2023 Eastern Conference Finals — Heat defeat Celtics, 4-3 (Game 7 in Boston)

The 2023 Eastern Conference Finals unfolded as a seven-game series between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, with Miami ultimately winning Game 7 in Boston, 103–84, to advance to the NBA Finals [4][10]. Miami had established a 3–0 series lead before Boston staged a comeback to force a deciding Game 7, creating an unusual arc where the Heat nearly had the series wrapped early and the Celtics then erased a 3–0 deficit to level at 3–3 before Miami prevailed in the finale [4][5][10]. Two moments dominated late-series narratives: Derrick White's last-second putback at the end of Game 6 that produced a 104–103 Celtics win and forced a Game 7 [3][5], and Jayson Tatum's ankle injury on the first possession of Game 7, which limited Boston's star for the decisive contest [4][5]. In Game 7 Miami executed defensively and offensively to produce a 103–84 victory on Boston's home floor, a scoreline widely reported in game recaps and postgame analysis [4][10]. Key figures included Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo for Miami and Jayson Tatum and Derrick White for Boston; coaching adjustments and the injury to Tatum were focal points in retrospective coverage [3][4][5][10].

The 2023 ECF matters because it combined a rare late-series comeback (Boston erasing a 3–0 deficit to reach Game 7), an iconic single play in Derrick White's Game 6 putback, and a critical injury to Jayson Tatum that affected Game 7's competitive balance—collectively producing a high-drama chapter in the rivalry's modern era [3][4][5][10]. The series further entrenched the postseason rivalry between the franchises and provided material for ongoing comparisons of coaching, execution and star performance.

Immediately after Game 7 Miami advanced to the NBA Finals, a result reported across national outlets [4][10]. Boston's season ended amid analysis about Tatum's ankle and how it shaped the deciding game; Tatum later described his Game 7 performance as frustrating and limited, comments recorded in postgame coverage [5]. For Miami, the win validated in-season decisions and positioned the Heat for another Finals run, while for the Celtics the result fed into offseason planning and reflections about health and roster construction [4][5][10].