Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics channel their 'will to want to win' as they again face elimination

BOSTON — Three times in this year's NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have found themselves one loss away from going home for the summer. Three times in these playoffs, the Celtics have found a way to extend their season — including two victories on the road.

So, as Boston prepares to host the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden on Thursday night (9 ET on ABC), when asked why they are confident they can win two more elimination games and claim the 2022 NBA championship, the Celtics have a simple response:

Why not?

«I think just how we respond,» Jayson Tatum said when asked what makes his team so resilient in these situations. «It hasn't been easy. It's been extremely tough. We've had some tough losses. Losing Game 5 against Milwaukee was extremely tough. Knowing we had to win two, go on the road. Losing Game 6 against the Heat was extremely tough.

»In those moments, we just responded. I don't know exactly what it is, but I think just our will to want to win, just trying to figure it out."

Those losses Tatum referred to — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks and Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat — both came here in Boston, where the Celtics are just 6-5 this postseason.

Still, the Celtics are more than confident they can extend this series to a seventh game Sunday — in part because when this team has played the way it knows it is capable of, it has looked like it was in control of the proceedings.

Even after the many deep playoff runs this young core has had this season, with all of Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart having played in at least three conference finals together. But it was the first season for coach Ime Udoka and his