At Halftime of Game 5, Celtics Asked, 'How Much Does It Mean to Us?' Then Seized Control of the Game and Series

With the Celtics stonewalling the Heat at one end, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown carried Boston's offense at the other, combining for 37 second-half points, as their team seized a 3-2 series lead.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

In the first half of Game 5, the Celtics shot 38.2 percent from the field, committed ten turnovers, and gave up nine offensive rebounds, which the Heat converted into 16 second-chance points. Despite those struggles, Boston only trailed by five at halftime.

Ime Udoka expressed for that to be the case, "it was big. To be that close and know we didn't play our best in the first half, we just talked about flipping the script and playing a really good second half, a really clean second half."

They did just that, committing only five turnovers, helping them outscore Miami 56-34 before both teams emptied their benches.

As the Celtics became reinvigorated in the second half, the Heat flamed out, shooting 26.1 percent from the field, including 3/24 (12.5 percent) from beyond the arc.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

After the win, Boston's head coach remarked: "The mental stress and strain we put on teams has worked and carried us through the playoffs at times. You saw it in the Brooklyn series; guys started to wear down. Game 7, it looked like Antetokounmpo slowed down some."

Udoka finished by saying: "With our guys, we're always confident that they'll get it going and figure it out eventually."

Jayson Tatum, who went from having four points at halftime to scoring 18 in the second half, stated: "Essentially, we had too many turnovers, we didn't like how we were playing, and we were still only down five. And basically, we just talked about how much does it mean. How much does it mean to us? It's all the 50/50 balls and toughness and effort."

His running mate, Jaylen Brown, also struggled in the first two frames, entering the break with only six points and coughing the ball up four times. 

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

After a giveaway late in the first quarter, Ime Udoka took him out of the game and delivered the following message: "Be strong with the ball. It's five games in now. We can't keep having these turnovers." He went on to tell Brown: "The crowd is there. You're acting like you're surprised that they're reaching and taking it from behind."

In the second half, Brown responded, finishing with a game-high 25 points and not committing a turnover.

When asked about what changed, Brown replied: "Just got to get settled in. Keep being aggressive. Stop turning the ball over. We gave them a lot more shots than we had in the first half, and we were only down by five."

Brown later conveyed: "As the game wears on some of that energy, some of that intensity starts to wear off, so the game opens up a little bit. The game opened up for me in the second half. I didn't want to get down. I didn't want to look into the past, thinking that this game was over. My team needed me to come out and respond."

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Brown and Tatum, who got to enjoy the final 1:32 from the bench, nearly outscored the Heat in the second half, producing 37 points compared to Miami's 38, including four points after they exited.

While discussing his partnership with Tatum, Brown voiced: "We just play basketball. We're always talking to each other, encouraging each other. We know what we're capable of."

He went on to say: "We just play basketball, and we feel like there's not a lot of people that can play basketball with us, too."

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Further Reading

What Stood Out from Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics Blow By Heat in Second Half to Take 3-2 Lead

Jayson Tatum Points to Winning, Growth as a Playmaker for All-NBA First Team Selection

Celtics Know Winning Game 5 Starts with Staying Urgent: 'We shouldn't have to get punched in the mouth to respond'

The Top 5 Plays from Game 4 Between the Celtics and Heat

What Stood Out from Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals: In a Must-Win Game, Celtics Deliver

Celtics Discuss Not Matching Heat's Urgency, Physicality in Game 3: 'If we want to win this series, we have to match that physicality'