Which calls did referees miss in Celtics vs Heat Game 6? Taking a closer look at L2M report of NBA Eastern Conference Finals
Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) came to a wild conclusion on Saturday night. The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 104-103 to force a Game 7. Most Heat fans thought they had won the game at the final buzzer. However, Derrick White came up clutch for the Celtics when he secured the offensive rebound and hit the putback before time expired.
The ECF has been full of thrilling moments. With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, the series has been intense from the start. These games are pressure-packed, especially for the referees. They have the power to change the landscape of the game, which means every call counts.
Unfortunately, there will always be times when the refs miss important calls. But which violations slithered past the officials in Game 6? According to the NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Report, there were a couple of missed calls on Saturday.
Apparently, Caleb Martin stayed inside the paint for too long but wasn't called for a lane violation. The other missed call was a shooting foul by Gabe Vincent on Jayson Tatum. These calls can be difficult to see, especially when there's just so much going on at once. However, this is the ECF. The referees need to be sharp at all times considering what's at stake.
You can read more about the missed calls in the Reddit thread below:
ECF Game 6 between the Celtics and the Heat came to a wild ending
In the final seconds of Game 6 between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler nearly put the series to a close. The Heat were down 102-100 when Butler successfully baited Al Horford into fouling him from behind the 3-point line. Jimmy came up clutch by knocking down all three free throw attempts, giving Miami a 103-102 lead.
The Celtics called for a timeout to draw up a play for a game-winning basket. The play was designed for Marcus Smart to take the three. Smart missed the shot but Derrick White came to Boston's rescue. With only 0.1 seconds remaining, White got the offensive rebound and tipped the ball in the basket for a buzzer-beating game-winner.
The Heat and their fans were stunned and confused as they tried to process what happened in the final play. Luckily for Boston, they successfully forced a Game 7. They have a chance to become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.