‘We didn’t want it to be over:’ How the Celtics marched past the defending champs and into the Eastern Conference finals – The Boston Globe

A couple of minutes later, although, the demolition was so thorough and time was so scarce that Udoka might lastly enable himself a second to exhale. He might lastly enable himself a second to only cease and pay attention.

“Everyone’s talked about how loud it’s been in right here, and I by no means heard it till tonight,” he stated. “I suppose you are taking the time to understand it when it’s a 20-something level recreation with two minutes to go. You’re listening to the gang and searching round and seeing everybody standing. That was the primary time I actually felt it within the sequence.”

They continued to rejoice till the very finish, till Celtics 109, Bucks 81 glowed on every scoreboard round TD Backyard.

This Boston staff was as soon as in peril of lacking the playoffs altogether. Simply two days in the past it went to Milwaukee, the scars from its Sport 5 collapse nonetheless seen, dealing with elimination.

Now, it’s now marching on to the Japanese Convention finals, the place it can face the top-seeded Warmth. Sport 1 can be Tuesday evening in Miami.

“We had two video games the place our season was on the road, and we didn’t need it to be over,” Celtics ahead Jaylen Brown stated. “We didn’t overcome all of the stuff we did earlier within the season for this to be it.”

The Celtics’ formulation for Sunday’s win was not typical. They didn’t hop on the backs of Brown and Jayson Tatum. As a substitute, they turned to ahead Grant Williams, and advised him to begin launching.

Boston’s fleet of weapons creates robust choices for opposing defenses, and Milwaukee determined on this sequence it could drive the Celtics’ secondary gamers to beat them from the perimeter. In Sport 7, that method grew to become significantly extreme.

Milwaukee deployed its massive males on Williams and basically dared him to make a shot by sagging again within the paint. He made his first, however then had a pair of awkward misses as Boston fell behind by 10 factors. Udoka might see that he was uneasy.

“I advised him, ‘Allow them to fly. They’re disrespecting you extra tonight than earlier within the sequence,’ ” Udoka stated.

That sentiment was shared by the remainder of the staff each time Williams went to the bench.

“It’s robust to get in your individual head when your complete staff, like 15 folks, stroll as much as you and say, ‘Preserve taking pictures,’ ” Williams stated. “So for me, it was similar to, all proper, they’re encouraging it, would possibly as effectively take benefit.”

Williams completed the sport 7 for 18 from the 3-point line en path to a game-high 27 factors. He broke the NBA document for Sport 7 3-point makes an attempt, beforehand held by Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry.

“I name him Grant Curry now,” Brown quipped.

Tatum completed with 23 factors and Brown added 19 for Boston. However the recreation’s most essential stretch got here when Tatum was not even on the ground. He went to the bench after amassing his fourth foul with 7:44 left within the third interval and Boston main by 10 factors. It was a harmful state of affairs.

By the point the quarter ended, the Celtics had truly pushed their benefit to 79-64.

“That was large,” Tatum stated. “The best way that they performed collectively, moved the ball, made the correct performs on each ends and prolonged the lead, I used to be extraordinarily comfortable and excited watching the fellows from the bench.”

The Celtics’ offense was ample, however the protection — this staff’s calling card — was excellent. The Bucks mustered simply 55 factors within the last three quarters, and the wear and tear and tear on famous person Giannis Antetokounmpo lastly started to point out.

Antetokounmpo completed with 25 factors, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists, however a superb chunk of that injury was inflicted within the opening quarter, when the Bucks climbed to an early lead. He labored by way of the second half and started to overlook layups that he usually converts with little bother.

Antetokounmpo performed admirably all through this sequence with fellow All-Star Khris Middleton sidelined with a sprained knee, however he simply didn’t have ample assist. The Bucks had been 4 for 33 from the 3-point line.

After the Celtics’ Sport 5 collapse at TD Backyard, there have been questions on whether or not this sequence would even return to this constructing and provides Boston an opportunity at one thing extra.

However now, this staff has disposed of Kevin Durant and the Nets in a sweep, and Antetokounmpo and the defending NBA champions in seven tough, bruising video games. It’s unimaginable to not see that there’s a clear path to one thing even larger.

With just below three minutes left within the recreation, the gang broke right into a ‘Beat the Warmth’ chant. That can be Boston’s process now. The Warmth defeated the Celtics within the 2020 convention finals within the Orlando bubble earlier than happening to lose to the Lakers within the Finals.

“I anticipate nothing lower than an awesome battle,” Brown stated.

Adam Himmelsbach will be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Observe him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.