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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON – Three times this year, in the NBA playoffs, Boston Celtics They are just one loss away of going home for the summer. The Celtics have been victorious three times in the playoffs.
So Boston is getting ready to host the Golden State Warriors In Game 6 of the NBA Finals, Thursday night at TD Garden, the Celtics were asked why they believe they can win two more elimination matches and take home the 2022 NBA title. They responded with a simple answer:
Why not?
“I think about how we respond,” Jayson Tatum When asked why his team is so resilient in these circumstances, he responded: It has not been easy. It’s been very hard. Some of our losses were very difficult. It was very difficult to lose Game 5 against Milwaukee. Go on the road knowing we needed to win both games. It was extremely difficult to lose Game 6 against Heat.
“In those moments we just responded. “I don’t know what it is but I believe it to be our will to win. Just trying to figure it all.”
Tatum mentioned the losses in Game 5 of Eastern Conference semifinals against Tatum Milwaukee Bucks, and Game 6 against the in Eastern Conference Finals. Miami Heat They both arrived in Boston, where they are only 6-5 this postseason.
However, the Celtics are confident they can extend this series to Sunday. Partly because this team has always played as it knows it can, and it looked like it was in complete control of the game.
Even with the many deep playoff runs that this young core had this season, all of Tatum included, Jaylen Brown And Marcus Smart Having played in at least three conference finals together. However, it was Ime Udoka’s debut season and Boston needed to fight its way through the playoffs. Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo And Jimmy Butler You will be amazed at the beauty of each stop.
Brown stated, “Everything’s been a learning opportunity.” “We wear everything we learn this year as a badge or honor that we like to wear. We don’t let it get to our heads. We bounce back. All year, we have been able respond well. We look forward to the challenge. We have to embrace it. There is no other way. The last game on our home flooring to really embody the whole season. We are ready to give everything we have. We aren’t afraid. We don’t fear the Golden State Warriors. We want to be the best basketball players we can be.
“We are confident that they have a strong team. They’ve done it before. But we believe in ourselves. We will leave all of it behind. That’s our whole purpose.”
The Celtics also have another intent. To communicate less with officials. Boston had many entertaining conversations with the referees during Game 5. ImeUdoka was given a technical in the first quarter. Tony Brothers, a veteran referee, got into it in the fourth. Marcus Smart received a technical foul the fourth. Boston quickly lost its lead in third quarter.
Udoka and other players insist that those moments are past them and that Game 6 will be a time to forget about it and concentrate on the action on court.
Udoka stated that he thinks there are too many conversations at times. “Feels like after fouls or dead balls. Free throws, timeouts. There’s someone talking to a ref. This was something we stressed early in the season, but had lost quite a lot of.
“So, we had something to focus our energy on, and all other things going in between, except the referees. We can do better in this area, we are certain.
Boston’s turnover problem is another issue that Boston needs to improve on. The Celtics are 14-2 if they have 15 or fewer turnovers during the playoffs.
What happens if they do 16 or more? They are currently 0-7, which includes losses in Games 2, 4, and 5 to the Warriors. Tatum has already made more turnovers than any other player during the NBA playoffs.
The Celtics have repeated their belief that this is their offense and not defense. Stephen CurryThis will be the deciding factor in whether they win an NBA title.
Udoka stated that “I mean you look at all the details, we are defending well enough for victory.” It is really stagnant lulls offensively which have really hurt us. There will be a quarter, two or three of really great basketball and then there will be another quarter that has really hurt us. This was the fourth half a few games back.
“Even last night, after we had taken the lead for 9-10 minutes, we did a lot of work in the third quarter. But, they were able to slip up at the end and get back in. We want to be focused on the offensive side of things, as I believe we have been secure enough to win. Game 4: If we can finish the game well and not for five minutes, we would be in great shape.
“That’s what we believe in.”