For two out of the past three years, the Boston Celtics have gotten to the NBA Finals. It was never an easy road because they had to give up key guys like Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon on the way. Ime Udoka also got booted from the organization which made things harder.

However, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown persisted in returning to this role. They were only victorious once each against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers before the Indiana Pacers were swept.

While there are plenty of reasons to celebrate, opening champagne bottles this early? Not according to the two stars, Joe Mazzulla, and the rest of the faithful.

The Eastern Conference winners deserved to celebrate after destroying the Pacers on their home court. When they headed to the locker room, the energy shifted. There were two words that Jayson Tatum said to Jaylen Brown which made the two instantly very hungry to step on the parquet floors for the NBA Finals, via Jay King of The Athletic.

“Four more,” the Celtics All-NBA player said to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

All Jaylen Brown could do was nod in agreement to Jayson Tatum. What makes this Celtics squad so different from the iterations that fans have seen in the past? Experience. Brown outlined that this team is ready to hoist up the franchise’s 18th banner and Larry O’Brien trophy in the next two weeks.

“We feel like we’re a different team than we were last year and the year before that. I know everybody wants to continue to kind of pigeonhole us to what was happening in the past but we’ve had a different team every single year, different coaches, we’ve had like three coaches in the last five years.

“And still, people want to make it seem like it’s the same, it’s the same, it’s the same,” the Larry Bird trophy winner proclaimed.

The fast-paced evolution these two have experienced under Brad Stevens’ care is impeccable. Now, they should make do with their potential and finally bring it home, for guys like Bill Walton and Bill Russell.