• Complete coverage: 2022 NBA Finals

BOSTON — The Warriors will return home Friday awaiting a parade or a seventh game of the NBA Finals. It all depends on if they can complete two difficult tasks in one night: Win a third consecutive game in these Finals and do that at TD Garden.

Both are doable, unless the Celtics get a firm grip on the basketball — turnovers have destroyed them lately — and something more from the meat of their rotation, starting with Jayson Tatum.

That’s among the four things to look for Thursday in Game 6 (9 ET, ABC), a do-or-die scenario for the home team:

1. History says Celtics are a tough out

So the Celtics are walking the tightrope again, with the wind swirling, without a safety net and without a tomorrow. Such is life when you’ve stared at doom three times this postseason and lived to tell.

That experience gives them hope, if nothing else, come tipoff. They’re 3-0 in elimination games, winning two of those against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and a two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and two of those three games on the road.

“We won those games,” said Tatum. “I felt like myself and everybody else did what it took to win. That’s the mindset you’ve got to have.”

Therefore, what lessons from those games can the Celtics bring to Thursday, and then again Sunday if necessary? Well, they need Tatum to rise somewhat similar as he did in Game 6 against the Bucks when he erupted for 46 points. And they could use someone from the supporting cast to pull a pleasant surprise, as Grant Williams did when he made seven 3-pointers the next game. And they could use a little luck as well, like when Jimmy Butler’s potential game-winner bounced out in the final seconds of Game 7 against Miami.

Short of any or all of that, the Celtics will certainly topple from the tightrope this time. And they know it.

“When we’ve been in this position before, we’ve been at our best,” said Williams. “That’s where you want to be.”

That said …

“We fought off three elimination games, won some Game 7s, but you just can’t rely on that,” said coach Ime Udoka.

2. Not too late for a Klay Moment

Thompson has spent this entire series — actually, the entire playoffs — expressing how blessed he is, describing how far he’s come from those dreary days of rehabbing from injury, and all that’s true. A year ago, Thompson wasn’t even scrimmaging. Now he’s in the Finals and dashing around the court.

He’s had some flashback moments to his pre-injury days that give him hope and belief that the best is yet to come. Most might think that’ll be next season. Thompson is thinking this season, as in, Game 6 or 7 if necessary, despite shooting 38% in this series.

Whenever Game 6 is raised in his name, it reflexively means his career night in Oklahoma City in 2016 when he scored 41 points (including a playoff record 11 from deep). Most recently, in another Game 6, he helped close out the Grizzlies last month with 30 points.

Even the night when it all went wrong for him physically — Game 6 in the Finals against the Raptors when he injured his knee — Thompson had 30 points in 32 minutes and tried to return to the game after limping off.

“I realize I’m on a really good streak of Game 6s,” he said. “I don’t know how long that’ll last. Hopefully through [Thursday]. I want to live up to it. At the same time, I don’t want to go in there and play hero ball … I would just like to have a big night and win the game. I want to go out there, play free, trust my teammates. Great things will happen if I do those two things.”

That sounds somewhat like a concession, but Thompson hasn’t lacked for confidence or shots in this series. Expect him to be forceful when necessary, especially with the game on the line, should it be close in the final moments.

3. Protection of the ball starts with Marcus Smart

Smart is a very good player, borderline All-Star some nights, well respected around the league, tough-minded, gritty and obviously an elite defensive player. What he hasn’t consistently shown, however, is the ability to be a natural and instinctive point guard.

This isn’t a shocking revelation. The Celtics wanted Kyrie Irving at the position instead of Smart. Then they wanted Kemba Walker instead of Smart. When those two didn’t last for various reasons, Smart became the choice, partly by attrition.

And the Celtics reached the Finals this year with Smart. That means something. But Smart isn’t a pure point guard in the sense of setting up shots for teammates, making them better. He has reached double-figure assists in just three of 23 playoff games this season. He lets Tatum and Brown mostly create their own shots. That often works because both are improved playmakers themselves, but Tatum and Brown can wear down when they’re constantly forced to create against a top defensive team like Golden State — which is why the Celtics make so many mistakes. They lack a point guard who makes it easier for teammates.

That’s why the Warriors will keep throwing double-teams at Tatum, who can get flustered and become a poor passer when trapped, and who isn’t getting plenty of open looks.

“They’re trying to take him out at certain times,” said Udoka. “But it’s on him to read that and understand he’s going to be doubled and be the bait at times, and when that happens, get everyone involved and make them pay.”

But better care of the ball just starts with Smart and Tatum. The Celtics’ turnover meltdown has been fairly widespread among the main ball handlers in the rotation.

“It’s something we need to improve upon as a team,” said Grant Williams. “Take care of the ball, you win the game. Don’t take care of the ball, you lose the game.”

4. Will Celtics or Warriors finally play up to their level?

Weird to say it, but five games into the Finals, we still haven’t seen the best of either team. This is quite the contrast from the earlier postseason rounds, when the Warriors and Celtics were fully loaded for at least a handful of games. But this series? In each game, both have shown flaws and received no-shows or half-shows from key players in the rotation. Is this finally the night when that trend ends?

Here’s what the Warriors are consistently missing: Draymond Green making a half-dozen key stops and keeping Robert Williams III off the glass and for once scoring double-figures; a scoring breakout from Jordan Poole; Klay Thompson pulling his Splash Brothers weight; and the Kevon Looney who had career nights in the West finals.

Here’s what the Celtics are missing: Efficiency from Tatum; better shot selection from Brown; solid decision-making by Smart and an appearance from Al Horford who hasn’t been a factor since Game 1.

And this doesn’t begin to mention the sketchiness from the benches. Overall, Celtics vs. Warriors, while entertaining at times and suspenseful at others, is still waiting for one team to do a full flex and show dominance. They’re both capable; they’ve shown it already, just not against each other. It’ll be hard to imagine a Finals ending without anyone’s A-game.

* * *

Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.