Post Game Thread - 2nd Round Playoffs, Game 5 vs Raptors

[bobheckler]

Had a power outage where I am yesterday (it was 107 degrees!). No juice, no TV, no internet. I was able to catch the game from the 11 1/2 minute mark of the 3rd, so just after halftime, 'til the end.

If Raptor fans thought they finally saw "Playoff Pascal" in Game 4 and Jaylen Brown turn into a pumpkin they are sorely disappointed today. Once again, Jaylen Brown dominated Siakam.

Wanny with a very productive 28 minutes off the bench. Our bench scored 18 points, Wanny had 15 of them. Ooh and ahh all you want over youth, give me the grizzled veterans when it comes to going deep into the playoffs anyday.

Marc D'Amico @celtics
yesterday
“It was hard to take him out,” Brad Stevens says of Brad Wanamaker. “He was playing great.”

Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
about 24 minutes ago
Celtics made Marcus Smart the primary defender on Kyle Lowry in Game 5. Lowry didn’t attempt a shot in 5:30 scoreless minutes of matchup time, per NBA tracking data. Raptors offensive rating was 85.2 in the 29 minutes Smart + Lowry shared floor.

Jay King @ByJayKing
yesterday
Brad Stevens: “I knew we had really good competitive character. You really saw that on display tonight.”


https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401240080





bob


.

[dboss]

The Celtics sent a message early in this one.  You could tell from the opening tip that they were all business tonight.  That first quarter gave us a glimpse of what a championship level defense looks like.  They ended the quarter 25-11, at the half our lead grew to 27 points (62-35)  This game was only in doubt in our minds. They learned that you can be beat at the end if you take your foot off the gas.

Game 5 is a pivotal game.  It was bigger than huge.  Last year game 5 ended our season and all of us were in a state of disbelief.   Not this year.

This one goes into the books as a 22 point blowout but the circumstances and side bars behind this win are revealing.
 
Defense sets the tone for your offense.  Once that was established the Celtics attacked them in all manner and fashion.  They ripped all those zones apart into confetti.  The attention to detail was clear.  Our guys made all the right reads and moved the ball.  And along the way we shot better from deep and scored at the rim and our midrange game was a Killer.

Jaylen Brown who has been the talk of the town led Boston with 27 points as he scored from everywhere.  He put away the stinker and gave us a gem of a game.

Our entire staring unit all played well especially Kemba Walker who looked quicker and craftier than I have seen all playoffs.  Brad Wanamaker was our best rotation guy and he drilled open shots again and again and of course played physical defense.
 
Teams need adversity to win.  To learn how to win.  That BS half second loss in game 3 hangs on the learning tree like a forbidden piece of fruit.  Don't drink the bleach, don't touch a hot iron and don't cross the street without looking both ways, twice.

After our Game 6 win, let the Raptors slip out of the bubble under the cover of darkness because The Celtics will be moving on.

[dbrown4]

Halfway home, dboss!  I'd like nothing more than to see TOR hitting the ORL airport after tomorrow with one-way tix back to Toronto!

One thing I've noticed as this team has progressed.  They don't blow leads anymore, especially not the big ones.  We don't have to look too far back to remember those gut wrenching games and times.
That's a sign of maturity.  Consistency is another story.  As well as the knockout punch.  

Consistency is ok in that with four 20+ point scorers, someone can have an off night and not bring the ship down.  Unfortunately, injuries have stunted our growth/maturity there.  This goes hand in hand with the knockout punch.  We've all been waiting for full strength and at every possible turn this season and playoffs, our hopes have been dashed.  But they realize having three is exactly what the elite teams have!  We can figure it out and with the plethora of injuries we've had a lot of time to hone that.  7-2 sans OG in the playoffs ain't to shabby is all I'm sayin'  

The implementation of the knockout punch will come from (re)watching some of the 80's and 60's teams.  We will get another chance to delivery it tomorrow.  And win or lose it will show us where this team is mentally in the quest for B18.  

Again, N-Squared is still COY until proven otherwise.  He will pull all the stops tomorrow.  But G6 falls under the rip your heart out and stomp on it mentality.  We blew it in G3, here's our 2nd chance.  A lot of NBA teams/players do not get second chances.  We can't expect or count on anymore of these.  When we are graced with another one, we need to utilize it like our lives depend on it.    

Finally, something has changed for TOR over last year at this time.  They aren't going to win 4 straight.  The beginning of the end.  The Grim Reaper.  KL is not walking through that locker room and onto the floor for TOR for G6.  As good as TOR and COY N-Squared are, the writing is on the wall.  You just can't replace KL and expect the same result(s).  The only question is will we be the ones to deliver the knockout blow or will it be someone else?  We're up.  

db

P.S.  Unrelated, I'd like to see MIL throw a wrench in the Heat engine and make it 3-2 today.  Probably wishful thinking, but as Charles Barkley put it, all hell would break loose!  I'd really like to see that!  Cocky-ass Heat!

[dboss]

dbrown

Defense is the key.  It is the singular element that must show up for us to win especially with no GH.  Guys are going to have off nights as you pointed out.  But that is offense.  Our defense needs to keep showing up every game.  

You have to have players that can get at it but what we have seen is that our defense is triggered by our energy and intensity level which comes from our mindset going into the game.  

Brad Stevens has a chance to take the Celtics to their 3rd ECF in 4 years.  You get there by winning one series at a time, one game at a time and one possession at a time.  

I have full confidence that we will take round 2.  There is no more room on the wagon for the jumpers.  You just have to believe in your heart of hearts and in you mind that we deserve to be there.  Every year we have seen the curve coming but now we know how to handle it.  That curve is adversity.  One year it show up as inexperience and in another it resemble injuries and in another the barrel has one rotten apple.

All these things are obstacles that must be overcome to complete the journey.

I like our chances!

[RosalieTCeltics]

Lowry tried every trick in the book last night, I would not mind that set of referee's again tomorrow night. They let the game go at it's own pace. Sure they called fouls, but did not fall for the fake ones except for that horrendous one under the basket where Lowry grabbed onto Theis's leg and pulled himself down. Sickening that he has to reduce himself to that level to try to get 2 pts. He really is terrific but such a flopper, and they give Marcus fines????? The ref's did not listen to all the bs going on out there last night, and finally told Nurse to get the hell off the floor while the game was going on. I will not be cocky enough to say this is over until it is. If they come out tomorrow the way they did last night, Toronto will not know what hit them. Siakam did not know what to do out there last night, totally outclassed.

Finally, the Celtics showed the NBA they are not a bunch of kids, they are pro's who play the game hard. Fingers crossed, tomorrow will be the end of the Toronto run

[cowens/oldschool]

Loved the way Smart covered Lowry, he showed why he is the premier guard defender in the L. Lowry throws his body into defenders drawing fouls, Smart can defend him without drawing those fouls, which we don’t need on Tatum. We won this one again with defense defense defense, great bounce back game from Jaylen, with an amazing dunk to add to his highlight reel. Tatum hasn’t been all world last 3 games, but it’s coming, would love to see us finish it off with 2 J’s going for 30plus next game. Team effort shutting down Siakim, Jaylen did a great job and so did Tatum....

[dbrown4]

Same here. Just wish it were like the 80's. Much more predictable then. We knew from the moment the NCAA '79 Finals game was completed that the 80's were going to be an All-Out Celtics and Lakers revival. We were not disappointed. The NBA went from near zero to 1,000 mph overnight. There wasn't a 6-8 years build up with an (NBA) unproven coach, there weren't regular mental lapses and blown leads. There were injuries but no one ever knew about them unless you were carried out on a stretcher. It was flat-out elite basketball for 10 years straight and no break.

I know, I know. Get out of the past! But that was some great basketball for sure and is why the league is where it is today. Glad we were part of the revival!

db

[dboss]

Cow

The Celtics went into this series and most of the Sixers series knowing that Gordon would not be there.

Marcus Smart has stepped into the lineup because he is a starter. His energy and intensity continues to drive the team forward.

I feel a lot better than I did after game 4. How bout you?

[bobheckler]

Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 3 hours ago
The Celtics are holding the Raptors to 92.6 points per 100 possessions when Daniel Theis is on the floor. That’s the best defensive rating across all four second-round series.


bob


.

[dboss]

The Celtics have been playing championship level defense.

They are #1 in fewest points allowed at 98.7 PPG.
Teams are only shooting 40.1% against us and only 29.2% from deep.

The Celtics are currently #1 in point differential at +9.1

https://www.espn.com/nba/stats/team/_/view/opponent

[dbrown4]

That's real nice, dboss!

db

[bobheckler]

bob


.

[cowens/oldschool]

Cow

The Celtics went into this series and most of the Sixers series knowing that Gordon would not be there.  

Marcus Smart has stepped into the lineup because he is a starter.  His energy and intensity continues to drive  the team forward.

I feel a lot better than I did after game 4.  How bout you?

That last game was good for me, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t very pissed about that zone being called with 0.5 left...??? Tatum has yet to have one of his superstar type games that Luka and a few others have had, and we still had a few blowouts so we can still take it up a notch. Adding GH and we can attack in even more waves....

[worcester]

Celts are allowing 6 points per game less than the runner up Rockets. That is an amazing stat.

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