The Celtics return home with a chance to close out the Mavericks and win a record 18th NBA championship

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics’ disastrous performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals gave them a chance to win another championship Monday night under the 17 banners already hanging from the rafters of TD Garden.

And, coach Joe Mazzulla reminded them that they would have two more chances after that.

“We don’t like to lose,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said before Sunday’s practice. “I think we are ready for game five. I think this is the best answer I have. I think we are ready. We are at home. And we look forward to it.

The Celtics came through the regular season with the best record in the NBA, then did even better in the playoffs, never trailing in a series while winning 15 of their first 17 games. They opened a 3-0 lead over Dallas, but the Mavericks staved off elimination with a 122-84 victory Friday night — the third-largest blowout in Finals history.

That sent the series back to Boston, where the Celtics will once again try to win their unprecedented 18th NBA title — and their first since 2008. In a city that has already won 12 championships this century, that’s what passes for a drought.

“This is what we all work for,” Brown said. “We are close to completing what we set out to do at the start of the season. So I think it’s not difficult to get everyone in this locker room on the same page right now. »

The Game 4 loss shattered Boston’s franchise record of 10 straight playoff wins (and also ended Kyrie Irving’s 13-game losing streak against his former team). Boston was 3-0 in potential playoff games this postseason so far.

But the Celtics know – and Dallas surely knows it too – that they still have three chances to close out the series. All-Star Jayson Tatum said Mazzulla told his team Sunday not to “give in to this idea that we have to win tomorrow.”

While it’s unusual for a coach to stray from the “one game at a time” mentality, the Celtics said recognizing they have three tries to win a game takes some of the pressure off them – the pressure that may have been imposed on them in their total failure of a game 4.

“We would like to win tomorrow, more than anything,” Tatum said. “But if that doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world. We have more opportunities.

Irving said the Mavericks were also trying to “enjoy the moment” and not focus on the fact that no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. Game 6 would be back in Dallas on Thursday, and Game 7 could be decisive in Boston on Sunday.

“(We) think as best we can about the goal we have in front of us and try not to get tired of everyone talking about the history that hasn’t been written,” Irving said. achieve one of our goals, which is to return to Boston. We have another goal in front of us, and that is to get back to Dallas.

It will be much more difficult if Boston center Kristaps Porzingis is available. The 7-foot-2 Latvian was listed as questionable Sunday with a dislocated left ankle tendon.

Porzingis did not speak to reporters Sunday. He trained with the team wearing a white sleeve over his right leg, and during the 30 minutes that reporters were able to observe him on the field, he carefully took shots from inside the lane, apparently taking care not to jump.

“I don’t know where he is,” Mazzulla said. “But he’s trying and doing everything he can to put himself in a position to be out there. I know this for sure.

Porzingis missed 10 straight playoff games after straining his right calf during the first-round series against Miami. He returned for Game 1 of the Finals and was a major reason for Boston’s victory, scoring 20 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots in 21 minutes.

But Porzingis dislocated a tendon in his left leg in Game 2, did not play in Game 3 and was reportedly available for Game 4 “on a specific basis, if needed.” defeat, he never checked in the game.)

Of less concern is the status of Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who is listed on the injury report with injuries to his right knee and left ankle as well as a bruised chest. He went through warmups for Game 2 with his torso and knee wrapped, but had a triple-double in the loss.

“At this point in the season, there’s a lot going on,” he said on Sunday. “If I play, I’m fine. Carefree.”

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