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[Saba Sports News] The Boston Celtics are on the brink of sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, but Jayson Tatum believes his team has a compelling reason to remain vigilant.
No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. Only one team in the past 20 years has even forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, and that team was the Celtics just last year.
After leading Boston to a 106-99 victory with 31 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, Tatum reminded reporters that the Celtics understand the importance of staying focused despite their commanding lead.
“We were just a sprained ankle away from having a real shot (at a comeback last year). We’re not relaxing or anything like that. … However long it takes, that’s what it’s gonna take,” Tatum said. Last year, the Celtics lost the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. They then won three straight to force Game 7 in Boston, becoming only the fourth team in NBA history to do so after being down 3-0. Tatum sprained his ankle early in Boston’s 103-84 Game 7 loss and later admitted he was “a shell of myself.”
After Game 3, Tatum emphasized that the Celtics still carry a chip on their shoulder. Even though the Mavericks face long odds of making a comeback, Tatum and his teammates remain fully committed to finishing the job.