Celtics Discuss Bouncing Back From 3-2 Deficit to Get by Bucks: 'I think it will boost our confidence going forward'

As devastating as Game 5's loss was for the Celtics, they knew that would make it even sweeter if they rallied to win the series. Doing so, while exhausting, could pay dividends moving forward.

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Thanks to the Celtics putting together their best, most complete performance of their second-round series against the Bucks in Game 7, earning a decisive 109-81 victory, Boston's devastating Game 5 defeat, a win that slipped away in crunch time, won't haunt them.

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After Sunday's victory, when discussing the Celtics taking two-straight after dropping Game 5, Jaylen Brown declared: "We had to respond; two games where our season was on the line, and we didn't want it to be over. We didn't want to overcome all that stuff that we did earlier in the season for this to be it."

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Jayson Tatum, who delivered a 46-point masterpiece in Game 6, including 28-second half points, said of the Celtics bouncing back to punch their ticket to the eastern conference finals: "It was a great feeling. Losing Game 5 was extremely tough, but it was all about responding."

Tatum went on to say, "I couldn't be prouder of the way that we responded and the way we played to get this win."

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Grant Williams, the hero of Game 7, leading all scorers with a career-high 27 points, knocking down 7/18 threes, expressed: "We knew (that) were going to persevere. We knew (that) we have a group that is going to accept adversity, and for us, it was just a matter of staying consistent. We hadn't put a full game together this entire series, so we just said, 'why not now? Why not put it all together."

Ime Udoka said that after Game 5's loss, "guys were pissed off about it more so than down and defeated."

And while he and the rest of the coaching staff were well aware that the winner of Game 5 loses 82 percent of the time, "we wanted to flip that script, obviously," Udoka said. "And we made it harder than we had to, but it would be sweeter if we go this route, and I think it will boost our confidence going forward."

Udoka also discussed the Celtics' decision to play out the regular season, a choice that led to having Game 7 at home, saying, "this is why we played our season out, to have home-court advantage in Game 7. If you believe in the Basketball Gods, those things matter.

"We played it out and did what we did most of the second half of the year, not fearing anybody and playing the way we have, and so it was good to kind of be rewarded against a really tough test."

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As for the message he delivered to his team leading into Game 7: "Have a full game. Not a half. Not three quarters. Just put a whole game together."

The Celtics obliged, making Milwaukee pay for leaving them open, knocking down 22/55 (40 percent) of their threes, putting 109 points on the board, and limiting Giannis Antetokounmpo to 25 points and holding the Bucks to 81, their lowest-scoring output of the series.

Now, they're on to the eastern conference finals.

Further Reading

Celtics, Grant Williams, Discuss His Epic Game 7-Performance: 'Let it fly; They're disrespecting you more tonight than earlier in the series'

What Stood Out from Game 7: Celtics Pick Ideal Time for Their Best Game of the Playoffs

Celtics Ready for Game 7 on Their Home Floor: 'It means everything; The best atmosphere in the NBA'

The Top 5 Plays from Game 6 Between the Celtics and Bucks

Celtics Discuss Jayson Tatum's 46-Point Performance in Game 6: 'He went into another mode'

[Film Room] What Led to Jayson Tatum's Struggles in Game 3 and How the Celtics Get Him Going in Game 4