"Our Whole Mindset Is To Try And Play For Him. He Is What Being A Celtic Is All About" - Hearing Al Horford Talk About The Celtics Mindset For Game 6 Will Have You Ready To Run Through A Goddamn Wall

Boston Globe. Getty Images.

Buckle up folks, because it's time to enter hell. If you thought Game 5 was tough coming off the emotional loss of their franchise player with the season on the line, that was nothing compared to the challenge the Celts are taking on tonight for Game 6. As we're seeing across the playoffs, closeout games are tough. Just ask OKC how their first attempt to close out a series on the road went last night. So the Celts finding a way to get that job done on their home floor was expected. This is a prideful and resilient group, there was no way they were going to go out sad on their home floor like that. It's not who they are.

But tonight? This is an entirely different beast. Not only do you add in the extra motivation from the Knicks to close this thing out, but heading into MSG certainly brings another layer to this challenge. Here's what I will say though. This is not a new situation, even in this series. When the Celts went down 0-2 (sigh), Game 3 was effectively a Game 7. You lose that game, it's over. The same way we thought MSG would be a warzone and the Knicks would use that momentum to end the series at that point in time is no different from today. And while having Jayson Tatum for that game was crucial, let's not forget that win came via some great balance in terms of production

Now without Tatum, the formula remains the same. Defend, rebound, take care of the ball. As we saw in Game 5, there is still a path to victory against the Knicks, as long as this team plays smart and plays to their standard. It may have to look different than Game 3 because you don't have Tatum to go out there and make 5 3PMs, but different isn't always bad. All they need to do tonight is something they've done 3 times already this season. As a team on the year, the Celts are 3-1 at MSG. With all the pressure on the Knicks, there's no reason to think that they can't improve to 4-1.

There's also the motivation aspect of this whole thing. If part of the equation for tonight's Game 6 is how motivated the Knicks will be to close things out at home coming off an ass kicking in Game 5, well there are two sides to that coin.

It shouldn't be ignored that the Celts have a certain level of motivation of their own. They are playing for something bigger. They are playing for a fallen teammate. All you have to do is listen to Al Horford

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We saw what that mental approach looked like in Game 5. Hell, Jaylen Brown even talked about it postgame after this masterclass performance

Al is right. Jayson Tatum is everything that being a Celtic is all about. And while it may be an uphill battle to dig themselves out of this hole, I don't think you can overlook what that type of motivation can do for a group that already knows what it takes to reach the top of the mountain. The way they played in Game 5 was inspired basketball, and I looked at it as a tribute to their leader. Don't worry about us, we've got this, just focus on your rehab type of thing. 

That doesn't mean tonight will be as smooth of a blowout as we saw in Game 5, that would be disrespectful to a Knicks team that has earned their margin for error. The Celts are still going to have to execute and play the right way, but when I hear the seriousness in Al's voice, I have to believe they will. Yes, I understand this is an extreme level of cope, but what choice do we have right now? The season is on the line, and the Celts are heading into a warzone without their franchise and best player. You'd be trying to spinzone every possible angle too. It's all we can do at this point.

There's something to be said about being the team that's able to play free in a situation like this. If they remain competitive tonight, there's a chance the Knicks start to get tight under the pressure. If they somehow win this game and shift this series to a Game 7 back at home, anything can happen. Granted we as fans know that doesn't guarantee a win (see: 2023), but we've also seen the other side of that spectrum work in their favor. Remember Kelly Olynk's Game 7? Or Grant Williams' Game 7? Or Tatum's 51 in Game 7? Just find a way to get there and let the chips fall where they may.

To get there, it's going to require the Celts to play near perfect basketball tonight, just like they did in Game 5. It's like Al said, do it for Jayson. Honor one of the best Game 6 road performers in NBA playoff history

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with the performance of your lives and go shock the world and get this thing back to Boston. LFG.