Boston Celtics go into Game 6 of the NBA Finals with a rope tied to their necks. After twice suffering blow-ups in the fourth quarter of Games 4 and 5, the Celts’ 2-1 series advantage has evaporated, leaving them on the precipice! If Stephen Curry had his say in their last outing at Boston, the Celtics have mostly themselves to blame for losing their Monday-night duel against the Golden State Warriors. Fighting back from a 12-point deficit to lead by five at one stage, Ime Udoka’s boys froze in the fourth!

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Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to dish up a final quarter tour-de-farce, managing only 2 of 9 FGs. The Celtics also threw up four turnovers in the same period, nullifying their Quarter 3 counter-charge. On a night when Stephen Curry was well below-par, the Cs blew their best chance of nudging ahead in the Finals. It’s been a recurring problem for the 17-time Champions, with their star players fading as the series progresses. Tatum has been largely underwhelming, shooting 38-of-102 so far. Brown has blown hot and cold throughout the series, Marcus Smart hasn’t stepped up offensively and expecting Al Horford and Derrick White to bail you out consistently isn’t the best game plan against the Warriors.

But after 105 games, including two gruelling Conference playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, one wonders if their dip is due to fatigue. Or worse, a bout of nerves! Irrespective, for the Celtics to show their quality, they’ll need to fight their inner demons as much as the Warriors’ all-court ability. Golden State, for their part, has sparkled in bursts, often relying on Curry to bail them out of bother. Across the first four games, their heavy-hitters- Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Draymond Green– have been mediocre at best. Indeed Andrew Wiggins has been a revelation, but on nights when the Canadian is the best Warriors player by a distance- as he was in Game 5– it’s an opportunity missed for the Celts.

But with a must-win Game 6 in front of vociferous home support, they must only remind themselves of their epic come-from-behind win in the Conference semis against the Bucks. Tatum sprinkled some stardust to draw them level at Milwaukee, dropping 46 points. Shutting out Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 7, a cohesive team display saw them through in the decider.

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Of course, there are levels between Golden State and the Bucks, but the Celtics must concern themselves with their troubles. While it’s nigh on impossible to stem Curry when he’s in the funk (he mostly always is), the Cs need to improve their shooting while cutting out the errors. Otherwise, they can kiss an 18th Championship banner goodbye!