The Boston Celtics can’t go back and change anything.
They can’t wipe away OG Anunoby’s 3-pointer in Game 3, which gave the Toronto Raptors new life, or change how they responded to adversity in Game 4. And they can’t dwell on the fact they let the Raptors off the hook again in a Game 6 loss Wednesday.
It’s about embracing it and moving on, according to Celtics guard Jaylen Brown. After all, a win-or-go-home Game 7 now awaits Boston on Friday.
“You got to embrace it. You got to embrace the challenge,” Brown told reporters after Wednesday’s loss. “This is what adversity is about. This is what basketball is about. This is about what life is about. You get put in tough situations, you can’t complain, some days don’t go your way. You stand up and you fight the next day, you fight tomorrow.
“This is all a part of embracing the challenge, and that’s what we got to do is embrace it so we can get ready to come back and give everything for Game 7.”
Brown and other Celtics teammates — Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Daniel Theis specifically — have went through a Game 7 recently. Brown was in his second year with a rookie Tatum when the Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in 2018.
Perhaps it’s allowed the 23-year-old Brown to actually be somewhat of a veteran when it comes to playoff experience.
“Just breathe, first and foremost. Just take a deep breath and play basketball,” Brown said of what advice he would tell teammates. “I love to play this game. We all love to play this game. Just breathe and play. Ain’t no extra pressure. Just come out and be the best version of ourselves. Everything else will take care of itself.”
The Celtics and Raptors will take the floor at 9 p.m. ET for Game 7 on Friday.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
