Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum says his team are treating their Game 5 trip to Miami Heat as the start of a new series.
The two teams are level at 2-2 after their first four games and Boston can be backed at 4/5 to seize the advantage with a win in the Money Line in Game 5 on Wednesday, while the hosts are priced at 21/20.
See-saw series playing out
Miami won the series opener 118-107 but the Celtics hit back with a 25-point blowout win in the second meeting.
The Heat then won the first game of the series in Boston, and again the Celtics were able to level matters in style with a 102-82 victory in Game 4.
The Heat have the advantage of playing at home in two of the final three games, if all three are required, and Tatum feels Boston have to treat the fifth clash as a must-win affair if they are to come out on top.
Tatum, who scored 31 points in Game 4 and is averaging 27.2 per-game in the playoffs, feels Boston have been guilty of relaxing after winning games during the postseason and he feels they need to keep up their intensity if they are to open up a series lead for the first time in the Eastern Conference Finals.
"I think obviously it's 2-2, so it's kind of like a new series, best-of-three," he said, via Sportsnaut.
"I think just having a conversation that I think human nature plays a part in, when you win a game you can relax a little bit. But obviously when we lose a game, we feel like the next game is do or die.
"I think we have to have that mindset going into Game 5, that it is a must-win game, because [Game 4] was essentially something like that."
Related NBA News
NBA - US Sports: No excuses from Butler
NBA - US Sports: Green wary of wounded Mavs
NBA - US Sports: Heat star Butler ready to play in Game 4
NBA - US Sports: Kidd bemoans Mavericks' shot selection
Mavs keep slim hopes alive
In the Western Conference Finals, Dallas Mavericks managed to claim a first win of the series against Golden State on Tuesday as with a 119-109 victory.
Golden State lead the series 3-1 and can secure a place in the NBA Finals if they win at home when the two teams meet for Game 5 on Thursday.
Discover more from the world's favourite online betting brand
Win more with our US sports parlay bonus
