Throughout the playoffs, the Celtics have absorbed blows. They overcame injuries. They lost games. They walked to the brink and stared over the edge into the offseason, and each time, they managed to step back away and continue.
In Monday’s Game 5, the Warriors hit the Celtics with a haymaker. For the first time in the playoffs, an opponent landed back-to-back hits against the Celtics — they were 7-0 after a loss prior. Steph Curry didn’t shoot well. The Celtics roared back from a 16-point deficit and took the lead in the third quarter. And still, the Warriors won by double digits, once again sending both teams’ starters to the bench in the closing minutes.