Celtics Role Player Shares Surprising Take On NBA Finals Game 5

The Celtics own a comfortable lead in the NBA Finals, but they will face some pressure when they take the TD Garden floor Monday night.

Well, not if you ask Xavier Tillman.

After suffering a blowout loss in Dallas on Friday, Boston has a chance to win a championship on its home court in Game 5. Conversely, a second straight loss to the Mavericks would send the best-of-seven series back to American Airlines Center, where Luka Doncic and company would have the opportunity to force a winner-take-all tilt.

So, there’s quite a bit riding on Monday night’s matchup on Causeway Street. But on Sunday, Tillman shut down the idea of the Celtics facing extra pressure in Game 5.

“No. We play really, really well on the road,” Tillman told reporters, per a video from CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell. “There’s no extra pressure to wrap it up here. We’d like to wrap it up here in front of our fans. That would be nice. But no, there’s no extra pressure.”

Perhaps Tillman reached that conclusion with some help from Joe Mazzulla. The Celtics head coach reminded his players to enjoy the moment despite the high stakes.

And if Boston leans into that joy, it could lead to the utmost elation that comes with winning a title.