Stephen A. Smith, different ESPN personalities aren’t ruling out an inconceivable comeback for Celtics

Celtics

“Somebody’s acquired to interrupt by means of. That is the group to do it.”

The Celtics nonetheless have a protracted climb forward of them within the Japanese Convention Finals towards the Miami Warmth. Boston is the a hundred and fiftieth NBA group to fall into an 0-3 deficit in a playoff collection. The primary 149 groups all finally misplaced their collection.

However just a few ESPN personalities aren’t counting them out fairly but within the group’s pursuit of an inconceivable comeback.

After Boston saved its season alive with a Recreation 4 victory down at Kaseya Middle on Tuesday night time, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes that the stress is beginning to shift towards an eighth-seeded Warmth group transferring ahead.

If Boston can proceed to show momentum in its favor with a win on its house courtroom Thursday night time, Smith isn’t ruling out Boston turning into the primary group in NBA historical past to drag off a collection win after dropping the primary three video games.

“I feel their likelihood is slim, however I actually can’t say none,” Smith stated on ESPN’s First Tackle Wednesday. “Right here’s the explanation why. You’ve acquired Recreation 5 arising. Clearly, they should win that recreation or they go house. They’re 10-11 at house [in the postseason] during the last two seasons, 4-5 this season. If, by some means, they handle to win, they’ve truly been higher on the highway. So, it’s conceivable that if Boston wins, the stress clearly shifts to Miami in Recreation 6 since you have been up 3-0, now you’d solely be up 3-2 and then you definitely’ve acquired Recreation 6 on your private home courtroom with the specter of a Recreation 7 and historical past being made if you happen to lose a 3-0 lead.

“The probabilities are slim, however I nonetheless say, ‘Wait a minute.’ Recreation 5 clearly is the whole lot, however that shifts the stress. If Boston wins Recreation 5 on Thursday night time — if you happen to’re Miami you don’t want to have a Recreation 7 pressured in Boston after having a 3-0 lead when no person within the historical past of the game has ever surrendered a 3-0 deficit.”

Although the Backyard has typically been a home of horrors for each the Celtics and Bruins this postseason, Boston has sufficient expertise on its roster to punch again towards the Warmth as soon as once more in Recreation 5.

Lower than an hour after Boston beat the Warmth in Miami, TNT’s Charles Barkley predicted that Recreation 5 will “be a cakewalk” for the Celtics.

Boston’s renewed defensive identification and 3-point capturing success in Recreation 4 has additionally made a believer out of ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.

Whereas Smith believes Boston nonetheless has a slim shot at pulling off this comeback, Greenberg supplied a far bolder proclamation on Wednesday.

“The impression that the coach has had on this collection — Erik Spoelstra — has been disproportionate to what we often see within the NBA, which is to say I feel he has coached circles round Joe Mazzulla from the start of the collection,” Greenberg stated Wednesday. “However there comes some extent the place you run out of methods, you run out of issues you are able to do.

“On the finish of the day, the great thing about a seven-game collection is that you must earn it each single time. On the finish of the day, if these groups simply go on the market and play, the Celtics ought to win each single recreation. They’re simply higher in each single recreation.”

As long as Boston’s 3-point capturing continues to regular itself and often reliable scorers like Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon begin to warmth up, a path to victory is there for Boston — as daunting as the chances could also be.

“If Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can work out methods to get this factor collectively, I’m sitting right here telling you proper now I imagine historical past is about to be rewritten,” Greenberg stated. “It’s about to be 150 towards one as an alternative of 150 towards none. I’m sufficiently old to recollect when a 16-seed had by no means gained an NCAA Event recreation. It’s occurred twice within the final 4 or 5 years. Somebody’s acquired to interrupt by means of. That is the group to do it.”