USATSI_18373437 — Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics Know Failing to Protect Home Court Likely Leaves Them on Losing End of NBA Finals

With the NBA Finals tied at one as it heads to Boston, the Celtics know their pursuit of a championship likely hinges on their ability to protect their home court.

Author:
Bobby Krivitsky
Jun 6, 2022 6:36 PM EDT

In playoff games at the TD Garden this year, the Celtics are 5-4. Usually, it's a building opponents struggle to leave with a win, even as the competition intensifies in the later stages of the postseason. But the Bucks earned a 2-2 split on Boston's parquet, and the Heat took two of three games in the Celtics' home venue.

It's a troubling trend that resulted in Boston's last two series going seven games. The Celtics prevailed in the first two must-win matchups, but after seizing home-court advantage with their Game 1 win at Chase Center, they'd be wise not to relinquish it.

USATSI_18337631 — Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

On the heels of losing 107-88 in Game 2, addressing what needs to change for his team to play better at home, Jayson Tatum stated: "Playing with a sense of urgency. I think human nature plays a part. And when you go on the road, obviously, it's a tougher environment. I feel like recently, we relaxed at home. Whether we thought cause we had home court advantage, and we came out a little more relaxed. So, just having that sense of urgency, knowing that we're home, but that we need to play better at home."

Jaylen Brown expressed: "The past don't matter. Nothing in the past matters up until this moment, to be honest. Everything that happened last series and the series before, who cares. Right now, we're here playing a different opponent, different team, and we've got to look at it as such. We've got to come out and play our best version of basketball, and we're capable of doing it. So we've just got to come out and do that. We can't let stuff that's happened in the past effect our mindset going forward."

USATSI_18278292 (1) — Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

When asked what's necessary for the Celtics to play better at TD Garden than in recent series to protect home-court advantage, Derrick White replied: "A lot of stuff that we've been talking about; they're a good team on the road. They've played a lot of big road games before. So, we've just got to be ready to go and learn from these mistakes that we made tonight and grow from them."

Al Horford channeled his inner Bill Belichick, declaring he's "onto Game 3, and I can't wait to get to the Garden. I know it's going to be rocking."