Although Sunday night’s game in South Beach suggested Boston already threw in the towel, comments Tuesday morning from the reeling Celtics suggested otherwise.
The reigning Eastern Conference champions looked like a completely defeated team in their Game 3 loss at Kaseya Center, which put them in a 3-0 series hole against the surging Miami Heat. But although the C’s now face daunting odds — ones that never have been overcome in NBA playoff history — they seem to believe a single win could turn the tides in the best-of-seven set.
A little over eight hours before Game 4 tipoff, both Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown relayed the message, “Don’t let us win tonight,” per The Athletic’s Jay King. That mantra is etched in Boston sports lore, as it was uttered by Kevin Millar to The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy before the Red Sox improbably overcame a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. One victory turned into eight straight for those Red Sox, who erased an 86-year-old World Series championship drought for the storied franchise.
Also a member of that memorable Red Sox club was David Ortiz, who gave the Celtics some advice before their win-or-go-home tilt Tuesday evening. The legendary slugger believes Jayson Tatum and company need to keep everything positive if they want to extend their season.
