Boston Celtics hope NBA Finals loss taught them a lot

BOSTON -- In the wake of their season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in Game 6

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of the NBA Finals at TD Garden, the message from the Boston Celtics was that the future is bright, and that this loss was, in their eyes, just the beginning.

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It's definitely is tough," Marcus Smart said of Boston's 103-90 loss to Golden State. "But it's definitely one of those

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things we've been through hell to get here, and you take that. You know what I'm saying? We got to use that.

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"It's going to be tough. That's what I know for myself. I'm viewing it and looking at all the s

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we had to get through to get here just to even get to this situation to have an opportunity."

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The Celtics, who had won their first three elimination games in these playoffs to get to this point, were

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unable to make that happen a fourth time Thursday, as their series-long issues offensively once again reared their head.

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