Celtics closer to making history after hitting last-second basket to force Game 7 vs. Heat

The Boston Celtics were a tenth of a second away from elimination. The Miami Heat were a tenth of a second from the NBA Finals.

Derrick White owned that final moment.

White scored on a putback as time expired and the Boston Celtics moved to the brink of the greatest comeback in NBA playoffs history, holding off the Miami Heat 104-103 on Saturday night to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals.

Elation for Boston. Devastation for Miami.

"Just happy we won," White said. "Whatever it takes."

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Jayson Tatum scored 31 points, Jaylen Brown scored 26 and Marcus Smart added 21 for the Celtics, who became only the fourth NBA team to erase a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series and force a deciding game. The others in that club — the 1951 New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the 1994 Denver Nuggets in the second round and the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers in the first round — all lost Game 7, all on the road.

Boston, however, is going home for its shot at history. Game 7 is Monday night on the Celtics' floor, a matchup that'll decide who meets the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets in a title series that will start Thursday.

"It's a seven-game series," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There's nothing better than Game 7s."

Jimmy Butler made three free throws with 3.0 seconds left for a one-point Heat lead, capping a Miami rally from 10 points down with less than 4 minutes remaining.

Jimmy with the putback for the lead