The Boston Celtics are here, facing elimination from the NBA Finals, because they failed to execute their offense for a prolonged stretch of their biggest game of the season, and they are here, with an opportunity to force a Game 7, because they twice previously responded to the same failures in even bigger games.
The Celtics have completely malfunctioned at the end of a pivotal playoff game on three occasions, but they take a 3-0 record in elimination games into another one in Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors.
How has Boston melted down? And what can we take from the ensuing victories in Games 6 and 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the East semifinals and Game 7 against the Miami Heat in the conference finals?