Celtics' young core heads back to East finals, once again

Marcus Smart is 26. Jaylen Brown is 23. Jayson Tatum is 22. Boston Celtics aren’t old, by any measure. That doesn’t mean y are lacking for experience — or don’t alrey kw what it’s like to play in Eastern Conference finals.

Smart and Brown are going re for third time in four years, Tatum for second time in his three seasons, and y’re bringing Kemba Walker along for his first view of what conference-final st looks like. Celtics held off reigning champion Toronto 92-87 in Game 7 of ir East semifinal series Friday night, earning a trip to East title series against Miami Heat.

“We have three 30-year-olds,” Celtics coach Br Stevens said. “We’re basically a college team with a couple of guys.

“You kw, it’s funny. I talk all time about, you’re only scrutinized if you’re in arena. And Jaylen and Jayson, this is all y’ve done. All y’ve done is play in, w it’ll be three Eastern Conference finals for Jaylen and two for Jayson. And y’ve been in this st and y’ve been huge parts of it. y are young in every metric except playoff experience. y have a lot of it.”

y’re about to get more.

Game 1 is Tuesday, Game 2 is Thursday and Game 3 next Saturday. rest of series could follow every-or-day format; that’ll be determined once Western Conference semifinal series are done and that matchup finalized.

Celtics are looking for ir first NBA Finals trip since 2010. y’ve been to East finals three times since, losing to Miami in 2012 and Cleveland in 2017 and 2018 — meaning LeBron James thwarted m all three of those times.

“We didn’t come down here just for first or second round,” Tatum said. “We didn’t really pay attention to outside ise, wher we were favored or t. We kw what we’re capable of and we’re just going to go out re and do it.”

Celtics could be getting ar big part of who y are back at some point in East finals. Gordon Hayward sprained his right ankle in playoff opener against Philelphia; he did some shooting before game Friday, a sign that he’s working toward a return.

Boston expected he’d be out four weeks; Tuesday is four-week mark, and Stevens thinks he’ll play at some point against Miami.

“But I don’t kw when,” Stevens said.

Hayward coming back will only make Boston better, and Celtics showed against Raptors that y have eugh to win big games against great teams.

Walker said Celtics would spend a little time celebrating Friday night, n get right back to work on Saturday. Wins are only harder to get w, and Walker me effort to hide his joy and relief after Game 7.

“Unreal,” Walker said. “It feels unreal. It’s a great feeling. It took us seven games. It’s a special group we have. We fought, we clawed. Much respect to Toronto. Those guys are tough. y kw how to play. y play hard. But we stuck with it, man, and pulled out a huge win.”

And East finals are ir reward.

For those Celtics who don’t kw what those games are like yet, Smart, Brown and Tatum can tell m all about it between w and Tuesday night.

“Or than that, we’re pretty young and pretty inexperienced in playoffs,” Stevens said. “But as I said or day, I’m t sure that really matters when you’re trying to win a game. You just focus on what you can control and try to play that game as well as you can.”

Im credits: AP