Celtics Rightfully Hold Their Heads High but Know There's Much Work Needed in Pursuit of Banner 18

The Celtics went from below .500 to two wins shy of an NBA championship. Their growth and the sting of defeat will drive them in their title quest.

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Reaching the precipice of championship dreams and finishing two wins shy of raising the Larry O'Brien Trophy will sting. But that hurt serves as fuel for the Celtics as their offseason begins.

They can also build off a remarkable in-season turnaround that included ascending to become the NBA's top defense, Ime Udoka and his team getting acclimated, and Boston's ball movement dramatically improving.

There were also the significant strides made by Jayson Tatum, who made the All-NBA First Team, and Jaylen Brown. The latter sparked the Celtics' fourth-quarter comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and in Game 3, he had the best game of his career in terms of balancing scoring and facilitating.

After the Warriors' championship-clinching 103-90 win in Game 6, with the wound still fresh, Marcus Smart conveyed: "It's tough. We've been through a lot this year as a team, as a group, individually (and) collectively. It was tough. Every obstacle that was put in front of us, we prevailed and triumphed through it; came up short tonight."

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Trying to reflect on what he's learned in real time, Tatum expressed: "It's hard getting to this point, and it's even harder getting over it, the hump and winning. It's been a long journey, a long process, and that's what I took from it, it's tough, and we've got to take it up another level to do what we want to do."

Brown, who shared his outlook that "the future is bright. I always look at adversity as opportunities to shape an individual," also took time to ponder his team's journey.

"Still got a lot to learn. As a group, individually, as much as we made growth and turned our season around, we still got a lot to learn about the game of basketball. I learned so much during this playoff run."

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

As the sting of defeat gets chased by the pride in the progress and the thought of using the hurt from their championship loss as fuel for growth, Al Horford stated: "Obviously, very tough to lose and be in this position. I'm very proud of our group. I'm very proud of the growth of our group all year. We went from a below .500 team, average team, to putting it together."

At the center of the Celtics' ascension after struggles that extended into January was the maturation of Tatum and Brown, a critical factor in Boston's championship pursuit and something Horford stressed keeping in proper perspective.

"It's a lot on their hands, it's a lot of responsibility, and they took it in stride, they made adjustments, they improved, they grew as players, but as you can see, there's still a lot of growth and a lot of work for all of us."

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Discussing what he'll take away from his first NBA Finals trip, Horford expressed, "it's a huge learning experience. From the amount of attention, the stage itself, everything that it entails. Also, on the court for me, individually, just seeing how I can continue to be of impact, and be better for our group moving forward."

Further Reading

Ime Udoka Shares His Message to the Celtics After Finals Run Ends in Defeat

What Stood Out in NBA Finals Game 6: Warriors Outplay Celtics on Both Ends in Championship-Clinching Performance

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Reflect on Personal and Team Growth Through Celtics' Playoff Run

[Film Room] In NBA Finals Game 3, Jaylen Brown Balanced Scoring and Facilitating, Showing How He Can Raise Celtics' Ceiling

Tony Parker Sizes Up the NBA Finals, Talks Ime Udoka and His Collaboration with MTN Dew LEGEND

The Anatomy of the Celtics' Fourth-Quarter Comeback in Game 1 of NBA Finals