Going to the basket has been key for Celtics

There have been four times when the Celtics recovered from a 3-1 playoff series deficit to force a Game 7.

It happened in 1968 and 1981 against the Philadelphia 76ers when the Celtics completed comebacks with Game 7 victories, and it occurred in 1973 and 1982 when they were defeated in a decisive game by the New York Knicks and the 76ers, respectively.

Will the Celtics be able to ride the momentum gained through a strong second-half showing when they fought off [...]

There have been four times when the Celtics recovered from a 3-1 playoff series deficit to force a Game 7.

It happened in 1968 and 1981 against the Philadelphia 76ers when the Celtics completed comebacks with Game 7 victories, and it occurred in 1973 and 1982 when they were defeated in a decisive game by the New York Knicks and the 76ers, respectively.

Will the Celtics be able to ride the momentum gained through a strong second-half showing when they fought off elimination in Game 5 on Friday night in order to extend the Eastern Conference finals all the way to a Game 7?

That question will be answered on Sunday night in Game 6 when the Celtics and the Miami Heat get together again at Disney World (7:30).

The Heat, in possession of a 3-2 lead, still have two chances to advance to the NBA Finals and a greater margin for error than the Celtics, who overcame a slow start and outscored Miami, 70-50, in the second half en route to a 121-108 victory in Game 5.

One more victory by the Celtics brings the series back to square one.

"Every game’s hard,’’ said coach Brad Stevens during a video conference on Saturday afternoon. "Every time you play a playoff game, it’s its own entity, so it’s not as much about momentum as it is making sure you do what you do best as much as you can and create a momentum in that game and create a play that is suited for your team in that game.

"Every game is unique. Every game is different. Every game is hard to prepare for. It’s hard to win an NBA game, so we’re going to put our best foot forward and do everything we can to prepare to play well.’’

The Celtics looked like two different teams during the course of Game 5, struggling at both ends through most of the opening 24 minutes, then dominating the Heat after the break, outscoring Miami, 42-25, in the third quarter.

The formula for success against the Heat has been taking the ball to the basket and playing tight defense, something the Celtics had going in that crucial second half.

"I thought we were pressing quite a bit in the first half, especially offensively,’’ said Stevens. "I thought we just played with more force on both ends in the second half. I thought out defense led to our offensive mentality.’’

Asked if the Celtics allow their struggle on offense to dictate their defense, Stevens said, "(It’s that way with) every basketball team ever, probably. I would say that’s probably true, but I don’t think that’s something that’s unique to us. I think all the teams go through that to an extent.

"But I think if you compartmentalize the task at hand, you can defend, regardless of circumstances, and more often than not and you’ve got a special team. We’ve seen this team rise up to that occasion several times this year, including Game 7 in the Toronto series, and (Friday), our defense helped push our offense, which is good.’’

After holding leads of 14 and 17 points when they lost Games 1 and 2 and leading from beginning to end in Game 3, the Celtics have gotten off to slow starts the last two games.

They were unable to recover in Game 4 but found a way to get out of the funk just in time in Game 5.

"Boston played great in the second half,’’ said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. "They deserved what they got. We understand how tough it is to win in the playoffs.

"We did not compete hard enough defensively and we paid the price for that. You have to credit Boston. They played with great force, particularly off the dribble. It was just a deluge to the rim.’’

The Celtics will need to maintain that aggressiveness in Game 6, or else they will be heading home on Monday morning after nearly 12 weeks at Disney World.

"It just starts on the defensive end,’’ said Jayson Tatum. "They’re a great team. They move the ball really well. They play with pace.

"I think (defense) is what got our offense going, got us going in that second half. We just locked in and got on the same page and tried to make it as tough as we could.’’

While the Celtics have twice bounced back to win a series after being down, 3-1, the Heat are 11-0 were leading a series by that margin.

"I just think generally this team has great resolve,’’ said Stevens. "When we got down 12 in the first (quarter) and nine in the second (Friday), I thought we showed that. We’re going to just have to continue to show the ability to handle good and bad throughout a game and just navigate it together.’’

If a Game 7 is needed, it would be played on Tuesday night, and the NBA Finals are scheduled to begin this week.

jfenton@enterprisenews.com

On Twitter at @JFenton_ent