Unreachable

Last week we asked if the Boston Celtics becomes the first team to recover from nothing to everything, this after they evened the series in a miraculous evening. Game 6 ticked a shot at history for the Celtics, but not without a controversy over a split second difference. The 2.1 seconds to death was resurrected to a 3.0-second second lease on life. And triumph. Marcus Smart shouldered the mission impossible to seize the opportunity that once gone is gone forever, smartly jumped for trey but missed.

But Derrick White was at the right place at the right time and the right mind, tipped the ball in within 3 seconds of eternity to book a special place in history for the Celtics as the fourth team to force a game 7 from nothing. But that is a side story to the main story of becoming the first team to win out of nowhere. They dated history with a massive momentum shift and home court advantage on their side. But fate has a strange habit of evading dogged pursuit of the never before.

For in the decider, Miami did not force anything. Even in heat, they kept their cool despite the huge pressure, and just let their body be, as a team or individually, to avert humiliation of being the first squad to squander a 3-0 almost there advantage and avenge their bitter loss last year. Reversal of fortune. Caleb Martin flashed his brilliance that shone the entire series with 26 points. Most valuable Jimmy Butler shot 28 points with his subdued, calculated and subtle aggression.

At the other side of the boring, er, boo-ring, er, ring, Jayson Tatum could not anchor right the entire night, much less turn around the match after his ankle turned early in the fight. Despite his 19 points, Jaylen Brown could have played better. The Celtics 3-point shooting missed out and messed up to lose the serial battle for full throttle. History stood them up, the nothing to everything come-from-behind drubbing remains impenetrable territory. All 151 teams flirted with the chance but snubbed by history. So near, yet so far. Elusive. Exclusive. Or better yet, exclusionist.

One day, one team may redeem from nothing. There is always the first time. And it always hurts, without reference to losing physical virginity, but to the team that turned lethargic with what it thought was an insurmountable lead. It is easier to overtake than defend, especially if the leader does not look back, or at least look askance. Hardly any early leader in middle and long distance running crossed the line first. Know when to peak, without reference to beauty pageant experts.

The challenger has nothing to lose, the leader everything, including massive pride, honor and excessive confidence. Otherwise known as arrogance. The 4-0 and 4-3 credential to the final may widely differ on paper, but on court it is an entirely different ballgame altogether. Even Nikola Jokic who waited in boredom for who gets on board should get back to the playing board after watching, and realizing, and probably fearing, Butler is a battler.