Celtics vs. Heat final score, results: Derrick White saves Boston's season with Game 6 buzzer-beater

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Derrick White and Jaylen Brown
(Getty Images)

The Heat were one-tenth of a second away from a trip to the NBA Finals, but Celtics guard Derrick White wasn't ready to make his summer vacation plans just yet.

With the clock ticking down on Saturday night's Game 6 and Boston's season, White crashed the glass and scored on a remarkable buzzer-beating tip-in, giving the Celtics a 104-103 win.

"I'm just happy we won," White told TNT's Allie LaForce after the game. "Whatever it takes, our backs are against the wall. ... We're a resilient group. We pick each other up. We fight for each other.

"The job isn't done yet. We got a tough one in Game 7, and we've got to find a way to get one more win here."

White finished with 11 points, six assists, four rebounds and three blocks. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to score 57 points and grab 21 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler had a team-high 24 points in the loss, but it was a rough shooting night for the Heat star. He missed 16 of his 21 field goal attempts.

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Game 6 of the Celtics vs. Heat Eastern Conference Finals. Check out all of the action you may have missed right here.

MORE: Jayson Tatum looks to add to impressive history in elimination games

Celtics vs. Heat score

Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Celtics 34 23 22 25 104
Heat 29 24 19 31 103

Celtics vs. Heat live score, updates, highlights from Game 6

(All times Eastern)

Final: Celtics 104, Heat 103

11:25 p.m. — No doubt about it. The replay shows that Derrick White clearly released the ball before the clock hit zero. We're going back to Boston for Game 7.

11:15 p.m. — Marcus Smart from deep... no good! Derrick White on the rebound... IT COUNTS! THE CELTICS WIN!

11:10 p.m. — Heat down two points. Jimmy Butler is... fouled! Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla uses his challenge, and Butler gets THREE free throws. What a disaster for the Celtics. Butler calmly sinks all three to give the Heat a one-point lead.

11:05 p.m. — Back and forth we go. Jimmy Butler hits a massive 3-pointer. This one is going down to the wire.

11 p.m. — After falling behind early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics have built their lead back up to 10 points. Can they hold on?

10:50 p.m. — Whoa. Al Horford rejects Bam Adebayo at the rim. Great response from the Celtics.

10:45 p.m. — And now the Heat take the lead. Buckle up, folks. This could be a wild fourth quarter.

10:40 p.m. — The Heat just keep hanging around. This Duncan Robinson layup cuts the deficit to three points.

End of third quarter: Celtics 79, Heat 72

10:30 p.m. — That quarter was ugly. Both teams struggled to develop a flow on offense.The Celtics will enter the final frame with a seven-point lead.

10:25 p.m. — Terrific patience from Robert Williams III. The Celtics are widening the gap.

10:10 p.m. — Well, that's a new defensive strategy.

10 p.m. — A big challenge to start the third quarter. Jaylen Brown made a layup through contact against Caleb Martin, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra argued that Brown should have been called for an offensive foul.

After reviewing the play, the officiating crew determined that all contact was marginal. Brown's basket counts. No fouls.

Halftime: Celtics 57, Heat 53

9:40 p.m. — It's been a rough first half for Jimmy Butler, but he did attack the basket with more force late in the second quarter.

9:30 p.m. — Oh my. What a finish by Robert Williams III.

9:20 p.m. — This Jayson Tatum fadeaway jumper... so smooth.

9:10 p.m. — The Heat have drilled seven of their first 11 3-point attempts. The Celtics need to tighten up their perimeter defense.

9:05 p.m. — Is this good? This seems pretty good.

End of first quarter: Celtics 34, Heat 29

9 p.m. — The Celtics keep losing Caleb Martin, and he keeps making them pay.

8:50 p.m. — Jaylen Brown is on fire. The All-Star forward has 10 points, four rebounds and two assists in the first quarter.

8:45 p.m. — Caleb Martin already has six points on 3-of-3 shooting. This is only his second start in these playoffs, but he looks extremely comfortable with this unit.

8:35 p.m. — And here we go. Jaylen Brown scores the first bucket of the game, but Max Strus responds with a 3-pointer. Let's have some fun in Miami.

8:25 p.m. — Can Jimmy Butler once again turn into "Playoff Jimmy" and lead the Heat to victory? We will soon find out...

8:10 p.m. — Good news for the Heat: Gabe Vincent is available to play. He missed Game 5 after suffering an ankle injury in the fourth quarter of Game 4.

8 p.m. — The Celtics will be missing a key piece of their rotation in Game 6. Malcolm Brogdon has been downgraded from questionable to out.

What channel is Celtics vs. Heat on?

  • Date: Saturday, May 27
  • TV channel: TNT
  • Live streaming: Sling TV

Celtics vs. Heat will air on TNT. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.

Fans in the U.S. can watch the NBA Playoffs on Sling TV, which is now offering $10 off your first month! Stream the sports you love starting at just $30 in your first month with Sling Orange to catch all the games on TNT, ESPN & ABC.

SIGN UP FOR SLING: English | Spanish

What time is Celtics vs. Heat tonight?

  • Date: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. PT

Celtics vs. Heat will tip off around 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 27. The game will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

Celtics vs. Heat odds

Boston is a 2.5-point favorite heading into Game 6.

Game Lines Celtics Heat
Spread -2.5 +2.5
Moneyline -150 +125

For the full market, check out BetMGM.

Celtics vs. Heat schedule

Here is the complete schedule for the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals:

Date Game Time (ET) TV channel
May 17 Heat 123, Celtics 116 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 19 Heat 111, Celtics 105 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 21 Heat 128, Celtics 102 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 23 Celtics 116, Heat 99 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 25 Celtics 110, Heat 97 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 27 Celtics 104, Heat 103 8:30 p.m. TNT
May 29 Game 7 8:30 p.m. TNT
Author(s)
Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News.