POST GAME MIAMI - AWAY - BOS 112, MIA 102 Final

Something no one I have seen is commenting on...We are winning the FTA's battles!! OMG!! Who would have known we could do that!!!

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Unfortunately, DET didn't help us any last night and lost to IND.  Of course, it all comes down to Friday night in IND.  This will be the end of the Jelly of the Month Club.  We either take it and get 4th or give it back for the last time and so, "No...we REALLY want 5th place for the playoffs.  Thank you, though.  We're good."  

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A needed win.  Despite having a much shortened bench with Brown (13.0ppg) and Morris (14.0ppg) out we held our own for most of the game and then ballooned out the lead to 10 with only 2:50 left and rode that to victory.  A nice gut win.

Jayson Tatum scored 16 points but, more importantly, 9 of them were in the 4th quarter.  He was 3-11 through 3 but went 3-6 in the 4th.   So, a VERY weak game offensively for 3 quarters but a stellar 4th quarter helped put this game away.  6-17 is still nothing to get excited about.

Al Horford with another great game.  He does SO much for us.  A play we saw Brad run several times, with great success so why not keep running it until they figure out how to stop it, was for Al to cut across the lane and get the ball.  He'd immediately turn and shoot from the paint before the defender could close on him.  If you can execute that well against shot blockers like Bam and Whiteside you should call that play against everybody.  I want 4th place and a home court series, badly, but I want Al's knee to be good for the playoffs even more.

Baynes was a force.  10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and just being a general lane clogger.  NOBODY thought he was going to be this valuable at the start of the season.  And you never hear him bitch about not starting, then starting, then not starting again.  Love Baynes.  He's our modern-day Paul Silas, the trencherman who does the dirty work that is needed to win.

Kyrie with his normal game.  23 points and being such a spell-weaver the defenders can't take their eyes off him.  Ho hum.

The start of the game though is Gordon Hayward, obviously.  He is finally rounding into shape, both physically and mentally.  He also got 8 rebounds, 5 assists and a block. He is now, finally, starting to look like the player Danny and Brad were drooling over.  He is scoring, or being an effective floor general who can run the team when Kyrie and/or Smart sit.  He is rebounding well, which has been one of our problems as a team.  Another problem for our team?  Fritos.  Well, he took 13 last night.  I'm not going to say he's "all the way back", he's not, but he's a lot of the way back.  This is the 6th straight game with double digit points for OG.  Jeff Green comparisons are now officially stored away in the time capsule.  I don't think Jeff Green ever had that long a streak.  His highs were pretty damn high, but then it was like falling off a table.  Give me a Gordon Hayward giving us even 15ppg in the playoffs and, if Brown and Theis chip in theirs too, we should be ok.

Rozier, on the other hand, I am not counting on.  As Hayward and Brown are rising at the right time, Rozier is falling into an abyss.  1-5 last night too.  Over the past 10 games Rozier is shooting 33.8% and 28.9% from 3.  One thing I'll give him from last night:  he got a BIG rebound with 1 minutes left.  We were up 8, but they were rallying.  If they had scored it would have been a 2 possession game and enough time to pull it off.  That defensive rebound by TRo all but sealed the win.  By the time Miami got the ball back the lead was still 8 but there were only 39 seconds left.

13 minutes for Brad Wanamaker.  Not generally noteworthy, but I just like his steady game.  You would never know he's an NBA rookie.

Bam Adubayo is, to say the least, a live body.  He's got a future.

The Heat were in danger of getting blown out right out of the gate, they went down 0-9 just like on Monday in Boston, but Kelly Olynyk hit a couple of 3s and wiped that lead out.  10 points for Kelly helped the Heat take a 2 point lead after 1.  Then he pulled a Keyser Soze and disappeared for the rest of the game.  




Goodbye Dwayne Wade.  I'd like to say I'll miss you but my tongue would burst into flames if I tried...

I've included some post-game interviews by Brad, who explains why Kyrie sat in the late 4th; Kyrie, who talks about his relationship with Brad (isn't that timely with the season winding down and contract season coming up!); and Gordon Hayward talking about, well, Gordon Hayward.  The relief in his voice is almost palpable.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401071843










bob



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We're pretty much zeroing in on our potential for a deep playoff run and/or title...Baynes and Hayward. Smart...Locked. Horford...Locked. Kyrie....Big Lock. Jaylen Brown...Locked. Tatum...almost Locked. Morris can almost come and go as he pleases. It would be nice if they would both show up at the same time, but not necessary.

But if Hayward and Baynes show up for 4 games each series like last night, you can pretty much pencil in Banner 18.

db

MrKleen,

You and I have disagreed on the right term for this team for this season but we are both right.  Patience and Confounding!!

db

P.S. I will gladly shed mine and jump fully on your bandwagon now!

True...the playoffs are coming whether we are in 4th or 5th or maybe....just maybe 3rd if PHI loses all the rest of their games! Don't look ahead but they are only 3 games back with 4 left and no sign of their bleeding stopping and are playing MIL tonight!

I just cringe at all the games we wasted this season that would have us solidly in 3rd, maybe 2nd. But if it all means a title in the end, I'll be the first to shut my mouth and ask for forgiveness!

db