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Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum admitted a Game 5 collapse left a bad taste in his mouth and he was determined to bounce back in Game 6. On Wednesday night in Boston, the Celtics were the better team for three and a half quarters but then suffered a stunning collapse as the Bucks cut a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to win and take a 3-2 lead in the series.
The Celtics went to Wisconsin with their season on the line but Tatum delivered with 46 points to lead his team to a 108-95 win and a 3-3 tie in the series. "I think just kind of how much it stung losing that game like that," Tatum said, per ESPN.
"Everybody had a bad taste in their mouth. Watching film, learning from it. The eagerness. We were upbeat. We weren't defeated. Knowing that we still had an opportunity to save our season to come in here and get a win. We believed that.
We truly did. We believe in each other and I think it showed tonight."
Tatum wouldn't let the Celtics lose
Tatum had 18 points at the half and scored 28 more points in the second half to ensure there would be a Game 7 in Boston.
"We had the right resolve," Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said. "We talked about after that game. We let an opportunity slip away but still had a chance to make it a better story, I guess. We felt good going into it because we played so well for three and a half quarters.
"Everyone was pissed about that outcome, but we knew how well we played throughout the series and let some things slip away. But never any doubt or hangovers from that game. We put it to bed the next day and look forward to getting back to the Garden." The Celtics will host the Bucks in Game 7 on Sunday. If the Celtics win, they will set up an Eastern Conference finals series versus the Miami Heat.
