Inside The Celtics

From Outside the Play-In Tournament to the NBA Finals, Celtics Discuss Their Season Turnaround

The Celtics seized control of a season that was slipping away one frustrating loss at a time, surged up the standings, through the most challenging playoff path, and to the NBA Finals.

Bobby Krivitsky

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Each time the Celtics advance to the next stage of the playoffs, it becomes more impressive to look back at the depths from which they rose.

An early-January loss to the Knicks, where Boston blew a 24-point lead and watched RJ Barrett bank in a buzzer-beating three for the win, has repeatedly been described as the team's lowest point of the season.

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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, with the Celtics on the eve of their NBA Finals showdown with the Warriors, Jayson Tatum described their early-season struggles as "very frustrating" and "head-scratching." But rather than splintering, "it was more so, how do we figure this out."

When asked whether there was anyone he leaned on as the make you pull your hair out types of losses kept piling up, Tatum responded: "It's a group; this is a team sport. We lean on each other in those moments. As hard as it is in those moments, you've just got to come closer together."

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Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

And while the calls to separate Tatum and Jaylen Brown amplified, on Wednesday, Brown expressed: “I will always have faith in this group, in this organization, and in myself, that we’ll be alright. In those moments where we lost, I knew that we had so much to learn. I knew I had so much to learn.”

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Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Further Reading

As the Calls to Separate Them Grew Louder, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Grew Closer: 'two young, extremely competitive guys that just really want to win at all costs'

Ahead of NBA Finals, Ime Udoka Provides Updates on Marcus Smart, Robert Williams

Celtics Prepared for, Not Intimidated by Their Roster's First Finals Trip: 'We know what we're here to play for'

Celtics Will Happily Welcome Difference Between Eastern Conference, NBA Finals Schedules

Celtics Discuss Season Turnaround, Pushing Beyond Eastern Conference Finals: 'It can't rain forever'

What Stood Out from Game 7: Celtics' Defense, Tatum's 26 Points Lead Boston to NBA Finals

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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