Celtics confident of regaining momentum: 'We are in a great spot'
The Boston Celtics relinquished home-court advantage with a Game 4 loss to the Golden State Warriors that evened up the NBA Finals at two games apiece. However, they remain convinced they can take back control of the series with a road win in Game 5 at Chase Center on Monday.
"Obviously, I think we can be in a better position than we're in, but we're not. It's 2-2. Still, nothing to hang your head about," Jaylen Brown said Sunday, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "A lot of great basketball is still in front of us. We take our mistakes and learn from them, and you apply it as best you can going forward. I still think we are in a great spot."
Boston has reasons to feel confident heading into Game 5. The Celtics are a perfect 7-0 following a loss this postseason and have played better basketball on the road (8-3) than at home (6-5). Their resiliency in unfriendly confines helped them overcome both the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in seven-game series on their journey to the Finals.
"(Game 4) was a tough loss, and we understand that. We've been here before. This is (the) third time in a row I feel like we've been here. So we know what it takes," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "We know what we have to do and attention to detail and things like that. I'm confident like I have been all playoffs, confident in the fact that we'll respond and play better for the majority of the game (Monday)."
How well the Celtics hang on to the ball could play a large role in deciding Game 5. Boston is 14-2 in these playoffs when committing 15 or fewer turnovers but 0-6 when committing 16 or more.
Game 5 is scheduled to tip off Monday at 9 p.m. ET.