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The Boston Celtics might see the end line. A 3-2 lead was proper there if they might simply maintain their wits about them and keep on their toes. After which one stumble. Then one other, and one other, and all of the sudden, improbably, the Milwaukee Bucks nipped them on the tape to steal management of the East semifinal sequence.
“We gave it away,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “That is how we misplaced it.”
Now, the motion shifts again to Milwaukee for Recreation 6 and one of the crucial important moments of the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown period.
The duo, which has been collectively since Tatum arrived within the 2017 draft, has already made plenty of deep playoff runs collectively. There was the shock journey to the Japanese Convention finals in Tatum’s rookie season in 2018, the place they finally misplaced Recreation 7 at residence to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. They obtained again to the ECF in 2020 within the bubble, however weren’t totally wholesome and could not maintain enterprise in opposition to the Miami Heat in an odd atmosphere.
Each of these defeats had been irritating, however they felt like constructive stepping stones for a younger staff on the time. The reins hadn’t totally been handed to Tatum and Brown, and in neither season had been the Celtics more likely to truly win the title in the event that they broke by to the Finals — actually not in 2018 in opposition to the Golden State Warriors on the peak of their powers, and doubtless not in opposition to the LeBron and Anthony Davis-led Lakers in 2020.
None of these caveats apply this time round. That is effectively and really Tatum and Brown’s staff, and it might be a large disappointment in the event that they bow out within the second spherical, even to the defending champions. The title race is broad open this season, and there’s a actual alternative for them to win all of it. Tatum has established himself as top-of-the-line gamers within the league, Brown is an All-Star, they’re getting among the greatest basketball of Al Horford’s profession and so they have an elite protection that has been dominant at occasions within the playoffs.
The Celtics had been favored coming into the sequence and appeared to be the higher staff with Khris Middleton sidelined. For big chunks of the sequence they’ve been. They’ve led within the remaining minute in 4 of the 5 video games, and regardless of trailing 3-2, they’ve outscored the Bucks 522-508. They may, and actually ought to, be heading to Milwaukee with an opportunity to shut issues out and get again to the convention finals for a fourth time in six seasons. As an alternative, they’re coming off one essentially the most heartbreaking losses in current franchise historical past, and will probably be dealing with elimination on the highway.
All of which makes Recreation 6 fascinating.
How do Tatum, Brown and the Celtics reply? As Tatum was fast to remind everybody throughout his postgame press convention, “the sequence just isn’t over.” The Celtics have already received as soon as in Milwaukee, and are greater than able to doing so once more. However this group has by no means confronted a check like this, and has by no means needed to bounce again from a loss like this.
“The most important problem of the 12 months,” Brown mentioned. “Mentally, bodily, emotionally, it places a problem on each element. So, we have gotta regroup and get our spirit to the purpose the place we will go in and get a victory in Milwaukee.”
Will they have the ability to summon the resolve, the main focus, the psychological toughness it is going to take to pressure a Recreation 7? Or will one other alternative slip away? Questions like which can be what the playoffs are all about, and now it is Tatum and Brown’s flip to supply a solution.
