As the seconds ticked off the scoreboard at TD Garden, the Celtics felt yet another win on home court slipping through their grasp.
What was once a double-digit lead for Boston early in the third quarter on Wednesday was crumbling in a hurry thanks to Jimmy Butler and the Heat.
By the time the dust settled in the frame, Miami outscored Boston, 46-25, over those pivotal 12 minutes. It was a back-breaking swing that the Celtics were unable to recover from en route to a 123-116 loss in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
At various stages of that momentum-shifting quarter, Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics had the opportunity to call a timeout in order to stop the bleeding.