Celtics insist on playing with their backs against the wall, and it hasn’t haunted them yet

Jayson Tatum put his hands on his face and rubbed his forehead as he took the last question of his postgame press conference. It was the end of a long night after another big win, but the Celtics star also looked like he was trying to come up with the answer to something that so many are wondering.

Why do the Celtics only respond when they need to? Why do they thrive when their backs are against the wall?

“I wish I didn’t know the answer,” Tatum said.

Whatever it is, it’s ingrained in this Celtics team’s DNA. They seem to be obsessed with doing it the hard way, whether it was going down 3-2 to Milwaukee last postseason, then losing at home to Miami in Game 6 that forced them to win Game 7 on the road. The script repeated itself when they fell behind 3-2 to Philadelphia earlier this month.

But now the Celtics are testing it like they’re driving high speed around a cliff. After falling behind 3-0 in these Eastern Conference Finals to the Heat, it looked like the Celtics had gone too far with this. No team, of course, has ever recovered from that deficit. Maybe it will still come back to bite them. But two consecutive wins has reshaped this series and instilled belief again.

It’s just what this team does, even if they can’t point a finger on why.

“For some odd reason, even last year, we always seemed to make it a little bit tougher on ourselves,” Tatum said. “But what I do know is that you can see the true character of a person, of a team when things aren’t going well, and our ability to come together, figure things out when it’s not necessarily looking good for us. It’s unlike any team I’ve been on this year and last year, just the core group of guys being able to respond.

“I think that’s just a testament to our togetherness, obviously how bad we want it, and we’ve got a room full of determined, tough guys that push comes to shove, you look to the left and the right of you, believe that the guy next to you is going to do whatever it takes and go down fighting if it don’t work out.”

After Thursday’s Game 5 win, the Celtics are 7-1 in their last eight games facing elimination, with four of those wins coming on the road. They can add to that tally in Saturday night’s Game 6, which would force an improbable Game 7 on Monday in Boston.

How did the Celtics end up in this scenario? Marcus Smart insisted the Heat snuck up on them in this series. That thinking seems a little crazy considering the Celtics knew they had to respond and show fight after dropping the first two games in Boston before they were embarrassed and laughed off the court in Game 3 in Miami.

But perhaps they relaxed too much at that point and took it for granted. That’s when the Heat – the one team the Celtics can’t afford to let their guard down against – pounced.

“That’s the thing about sneaking up on somebody – they’re not supposed to know you’re coming,” Smart said. “So that’s what happened. We didn’t know, we didn’t see it, and they got us. So it wasn’t like we were trying to have that mindset. It’s part of the game, it’s part of life, it’s part of the roller coaster of playing in the NBA at the highest level. You’re going to have ups, you’re going to have downs, but figuring out when you get down how to get back up, and that’s what we’ve done.”

Maybe their past experiences are teaching them that they can relax, let games slip and still find a way. Maybe one day they’ll learn their lesson and show urgency sooner so they don’t put themselves in consistently challenging situations.

But this Celtics core – Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Smart and Al Horford – has been through a lot together in the postseason. They certainly didn’t hope to be down 0-3 in this series, but they’re confident they can overcome any obstacle.

“Experience is the best teacher,” Brown said. “We’re a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot. Obviously, it’s the first time being in this situation, but there’s a first for everything. So, we don’t look at it like we’re out. We just take it one game at a time, we just breathe, come out, play basketball, just take our time and do what we’re supposed to do. I think we’ll be fine. …

“It’s a blessing to be able to play this game each and every night. It’s a blessing to be in the playoffs, its highs, its lows, its intense moments. There’s moments where you’re pissed off. There’s moments where you’re extremely excited. It’s amazing. These next two games should be fun.”

Injury report

Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon is listed as questionable for Game 6 due to a right forearm strain.

Brogdon reportedly suffered a partial tear to the tendon leading from his elbow to his forearm in Game 1 against the Heat. He was playing through the injury but his playing time and performance dipped throughout the series before he exited in the second half of Game 5 and did not return.

“He’s getting his treatment,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Friday. “He’s been early throughout, and whatever his pain tolerance is, he’s doing the best he can. It’s just a day-to-day thing.”

If Brogdon can’t play, Payton Pritchard could be in line to fill in. … Heat guard Gabe Vincent, who missed Game 5 with an ankle sprain, is also questionable for Game 6.