Boston sports fans might have felt like they jumped in a time machine Thursday afternoon.
Former Red Sox player Kevin Millar, who was on the 2004 World Series team that overcame a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series against the rival New York Yankees, had a message for the Boston Celtics ahead of their Eastern Conference finals Game 5 versus the Miami Heat.
The Green are trying to become the first-ever NBA team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Millar, of course, has some familiarity with that situation, which is why he and the 2004 ballclub have been linked to the city’s basketball team over the last few days.
“All right Boston, Kevin Millar here. Celtics, what I’m talking about is we got to believe,” Millar said in a video posted to Twitter by WBZ’s Dan Roche. “We were down 0-3, now we got one in Miami. This is Game 5 at the Garden.
“I wanna hear you ‘Cowboy Up!’ Let’s go!”
Boston sports fans surely will recall how “Cowboy Up!” became a saying Millar introduced to the Red Sox two decades ago.
Millar’s sentiments come after former Red Sox teammate David Ortiz offered a message of his own before Game 4. Celtics first-year coach Joe Mazzulla also said he believed it was important to remind his team it’s been done before in Boston sports. That mindset might have helped Boston to a series-extending victory in Miami on Tuesday.
Now, Green Teamers sure hope Millar’s message will bring some extra magic with Game 5 scheduled for Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.
