Last postseason's lesson rings loud as Celtics look to close out Hawks

BOSTON -- The Celtics learned an important lesson last postseason when they ran out of gas before the finish line: Never relax in the NBA playoffs. 

That's the mindset they'll take into Tuesday night's Game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden. The Celtics can finish off their first-round series with Atlanta with a win on Tuesday, and earn themselves a few extra days of rest before taking on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round. 

Their mindset isn't on Philly just yet; they know better than looking ahead before a series is over. Their focus is on taking care of business against the Hawks.

Taking advantage of the opportunity in front of them was something that the 2021-22 Celtics struggled with in the playoffs. It forced them to play extra basketball when they really didn't need to, and by the time they reached the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Boston was running on fumes.

After sweeping the Nets in the first round last postseason, the Celtics had a chance to go up 3-2 on the Milwaukee Bucks. The two teams split the first four games of the series, and the Celtics had a chance to take control with Game 5 in Boston. 

They did not, letting a big lead slip away to fall into a 3-2 hole. It wasn't until they had their backs against the wall that the Celtics truly woke up in that series. Jayson Tatum erupted for 46 points in Game 6 in Milwaukee, before Grant Williams took over and led the way with 27 points in Game 7 at TD Garden. 

However, the Celtics did not learn their lesson from that Game 5 defeat. Up 3-2 on the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics lost Game 6 -- at home -- to set up another winner-takes-all Game 7. But that game was in Miami and not the friendly confines of TD Garden.

The Celtics barely escaped Miami with a 100-96 win to make it to the Finals, a victory that took a lot out of the team. They won Game 1 of the Finals to split the first two games in San Francisco and then took Game 3 in Boston. The Celtics had a chance to go up 3-1 in the series, but let Game 4 slip away, part of three straight losses to end their title dreams.

Had the Celtics taken care of business when the business was right in front of them earlier in the postseason, perhaps they would have had a little more left in the tank when it was time to take on the Warriors. They didn't learn that lesson in the moment, but a year later, it rings loud.

Now with a chance to end the first round right in front of them, these Celtics aren't heading into Tuesday night's game with an aura of relaxation surrounding the team. They can sense the blood in the water, and are going to attack.

"There was a few times last year where we kind of relaxed," Tatum said after Sunday's Game 4 win. "I would say after we beat Milwaukee in Game 4, we relaxed. We came back and lost Game 5 after being up 13 in the fourth. That came back to bite us because we had to go win two in a row. Winning Game 5 in Miami, coming back and relaxing a little bit instead of feeling like our backs were against the wall. We lost and then had to go back and win a Game 7.

"We have to try not to make it tougher on ourselves by not relaxing," said Tatum. "We need to go into [Game 5] with the mindset that we're down 3-1 and we've gotta win, not thinking it's over and theyr'e going to give up. Because it's not [over]; they have a great team, really well-coached with a lot of great players and a lot of pride."

Though they're down 3-1, the Hawks have played a lot better than many would have expected in this series. The Celtics won the first two games in Boston rather easily, though the Hawks were able to trim Boston's second-half leads in both of those games. The Hawks took it to the Celtics in Game 3 and won, and then continued to push Boston in Game 4.

But maybe that push is just what the Celtics needed in their first-round series. Last year's first-round sweep of the Nets was not easy by any stretch, but it gave the team a feeling of invincibility. Losing Friday's Game 3 in Atlanta eradicated that from entering their minds this time around.

Tatum took the blame for that loss, and he and his teammates all came out eager and determined on Sunday. Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the way in Sunday's win, combining for 62 points, but everyone stepped up. Marcus Smart shook off a bad back to have a typical Marcus Smart game, Derrick White continued to hit shots, and Robert Williams and Al Horford led a dominant frontcourt performance.

But a series-clinching win is usually the toughest one for any team to get. The Celtics are expecting Atlanta's best come Tuesday night.

"We need to go in with the mindset that we have to survive," Tatum said of Tuesday night's game. "Just learn from our mistakes last year that made the road a little tougher for us."

Losing Tuesday would mean a return trip to Atlanta for a Game 6 on Thursday night, and that's a road no one on the Celtics wants to go down. All the extra miles and all the extra minutes last postseason ultimately cost the Celtics a title.

It was a lesson they've had to think about for 10 long months, and one that will be fresh on their minds when they go to close out the Hawks.