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Celtics Share Their Perspective on Game 5 Collapse: 'You Give a Team Life, You Leave It Up to Chance'
The Celtics had a 13-point lead with nine minutes left in the final frame of Game 5. They had generated 48 points in the paint in three quarters, shredding a Hawks defense that provided minimal resistance.
But Boston has a propensity to lose focus when in control. What often follows is a run by the opposition, and the lights typically stay off when the Celtics try to flip the switch.
That's exactly what happened Tuesday as Atlanta ended the game on a 20-6 run, capped by a Trae Young three from 30 feet.
In the final 12 minutes, the hosts slowed the pace, which has consistently proven disastrous, and stopped attacking, which led to committing five turnovers. The visitors parlayed Boston's not taking care of the ball into ten points, helping them stay close and building momentum and confidence as the defending Eastern Conference champions looked shaky and uncertain about how to produce points.
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Jayson Tatum struggled to find his rhythm, quietly finishing with 19 points on 22 shots, faring 1/11 from beyond the arc, and only making one trip to the free-throw line.
The Celtics needed more from the four-time All-Star, but don't disregard that he makes it easier for his teammates to score and impacts the game in other areas. He registered a game-high eight rebounds, a team-best eight assists, had a block, and only two turnovers.
After their 119-117 loss, Tatum said of the need for Boston to do a better job regaining its poise when the opposition stages a run: "Just try to move on to the next play. Can't necessarily change anything that just occurred, good or bad."
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Jaylen Brown, the Celtics' best player for the second-straight game, finishing with a team-high 35 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, when asked whether the defending Eastern Conference champions took their foot off the gas, replied: "I guess you could say that. We had some bone head plays. Some fouls, and (we) gave them opportunities to get going," adding, "You give a team life, you leave it up to chance, and that's what we did tonight."
Understanding that blaming others reflects poor leadership and often produces negative results, Brown also stated, "You can look around and point fingers, or you can take ownership of the situation."
Head coach Joe Mazzulla conveyed the following.
And with the need to quickly turn the page to Game 6 on Thursday night in Atlanta, Tatum expressed, "We're gonna watch film tomorrow; get some rest, talk about what we did well and what we need to do better, and execute the game plan on Thursday."
Further Reading
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 5 Loss vs. Hawks: Boston Talks the Talk but Doesn't Walk It
[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead
The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'
