Ten years ago, in the same arena, Ray Allen's Finals G6 chasing three points dragged the game into overtime, the Heat survived and finally crowned, and the Spurs lost.
Today, ten years later, Derrick White from the Spurs, with 0.3 seconds before the end, killed the Heat, which can be regarded as a shot to avenge his old club.
Compared to the 4-0 West Final, which ended early, this year's East Showdown is really good.
Jimmy Butler may regret the smile he exposed too early at the end of the G4.
Coach Spall may regret not chasing after a 3-0 lead and sweeping the game like the Nuggets instead of returning home.
The Heat team may regret not taking out the Green Army, which was on the verge of collapse, when they were physically strong and morale was high.
So 3-0 changed to 3-3, and returned to Boston in the seventh game.
The clown became themselves.
If G4 is a strategic adjustment for the Heat, G5 is a desperate fight by the Celtics at home, and there is a gap between the two sides in their desire to win, then today's game is on the edge of the cliff.
The Celtics trail 3-2, and if the Heat lose their last home game of the series, it won't be fun to grab seven to go to Boston Garden Arena, the most magical stadium in NBA history.
Today's match can be regarded as the ultimate contest between the two teams after five games.
The Celtics are the tougher side, and even with Brogdon, their seven-man rotation has kept down the injured Heat for most of the game.
And the Heat are the more ferocious side, Butler does not mention, G4 sprained ankle Vincent fire line comeback. The Heat's players aren't as talented as the Celtics, but they're all fierce, especially at their last home court of the series.
The double prospect set the tone at the beginning of the first quarter, with Tatum scoring 9 points and Jaylen scoring 10, telling the Heat that after the first two victories, they had kept up with and even surpassed the Heat's rhythm, and now the Heat's ferocity was a bluff in front of them.
And the Heat's defensive end began to resolutely change defenses, blocking the Celtics' three-point point on one, to strangle the opponent to their lifeline, and as for being broken, it was handed over to Adebayo.
The Celtics shot 3-of-8 from three-point range in the first quarter, which can only be considered so-so. But Butler on the Heat's side scored 5 points and 4 assists, and did not show the corresponding firepower, and the Heat trailed 29-34 in the first quarter, relying on Kleb Martin's 5-of-6 shooting for 12 points.
In the second quarter, the Heat's Vincent and Dunrow hit back-to-back 3-pointers to nearly tie the score. And the biggest improvement for the Celtics today is that even outside the three-point line, they don't blindly shoot for infinite changes, but patiently look for misalignment and vacancy.
In the face of the Heat's ferocious counterattack, it was Tatum who stood up today, and this time he gave up the dry pull that made people hold their heads countless times, and instead used his size advantage to enter the box. He scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 6-of-6 free throws in the second quarter, with only one goal out of the box as the Celtics were still leading 57-53 at halftime.
Today's Tatum plays tough and "Butler".
The Heat began to have physical problems, the offensive hand felt cold, and the Celtics took the opportunity to pull the score to 78-65 with a 9-0 climax, which seemed to be ready to play under their hands.
But the Heat were far more tenacious than expected, Martin's three-pointer, Lowry's 2+1, and Adebayo's scramble allowed the Heat to fight back again at the end of the quarter, and the Celtics still led by only 7 points (79-72) in the third quarter.
In the first three quarters, Butler scored only 9 points on 2-of-16 shooting, including a single point in the third quarter, and if the normal plot continues, today is destined to be a sinner of the team's defeat.
Indeed, all the way here, and being tackled by Nixhart in the middle, his body seems to have reached its limit. Especially in the last game, he scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, which seems to be no longer magical.
But the man, who is widely considered the "toughest man" in the league today, stepped forward again in the fourth quarter.
2 and 9 points on 16 in the first three quarters, 3 of 5 in the last quarter, 8 of 10 from the free throw line, 15 points!
The Celtics briefly led by double digits (98-88) halfway through the fourth quarter, and then the Heat began their most familiar "battle royale."
Head coach Spoling waved the flag, defend the joint defense!
This tactic, which itself is not powerful at all because of the NBA's three-second defensive rule, has repeatedly helped the Heat get through dangers.
They are the NBA's most proficient team to play league defense.
As a result, after Smart hit the final 3-pointer, the Celtics scored only one athletic goal in the final 4:56 seconds.
And Butler began his familiar takeover, first making White a foul and 2 free throws,
Then he found Lowe's change of defense to make another successful free throw, and both free throws were all hit,
Tatum was fouled and hit the same two free throws after grabbing a rebound in the front court, but Vincent turned around and made a quick layup.
But the Celtics just couldn't play through the Heat's defense, and after Horford missed a three-pointer, Butler turned around with a jumping three-pointer, and with two minutes left, the Heat had chased 96-100.
Tatum then made one of two free throws, and with Jaylen Brown also hitting only one free throw, Butler returned with a 2+1.
With 53 seconds left, the Heat were already at 100-101.
After Tatum's layup was blocked, the Heat had the best comeback opportunity of the game, and Adebayo launched a fast attack. 10 points have already been scored in the fourth quarter. Dunroe, who dragged the team back from the death line with a three-pointer, missed three points, and the Heat could only foul.
Smart went on to hit one of two free throws, 102-100, and the Celtics gave the Heat 16.9 seconds.
And the final shot must have been handled by Butler, who pointed out Horford's change of defense and struggled to get a foul at the bottom corner three-point line. And when the referee awarded a foul with only two free throws, the Celtics ghostly challenged and changed the decision to a shooting foul.
Two free throws become three free throws, and as long as Butler hits them all, Celtic only has three desperate seconds to overcome.
Butler hit all three free throws as the Heat fought back in the fourth quarter, 103-102! Only 3.0 seconds were left for the Celtics.
Then the real hero comes in.
With Smart's desperate three-point shot to the basket, Derek White, who was still serving the ball, hit a basket with only 0.1 left.
104-103, the Celts survived.
This is a killing moment comparable to Fisher's 0.4-second kill and Ray Allen's G6 three-point tie,
This is a dazzling chapter comparable to the "Havlicek steal" in Celtic history, the old Nelson's upside down the basket, and Larry Bird's broken assassin,
It was a real tiebreaker that put the Heat to the death and put the Celtics 3-0 behind the century's big comeback.
Strong and firm as Butler and the Heat, they will also be heartbroken by this, doubt themselves, and lament that the goddess of fate is against them, so that they will become the background board of historical classics after the Black Eight Battle enters the Eastern Final.
After this battle, perhaps the heart of the heat has died, and such ups and downs in the plot finally become the one who is the most injured. It's hard to believe they'll be able to tie up seven at Boston Garden Arena in two days.
The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, are just around the corner, and they are one home win away from accomplishing something no one has ever done in NBA history.
We are all witnessing history.