The Celtics, who have played in more Game 7s than any franchise in NBA history, improved to 24-9 in the winner-take-all game thanks to former Oklahoma State standout Marcus Smart’s performance in a 92-87 victory against the Raptors on Friday night.
Boston has seen several great performances in Game 7s: Bill Russell poured in 30 points and 40 rebounds (1962 NBA Finals), Tommy Heinsohn dropped 37 points and 23 rebounds (1957 NBA Finals), John Havlicek “stole the ball” (1965 Eastern Finals) and Paul Pierce scored 41 points (2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals) to end LeBron James’ first stint in Cleveland.