Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics channel their 'will to want to win' as they again face elimination

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Three times in this year's NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have been one loss away from being eliminated. The Celtics have been able to extend their season three times in the playoffs.

So, as Boston prepares to host the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, when asked why they are confident they can win two more elimination games, the Celtics have a simple answer.

Why wouldn't you?

"I think just how we respond, that's what makes us so resilient in these situations," he said. It's been difficult. It has been very difficult. We've had some defeats. It was very difficult to lose Game 5. We knew we had to win two. The loss against the Heat was very hard.

We just answered in those moments. I don't know what it is, but I think our will to win is what it is.

The Celtics lost Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Milwaukee and Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami in Boston.

The Celtics are more than confident that they can extend this series to a seventh game Sunday because they know they can play the way they know they can.

The young core of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Tatum have played in at least three conference finals together this season, which is a first for the team. It was the first season for coach Ime Udoka and his staff, and they needed to grind their way through the playoffs, taking out Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy butler along the way.

Everything has been a learning experience. We wear everything that we learned this year as a Badge of Honor. We don't worry about it. We come back. We have responded well all year. The challenge is something we are looking forward to. We need to accept it. There's no other way to deal with it. It was the last game at home for us. We want to give it all we have. We are not afraid of anything. The Golden State Warriors don't frighten us. We would like to play the best version of basketball that we can.

The team over there is a good one. They have done it before. We have a lot of faith in ourselves. We're leaving it all out there. The whole intent is that.

The Celtics have something else in mind. Talk less to the officials. In Game 5, Boston had many animated conversations with the referees, including Udoka picking up a technical in the first quarter and getting into it with Tony Brothers in the fourth, and Marcus Smart picking up a technical in the fourth.

Both Udoka and several players insisted that those moments are behind them, and the plan going into Game 6 is to focus on the court.

Udoka said that there was too many conversations being had. It feels like someone is talking to a ref after a foul call. It was something we emphasized early in the season, but it had gotten away from us.

We have to spend our energy on the game and not on other things. It's an area we can be better at.

Boston can be better at some things, but the other issue is the turnover problem. The Celtics are 14-2 when they don't commit 15 turnovers.

Is it possible that they commit 16 or more? Their 0-7 record includes losses in Games 2, 4 and 5 of the Warriors series. Tatum has committed more turnovers in the playoffs than any other player

It is the Celtics' offense and not their defense that will determine whether or not they win an NBA title.

Udoka said that the team is defending well enough to win. There are some stagnant lulls that have hurt us. We'll have a quarter or two of really good basketball, then we'll have a quarter or two of really bad basketball. That was the last quarter of the game.

We had a bit of slippage at the end of the third quarter that allowed them to get back in the game. I think we have guarded enough to win, so we want to focus on the offense. We would be in good shape if we finished the game off well.

Our optimism is that.