{"id":137193,"date":"2024-05-29T18:31:42","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T22:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/?p=137193"},"modified":"2024-05-30T13:32:11","modified_gmt":"2024-05-30T17:32:11","slug":"scenes-from-a-celtics-eastern-conference-championship-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/scenes-from-a-celtics-eastern-conference-championship-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Scenes from a Celtics Eastern Conference Championship Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 Richard White watched Derrick White\u2019s<\/strong> legendary put-back from 2,000 miles away in Colorado last year. Richard texted him, but while Derrick became a Boston icon in one rush to the offensive boards, he tried to say in the moment. All that mattered, the Whites repeated, was winning Game 7 back in Boston<\/a>. They didn\u2019t, and a return to the NBA Finals that felt inevitable didn\u2019t occur. A legendary moment would now fade in time.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what led to the jubilation of Monday. The Celtics\u2019 run mostly lacked drama to that point, as the process toward winning a title became a greater focus coming into this season. When that formula faded and Boston turned into figuring it out on the fly to win back-to-back games late at Indiana, that provided some of the trademark playoff excitement many looked for previously.<\/p>\n

Yet as Richard and other Celtics players, executives and family filled the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after White did it again, burying a last-minute three to complete a late comeback win to sweep the Pacers in Game 4, the Celtics released the work that went into making sure they returned to the Finals this time. For White, that involved gaining the weight and mindset required to play the point guard position after Marcus Smart<\/strong> left, and the confidence to overcome a 1-for-8 start from deep and hit the game-winner in the corner.<\/p>\n