The Boston Celtics are staring down the barrel of a historic collapse, but you wouldn't know it from listening to Jaylen Brown.
After dropping Game 6 at home to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, the Celtics now face a do-or-die Game 7—a situation no team wants after leading a series 3-1. Only 13 teams in NBA history have successfully erased such a deficit, and Philadelphia is looking to become the 14th.
Brown, however, isn't panicking. Speaking after the loss, the Celtics star remained confident about his team's chances.
"All things considered, we're in a great spot," Brown said, as reported by Celtics insider Bobby Krivitsky. "The last two games wasn't our best, but you move on. I'm excited for Game 7."
When pressed on why he sees this as an opportunity rather than a crisis, Brown explained: "It's the playoffs. We expected to be better in spots, and we haven't. So we can't get our head down. We've got to come out and have our best performance on our home floor."
The series has been a rollercoaster. Boston dominated Game 1 at TD Garden, only to stumble in Game 2. They seemed in control after stealing back-to-back road wins in Games 3 and 4, but then came the shocker: a Game 5 loss at home, fueled by Joel Embiid's 33 points in just his second game back from injury.
Now, with two straight double-digit losses, the Celtics have gone from overwhelming favorites to fighting for survival. The betting odds will be fascinating to watch ahead of Sunday's decisive matchup.
History is on Boston's side—the franchise has won all 32 playoff series when leading 3-1. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has never overcome that deficit in 18 attempts. If the 76ers pull it off, it would mark their first playoff series win over the Celtics since 1982.
For a team that entered the playoffs as championship contenders, Game 7 is the ultimate test of composure. As Brown said, it's time for their best performance—or a collapse for the ages.
