The Boston Celtics’ locker room drama seems like a thing of the past now.

With their backs pressed against the wall, the Celtics got back into the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat with a 117-106 win to shave their series deficit to 1-2.

The Celtics reportedly figured in a shouting match as Marcus Smart let out his frustrations on his teammates following their Game 2 loss, which saw them waste a double-digit lead for the second straight match.

But the Celtics did not crumble this time with a last-minute breakaway to deny the Heat a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It was probably blown out of proportion. We are in a bubble. It’s a lot of grown men. It’s a lot of passion and emotion going on,” said Jaylen Brown, who had 26 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals for the Celtics.

“At the end of the day, we’re a family. We won’t ever let anything come between us. We got this tremendous opportunity and we understand that and nothing is going to stop us from trying to maximize that.”

Smart, the player at the center of the locker room altercation, proved clutch for the Celtics by knocking down the win-sealing free throws.

With the Heat cutting a deficit as large as 20 to just 5 points in the final minute, Smart went a perfect 8-of-8 at the line in crunch time to key the Celtics to victory.

Smart delivered 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists for the Celtics, with 13 points coming in the 4th quarter alone.

“Anybody that played sports, played in a team game, you’re not supposed to be happy being down 0-2. If you are, you don’t care,” said Jayson Tatum, who led the Celtics with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.

“We care about this. Basketball is a game of emotions. You want guys to be frustrated, upset, to care. It’s nothing personal.”

The Celtics will shoot for the tie when they face the Heat in Game 4. – Rappler.com