Boston Celtics stars credit last year’s loss for getting them to where they are today: They’ll approach Game 4 with the same mindset

Last year, the Boston Celtics believed they could become the first team in NBA history to overcome a 0-3 deficit in the playoffs, but ultimately fell short against the Miami Heat.

In this year’s NBA Finals, the Celtics hold a commanding 3-0 lead, one win away from securing their record-breaking 18th NBA championship.

Brown and Tatum attribute their personal growth and the team’s pursuit of history to last year’s defeat.

“Losing at home last year, that definitely hurt,” Brown said on Thursday. “For me, it was embarrassing. Tatum was hurt in Game 7, and I felt like the whole team was looking for me to step up, and I missed shots.”

“It was embarrassing for me. It frustrated me all summer. It drove me crazy.”

The Celtics’ response to last season’s failure has been the best basketball in the league. Boston finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record (64-18) and a significant net rating advantage (+11.7 points).

If they win tomorrow, the Celtics will finish the postseason with a 16-2 record, tied for second-best in NBA history since the playoff format switched to best-of-seven. Only the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors (16-1) have had a better record, and Boston would join the 2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers as the only teams to go 8-0 on the road in a single postseason.

Brown and Tatum believe that without last year’s setback, the Celtics wouldn’t be in this position this year.

Tatum commented, “I think last year contributed to our success this season. We were so locked in on getting back to the Finals, which is a good thing. But I think once we got into the playoffs, we were prepared to be playing in June. In a way, we skipped a lot of steps.”

“… You can never guarantee getting back to the Finals. I think everybody came into this season with a different mindset. I think it really shows that we’re not taking anything for granted and approaching every day with the same attitude. We’re trying to get better, just as hungry as before.”

Despite Boston’s dominant run in this postseason, there remains concern over Kristaps Porzingis’s status. He suffered an MCL sprain and a tibial tendon displacement in his left leg in Game 2, causing him to miss Game 3.

When asked if the series lead would impact Porzingis’s availability, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla quickly dismissed the notion.

Mazzulla said, “I think that’s a reactive way to look at it. At the end of the day, we’ve got to continue to do what we do. KP is getting better from yesterday to today. He’s fighting like crazy to get back out there, but we’ve got to protect him and make sure that it’s best for him as a player and as a person, regardless of where we are in our basketball situation.”

Al Horford, aware of the Celtics’ near-misses in the past and the impending 18th banner, emphasized the importance of focusing on the next game rather than its implications.

Horford remarked, “Yeah, I think it’s easy because we’re just focused on the task at hand. We had a great film session this morning before we came here. We’ll practice after that. It’s just about the work.”

“We’ve been doing that all season. That’s just where we’re at in this season. We don’t allow ourselves to get ahead of ourselves. We’re just trying to lock in on what we need to do. The job’s not done yet.”