2022 - 2023 POST GAME GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Warriors Best Boston In NBA Finals Rematch
Jaylen Brown's strong showing wasn't enough


NESN by Greg Dudek

In the highly anticipated NBA Finals rematch, the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Boston Celtics with a 123-107 win at Chase Center on Saturday night.

With the loss, the Celtics fall to 21-6 while the Warriors creep over the .500 mark with a 14-13 record.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
It felt like the Finals again, and that’s not a good thing for the Celtics.

Facing the Warriors for the first time since Golden State closed things out on the parquet in June, the Celtics seemed out of sorts, especially on the offensive end.

It could have been that the Celtics were a little tight taking on the team that snatched an NBA title away from them, or just the fact the Warriors know how to play Boston by taking away shooting space and making things difficult on drives to the hoop.

Either way, the Celtics didn’t resemble the team they were over the first 26 games on Saturday night. They came in as the best 3-point shooting team in the league, but proceeded to hit just 30% (12-for-40) from deep. Jayson Tatum didn’t look like a superstar, laboring through a 6-for-21 shooting performance for 18 points. And Derrick White, who has been a key contributor either as a starter or in a reserve role, turned into a pumpkin.


STARS OF THE GAME
— Klay Thompson looked like a much different player than the one in the Finals against the Celtics. Thompson powered the Warriors by pouring in 24 of his game-high 34 points in the first half. He finished shooting 14-for-26 from the field.


— Jaylen Brown carried the Celtics for a majority of the night as he netted a team-high 31 points on 13-for-23 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and three assists.


— Steph Curry was his usual self as he teamed up with his Splash Brother and served as the Warriors’ closer. Curry knocked down six three-pointers en route to 32 points while dishing out seven assists.


WAGER WATCH
DraftKings Sportsbook set Malcolm Brogdon’s over/under for points at 14.5 and the guard had a terrific all-around effort to eclipse that mark. While Brogdon notched four assists and five rebounds to provide a spark off the bench, bettors were more concerned in this case with his point total and he scored 16 points to hit the Over. With -105 odds, a $100 bet would have netted a total of $195.24.

UP NEXT
The next stop on Boston’s West Coast road trip is Los Angeles as the Celtics take on the Clippers on Monday. Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.

112288

DAY AND NIGHT

That is the contrast between the Phoenix game and tonight. They played game 6 all over again. What a piss poor effort. There was no jump in their step, no up tempo ball and player movement.  Often they just walked the ball up court, no fast cuts to the basket or setting picks for screen shots, nothing.  In Phoenix, during the entire game the ball touch 2-4 pair of hands the whole night. Tonight seemed like they were practicing their 3 ball shooting at the Auerbach center off of I 90 in Boston.

People may point to the fact that Big Al was missing due to COVID. Well at some point in the maturity of a team, you will yourself to win.  They totally were dominated and it showed the flaws in the Celtics game especially on transition defense where GSW players were flying by our players at mid court for uncontested layups.

Sorry to say but we failed our first test and despite being a great team so far this season, we are not a championship caliber team like GSW.

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Tatum had a bad game but him helping The War Criminal up off the floor DURING A LIVE BALL WHERE GS IS FAST BREAKING THE OTHER WAY IS UNFORGIVABLE!

Ktron wrote:Tatum had a bad game but him helping The War Criminal up off the floor DURING A LIVE BALL WHERE GS IS FAST BREAKING THE OTHER WAY IS UNFORGIVABLE!

I didn’t see that, I don’t know how you can possibly do that.

This game further proves to me Scal is the biggest idiot ever in sport broadcasting and needs to be fired immediately. This team hasn’t done shoot yet, even the players say that. No one remembers the season after 25 games, it’s always the full grind to see what any team is made of. Even the Bulls just put up 144, any team can get hot against bad competition. 2 guys showed up, Brown and Brogdan, Tatum is scaring me because we’ve seen him lay too many duds like this. He beats up on weaklings and they shut him down without Wiggins. Bird and Pierce would have bad quarters, half’s then pick it up later to make it a game, you knew it was coming. Tatum got weaker as the game wore on, never came near doing even anything and as bad as his shooting was his decision making was also terrible. During most of the game was amazed we were only within 6-8 points with Klay vintage hot, and us off pretty much, figuring sooner or later we’ll get untracked and things will even out, butt wasn’t meant to be.

Aside from the comments about out horrible play, what has impressed me most about GS is their defense and rebounding (last night 53-39 advantage GS). When their defense takes away our offense completely we panic. Not a good sign for the NBA Finals.

Berlin-T

GS is the defending champ for a reason. That is one deep, talented lineup. Curry continues to defy age as one of the top players in the game.

Still, it is just one game. Lots to learn for the C’s and use as the season moves on. Long season ahead. I find it hard to panic with just 6 losses on the books.

Boston was without Horford and RWIII. Brogdon continues to show how valuable a signing he was. Smart continues, in my opinion, to be the glue that holds the team together.

Onward. And, oh yeah… GO BILLS!!

The difference between this season and last is that for this season, I never thought we were out of it until late in the 4th. A couple misses by them, a couple scores by us, a couple of calls by the refs could have evened it up for us.

One really bad call was when their guy slid in under Tatum's feet on a 3 pointer. It went to review and it came back as a normal foul. Sliding under a player's feet is an automatic flagrant 1. Tatum's ankles (yeah, both of them) were turned as a result. The ESPN guys couldn't believe the call.

There was a late step back 3 pointer made by Curry, he clearly stepped back two steps twice. That's four steps. Obvious.

In the end, they hit their shots and we didn't.

Next!

POST GAME POUT #2

No need to panic is right but what’s troubling is -

1. They came out and played without the aggression I was expecting. They previously talked about how much it hurt to lose the finals but didn’t come out and display that at all. GS came out as though they were seeking revenge instead. GS has been hearing all the accolades being bestowed on our boys here lately and came out with the “iI’ll show you who are still the champs” and played that way.
Tatum in the press conference said “ One game doesn’t dictate our season”. He’s right but unfortunately that’s exactly the way we played. That’s troublesome to me.

2. The flagrant non call that Gyso referred to was not the only glaring error on the officials part.

The charge call on White where it clearly should have been an and 1 was another. To compound that, Joe didn’t attempt to challenge that call at all. WTH were those coaches looking at?

3. I’ll repeat. Tatum helping The War Criminal Draymond up off the floor during a live ball while GS was fast breaking toward our basket was totally unforgivable. I thought Tatum had developed cockiness and an attitude of take no prisoners this year but I assume that excludes the Felon cleverly disguised as Draymond and the team GS.

Tatum continues to prove that he is not ready for prime time. In big games he usually falls flat. Obviously he is a very good player but until he starts showing up for big games he can't be considered for MVP or even as an elite player.

Tatum needs some dog in him, listen to these interviews he so soft spoken, he’ll I’m more upset than. The guy with a dog in him Draymond, we don’t have, well Smart has it and Jaylen somewhat; but disappointing to see Tatum with none of it and GWill turns into a marshmallow too against these guys.

Giannis has it in abundance, doesn’t even have a 3 point game and doesn’t need it, just beats you up in the paint with a vengence. Tatum might be too soft to ever get to that Larry level, he’s lanky, has no ability to overpower defenders like Pierce, Jaylen and Bird. At 24 Pierce was leading NBA in 4th quarter points and showing clutch, still waiting on Tatum….and don’t do it against the weaklings, Pierces career high ppg vs any team is vs Lakers, he took it right at Kobe and Shaq.

NYCelt wrote:GS is the defending champ for a reason. That is one deep, talented lineup. Curry continues to defy age as one of the top players in the game.

Still, it is just one game. Lots to learn for the C’s and use as the season moves on. Long season ahead. I find it hard to panic with just 6 losses on the books.

Boston was without Horford and RWIII. Brogdon continues to show how valuable a signing he was. Smart continues, in my opinion, to be the glue that holds the team together.

Onward. And, oh yeah… GO BILLS!!

Sorry I consider that a statement game, Kerr did too, had his team ready both ends and spanked us. A disgrace IMHO. Real superstars live to perform in those games, Tatum’s soft natured cadence and body language show me he might not be all he’s hyped up to be.

cowens/oldschool wrote:Tatum needs some dog in him, listen to these interviews he so soft spoken, he’ll I’m more upset than. The guy with a dog in him Draymond, we don’t have, well Smart has it and Jaylen somewhat; but disappointing to see Tatum with none of it and GWill turns into a marshmallow too against these guys.

Giannis has it in abundance, doesn’t even have a 3 point game and doesn’t need it, just beats you up in the paint with a vengence. Tatum might be too soft to ever get to that Larry level, he’s lanky, has no ability to overpower defenders like Pierce, Jaylen and Bird. At 24 Pierce was leading NBA in 4th quarter points and showing clutch, still waiting on Tatum….and don’t do it against the weaklings, Pierces career high ppg vs any team is vs Lakers, he took it right at Kobe and Shaq.

Correcting myself here, he doesn’t need some more, he needs ALOT MORE…..!!!!!

Play angry, don’t turn into Mr Softy, play like Kobe, Jordan, Pierce, not the lanky soft guy you are in too many big games

From the opening tip of this game, it felt strange.  You could actually feel a lack of positive energy from Boston.

Several factors contributed to this loss.

Tatum chocked in this game.  It is not so much about missing jumpers, layups and free throws.  He looked and played scared.  He was very indecisive in his decision making.  As the game went on he continued to search for something to get him going. He lost his way from the neck up!

Another factor was our pace and off ball actions.  GS played physical and prevented the Celtics from running their offense smoothly.  They did a good job mucking things up.  We fell right into their trap.    It reminded me of our last Miami game.  We did not show the mental fortitude to fight through the resistance.

We did generate a lot of open shots but I saw a lot of hesitation.  

I was flabbergasted by the lack of a flagrant call on Klay.    Every game we have seen when a guy gets into the shooter's landing zone and contact occurs, is called a flagrant foul.  Instant replay confirmed that it was a flagrant on Klay and Tatum was lucky that he did not end up with a severe ankle sprain.  That one was on the refs.

The other head scratcher was Joe's decision not to challenge the OF on White after he made a perfect drive and layup.  That play should have been an and 1 and came at an important time when the Celtics were fighting to come back.

The other disturbing observation was our inability to defend the high screens.  It looked like a GD shooting gallery for them.   If you try to go over those solid screens from Looney you can not get back to the ball handler to defend him.  If you slide under the screen and keep doing it (Marcus Smart)  the ball handler is already into his shot by the time you surface from under the screen.

As we found out during the finals last year you cannot defend a heavy dose of high screens in drop coverage against a team with high end shooters.

We have a lot of team wins this year.  This one was a team loss especially a noticeable deficiency in coaching and a poor game from our top player?

I could go on but I am going stop.

It is just one game and it only becomes a harmful loss if the Celtics do not address a few things.

By the way, Tatum was a bit too lovey dovey.  You just got exposed on national TV.  You lost.  Get your ass in the showers to wash off the stench instead of lingering after the game to make nice with Draymond Green.  Stop it!

First off, don't believe anything you see or hear or be fooled with GSW.  They are alive and well and are the champions until they are dethroned.  If they play like that from here on out, they're back in the Finals.  Plain and simple.  We know from the 80's, though, that the most anticipated team out of the West didn't always make it to the Finals.  For Boston, those were the two season we played HOU in the Finals where we captured two titles.  We were all anticipating Celtics vs. Lakers for the entire 80's with the Celtics continuing the trend from the 60's against that organization and Boston would go 10-0.  Well, that didn't occur. There were a lot of Celtics and Lakers in the 80's Finals, just not all against each other and when we did play we only won 1 of 3., so it did not turn out the way we wanted it at all.  We may want to put that game on file in our minds for now and if things get desperate in the playoffs, hope that someone out West trips this team up accidently.  

I may blame a little of this on 1st year Interim/Head Coach To e CJ.  He must have been reading our headline and the headlines coming out of GS, believed them and told the players we got this.  Couldn't be further from the truth.  It looked like a total lack of preparation on our end. CJ, please don't eff with Steve Kerr or come in unprepared like that ever again. He'll slice you up and gut you EVERY SINGLE TIME.  

Every team we play is going to give us their best game when we come to town.  (Just ask MIL last night!) When they come to our place they think that, but don't really believe that, so they try for a quarter or two and then realize it is fruitless, their team really does suck, give up/surrender and we normally win easily.

We're not as good as we think we are.  Nowhere close if you want to put this in Finals conversation.  This is a good game to have right now.  This wasn't exactly the Statement Game I was looking for, but I believe we can turn this into a huge positive.  We've got another bench marking game coming up in two weeks from today in pretty much the same vein on the road vs. MIL.  (Which BTW, just lost to HOUS so we're back safely in 1st.)  We should have things figured out by then from this debacle.  If we don't and JT continues not to show up in big games and remain in the MVP discussion, it will be 2nd verse same as the 1st for us come Finals if we make it that far.  Those dudes will be waiting for us.  Sorry Joe, lots of late nights for you buddy.    

Some good news is, if these two teams are to be the teams of the 2020's and meet "regularly" in the Finals, Celtic teams prefer to lose the regular season games, but take the Championship.  1984 case in point.  We lost both games vs. Lakers during the season. And the Lakers were the better team that year until The Clothes Line.

But that game was pushback from GSW to blatantly tell everyone in Boston to hold their horses.  It's what we should have told GSW in that game.  Plus I think it was more Kerr vs. CJ.  Champion coach and player vs. rookie coach again.  We still got your number.  Whether or not Kerr is still a whiny, cry-baby, smirky, pompous a$$ of a coach, he still has 8 combo player/coach championships and played with the best and you have to respect him.  Like it or not.  He stands in our way. And GSW are ever-ready.    

db

All the complaints I have heard about Tatum and Green and after game kumbaya at center court, I can sum up the current NBA in a simple statement.....................

It's is not your daddy's NBA!

It is just one big business and nothing else and every player is at the food trough eating.   The passion is gone, and even the most despised player or team, you will find all the players hugging at the end.

Not my NBA anymore that I witnessed as a kid in the Russell era, or for that matter since Larry Legend left the game! The joke is on all of us for getting jacked up and carring.

112288

112288 wrote:All the complaints I have heard about Tatum and Green and after game kumbaya at center court, I can sum up the current NBA in a simple statement.....................

It's is not your daddy's NBA!

It is just one big business and nothing else and every player is at the food trough eating.   The passion is gone, and even the most despised player or team, you will find all the players hugging at the end.

Not my NBA anymore that I witnessed as a kid in the Russell era, or for that matter since Larry Legend left the game!  The joke is on all of us for getting jacked up and carring.

112288

Exactly right.

But if I may add my thoughts on the issue... I would say this is a non-issue.

You see the same actions in every sport. It's a different generation. I was taught you never help an opponent up, you don't get all chummy with the enemy, especially during the game. That's not today's athlete. I think we're guilty of outdated thinking. We're the dinosaurs here.

It's not worse, it's not better, it just is. If an athlete is giving his or her all, and they still offer a complimentary act to their opponent, what does that hurt? So to the idea that Tatum, for example, is somehow less in any way if he provides a kind gesture to the opponent (Ktron's example of D Green excepted)? Ridiculous.

Did 1950 call and say it wanted those attitudes back?

NYCelt wrote:

112288 wrote:All the complaints I have heard about Tatum and Green and after game kumbaya at center court, I can sum up the current NBA in a simple statement.....................

It's is not your daddy's NBA!

It is just one big business and nothing else and every player is at the food trough eating.   The passion is gone, and even the most despised player or team, you will find all the players hugging at the end.

Not my NBA anymore that I witnessed as a kid in the Russell era, or for that matter since Larry Legend left the game!  The joke is on all of us for getting jacked up and carring.

112288

Exactly right.

But if I may add my thoughts on the issue... I would say this is a non-issue.

You see the same actions in every sport. It's a different generation. I was taught you never help an opponent up, you don't get all chummy with the enemy, especially during the game. That's not today's athlete. I think we're guilty of outdated thinking. We're the dinosaurs here.

It's not worse, it's not better, it just is. If an athlete is giving his or her all, and they still offer a complimentary act to their opponent, what does that hurt? So to the idea that Tatum, for example, is somehow less in any way if he provides a kind gesture to the opponent (Ktron's example of D Green excepted)? Ridiculous.

Did 1950 call and say it wanted those attitudes back?

Getting chummy with an opponent during a game is one thing that in my eyes is a no-no.
However, I really don’t have a problem with the handshakes before or after a game. Its just good sportsmanship. If your a true competitor you know when to separate the two.

One other note: I do have a problem with what Zion did at the end of the Suns/Pels game on Friday. Windmill dunking with 2 seconds left and leading by 11 is juvenile. That was not good sportsmanship.
I am surprised to hear many coaches and players saying they didn't have a problem with it.
One analyst said, “well don't lose and instead beat them and it wont happen”.

That game was over so I don’t see how that applies