NBA playoffs: Celtics force Game 5 back in Boston, beat Heat to extend Eastern Conference finals

May 24, 2023 in Sports

The Boston Celtics were not going to be swept. They staved off elimination with a 116-99 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals to force a Game 5 back in Boston on Thursday. Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and had 11 rebounds to pace the No. 2-seeded Celtics and cut the Heat’s deficit to 3-1. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit, so the Celtics still have a huge hurdle to clear to return to the NBA Finals. The Denver Nuggets await the winner of this series in the Finals, which start June 1.