The Boston Celtics needed to take this series one game at a time, and that’s exactly what they did in Game 4.
They knew they couldn’t win three games in just one night, but they made it clear that they wouldn’t go home so badly after being blown out in Game 3.
When asked about the win, Celtics star Jayson Tatum stated that the team didn’t want this series to define them and their season, citing that they know they still have a tough road ahead of them to get back in this series.
"We didn't want that to define us. To define our season… & we still got a long uphill battle to go."
Jayson Tatum talks about the C's coming together after getting blown out at Game 3 pic.twitter.com/WTYLHQWNq0
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 24, 2023
Notably, no team has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit, and the Heat had excelled when down double-digits in the playoffs, so they seemed right back in the game even when they were down nine entering the fourth quarter.
Jaylen Brown struggled again, but Jayson Tatum bounced back in a huge way after a subpar Game 3 performance, scoring 33 points with 11 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, two blocks, and four there-pointers on 63.6% from the floor.
The series will now head back to the mythical TD Garden, with a hostile environment trying to get the Heat out of their groove to force Game 6 and make the Celtics feel like they have a legit shot at pulling the miracle off.
But even if that happens, they’d still have to face a fully-rested Denver Nuggets team in the NBA Finals, and it doesn’t feel like they have what it takes to beat them in a seven-game series playing this inconsistently.
NEXT: NBA Insider Reveals Troublesome Chemistry Issues For Celtics
