The Celtics defeat the Cavaliers on the road in Game 3 to recover.

 The Celtics defeat the Cavaliers on the road in Game 3 to recover.

 

The Boston Celtics' deep playoff runs over the last few seasons have been characterised by three things: They have participated in lengthy series, performed well away from home, and suffered at home.

How the Celtics👇

  Manage to alter the first two is still to be seen. However, in Saturday's Game.

3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics assured that the third round

would continue. Boston defeated the Cavs 106-93 to grab a 2-1 lead in this

best-of-seven series thanks to a masterful defensive effort and strong

performances from studs Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

 

"We were just trying to get a win, understanding that we didn't play as well as we wanted to in Game 2," Tatum claimed. "And it was a great test and opportunity for us to come out and respond and play better and play harder and all those things."

According to ESPN👇

Stats & Information data, Boston is 14–14 in its 28 home playoff games over

the last three seasons—the most played over a three-year timeframe without

having a winning record in NBA history. However, the Celtics advanced to the

NBA Finals in 2022 and the conference finals last season, and they are favoured

to make a long playoff run this year, thanks in large part to a 17-7 road

record.

The Celtics stepped up on both ends on Saturday to secure another away victory -- their sixth straight in the postseason dating back to last year's playoffs -- following a shabby effort in their Game 2 loss, which included what Brown called a "unacceptable" defensive performance.

 

The Celtics shot👇

51% from the field and were 13-for-34 (38.2%) from 3-point range. Tatum and

Brown led the effort, scoring 61 points between them (33 for Tatum and 28 for

Brown).

"I think we just need everybody to be on the same page and everybody to come out with the right effort," stated Brown.

"That alone accounts for 85% of the fight. After we go out and play hard, we get on the same page, and the rest will work itself out. We have enough skill in our locker room to defeat opposition teams.

On the other hand,

we put ourselves in danger when we don't play hard and stay on the same page.

During film and shootarounds before the game, it's important to communicate

with everyone and emphasises the need of teamwork. Let's go; we didn't

travel to Cleveland for the weather."

That approach was particularly visible in Boston's defensive zeal. Despite Donovan Mitchell's amazing 33-point outburst, the Celtics largely dominated the game by closing out the rest of Cleveland's alternatives.

With the exception👇

of Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who finished with 17 points despite having less

mobility due to an injury to his left foot and ankle in the third quarter, the

rest of the Cavaliers scored 43 points on 17 of 51 shots, including 5 of 23

from three-point range. "I just think we didn't hit the same shots we did

[in Game 2]," Mitchell stated. "For us, just being able to finish...

we missed a lot of shots at the rim, myself included, missed a lot of shots

that I believe we had to make.

Furthermore, our 3-point shooting was not particularly good, albeit we still had a decent percentage. These, in my opinion, are two separate things, and we need to recognize them and act upon them because, in the alternative, we risk driving back into the crowd, which is what they want us to do. Thus, being able to get our photos while they're available."

 

The Celtics now need👇

another great road performance in Game 4 to return home with a chance to win

this series. Can they prevent making the same mistake as in Game 2 and giving

Cleveland another opportunity to get back into the game?

"It's the playoffs," Brown declared. Everything is possible, particularly if you are rendered unconscious. We need to do a better job of that; we cannot assume that this series will proceed similarly to the last one. We've got to come out with the same defensive effort in Game 4, and that's the urgency we need."