With their incredible grit and determination, the Celtics have statistically been the best team all year. Finishing as the only team with over sixty wins in the regular season, their playoff run has been even more impressive too. Making light work of their opponents, Jayson Tatum and Co. have won every series so far in five games or less, with their last one being a sweep against Indiana. But this dominant run has also brought a massive challenge for Boston as they prepare to battle the Mavs in the NBA Finals.

Because of their one-sided playoff run, the Celtics have had to deal with a lot of breaks between each series. Even for the upcoming finals, they are in the middle of a 9-day break while the Mavs are only getting six days. This gap can prove crucial as there is a risk of players and the team losing focus on their goal. However, head coach Joe Mazzulla seems to have found the perfect recipe to keep the hunger alive. In a recent presser, he spilled his secret, “You create havoc in practice, you just stress the details, and you overwork them in the film room, and you just do everything you can to make sure the guys stay in the fight.”

Functioning with a firm belief that time can be used as an ally or a foe depending on how you spend it, the Celtics have been spending their long break “weaponizing” their time. While the team is participating in frequent practice sessions, it is also a huge task to keep them involved and locked in mentally by breaking the monotonous routine. And Mazzulla is doing that by grinding his players out and putting them in unique and chaotic situations during practice.

Joe Mazzulla has faith in Jayson Tatum and Co.

As much as Joe Mazzulla hates breaks during the season, it does serve the purpose of helping them get some rest and recover from any injuries they might have been playing through so far. And while Mazzulla is doing all he can, he also has faith in their professionalism and zeal to win, “I trust those guys. They’ve done a lot. So, I don’t really have to do much because of who they are.”

Having been to this stage just two years ago, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are ready for the moment. Moreover, the superstar duo has been competing in such high-pressure games ever since they started their careers, considering their six Conference Finals appearances in the last eight years. And they are hungry to finally get over the hump and win their first title together. So, keeping themselves motivated might not be that difficult for them.

Although Tatum would have loved it if the Finals started sooner, he claims his team is staying locked in regardless. “A lot of guys have been here before, so we understand the magnitude of the moment. Staying sharp, staying fresh, staying ready.” With the first Finals game only five days away, the Celtics’ long wait will soon be over.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.