus Smart: A rough shooting night for Smart (4-15 fg, 1-9 3pt), and he had a stretch earlier in the game where the shots were coming a little too quickly. He ended up taking 15 shots, which is not outrageous, but the 9 3-pointers was a bit much. He certainly passed up some shots trying to hunt for better ones but Miami was hellbent on taking Tatum and Brown out of the game. 

Al Horford: Rough one for Horford, but I’m going to maybe give him a pass on this considering his grandfather died earlier in the day. 

Grant Williams: 0-2 on the night and no 3-pointers even taken. Hitting those is his job. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Let’s talk about Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown 

I was going to put them in their own category instead of the up and down. Then I was just going to say “down.” And then I just decided to put them here. 

In sports, this is where one of these guys was supposed to step up and neither of them did down the stretch. Yet, they combined for 50 points and that's usually the sign of a win. Tatum had 30, shot 75%, 4-7 from 3, and 8-8 from the line. Brown was 6-13 for 20 points. They combined for 9 assists. 

But they also combined for 11 turnovers, and that's where this all begins and ends.

“A lot of careless ones, unforced, and that got us behind,” Ime Udoka said. “Throughout the game any time we got within striking range, it felt like we had a poor decision, whether it was a turnover and they got out and scored.”

Often, the scoring was done by Jimmy Butler, who had a superstar night. Miami’s hope is that Butler can match the other team’s superstar and that his gravity can lift the rest of the team with him, but on this night, he basically matched both of Boston’s with his 47 points. His 26 second half points were nearly twice as much as the Jays' combined 14. 

I can sit here and justify one of these guys not having a lot of shots because Miami loaded up and took them away, but this is why Boston has both of them. When one of them is seeing the crowd, the other is supposed to take advantage. 

They do it sometimes, and we celebrate them for it. They didn’t do it in this game, though, and that's where we see doubt creep in. 

Doubt it like water seeping through cracks in a foundation. That has to be taken care of quickly or else the damage it can create has the potential to permeate everything. 

This team just came off a big Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, so I’m not going to be one of those reactionary guys who wonders who has the cojones to step up in a big game. They’ve both demonstrated they can. 

Yet this was the game that demanded it from one of them, and neither seized the moment. This was their chance to get to the NBA Finals, instead they have to fly back to Miami for another short turnaround and a Game 7. 

Tatum and Brown were both good for stretches, but not good enough down the stretch. There's a trip to the Finals on the line here, and those trips are reserved for special teams with special players. 

And the thing about being a special player is that you have to constantly prove it. It’s like pedaling a bike for your electricity. If you stop moving, the lights go out.