Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were well aware of the stakes involved on Tuesday night down in Miami.
Beyond a crushing season-ending defeat, the Heat had the opportunity to usher Boston into a painful (and potentially transformative) offseason.
At various points during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics could have withered against the expected surges schemed up by Erik Spoelstra, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat.
It could have been the final game for at least a few regulars on this Celtics roster.
But rather than accept an embarrassing four-game sweep against an eighth-seeded opponent, Boston kept its season alive by way of a 116-99 win down at Kaseya Center.