It has been a season of two halves for the Boston Celtics, with the players and coaches alike riding what has been a rollercoaster of a campaign. Head Coach Ime Udoka definitely did not have the best of starts at the helm, but he has since then transformed the Celtics into one of the best teams in the NBA.
They just blew out the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to tie up the series at 2 games apiece and will head to Game 5 full of confidence, as they look to snatch back home-court advantage. The togetherness of the group has helped them bounce back from adversity, and Jayson Tatum spoke about Udoka playing a big role in helping form that bond:
"The ups and downs that we've had, that all brought us closer"
Jayson Tatum on his relationship with Ime Udoka pic.twitter.com/KLhf4tWGIh
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 24, 2022
“The ups and downs that we have had, that all brought us a lot closer. Everybody stuck with each other throughout the season even in those tough times early on. Even when we lose games, he does a really good job of just, obviously telling us what we did wrong and what we need to do better but making sure that everybody believes in ourselves in the group.”
Forming that positive relationship with the players definitely has helped Udoka this season as he has led the Celtics farther than anyone would have predicted when he took over. They look primed to win this series at this point and make it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.
It would go down as one of the great coaching jobs of all time if Udoka leads the team to the championship in his first season in charge and you wouldn’t bet against him at this point. Standing in his way should they get past the Heat, would in all likelihood, be the Golden State Warriors and that would be an incredible Finals matchup to witness.
