Grueling playoffs take toll on Celtics in NBA Finals
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The damage and tear from back-to-back seven-game sequence appears to be taking its toll on the Boston Celtics on the worst potential time.
Drained legs have led to photographs falling brief down the stretch in back-to-back losses which have left the Celtics on the point of elimination heading into Recreation 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night time in Boston.
The Celtics missed 11 of 15 photographs within the fourth quarter of a 104-94 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Recreation 5 on Monday night time.
“I had a pair photographs that had been brief,” star Jayson Tatum mentioned. “I simply received to not fade as a lot. Use my legs. You’re going to be slightly extra drained within the fourth than you’re within the first quarter. You bought to get your legs slightly extra underneath you on a few these photographs. Give your self an opportunity.”
The Celtics are the twelfth staff in NBA historical past to win Recreation 7s in back-to-back sequence earlier than the finals, with 9 of the earlier 11 dropping their subsequent sequence.
The most recent loss mirrored the 107-97 defeat in Recreation 4 when the Celtics shot 30.8% within the closing quarter, with Tatum lacking 4 of 5 photographs in each video games and lacking two free throws on Monday night time.
“A part of that could possibly be fatigue,” coach Ime Udoka mentioned. “Expended so much. Clearly, him taking part in 44 minutes, he was one in all our most important guys rolling. When he received it going within the third, we rolled him slightly bit longer there. The bench manufacturing wasn’t as sharp as ordinary, so we ran Jayson longer. A few of that fatigue and resolution making may play a component within the fourth quarter.”
The Celtics have needed to experience Tatum onerous this postseason after sweeping Brooklyn within the first spherical. Boston then wanted seven video games to beat Milwaukee within the second spherical, together with a highway win in Recreation 6, and 7 towards Miami within the Japanese Convention finals capped by a Recreation 7 highway win.
That has led to Tatum taking part in 943 minutes already this postseason, probably the most for a participant since LeBron James performed 960 in 2013 for Miami.
“That most likely has one thing to do with the misses,“ Udoka mentioned. ”Not solely free throws however a few of his 3-pointers being off a bit.”
Tatum isn’t alone in struggling within the fourth quarter. Working mate Jaylen Brown went simply 1 for 4 within the fourth quarter Monday with each stars taking part in greater than 44 minutes.
“I needed to be on the ground,” Brown mentioned. “Ime trusted me to be on the market. Over the course of the sport, we made some good performs. We had been in it. I felt like we simply couldn’t recover from the hump.”
Now the Celtics will attempt to change their fortunes again house in Recreation 6 on Thursday night time.
If the Celtics do handle to drag off the comeback and turn out to be the tenth staff to beat a 3-2 finals deficit and the fifth to do it with out each video games at house, it will cap a historic playoff run.
Just one staff has ever received three Recreation 7s in a single postseason, with the Lakers doing it in 1988, beating Utah, Dallas and Detroit at house on the best way to a repeat title.
Boston must do it by successful two Recreation 7s on the highway, one thing that has by no means been completed in a single postseason.
“You higher be assured, proper?” Tatum mentioned. “We ain’t received to win two in at some point. We simply received to win one sport on Thursday. We’ve been on this state of affairs earlier than. So it’s not over. Acquired to win on Thursday. That’s all we received to fret about proper now.”
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