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After starting out this year’s Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Miami Heat 3-0, the Boston Celtics have now rattled off two straight wins and, in turn, are gearing up for a Game 6 down in South Beach where they hope to force things back to Massachusetts for a winner-take-all Game 7.
Following their latest win on Thursday evening, asked by a reporter why the C’s have needed “that stress, that pressure to shift that gear” in the success department, veteran guard Marcus Smart provided a reality check, admitting that, for anyone in their situation, the fact is that they’re being forced to adjust, otherwise they’d be sent home short of achieving their ultimate goal.
“For us is, and I think anybody in our situation, you gotta shift that energy you gotta shift that mindset because, if not, you’ll be sent home. By doing that we’ve given ourselves a chance and we came out with another win and we gotta go do it again in Miami,” Marcus Smart said.
Smart finished Game 5 as one of four total Celtics players to drop 20 or more points on the night, as he registered 23 points on 58.3% shooting from the field and 66.7% shooting from deep to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a whopping 5 steals.
The point guard would also go on to finish the outing with the highest plus-minus rating of +20.
Jayson Tatum Shouts Out Celtics Fans After Game 5
Coming into Thursday’s Game 5, Marcus Smart called upon Celtics fans to not “give up on us” and to “keep standing and rocking for us” heading into their do-or-die affair at TD Garden.
Following the contest, it appears those in attendance answered the call, as Jayson Tatum heaped praise upon the franchise’s faithful followers during his post-game media session.
“I’m just glad we gave them something to cheer about today. We got the best fans in the league and up until today we haven’t gave them much to cheer for at home so I was glad that our performance matched the energy that they were giving us and obviously it raised our level,” Jayson Tatum said.
Tatum would continue on by stating that Celtics fans “are a big part of what we do” and that “we feed off that a lot.”
Paul Pierce Praises Celtics: ‘They’re Counterpunchers’
With their season on the line and on the verge of being swept heading into Tuesday’s Game 4, the Celtics have gone on to stave off elimination for two straight nights and now are heading out to South Beach in an attempt to be the fourth team in NBA history down 0-3 to force a Game 7.
Though the odds of Boston winning the series are stacked against them, franchise legend Paul Pierce seems confident in the club’s chances, as he praised this current iteration of the team in a recent sit-down with Heavy Sports’ NBA insider Steve Bulpett.
“I mean, they are who they are,” he said. “They’re a team that’s always played well with their back against the wall. They’re counterpunchers.”
Pierce was also asked if he’s planning on making a trek back to Boston to root for his Celtics in a possible Game 7 this coming Monday, where he responded: “Yeah, I’ll be here. Of course. What you mean? I’ll fly out and fly back. I’ll be out here Monday, for sure — 100 percent.”
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