Could Saturdays Game be The Game That Starts the Real Season?

I think Saturdays game has awoken a sleeping giant! KG knew what he was doing when he threw his elbow. It was his way of creating a spark and lighting a fire in the bellies of the other Celtic players who have gone in and out of conscienceness throughout the season. If we go to the finals, mark this game as the spark that lit the explosion!

112288

112288 wrote:I think Saturdays game has awoken a sleeping giant! KG knew what he was doing when he threw his elbow. It was his way of creating a spark and lighting a fire in the bellies of the other Celtic players who have gone in and out of conscienceness throughout the season. If we go to the finals, mark this game as the spark that lit the explosion!

112288

And if we lose this game and homecourt advantage because of KG's incredibly dumb move, AND eventually lose this series because of that, mark that thrown elbow as the needless, mindless non-basketball move that ousted us in the first round when we all had hopes of going deep in the playoffs this year. We all saw how hard a time even that great Celtic team WITH KG in '08 had in winning on the road in Atlanta and he might have just put us in that position in this series unless the rest of the guys can raise their game tomorrow and overcome his absence. I, for one, am pretty pissed at him for his poor judgment. No one swung at him, he shouldn't be throwing elbows at someone's head in a post-season game. This game is a huge early playoff moment for this team. Let's see what they're made of. It won't be easy. And to be honest, I'm not real optimistic of us winning it. Miami will be smelling blood. I hope I'm wrong. I'm sure everyone remembers how hard it was getting past the Bulls in the opening round last year with no KG. Granted, this is only for one game, as opposed to an entire series, but it definitely weakens us for this one.

BTW, the betting line has the C's favored by one point. When you're favored by four points at home, Vegas considers the teams evenly matched. Boston was a 4 1/2 point favorite in game one.

KG acted in the moment and protected his teammate. I dont give a good goddam what vegas says. I also dont care if we lose. Right move. Bird would have plastered the guy.

Jeb: I'm not convinced we have to bring Larry into this. However, collectively the team grew a huge set of onions over not just the incident with Richardson, Pierce & Garnett, but the lock down remind-you-of-'07-'08 return to defensive emphasis. It did my heart good to see stiffling championship quality defense from the team in white & green. It will take that type of effort Tues. night to keep Wade under some semblance of control!-MD.

This KG stuff has gotten so old that even I feel like a kid, comparatively speaking.

Ball players are human beings. They often operate on instinct, for better or worse. The "better" part of KG's instincts helped bring a championship to Boston. In this melee, there was no time to stroke his goatee and slowly deliberate about all of the possible repercussions to protect his teammate. He operated on split-second instinct at a time when he didn't know whether or not his teammate might be out for the rest of the playoffs and his instinct said (in the heat of the moment), "Protect." Who, on this team, is the most logical candidate to protect the Captain when he goes down? KG.

Anyone who complained about Celtics lethargy and now complains about the intensity that KG displayed during a game in which the Celtics possibly played their most spirited defensive moments of the season needs a serious reality check. Human beings have personality traits. Any of those traits could potentially be a catalyst for something good or something bad at any given moment. Anyone who has trouble with this notion should either go directly to a shrink or look up the word "dilettante." You take the bad with the good.

These are the playoffs! This is when the scratching and clawing peaks. It appears to me that the Celtics may be doing a heat check of their killer mentality and feistiness. Anyone who can't stand the heat should.....well you know. Personally, I prefer to stand as tall as my short self will allow, and I'll permit nothing to distract me as I root root root for the Celtics just as I did in times of adversity over 17 other memorable playoff runs.

I'll root for Glen. I'll root for Shelden. I'll root for Sheed. I'll root for Scal. I'll root for the water boy. I'll root for the ticket takers. I'll root for anyone and anything that might help this team win this championship. Period!!!!!!!!!!

Sam

Sam

I agree. This KG stuff has gone on long enough. I feel it's a load of crap but it is what it is and nothing will change it now. As for the future, Richardson's stupid act and comments may just have woke the sleeping giant we know we can be. If the team is half as MAD about this as I am and can control the rage, they can not only win tonight but they can sweep the heat too. We just need to focus on playing hard and taking no bunk. One possession at a time!

Next time Richardson comes into the lane I'd show his yellow ars what real contact is (and of course be sure you are playing the ball). And let him shoot a couple of fouls.

Geesh and this is only the first game of the first round?

Marcus wore his KG jersey to school today. Unfortunately I can't.

beat

(side note) Marcus told me last evening that the best pitcher on the team is having Tommy John surgery tomorrow. Hurt his elbow last summer and it hasn't gotten any better. May open the door for a few innings at first for him along with pitching perhaps a bit more. 3 games in 6 days comming up, Thur. Fri and Tues (all against very good teams.

Beat,

Wow, I pity the other kid. Good luck to Marcus with his extra innings.

And, yes, it would be nice if someone like Shelden would channel Dave Cowens and say to Richardson, "Now THAT'S a foul."

We're off to Boston soon for an overnight before our early morning trip to SFO. However, we're not starting the two-hour from home until tonight's game is over. Who cares about sleep?

Sam

Sam

The other kid is a bit of an enigma. Very good athlete but not a good student. He's a junior so he has a year left. He may have found out that his grades are such that he couldn't play anyway and thus the decsion to have it now. And again according to Marcus he expects to be able to play football this fall. I know its the elbow and he can pad it up a lot but man seems a bit unrealistic to come back that soon and play any contact sport at all.

beat

112288 wrote:I think Saturdays game has awoken a sleeping giant! KG knew what he was doing when he threw his elbow. It was his way of creating a spark and lighting a fire in the bellies of the other Celtic players who have gone in and out of conscienceness throughout the season. If we go to the finals, mark this game as the spark that lit the explosion!

112288

Rich you the MAN!!!!

Cow,
I still was wringing my hands with a 33 point lead. Hope we can pull it off Friday.

Go Celtics!!!!


112288

Great win for the Celtics. I missed the first half, but in the second half Miami looked scared and had no chance of matching the Celtics intensity.
Miami should be embarrassed about how bad Boston dominated them.

tj,

I'm not sure whether the Heat looked scared or stunned. I imagine that, in preparing for both games, Miami had gone over a lot of film involving the Celtics during the past month. If there's a silver lining to the mediocre play of the Celtics during that period, it's the false sense of well-being the Heat probably developed and their sense of shock at the way the Celtics played (at least on defense).

Although it's far too early to become highly optimistic, the saving grace for the Celtics could well have been the luxury of the five off days they've had since the regular season ended—both for practice time and a chance for guys like Rondo and Tony to shed the flu. One very legitimate question is whether the Celtics are now back on the right track in general or are just very well-prepared for the Heat. I lean toward the former, but extended familiarity with the opponent is one major way in which the playoffs are a different season.

I love this time of year. So much intrigue. The volatility with which things can change. The absence of second chances. The adjustments and counter-adjustments. The increasing lack of surprises as a series gets extended, placing a premium on execution. It's all cool!

Sam