How TD Garden got its groove back in Game 5 win

Wednesday’s Game 5 closeout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers may have included the best postseason performance that the Boston Celtics have gotten from the Garden faithful.

Heading into the game, the Cs were just 3-2 on their home floor this spring. The trend of unsteadiness dates back three seasons, a span where they had won just half of their matchups under the 17 NBA championship banners.

There had been plenty of talk regarding the lack of energy in the building at times this postseason. Whether it has to do with the lack of excitement about early-round opponents, dissatisfaction with some of Boston’s performances on the parquet, or the rise in ticket pricing that comes with a 64-win team, it felt like there was plenty to be desired from these crowds.

Al Horford, who absolutely balled out against Cleveland, discussed the recent struggles and the importance of closing out the Cavs in front of Boston’s home crowd at the morning shootaround.

“If it was up to me, we don’t lose a game at home,” he said (H/T Noa Dalzell). “That’s the way it is. But tonight, we do have an opportunity to come out and set the tone and be consistent and try to finish this series here.”

Horford’s unreal 22-point, 15-rebound effort was the driving force behind the extra juice the spectators had in Game 5. He forced his will during the second quarter, as Cleveland was building a bit of a lead. It was a stretch where he felt his team needed to step it up, so he took charge.

“When we came back in the second, I knew that we needed to step it up,” Horford said postgame (via Jack Simone). “We were talking about it in the huddle, but weren’t really getting it done.”

The 38-year-old proceeded to sink a pair of threes, reject as many shots on the opposite end, and had a loud save to help the Cs retain possession of a loose ball.

Star forward Jayson Tatum credited the veteran big man’s hustle for getting the crowd engaged at a crucial stage of the game.

“He just gave us that extra possession,” Tatum told reporters (H/T Jack Simone). “Pumped the crowd up, pumped our team up. You know, those plays are so meaningful.”

Horford went on to credit the fans for fueling him and his teammates throughout the night.

“I just felt very connected with them tonight,” Horford explained (H/T Noa Dalzell). “There was just a few times that I wanted to be embraced with them in those moments. That fuels me and that fuels our team. It was pretty special here tonight.”

This really was the first time that it really felt as if the Garden was rocking. There have been moments, stretches even, where it’s gotten loud in there, but there hasn’t been anything quite like tonight.

Look at the raw emotion that comes out of Horford, as well as the fanbase, after he sank the dagger.

This is it.

This is why I love basketball. The moment shared by everyone involved here is the type of thing I’ll pull up on my phone to watch in mid-August when I’m missing the Cs. Boston’s strange lack of dominance at TD Garden feels like it’s prevented us from getting great rewatchable moments from recent playoff runs.

Hopefully, those days are behind us all and the fans continue to fuel this team’s success through the upcoming round(s).

Plus, who wouldn’t get a little extra motivation from this guy in the Derrick White t-shirt?