The Boston Celtics again find themselves in a 3-2 series hole this postseason and are looking introspectively at what's required to extend the NBA Finals to Game 7.
"Our backs are against the wall. This is the time that we look at each other in the eyes, and we got to figure it out," Celtics forward Al Horford said following Game 5, courtesy of ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "We have an opportunity now. Got to figure it out. There's no tomorrow for us."
The Celtics have previous experience in this spot, though not on the grand stage of the Finals. Boston trailed 3-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals before rallying to win the last two games of the series while facing elimination.
"We've been in this situation before. So it's not over," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "Got to win on Thursday. That's all we got to worry about right now."
A key barometer for Boston's success in the playoffs has been the team's ability to take care of the basketball, and that was the case again in Game 5. The Celtics committed 18 giveaways, which dropped their postseason record to 1-7 in games they turned the ball over 16 or more times. Conversely, Boston is 13-2 in the playoffs when committing 15 or fewer turnovers.
"Credit to them. They're a really good defensive team. Disciplined and sound. They've forced us to do what obviously we don't do best," Jaylen Brown said of Golden State. "We just got to continue to recognize the game, see the game, and make in-game adjustments. Take care of the ball when it comes down to it."
