The Boston Celtics face a daunting task trailing the Golden State Warriors 3-2 in the NBA Finals.
Yet, with Boston on the brink of elimination with Game 6 looming Thursday night at TD Garden, the Celtics are attacking their unenviable situation with unbridled fearlessness.
"We're looking forward to the challenge. We got to embrace it. Ain't no other way around it," Celtics guard Jaylen Brown told reporters Wednesday. "Last game on our home floor, to kind of embody our whole season. We're looking to give it everything we got. We are not scared. We do not fear the Golden State Warriors. We want to come out and just play the best version of basketball that we can.
"We know it's a good team over there. We know they've done it before. But we have all the belief in ourselves. We're going to come out and leave it all out there. That's the whole intent."
The Celtics generally have responded well to adversity this postseason, going 7-0 following a loss until dropping Game 5 to the Warriors on Monday night at Chase Center after losing Game 4 at TD Garden.
But Boston's back-to-back defeats against Golden State are made more frustrating by the number of times the Celtics shot themselves in the foot in both games. The C's simply weren't able to overcome costly turnovers and cold shooting stretches, whereas the Dubs rose the occasion with the stakes raised.
"All the motivation in the world," Brown said of looking to stave off elimination Thursday night in the Celtics' own building. "Game 6 on our home floor, in front of our fans, last game in TD Garden. Nothing more needs to be said."
The deck is stacked against the Celtics. Just how they like it.
