Ahead of a pivotal Game 3 against the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said the team has had no choice but to play well on the road.
The Boston Celtics have had a rough time against the Miami Heat. Well, Jimmy Butler, specifically.
In the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler iced the Celtics out at home, putting them in an early 0-2 hole in the series. Now, they are on the road to try and get back into the series, with the ultimate goal of making it back-to-back years with a trip to the NBA Finals.
Ahead of Game 3 on Sunday night, Celtics star Jayson Tatum was asked about the team's luck on the road in their playoff runs these past two years. Tatum said, "We've had no other choice" but to play well on the road.
Tatum's comments come courtesy of Celtics on CLNS.
Jayson Tatum on Celtics' road playoff success: 'We've had no other choice'
This is now the second straight playoff run in which Boston made it to at least the Eastern Conference Finals. But in both these playoff runs, the Celtics played better on the road than in Boston. As ESPN's Tim Bontemps points out, the Celtics are 12-6 on the road, while 10-11 at home.
Last year, the Celtics went 8-4 on the road while going 6-6 at home. This year, they have gone 4-2 on the road and 4-5 at home.
While the Celtics are embracing their "road warrior" mentality, this road trip won't be as easy. Not only have the Heat been on a roll since making it out of the play-in tournament to receive the No. 8 seed, but they are undefeated at home. A perfect 5-0.
Tatum would need to step up as well. After putting up 51 points in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum has gone cold late in games. Specifically, he hasn't made a field goal in the fourth quarter of the first two games against the Heat.
Through the first two games, Tatum is averaging 32.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while putting up a 51.4 field goal percentage and a 30.8 three-point percentage.
Game 3 is a must-win for the Celtics, as a loss would put them in a dreaded 0-3 series deficit, one that no team in NBA playoff history has ever come back from.
