Celtics players send warning ahead of Game 4 against Heat

May 19, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) brings the ball up court during the first half of game two of the 2022 eastern conference finals against the Miami Heat at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics players all seem to be sharing the same message ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Celtics trail the Miami Heat 3-0 entering Game 4 on Tuesday night. Though they are facing elimination, the Celtics are acting as if they have the Heat on the ropes.

Marcus Smart’s message from shootaround Tuesday was “Don’t let us get one.”

Jaylen Brown said something very similar.

“Don’t let us win tonight,” Brown said.

The thinking from Boston must be that if they win one, they’ll have some momentum, and they’ll be tough to stop thereafter. They need to hold onto something entering Game 4 considering no NBA team has ever won a playoff series after being down 3-0.

But the memes for the Celtics players are going to be brutal if they lose in Game 4. The Heat’s response could very easily be, “OK, we won’t!”