Why Jaylen Brown thought Game 6 was ‘signature win’ for Celtics season and Jayson Tatum

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Why Jaylen Brown thought Game 6 was ‘signature win’ for Celtics season and Jayson Tatum


Published: May. 14, 2022, 7:45 a.m.



Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown battle during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference semifinals playoff series Monday, May 9, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



MILWAUKEE — The Celtics had more than their fair share of heartbreaking collapses in the first half of their regular season. The team’s loss in Game 5 against Milwaukee Bucks brought back memories of those struggles after the team blew a 14-point lead in the final ten minutes of their game on their home floor.

The situation put the Celtics in danger of throwing what had been a historic second half of the regular season down the drain against the defending champions in the second round. Boston had made a habit of blowing these kind of golden opportunities over the past few years in the postseason. However, those experiences went a long way towards helping Boston get over the hump in Game 6. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart combined for 89 points to help the Celtics pull out their first road elimination win since 2013.


“It was a big-time performance,” Brown said after the win. “Our backs against the wall, you love to see JT come out aggressive and carry us offensively like he did and force a Game 7. Definitely a signature game for the Celtics and for Jayson. That was big so get ready for the next one.”

Brown, Tatum and Smart had both come within two games (2020) and a single game (2018) of the NBA Finals before, losing against teams despite having what many thought was the best roster overall. With Khris Middleton out for the Bucks, a similar scenario was unfolding here after Game 5 in the East Semifinals but the team’s now seasoned core combined to make sure they had a different fate this time around.

“Experience is the best teacher,” Brown said. “Being in certain situations and being able to learn from them has been great early in all of our careers. Being in big time playoff games, being in game sevens, being in the Eastern Conference Finals, etc., you learn a lot. So we got to show what we learned in this next game and survive and advance.”

The road is not yet complete with Game 7 looming in Boston on Sunday afternoon in the winner-take-all finale to a classic series. However, Brown believes the Celtics have adopted a mentality that allows them to put their best foot forward every night.

“Back is against the wall, elimination game,” Brown said. “You got to come out with the mindset like kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. We don’t want to be the team or feel like we should be the team that is going home. You come out, put your best foot forward, leave the past in the past and do the best job to execute in the next game and that’s what we did.”

It will be a far different type of game that time around for the Celtics with Tatum unlikely to go for a repeat performance of 46 points. The Celtics will need to find a way to avoid losing for the third time on their home floor against the Bucks and that will involve adapting to whatever the Bucks throw at them.

“The whole thing is, the bottom line is we need to win,” Brown said. “That was a big time performance and helped us get the W. All our energy and all our focus is on winning, not trying to win the individual matchup, not trying to outperform whoever is in front of us. As a collective, as a team, whatever it takes to win. JT had that mentality tonight and he came out and got the job done, helped carry us offensively. Game 7 is a new story. We have to come out as a team and find ways to win again.”


Bob



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