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Celtics reflect on squandered opportunity to win Game 5 vs. Milwaukee Bucks, how to approach Game 6

“We gave it away,” said Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown after the team’s disheartening 110-107 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night. “That’s how we lost it.”

“Give credit to Milwaukee, they played hard for 48 minutes. We played hard, but we weren’t as purposeful as we needed to be down the stretch,” added the Georgia native, alluding to the Celtics’ fourth-quarter collapse, which saw several defensive lapses — several while jawing at referees — result in open looks for the Bucks, which let Boston’s opponent dig their way back from a 14-point deficit to win the game on a Jrue Holiday block on Marcus Smart.

“It cost us,” he added. “We’ve got to be the smarter team, and do what works. We went away from that at times.”

That lapse, reminiscent of Boston’s games early in this season and in 2020-21, has put the Celtics behind the proverbial eight ball as the series heads back to Milwaukee for a potential elimination contest in Game 6.

“We were hot,” said Smart after the game of the mood in the locker room following the loss. Because we know we did it to ourselves. Nobody else — we take the blame.”

How will the Celtics respond to having to win two games in a row to advance and not have their season come to an end?

“We’ve got to turn around and go right back at it,” offered Smart. “No time to sulk, no time to put our heads down. It is what it is, on to the next.”

That sentiment was echoed by star forward Jayson Tatum as well when asked how Boston might bounce back from such a deflating loss.

“Just get ready,” explained the St. Louis native. “Just playing tomorrow, watch film, get your rest — the series is not over. We’re going to go on the road and win one, take it one game at a time.

“It’s not like we’re going to try and win two (games) in one day, that would be tough — we’ve just got to win the next game.”

“It’s not going to be easy,” he admitted. “We knew that coming in. They’re a great team, it’s not like we just found that out tonight, we knew that coming in.”

Despite the loss, Tatum seemed to still have a confident aura about him as he spoke, perhaps more so than other Celtics speaking with the press. Asked about it, he pulled no punches.

“I could come up here and pout and be sad, and I’m sure there’d be a big story about how we’re defeated, and I don’t believe in us. Or I could come in how I was like — you can’t change what happened. It stings, for sure. But (the series began in favor of the Bucks) 3-2 … There’s no sense in being sad or putting your head down, because that’s not going to do anything for the next game.”

“Always believe in yourself, believe in the group that we can win the game on Friday,” he explained.

And while we have all likely seen the statistic floated in almost every corner of how teams tied at 2-2 in series that the winner of Game 5s has gone on to win the series over 80% of the time, if any approach to Game 6 will put Boston in position to win it, it’s this one.

The team has thrived when their back is against the wall. Boston seems to have the heart of a champion, but are also facing a team that’s been there with one of their own.

This series, and perhaps even the 2022 NBA title, may well come down to which of these two teams wants it more — and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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