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Tim Bontemps, ESPN
BOSTON — Earlier than Sport 5 of the Japanese Convention finals, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was requested about his crew’s mindset getting into a second straight elimination sport.
“Simply win or die,” he stated.
After a dominant efficiency Thursday evening, the Celtics are nonetheless alive.
Boston took management from the beginning and by no means seemed again, taking pictures over 50% from the sphere, forcing the Miami Heat into 16 turnovers that turned 27 factors and having 4 gamers end with at the very least 20 factors in a wire-to-wire, 110-99 victory in entrance of a raucous crowd at sold-out TD Backyard.
“Our again has been towards the wall,” stated Jaylen Brown, who completed with 21 factors. “Clearly, we did not think about being on this place, being down 3-0, however when adversity hits, you get to see what a crew is de facto fabricated from.
“It could not worsen than being down 3-0, however we did not go searching, we did not go in separate instructions. We stayed collectively.”
The Celtics moved a step nearer to turning into the primary crew in NBA historical past to erase a 3-0 deficit and win a best-of-seven sequence. In actual fact, throughout the 151 occasions a sequence has been at 3-0, the Celtics are solely the twenty second crew to fall behind 3-0 with a better regular-season profitable share than their opponent. The prior two that did so: the Washington Capitols towards the Chicago Stags in 1947, and the Orlando Magic towards the Celtics in 2010.
Now, the Celtics will attempt to do one thing these groups could not: win in Miami on Saturday evening and convey this sequence again right here for a Sport 7 on Memorial Day.
“For some odd cause, even final yr, we all the time appeared to make it a little bit bit more durable on ourselves,” stated Jayson Tatum, who had 21 factors and dished out double-digit assists (11) for the primary time this postseason. “However what I do know is that you could see the true character of an individual, of a crew, when issues aren’t going properly, and our capability to come back collectively, determine issues out when it is not essentially trying good for us. It is not like any crew I have been on this yr and final yr, simply the core group of fellows having the ability to reply.
“I believe that is only a testomony to our togetherness, clearly how unhealthy we would like it, and we have a room stuffed with decided, robust guys that push involves shove, you look to the left and the proper of you, consider that the man subsequent to you goes to do no matter it takes and go down combating if it do not work out.”
In Video games 4 and 5, Boston has resembled the crew that performed so properly the primary seven-plus months of the season.
After taking pictures 29% from 3-point vary in Video games 1-3, the Celtics have hit at the very least 40% within the final two, together with a 16-for-39 displaying (41%) Thursday evening. Boston is now 38-2 this season when it hits at the very least 40% of its 3-pointers; it is 29-31 when it does not.
Turnovers additionally had been key once more. The Celtics compelled 16 Warmth turnovers in Sport 4, turning them into 27 factors. In Sport 5, they compelled … 16 Warmth turnovers that turned 27 factors.
And their scoring was balanced. For the primary time all season (common season or playoffs), the Celtics had 4 gamers end with at the very least 20 factors — Derrick White (24), Marcus Smart (23), Tatum and Brown.
“I believe we simply constantly bought attractiveness in the present day,” White stated. “[We were] capable of get out and run, make that additional cross, and while you get seems to be like that with the shooters we now have, we’ll make them greater than miss.
“Simply proceed to make that additional cross and discover the proper man.”
Boston has been on a curler coaster of feelings for a number of weeks; it is both received or misplaced consecutive occasions over its final 11 video games, courting to Sport 2 of the Japanese Convention semifinals towards the Philadelphia 76ers on Could 3.
The Celtics additionally continued on a probably history-making path. Solely three groups have compelled a Sport 7 after being down 3-0: the New York Knicks towards the Rochester Royals in 1991, the Denver Nuggets towards the Utah Jazz in 1994 and the Portland Trail Blazers towards the Dallas Mavericks in 2003.
Boston is now 48 minutes away from turning into the fourth.
And whereas the Celtics have struggled mightily on the Backyard the previous two years within the playoffs (11-11), they have been a very completely different crew away from dwelling. Together with their Sport 4 victory, the Celtics are 13-7 on the highway because the begin of the 2022 playoffs, and have received 4 consecutive highway elimination video games.
They’re going to look to make that 5 with a win in Miami on Saturday.
“It may take all the pieces,” Brown stated. “It may be a dogfight. I think about these guys will play higher than they performed tonight, and they will come out aggressive.
“We have got to be able to take their punch at dwelling. We have got to be able to be resilient and are available out and do what we’re imagined to do.”
