With their backs against the wall, Boston Celtics have vowed not to be intimidated by the Golden State Warriors ahead of Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

“We’re looking forward to the challenge,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said on Thursday, ahead of the clutch fixture that could see the Warriors clinch their fourth NBA title in eight years.

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Celtics, who began the 7-game finals well with a 2-1 lead, lost the plot in Game 5 after the Warriors cruised to a 104-94 victory in San Francisco days ago, with the Warriors’ no 1 draft pick Andrew Wiggins stealing the show on both sides of the court, on a rare off-day for Warriors star Stephen Curry.

However, Brown believes that the Celtics’ tough start to this season will pay dividends in Game 6, and told the press, “Everything has been a learning experience. We wear everything that we learned this year as a badge of honour. We don’t let it hang over our heads. We bounce back. We’ve been able to respond well all year.”

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Warriors power forward Draymond Green, however, played down the Celtics’ chances of a win in Game 6, saying that he expected team-mate Curry to bounce back into form to help his team seal the title.

“He was 0-for-9 from 3. He’s going to be livid going into Game 6, and that’s exactly what we need,” Green was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

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Curry, too, has promised an explosive performance ahead of Game 6, and told Fox, “Obviously, track record says I shoot the ball better the next game. Looking forward to that bounce-back.”

While the Warriors the favourites to win this year’s finals, if Celtics can hold on and take the series to Game 7, they could potentially clinch their 18th NBA title, which would also be their first since 2008.