Jayson Tatum says the Celtics refuse to let their embarrassing losses in the series ‘define the season’ as Boston fights to stay alive again versus the Miami Heat

Members of the Boston Celtics were talking about a return trip to South Florida mere moments after the team averted a sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

While talk is cheap, the conversation will become real if the Celtics fend off elimination for the second consecutive contest when they host the Heat in Game 5 in Boston on Thursday, May 25 (Friday, May 26, Manila time).

“We want to come back to Miami,” Jaylen Brown said after the second-seeded Celtics avoided the brooms with a 116-99 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. They still trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series to the eighth-seeded Heat.

Jayson Tatum scored 25 of his 33 points in the second half Tuesday, with 14 coming during a third quarter in which Boston outscored Miami by a 38-23 margin. All told, Tatum made 11-of-15 shots from the floor after intermission.