C's Say They'll be Able to Reply in Cleveland After Sport 2 Loss – NBA.com

BOSTON – A double-digit Sport 1 win adopted by a double-digit Sport 2 defeat.
The Boston Celtics have been right here earlier than, they usually know find out how to reply.
The vibe after Thursday evening’s 118-94 Sport 2 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers felt much like that of two weeks in the past when the C’s dropped the second recreation of their first-round matchup to the Miami Warmth. Though it is a new sequence towards a distinct workforce, Boston’s mindset heading into Sport 3 would be the similar as earlier than: to channel the frustration of their loss into motivation for a bounce-back efficiency. And so they’re hoping for a similar Sport 3 consequence as earlier than.
Such frustration was evident when Jaylen Brown took the rostrum and picked aside the workforce’s abnormally poor taking pictures and defensive performances. Within the series-tying loss, Boston shot simply 22.9 p.c from 3-point vary, practically 16 proportion factors decrease than their postseason common, whereas on the opposite finish permitting the opposition to attain virtually 16 factors greater than their postseason common.
“Clearly we didn’t shoot the ball very effectively tonight, however defensively it was an unacceptable efficiency, and I believe that’s the place I’m essentially the most upset,” Brown mentioned. “Defensively we gave up 118 factors, and on prime of that, we misplaced the rebound battle. So we didn’t assist ourselves tonight.”
Brown went on to clarify that there’s just one technique to counter a loss like this.
“You’re taking it on the chin, you be taught from it, and also you come out and put your finest foot ahead for the subsequent recreation,” he mentioned. “We must be prepared to reply.”
The Celtics have responded to virtually each loss all through the season, together with their 104-84 bounce-back win over Miami in Sport 3 of Spherical 1.
Whereas they felt annoyed following their newest loss, they definitely didn’t really feel demoralized.
“No person in there was defeated or deflated,” Jayson Tatum described of the scene contained in the Celtics’ locker room. “I imply, you by no means need to lose, particularly within the playoffs … However the world thinks we’re by no means purported to lose; we’re purported to win each recreation by 25. And it’s simply not going to be like that on a regular basis. So we don’t count on it to be straightforward. It’s a great workforce we’re taking part in within the second spherical of the playoffs. It’s going to be enjoyable, the remainder of this sequence, particularly come Saturday. We’ve bounced again loads of occasions. We misplaced what, 18 video games this 12 months? So I’d prefer to suppose that we responded fairly effectively the few occasions that we did lose.”
A part of the rationale the Celtics have responded so effectively following their losses lies of their head coach’s philosophy of taking an even-keeled strategy whatever the consequence.
“You deal with it the identical approach you’ll a win,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned contemporary off of the defeat. “You are available tomorrow, you watch movie, and also you get higher for Sport 3.”
Added the veteran Al Horford, “That is what we did the final time, and we have now to grasp we’re going into Saturday right into a hostile place. It is going to be a battle. We simply have to ensure we’re at our greatest. I am assured that we’ll be able to go.”
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