Death and taxes and the Celtics in the 7s game.
After an absolute rock battle in Game 6, Boston cruised to a 95-86 win on the road up Philadelphia Seventy Sixers To set up a winner-takes-all grudge match at TD Garden. Thursday’s win marked only the second time during the entire season that the Celtics had held their opponents to fewer than 90 points; Both times this series occurred against Philadelphia, the first was in a Game Two victory.
Jaylen Brown said of what the Celtics did to win Game 6. “Just come on and play basketball. It’s something we’ve all been doing for a long time, and sometimes you put a lot of pressure on yourself. Just go out, breathe, have fun and play basketball. You’re a little nervous, but for the part The biggest of the night, we just fought back and managed to get the win.”
In a way, this series against the Sixers was the summation of the Celtics’ season. When a team plays to its potential, puts in effort and pushes the pace, even the best teams can’t keep up; When they don’t, you see results like the first game. Game 5 was a reminder of the team’s reliance on all three, and how even after an offensive season, the Celtics were better at their core as a defense-first team. Consistent effort has been an issue in this regard, and this lack of energy has come back to bite Celtic this series and against the Hawks too.
In both playoff series the Celtics have played, they’ve let opponents into the TD Garden and take games right under them, much to the dismay of the fans in attendance. Faith in this team wavered, and going into Game 6 it was a wild card on what the score would be. Which version of which Celtics team will take the floor, Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde? With such uncertainty beneath the surface, the crowd energy at TD Garden was tepid at best, and players took notice.
“I hope it’s loud and it’s going to be rocking,” said Brown of TD Garden’s Game 7 vibes. Celtics fans, you all love calling us, right? So, I’m going to call you guys this time. The energy in the park was good at best in all playoffs. Game 7, if you were there or you weren’t there, if you were at home, If you’re watching at a bar, if you’re watching on the street at a friend’s house, I don’t care. I want you to be awake. I want you to come with energy, because we’re going to need every bit of it. No excuses, we need everyone so I’m inviting you guys. Let’s make sure the park is ready to go.”
The playoffs are really where the fans matter and the home court advantage, and it’s good to know that the Celtics took this seriously. The energy wasn’t always there for either the fans or the players, which is very different from years past where the energy and noise had the opportunity to influence matches.
There have been a lot of Game 7s at TD Garden over the past few years and it is without a doubt one of the worst road environments to play in; This is what makes playing in Boston so special. Naming the Browns like that means they’re ready to show up and show up at a crucial moment of the season as they aim to get their tickets to the Conference Finals.
“When you start a garden, there’s no such thing as it,” Brown said. “So I expect Game 7 to be a great basketball environment, and I look forward to seeing you guys out there.” With a winner-takes-all scenario brewing in Boston, hopefully the Celtics can count on that home crowd for one last push to come out on top in the fourth round.