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Taylor Snow

BOSTON – Jrue Holiday is the only member of this Celtics team who has experienced what it takes to win an NBA championship. And he will do whatever it takes to go through that experience again.

It doesn't matter to him whether it’s scoring, facilitating, rebounding, defending, or a mixture of all the above.

“I'm a utility guy. I'll do whatever,” Holiday said. “I'm here to win. I feel like they brought me here to win, and I'll do my best to do that.”

Those words came to life in Game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday night when the 15-year veteran did a little bit of everything to help guide Boston to a 105-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Holiday led the team in scoring with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. He led the game in rebounds with a playoff career-high-tying 11 boards. He handed out three assists. And his fingerprints were all over Boston’s defensive effort of holding Dallas’ high-powered offense to fewer than 100 points for the second straight game to give the C’s a 2-0 lead in the series.

“He was unbelievable,” said teammate Al Horford. “His effort defensively and everything he brings on that end. And then on offense, making reads, making the game easy, making the right decisions. He’s so poised and you can tell that he has been in these types of moments. Just very composed and just out there getting the job done.”

Holiday went through these moments with the Milwaukee Bucks during their 2021 championship run, and it shows.

Derrick White says it’s shown ever since Holiday stepped foot into the gym last fall – in how he carries himself and how he's been willing to sacrifice his role to help the team maximize its potential.

“That experience, that championship DNA, which you hear all about all the time, you don't really know what it takes until you do what it takes,” White said. “Just the moment he came to our team in training camp, he kind of just had that presence about him. He just knows how to win.”

Holiday’s presence has been defined by leading with actions over words.

“I won't say that I do much or I talk much,” he said. “I just go out there and I play as hard as I can and do whatever the team needs for us to win.”

In Games 1 and 2 of the Finals, that translated to a total of 38 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and zero turnovers in 75 minutes of action.

Though when he does talk, everyone listens.

“He's brought championship pedigree to our team,” said Jaylen Brown. “So nothing Jrue says we question. Jrue, he comes in and he just is who he is. He's got that demeanor, that killer-like mentality, and we respect it. He's a great teammate and it's just an honor to play next to him.”

Part of that championship pedigree includes staying grounded no matter what the series score is. After all, he was on a Bucks team that battled back from a 0-2 deficit and went on to win four straight against the Phoenix Suns.

“We know being up 2-0 means nothing,” Holiday said. “Job's not done. We have to do whatever it takes.”

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Jrue's Double-Double Helps C's Double Finals Lead Over Mavs

BOSTON – On the night Jaylen Brown was drafted, he declared that he was ready to go to war for the city of Boston.

Now, with a championship within striking distance, he's asking the city to rise behind him and his Celtics teammates and to join them in battle.

Brown embraced the energy inside TD Garden and around the city leading up to, during, and after Thursday’s Game 1 win over the Dallas Mavericks. But he wants Celtics Nation to step it up even more for Game 2.

“Sunday, we are going to need our fans to be hyped,” Brown said ahead of Saturday afternoon's practice. “It's not just team versus team. It's crowd versus crowd. It's gas station versus gas station. Supermarket versus supermarket. It's the whole city versus the whole city. We need everybody.”

A thunderous crowd is part of what makes home-court advantage so advantageous, and Boston is capable of bringing the most noise of any city in the league. There were moments Thursday night when the entire arena was shaking, and those are the adrenaline-boosting moments that can help push athletes to another level.

When the 7-foot-3 center checked in for his first Finals action partway through the first quarter, the fans nearly blew a hole in the rafters with their cheers. The vibration from that moment shook off any cobwebs that may have accumulated during KP’s 38-day absence prior. He checked in and rode the crowd’s energy to 11 points in his first six minutes and 20 points in 20 minutes overall.

“It was insane, I'm not going to lie,” he said of the crowd’s response to him returning to action. “Just walking in the tunnel was like a WWE-style walk-in. I didn't even know it was for me at first walking out, hearing that crowd roar and getting real excitement to start the game and giving everything to these fans that came.”

If the fans give energy, the Celtics will give it right back. That's the deal that Brown wants to make with Boston for Sunday’s game.

“I thought the [Game 1] crowd was good,” Brown said. “But I think we can be a little bit better. I expect us to be even louder.”

So if you’re planning to be in attendance on Sunday, make sure to have your war cries ready. Even if you’re at home, at the gas station, or in the supermarket make sure to show your support. That type of fan engagement is what helps to shift the energy for a team, and it's what gives Jaylen Brown his 7uice.

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Brown Calls on Celtics Nation for Game 2: ‘We Need Everybody’

BOSTON – Kristaps Porzingis did everything he could over the past five-plus weeks to prepare his body in time for the NBA Finals. On Thursday night, his diligence paid off.

Boston’s 7-foot-3 center stepped back on the court for the first time since straining his calf on April 29 and played as if he’d never left. He opened the Finals by torching the Dallas Mavericks with 20 points in just over 20 minutes of action, leading the Celtics past his former team for a 107-89 Game 1 win.

In the days leading up to his return, Porzingis admitted he had no idea how he’d feel until he put his feet back on the parquet floor. As soon as he walked out to the roaring crowd at TD Garden, his confidence rushed back and he felt at home.

“The adrenaline was just pumping through my veins,” he said. And it carried him to 20-point, six-rebound, three-block performance.

For the first time in more than seven years and just the second time in his career, Porzingis came off the bench. But it didn’t matter to him from either a personal or a performance standpoint whether he was starting or playing in a reserve role.

“In this situation, it made sense,” Porzingis said. “I didn't care. I knew I could prepare to come off the bench, which is something different for me, and that's what I did and stepped into that role and embraced it and had a good game.”

Porzingis subbed in for Al Horford at the 7:17 mark of the first quarter and proceeded to go off. Throughout the remainder of the frame, he logged 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, three rebounds, and two blocks.

“He was just making play after play,” Jaylen Brown recalled of Porzingis’ initial stretch. “It was just like, ‘Alright, he's back.’ There was no question about it.”

KP finished the half with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in just under 13 minutes of action, leading Boston into the break with a 63-42 lead. Jayson Tatum noted after the game how that half showcased how impressive Boston can be when it’s fully healthy.

“We're a good team when guys are down, but we're really, really special when we have everybody,” Tatum said. “How seamless his transition was after being away for six weeks, and coming into the game and having a first half like that, that was a big spark for us to start the game.”

As much as Dallas’ defenders got in his face, they just couldn’t stop KP from putting the ball in the basket. He finished the game 8-of-13 from the field, 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.

“He's a matchup nightmare,” said Derrick White. “Even when you play good defense, he doesn't really see you. It's been unreal just watching him all year. Then defensively, he uses his size well, just impacts the games in so many different ways. He changes us and he makes us a better team.”

Porzingis’ presence opened the floor for the whole team. All six Celtics who topped 20 minutes scored in double digits, led by Jaylen Brown’s 22-point effort.

“He was great on both ends of the floor, defensive execution, game plan, playing for a spot in the offensive end, being physical, and making plays on both ends of the floor,” said coach Joe Mazzulla. “He played great and that's the KP that helped us get to where we are today.”

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Porzingis Returns to Finals with a Bang, Leads C’s to Game 1 Win

BOSTON – Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s first trip to the NBA Finals ended in heartbreak – a heartbreak that has been fueling them and serving as their motivation for the past two years.

Now that their opportunity for redemption has arrived, they’re ready to seize the moment.

On the eve of Game 1, Brown and Tatum spoke on their journey back to the NBA's biggest stage, reflecting on how their first Finals experience against the Golden State Warriors in 2022 helped to shape their mindset going into this series against the Dallas Mavericks.

“I think we understood what it took to get there,” Tatum said Wednesday afternoon, looking back on Boston's 2022 run. “And [Golden State] understood what it took to get over the hump … It was a lesson to be learned. I told myself that if I ever got the opportunity again to make it to the Finals, never take it for granted. Obviously, we're here now and I’m thankful to be here. I'm excited to get ready to play and have fun tomorrow.”

Brown says he’s rewatched that Finals series four or five times. As painful as it is to relive, it's a small price to pay if it can help provide intel on getting over the hump this time.

“I think you can always learn from anything really,” Brown said. “But just being able to watch those moments and learn from them, how to manage your emotions, like, what you would have done differently, potentially. I don't think that's bad to look at and acknowledge and be aware of.”

Brown and Tatum also both acknowledged how much of an impact this series can have on their own personal legacies as well as that of the team.

“If you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship,” Tatum said. “That's what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are obviously different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that.”

“Special” is exactly how Brown described this group. He noted how several members of this core have been through so much together, coming up just short of their goal on several occasions. Going through such adversity has helped to shape who they are and how driven they’ve become.

“I think this is a special group, I really do,” Brown said. “The core group of it has been here for a few years now. We've been able to go through the experiences of having success but not having success at the same time. I think to solidify it, the ultimate goal is to get over the hump and win. I think that will add a lot to our legacy. But as of right now, that story is still untold.”

As important as it is to stay in the present of this story, it can still be beneficial to flip back to past chapters to provide insight into how to approach the journey ahead. Doing so can provide the knowledge to pen a happy ending.

“I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” said Tatum. “There's a lesson to be learned in every situation. I do feel a lot different this time, this go-around, two years later. I'm excited for the opportunity for us to get the job done.”

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Brown, Tatum 'Feel a Lot Different' Heading into 2nd NBA Finals

BOSTON – When the Celtics take the court for Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night, Kristaps Porzingis plans to be standing center court, taking the opening tip against his former Mavericks team.

After going through five weeks of rehab on his right calf, Boston’s starting center is finally about ready to make his return.

“I’ve done a lot of work up until this point, done everything needed to get back into playing shape,” Porzingis told reporters following Tuesday morning’s practice. “It's a couple more days (until Game 1), and I think that could&nbsp;make a difference. Every day gives me a bit more time to get even better.”

Porzingis strained the calf during Boston’s April 29, Game 4 win over the Miami Heat in the first round and missed the entire second and third rounds against Cleveland and Indiana, respectively. It's been a frustrating stretch for the 7-foot-3 Latvian, considering he was missing out on exactly what he had been anticipating all season: Celtics playoff basketball.

“It's been a long process, I'm not going to lie,” Porzingis said. “It's been tough to sit out, obviously. But I tried to stay as engaged as I can with the team and be around the team and do my work and be with the team. It really, really did suck, but we're here now and I'm feeling much better. Put in a lot of hours to get to this point and I look forward to getting some action on the court."

Porzingis has been ramping up his activity on the practice court over the past week. He’s been running through drills, participating in scrimmages, and has gone through just about everything that his teammates have gone through over the past few days.

Even though he hasn’t seen live-game action in more than a month, he’s optimistic that he’ll get back to feeling himself in no time.

“I have to feel confident,” he said. “I don't want to go out there and be thinking about something. Once I'm out there, it has to be full focus on trying to play the best basketball I can and help this team win. Obviously it's not ideal that I haven't had any real minutes (since April), but I roll with the punches and it is what it is. I just try to be the best I can be with the given circumstances.”

Joe Mazzulla isn’t concerned about the ramping-up process either.

“He’s been playing basketball for like 30 years,” said the head coach. “He’s been playing intense situations his whole life, so I don’t think that will be much of an issue. Obviously you can’t simulate the speed and the intensity of the game, which I think just comes with a little bit of reps, but KP is a great player. I think just because you’ve been out for a month doesn’t mean you have to relearn how to play basketball. He’s been doing a lot of great things for us this season on both ends of the floor with physicality, with intensity. And I expect him to pick up right where he left off. There will be a little bit of rust; just not concerned because of the work that he’s put in and what he’s done in his career and what he’s done in this season for us.”

Porzingis will be stepping straight into a high-pressure situation unlike anything he’s experienced in his life, but he’s excited. This is what he came to Boston for, and he’s ready for it.

"It's incredible – just the energy like, everybody's buzzing,” Porzingis said. “It's going to be exciting. Even just seeing the amount of people now, it shows the magnitude of this and what's on the line. As a team, as an organization, we're going into this series with full confidence, knowing that no steps were skipped. The goal is to finish the job."

To finish the job with KP leading the way up front.

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Porzingis Plans to Be Ready for Game 1

BOSTON – Kristaps Porzingis went through a full, moderate practice with the Celtics Saturday morning and he appears to be getting back into the swing of things according to his peers.

Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday all reported on the progress they’ve seen out of their 7-foot-3 center, who has been sidelined since the middle of Round 1 with a calf strain. And they expressed nothing but optimism regarding him being ready for their NBA Finals matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

“He’s been working extremely hard just to get back and to help us in any way he can,” White said of Porzingis’ impending return. “So obviously these practices and these reps are going to be good. It’s a little bit different than what Al [Horford] and obviously what Luke [Kornet] and [Xavier Tillman] do, so some aspects might be a little bit different. But any chance you can add a guy like KP, and he’s just willing to do whatever we need, he’ll make it easy.”

The Celtics are a totally different team with a healthy KP, and that’s part of the reason why they’ve been so deliberate in ramping him back up so that he’s at 100 percent health at the opportune time.

“When KP’s at his best, he’s been tremendous for us,” said Mazzulla. “We expect that from him and we know he’ll give that to us.”

What he gives them is another 20-point scorer whose length and versatility change the dynamic of the offense.

Then on defense, he provides elite rim protection, which could be critical against Dallas’ prolific scoring.

“He’s shown the ability to be flexible, to be in touch, to switch, to rotate, so he’s just got to be willing to do whatever it takes, which he has done and our defense has done,” said Mazzulla. “And to have an understanding that this is a high-powered offensive team and they test you. Same with Indiana – the way they test you emotionally, they test you discipline-wise, they test what you’re willing to give up. And so you’ve got to stay firm in that and you’ve got stay simple, yet flexible.”

Porzingis’ flexibility is part of what made him so valuable this season, according to Tatum.

“KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do the entire season,” said JT, “whether it was punishing switches or space the 5-man, being in the corner. Sometimes that might be going possessions without touching the ball, or it may be when they're switching, we give him the ball five times in a row. Joe talks about everybody's just open-mindedness to whatever we're trying to do. We switch things up a lot and we have so many talented, gifted players on the offensive and defensive end. Everybody's just got to be open to trying different things. And I give KP a lot of credit, especially for somebody as talented as he is and obviously as tall as he is. A lot of the big guys may be stuck in their ways doing what makes them comfortable. He got outside his comfort zone a little bit and it made us a better team.”

It's easy to see why the Celtics are so thrilled to get Porzingis back after everything he’s provided them with this season. And Holiday thinks his transition back into the flow of things will be seamless.

“KP is one of the best scorers, he’s one of our best rim protectors, and I feel like we're all mature enough to get back in the groove or have him fit right back in whenever he comes back,” Holiday said. “We want KP back. Like, we can't wait for him to be back and be a part of this on the court.”

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Celtics Excited to See Porzingis Getting Back into Swing of Things

BOSTON – There was a significant discrepancy in experience when the Boston Celtics faced off against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals two seasons ago. Most of Golden State’s core had been to multiple championship rounds, while zero members of Boston’s core had previously made it that far.

In the end, the more experienced team prevailed.

In this year’s Finals, Boston finds itself in a different situation. Most of that 2022 core remains intact and has the experience of its prior trip to lean on. Meanwhile, its opponent, the Dallas Mavericks, has very little Finals experience on its roster that it can tap into leading up to Game 1 on June 6.

While experience isn’t everything, it plays a more significant role as the playoffs go deeper. And Al Horford is certain that it will be beneficial for this Celtics group in the weeks ahead.

“I think it is gonna help tremendously,” Horford said Friday afternoon. “Because the first time, it felt like a roller coaster. Just a lot going on: the increased coverage of media, all the responsibilities that we had, and just everything that came with it. So I just think that this time around, we all have an understanding. We know what things are like, and I feel like we'll be able to manage everything better.”

Boston’s preparation for the Finals began long before this week; it started last summer.

There’s a certain mindset that a contender has to adopt all the way from the beginning if it hopes to reach its ultimate goal. Horford believes his team has the right framework in place, which it began building before the season started.

“We've established consistency and hard work, and we've tried to embody what being a Celtic is about,” said the 17-year vet. “From the beginning of camp and from before camp, even in September when we were doing voluntary workouts here, we were just consistent. Everybody's coming in here, everybody's working, we're all getting together. What do we want our legacy to be? I think it has to be the consistent, hardworking team. We're playing for each other, we have really enjoyed being in this space, and I feel like that's&nbsp;what we're about.”

Consistency and hard work are the keys to getting over the hump and winning the Finals. One player in the locker room can attest to that: Jrue Holiday, who is only three years removed from capturing a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“It takes everything,” said the veteran point guard. “I think it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. Mentally, physically, you're exhausted. Teams know each other so well, at this point, it's kind of about making plays. It's about executing.”

And it’s about not giving up no matter how tired you become.

“The biggest thing is just how exhausted you were, or how exhausted I was because I left everything on the floor,” Holiday said. “We were down 0-2. I think even having the feeling of encouragement like, 'It's not over.' But I think it's because my team had the mentality of it's not over until we say it's over. I think being able to go out there and fight and leave everything out on the court, you have the best chance of getting that win.”

Holiday’s experience alone is invaluable for this group, because he can provide the right leadership to get them through any hard times that may lie ahead. Combining his knowledge with that of players who went through the 2022 Finals should give Boston the confidence to navigate through this final round.

“We have a bunch of different guys, different players and coaches that have been in different atmospheres,” said coach Joe Mazzulla. “So just relying on each guy’s experience and each guy’s expertise and what each guy has been through, and try to use it for us to execute together.”

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Boston Leaning on Past Experience to Navigate the 2024 NBA Finals

BOSTON – After making quick work of the Indiana Pacers in a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics are in the midst of an unprecedented nine-day game-less stretch leading up to the NBA Finals.

Having ample rest can lead to two different results: a team could either be disadvantaged by growing rusty during such a stretch, or they could use the time to their advantage to keep their minds and bodies sharp so that they are raring to go by the June 6 start date.

Coach Joe Mazzulla is doing his best to make sure his team uses its time properly so that it can fall into the latter category.

“Anything can be good or bad for you, depending on how you use it,” Mazzulla told reporters Thursday morning. “Time could be good, it could be bad – everything goes into how you use it, how you weaponize it. So we’re weaponizing our time right now.”

Part of the weaponizing process is for the team to assess all recent experiences and to figure out what, if any, adjustments need to be made. This is why it’s been so important for the Celtics to win in so many different ways throughout their playoff run; they’ve won blowouts, they’ve won close games, they’ve won comebacks, they’ve won in the comfort of their home, and they’ve won in hostile environments (in fact, they haven’t lost on the road yet.)

“The ability to win different ways is very important,” said Mazzulla. “Executing, playing from behind, protecting leads – any time you can find different ways to win, I think it’s important. And in the late games, I just saw our attention to detail defensively, I saw a level of poise, and I saw a heightened awareness to execution, which is the most important thing. And at the end of the day, you’ve gotta make plays, so our guys made the necessary plays to win on both ends of the floor.”

All of those experiences come into play as they prepare for the final stage. But only if they utilize them properly.

“[Those experiences] are only valuable if you use them to your advantage in the next opportunity that you have,” Mazzulla said. “Nothing is really valuable if you let it go to waste. So between now and June 6, we have to take every experience that we've been through, and we're going to make sure we take advantage of it and that we utilize it to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

Friday will mark the team’s first official organized practice leading into the Finals. It’s possible that by then they’ll know who they’ll be playing in the next round if Dallas can finish off Minnesota on Thursday night. If not, the focal point doesn’t change much, because the most important emphasis for the C’s is focusing on themselves.

“Practice is all about the details and the margins, so making sure we get better as a team, making sure we get better offensively and defensively, making sure we understand our situational philosophies and situational execution, things that go into winning,” Mazzulla said. “The same things we’ve been doing all year. Those would be the points of emphasis. And so I think, regardless of who wins (the Dallas-Minnesota series), we’ve gotta get better.”