There is new life in Boston, as the Celtics have climbed the mountain and are poised to plant the flag.

They have a chance to go where no team has gone thanks to Derrick White putback at the last possible instant that gave them a 104-103 victory and tied their series Saturday night with the Miami Heat at 3-3.

A week ago, they were down 0-3 after getting routed in South Florida following two brutal losses in Boston. But instead of finishing their run to humiliation, the Celtics are one step away from redemption.

As you no doubt have heard ad nauseum, no NBA team has ever rallied from 0-3 to win a playoff series, and 150 teams have tried. Only 3 others had rallied to force a 7^th game and they had all failed in Game 7. But the Celtics get that finale at the TD Garden, and while that building does not have all the ghosts that had resided in the old Boston Garden for Bill Russell and Larry Bird, it can be a house of horrors for visitors.

Just ask the Philadelphia 76ers, who were blown out in Game 7 earlier in this playoff year, or the Heat themselves.

The Celtics hope it is Déjà vu all over again. (Thanks, Yogi!)

Many observers believe it is a done deal already. If the Jimmy Butler and the Heat couldn’t beat the Celtics in Game 6 at home, how are they going to win in Boston?

Well, a lot of teams have won Game 7 in Boston. Not always against the Celtics, but a South Florida team won Game 7 in Boston less than a month ago. The Florida Panthers beat the record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff matchup April 30.

The Panthers, who made the playoffs by the thinnest of margins after a disappointing regular season, fell behind the Bruins 3-1 and were about to get run out of the playoffs when Boston star Brad Marchand went in on a breakaway in the final seconds of Game 5 with the score tied. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped the potential series ender, and Boston heartbreak followed in that game and the two that followed.

The Bruins lost Game 7 at home in overtime and their season ended with a dreadful thud. The same thing happened in 2019 in the Stanley Cup Final when Boston lost to the St. Louis Blues on TD Garden ice.

Seventh game home ice losses? The Bruins have them, including 2014 to Montreal, 2010 to Philadelphia, 2009 to Carolina – and how about their legendary 1971 team that featured Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito to the Canadiens.

The Celtics are known for coming through in these type of situations, but they have four painful Game 7 home losses on their resume as well. The 1973 Boston Celtics hosted the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

A Celtics team with Dave Cowens and JoJo White trailed 3-1 after 4 games but had managed to tie the series with back-to-back wins, including a 10-point win at Madison Square Garden in Game 6. The Celtics had all the momentum and home court on their side in Game 7 and built a big first-quarter lead, but they lost the decisive game to Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed by a 94-78 margin.

A similar situation took place in 1982 when the Celtics trailed the Philadelphia 76ers 3-1 but managed to tie the series. Game 6 was an 88-75 win in Philadelphia that featured Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale doing much of the damage over Julius Erving and Andrew Toney.

But instead of folding in Boston in Game 7, Toney scored 34 points and he got excellent support from Dr. J with 29 points as the Sixers rolled to a 120-106 win.

The Celtics were routed at home by the Indiana Pacers in a 2005 seventh game, dropping a 97-70 decision and the 2009 version dropped Game 7 to the Orlando Magic MAGIC at home by a 101-82 score. That team had put together a 62-20 regular-season record, but superstar Kevin Garnett was injured and could not play in that series.

The loss to the Pacers came in the first round, while the defeat at the hands of the Magic came in the second round.

So, it looks grim for the Heat coming to Boston Monday for the seventh game. However, it is not hopeless. Four road teams have won Game 7 in Boston against the Celtics, and the Heat will try to become the fifth in what is sure to be a game for the history books.