Getty There will always be pressure on the Boston Celtics, says former Celtics champion Cedric Maxwell.
The Boston Celtics won ugly, but they did what they had to do. The Celtics went on the road for Game 4 against the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, May 13, and escaped with a 109-102 victory to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.
While the Celtics are one game away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the pressure remains for a team led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to bring home a championship, something that hasn’t been done in their time in Boston. Before Game 3 in Cleveland, former Celtics star Cedric Maxwell said that this Celtics team will always be “under duress.”
Cedric Maxwell Said the Boston Celtics Have Set the Bar So High
“If you don’t got a ring on your finger, that’s what you do… It’s about winning a championship”
Cedric Maxwell shares what the Celtics need to do create a sense of urgency in these playoffs
Throughout the 2023-24 season, the Celtics have been the favorite to win the NBA title after coming close the last two seasons.
The additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis brought the Celtics to another level, making them one of the deepest teams in the league. Maxwell, a two-time champion with the Celtics and their current radio broadcaster, said it’s those high expectations that will continue force pressure on Tatum, Brown, and the rest of the star-studded team.
During an interview with NBC Boston’s Abby Chin and Chris Forsberg before Game 3, Maxwell was asked how the Celtics could keep their sense of urgency after cruising to a Game 1 win. The Cavaliers stole Game 2 in Boston with a 118-94 win against a Celtics team that seemingly lost its focus.
“It’s called putting a ring on your finger, Abby,” Maxwell said. “That sense of urgency has to be about that. This team has played well enough, but it’s always been under duress.
“The pressure continues to be on Jayson Tatum. How is he going to play? What is he going to do? It’s unfair to a degree, but you set the bar so high. The standards here in Boston isn’t about getting a division. It’s about winning a championship.”
Tatum Explains the Togetherness of This Celtics Team
“We’re there for each other. Even the most mentally strong person could use some encouragement sometime.”
Jayson Tatum talks support from Jaylen Brown, and hitting him a little too hard after JB drained a 3 at the end of the game ☘️ 😆
Maxwell is right that Tatum, Brown, and the rest of their Celtics teammates will feel the heat until Banner 18 is raised at TD Garden. The Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals after holding a 2-1 series lead, and they fell at home to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the conference finals in 2023.
Tatum and Brown have been playing together since 2017 and have yet to bring a championship to Boston despite both being All-NBA players. Sure, there’s pressure, but Tatum said the Celtics are a close-knit team that has each other’s backs. Knowing they are there for each other helps soften the blow when it comes to facing the pressure.
“It’s like having 15 brothers,” Tatum told reporters after Game 4. “We spend so much time with each other. From preseason, offseason, until now, nine months later. Ninety-some-odd games, and we’re there for each other.
“Even the most mentally strong person could use some encouragement sometimes from your teammates. Just letting you know that you got my back and vice versa. We have talks like that all the time. It just shows the togetherness of this team.”
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Former Celtics Star Explains Why the Team Will Always Be ‘Under Duress’