Celtics watched 2004 Red Sox documentary to inspire their own comeback: ‘It was beautiful’

When the Celtics went down in an 0-3 series hole last week in the Eastern Conference Finals, they were in need of some inspiration.

They turned to the Red Sox.

The C’s looked hopeless. They were in a spot no team in NBA history had overcome in 150 tries. It was the same position the Red Sox found themselves in 2004, when they roared back from an 0-3 deficit to beat the rival Yankees in the ALCS, the first time it had been done in MLB history.

So, after their Game 3 loss in Miami, and sometime before Game 4, the Celtics got together and watched ESPN’s “Four Days in October” documentary, which chronicled the Red Sox’ historic comeback.

“It was beautiful,” Marcus Smart said Monday morning at Celtics shootaround. “It was definitely special to watch, special to witness and to be able to have an opportunity to go out there and have our own 2004 ride.”

The Celtics, of course, reeled off three consecutive victories to give themselves a chance at the same history on Monday night at TD Garden. There were plenty of reasons for the shocking turnaround. They got back to their defensive identity. They started making 3-pointers. A team gathering, reportedly at Top Golf in Miami, got them refocused.

Watching the Red Sox documentary certainly energized them, too.

“It’s honestly something that I wasn’t in tune with,” said Grant Williams, who was 5 years old when the Red Sox made their comeback in 2004. “I didn’t know about it prior to watching it and next thing you know, it just puts a certain level of fire into your heart. It’s possible. It’s not only something that’s possible, but it’s something that we know that we can accomplish as a group.

“We know that we’re going to not only compete with one another, but we’re also going to push one another to our goal and our success. It definitely left a lasting impact on me not just for this series but throughout the rest of my career.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/fNgEQTA