Are the Boston Celtics on the cusp of reaching greatness? After going down 3-0 against the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs, the Celtics have won two straight elimination games. Game 5, in particular, felt like a statement win; with a raucous Boston crowd behind them, the men in green dismantled Miami. It was clear that the home players fed off the crowd's energy, and Jayson Tatum acknowledged how important the fans were to this win, per NBA TV.
“I'm just glad we gave them something to cheer about today…I was glad that our performance matched the energy that they were giving us”
"I'm just glad we gave them something to cheer about today…I was glad that our performance matched the energy that they were giving us"
Jayson Tatum speaks on the impact of Boston's fans during the Game 5 victory pic.twitter.com/YOymlYDEdU
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 26, 2023
It felt like the Celtics were dead in the water after the Heat won Game 3 of the series. Their offense was abysmal, and Jayson Tatum himself was struggling with consistency. That, along with Miami's white-hot shooting, had everyone leaving Boston for dead in this series.
As it turns out, Tatum and the Celtics still has some fight left in them. After a nail-biter in Game 4, Boston shot the lights out against the Heat with 16 threes to power them through this win. Those threes ended up being the difference maker, as both teams shot evenly in terms of shooting percentage. That, along with some high-pressure defense (16 turnovers for Miami) and Jaylen Brown's continued excellence, is the key to their success.
As of the time of writing, no team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 series deficit in any round of the playoffs. The Celtics are in prime position to make history. To do that, though, they must first fight through the Heat's home court, where Miami is 6-1 this playoffs. Can Tatum and co. find it in them to force a decider Game 7 in Boston?
Follow Us
Subscribe