‘It ought to make for a greater story’: Celtics stay assured regardless of going through 0-2 deficit towards Warmth

However this Boston group has actually handled its fair proportion of video games the place its backs have been towards the wall over the past couple of postseasons. The Celtics received all three of their highway elimination video games relationship again to the beginning of the 2022 postseason and have gone 5-1 when going through elimination over the past two years.

That may very well be why Jayson Tatum, who scored a game-high 34 factors on Friday however didn’t make a basket within the fourth quarter once more, isn’t hitting the panic button, but.

“I imply, it’s powerful. It’s a problem,” Tatum stated of the uphill climb going through the Celtics. “I imply, it’s no level in being up right here unhappy and [expletive], proper? They got here in and received two video games. They performed effectively, you give them credit score. However we’re not lifeless or something.

“We obtained an excellent alternative. I nonetheless have the utmost confidence, everyone has the utmost confidence. We simply obtained to prepare for Sport 3.”

Whereas the Celtics may need confidence, and a few motive to really feel that manner, the Warmth delivered a pair of devastating blows within the video games at TD Backyard. The Celtics held double-digit leads in each video games, together with within the fourth quarter of Friday’s sport, earlier than Jimmy Butler led the way in which in flipping issues round for the Warmth.

Each the Celtics’ losses had been paying homage to their first two losses towards the Warmth within the 2020 Jap Convention finals, through which they blew double-digit leads in each video games too to go down 0-2 in that collection.

When Jaylen Brown was requested if the Warmth had some form of psychological edge, he turned his focus to remaining assured by way of the method.

“Simply obtained to return out preventing, play basketball,” Brown stated. “I believe each of those two video games they’ve been in a position to come out on prime, however who’s to say we will’t come out on prime within the subsequent two video games. We simply obtained to return able to play basketball, can’t lose our confidence.

“It’s the primary to 4. It ought to make for a greater story.”

After all, Brown is aware of that the Celtics have to show it round rapidly.

“Oh, we obtained no alternative. We’ve no alternative,” Brown stated when requested about confidence being a problem earlier than Sunday’s Sport 3. “Shake it off. Clearly, we let two video games right here on our house court docket down, let our fan base down, let, you realize, everyone down. However we obtained alternatives nonetheless in entrance of us. So, you sit up for it and also you stand up and also you play basketball.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated that his message to the staff was easy, saying “We obtained to win one by one.”

There are two issues Mazzulla thinks the Celtics can do to win one sport at a time.

“Simply the consistency and the self-discipline and the mindset that it takes,” Mazzulla stated. “Whether or not it’s ending performs, valuing the basketball, making the proper play. Prefer it at all times comes all the way down to these little issues.”

One of many issues that the Celtics should stay constant and disciplined at is defending Butler. The Warmth star scored 27 factors on Friday, however he significantly went off after Grant Williams engaged in some trash discuss with him. Butler scored 9 factors from that time on, hitting 4-of-5 discipline aim makes an attempt when Williams lined him down the stretch.

Robert Williams stated one of the simplest ways to get the psychological edge again is simply by stopping what the Warmth do finest.

“Play protection. Take the problem. Everyone, the entire staff,” Williams stated on tips on how to cease the Warmth. It’s not a one-person factor. The entire staff has to step up and take the problem.”