Stephen A. Smith, different ESPN personalities aren’t ruling out an inconceivable comeback for Celtics

Celtics

“Somebody’s obtained to interrupt via. That is the group to do it.”

The Celtics nonetheless have an extended climb forward of them within the Jap Convention Finals towards the Miami Warmth. Boston is the a hundred and fiftieth NBA group to fall into an 0-3 deficit in a playoff collection. The primary 149 groups all ultimately misplaced their collection.

However a number of ESPN personalities aren’t counting them out fairly but within the group’s pursuit of an inconceivable comeback.

After Boston saved its season alive with a Sport 4 victory down at Kaseya Heart on Tuesday night time, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes that the stress is beginning to shift towards an eighth-seeded Warmth group transferring ahead.

If Boston can proceed to show momentum in its favor with a win on its dwelling court docket Thursday night time, Smith isn’t ruling out Boston changing into the primary group in NBA historical past to drag off a collection win after dropping the primary three video games.

“I believe their likelihood is slim, however I definitely can’t say none,” Smith stated on ESPN’s First Tackle Wednesday. “Right here’s the explanation why. You’ve obtained Sport 5 arising. Clearly, they should win that sport or they go dwelling. They’re 10-11 at dwelling [in the postseason] over the past two seasons, 4-5 this season. If, someway, they handle to win, they’ve truly been higher on the highway. So, it’s conceivable that if Boston wins, the stress clearly shifts to Miami in Sport 6 since you have been up 3-0, now you’d solely be up 3-2 and you then’ve obtained Sport 6 on your own home court docket with the specter of a Sport 7 and historical past being made in the event you lose a 3-0 lead.

“The probabilities are slim, however I nonetheless say, ‘Wait a minute.’ Sport 5 clearly is the whole lot, however that shifts the stress. If Boston wins Sport 5 on Thursday night time — in the event you’re Miami you don’t want to have a Sport 7 pressured in Boston after having a 3-0 lead when no one within the historical past of the game has ever surrendered a 3-0 deficit.”

Though the Backyard has usually been a home of horrors for each the Celtics and Bruins this postseason, Boston has sufficient expertise on its roster to punch again towards the Warmth as soon as once more in Sport 5.

Lower than an hour after Boston beat the Warmth in Miami, TNT’s Charles Barkley predicted that Sport 5 will “be a cakewalk” for the Celtics.

Boston’s renewed defensive identification and 3-point capturing success in Sport 4 has additionally made a believer out of ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.

Whereas Smith believes Boston nonetheless has a slim shot at pulling off this comeback, Greenberg provided a far bolder proclamation on Wednesday.

“The affect that the coach has had on this collection — Erik Spoelstra — has been disproportionate to what we normally see within the NBA, which is to say I believe he has coached circles round Joe Mazzulla from the start of the collection,” Greenberg stated Wednesday. “However there comes some extent the place you run out of tips, you run out of issues you are able to do.

“On the finish of the day, the fantastic thing about a seven-game collection is that you need to earn it each single time. On the finish of the day, if these groups simply go on the market and play, the Celtics ought to win each single sport. They’re simply higher in each single sport.”

As long as Boston’s 3-point capturing continues to regular itself and normally reliable scorers like Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon begin to warmth up, a path to victory is there for Boston — as daunting as the chances could also be.

“If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can determine easy methods to get this factor collectively, I’m sitting right here telling you proper now I consider historical past is about to be rewritten,” Greenberg stated. “It’s about to be 150 towards one as a substitute of 150 towards none. I’m sufficiently old to recollect when a 16-seed had by no means gained an NCAA Match sport. It’s occurred twice within the final 4 or 5 years. Somebody’s obtained to interrupt via. That is the group to do it.”