Post Game Thread - @ Sixers, Game 3 Playoff Semis

[bobheckler]

I'll post my thoughts later, after breakfast, just wanted to get this thread started. Everybody else can keep it rolling.

Here's the boxscore for reference.

http://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=401031673



bob



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[dboss]

I missed the game on thread because I went to a concert.  

Then I get a text from KJ.  Celtics win in OT.  I watched the game when I got home..this morning the singular reaction  that remains is that was unbelievable.

Games like this serve to further reinforce the narrative that we have no good reason to trade away our youth.

There was Fultz on the bench again looking like he will never play again.  The surreal scene of Bellineli beging carried along the end line after the " I wish it was a three shot".  He was stiff as a board and looked like a mannequin being move back to storage.  His shot motion frozen in time.

This was bizarre.  Here comes the goddam confetti.  The 7 minute delay to clean up the confetti. The young Philly fan with the cap and a look on his face that he just pooped in his pants.  

The entire stadium was an ICU scene from some dumb TV Show.  Everyone in shock.  Everyone trying to figure out what just happened.

All those Philly fans in agony.  Everyone confused except for the Boston Celtics.

I am going to call this one the Confetti game.

[beat]

WWST

What would Sam think?

Balloons come to mind.

beat

[cowens/oldschool]

WWST

What would Sam think?

Balloons come to mind.

beat

I thought about that too, pathetic they were gonna celebrate after just a playoff win, with confetti? What a bunch of clowns, they deserve to be swept.

[dboss]

WWST

What would Sam think?

Balloons come to mind.

beat

The balloons game definitely comes to mind but the balloons never came down.  The idiot confetti guy had a premature ejaculation.  The fans. The coach all thought the game was over.

Dropping confetti in anything other than the winning game is in poor taste.    How the hell can you celebrate nothing?  

Only the championship game deserves confetti.

[cowens/oldschool]

What I’m seeing is 2 supposed franchise players that are not there yet, that have some flaws that are being exposed by the best defensive team in the league and those 2 stars cannot dominate their match ups enough to carry their team against us. Embid missed so many shots in close despite posturizing Baynes and Al a few times. They’ve got the flash, they both need more substance. Speaking of substance how great was Tatum driving right on Embid, once pump faking him, once just driving right at him finishing with the left hand? How great was Jaylen? Shutting down Saric and hitting 2 big clutch lay ups....even limited with his injury he was still all over the place, a great defensive presence, blocking Embid and grabbing boards....can’t wait for him to be healthy.

Brad Stevens nothing phases him and it carries on to his players who are mature veterans but really kids, no coach gets his young players so good so fast. I’m giddy seeing the growth of the 2 J’s on this stage, both of them their ceiling can be somewhere between Kawhi and Lebron and the closest duo to Jordan and Pippen. Rozier came thru on the road, we’ve got to keep all 3 and Smart, our pit bull.

Please just keep this team together for the good on mankind.

[bobheckler]

Yes, the balloon game comes to mind for obvious reasons.  Where they separate is that the balloons never fell.  This is even more historic, in a Shaqtin-a-fool type of way.  The confetti fell, and they lost the game.  Not only didn't they win it with the Bellinelli shot (which was a helluva shot) they didn't even go on to win the game.  The pie in the face, but it was manure, not banana-cream.  Epic.  For the the ages.  Seriously, this series, if/when it comes to its natural end, is the type of performance by a team that alienates and loses its fans.  Philly was favored to win every game this series, and the Sixer fans knew it, believed it and have been betrayed by it.

In Philly, no Kyrie, no Hayward, no Theis, Morris 3-14, even Marcus Smart fouls out in regulation, no problem.  Short of playing while doing 3-legged races I don't know how much more of a handicap we can give to "The Process".

Speaking of "The Process", Joel Embiid with 22 points but on 10-26 (38.4%).  Not exactly dominating, although he did have 19 boards, 6 offensive.  We like to talk about Smart's intangibles, the things that don't show up in the boxscore.  Well, we can see what Aron Baynes contributed in the boxscore when we look at one of the best bigs in the league, a transcendental player, shooting 38% despite taking almost 31% of his team's fgas.  Watch this video of Baynes' defense on Embiid.  Embiid bulldozed Baynes early in the 1st quarter and no whistle was called.  Baynes picked himself up off the floor and said "ok, if that's how the game is going to be, then that's how I have to play it" and took one Embiid shoulder after another in his sternum time-after-time-after-time to force Embiid into taking a shot a little bit outside of his comfort range.  Embiid and Baynes started to get into it a bit after Baynes picked up his 5th foul, with Embiid getting very frustrated with the way Baynes was being physical with him and then Baynes, at one point, came on the floor with a towel to mop up the floor in front of Embiid while they were lining up for a frito with 4:19 left in the game and at about the 5 minute mark in this video.  Embiid got all pissed off at Baynes for being there.  Baynes, definitely, had gotten into Embiid's head.  Time to honor the lunch pail worker who does all the dirty work against the most physically punishing players in the most physically punishing league in the world without ever having a podium game to show for it.  




Jayson Tatum, however, did dominate.  He was 11-17 yesterday, 1-4 from 3.  That's 10-13 from 2.  That is pure domination.  He had 5 of our 12 OT points on 2-2 and frito.  Pressure?  What pressure?  He was the only Celtic rookie to score 20+ points in 4 straight playoff games.  Think of all the great rookie scorers we've had that got to play in the playoffs (Heinsohn, Sam Jones, Havlicek, Bird to name some) and Tatum stands alone there.  He was also the youngest player ever to score 20+ in four straight playoff games, beating Kobe by about 7 months.  Think about how long it has been since Kobe was a rookie, that's how long that record has stood the test of time.  Tatum is now the youngest player to score 20+ in five straight playoff games.  How long will that record last?  Fultz, of course, was on the injured list picking splinters out of his backside on the bench.




Horford had the other 7 points in OT and, of course, "The Steal".  He was 3-9 after regulation but Playoff Al is a Big Game player.


Jaylen and our starting point guard for the next 10 years, Terry Rozier (just kidding, Kyrie) adding 34 points 13-27.  I am really liking the way Jaylen and Jayson are playing together.  Tatum with the inbounds pass to Jaylen underneath for the layup, Brown with the offensive rebound and the pass to the cutting Jayson who was fouled by Embiid late in the game for his 5th foul.  To me, it's not just one of the J's for Kawhi, it would be "will Kawhi play with the remaining J as well as the two J's are playing well together already after only one year?"  I'm not sure, despite Kawhi's obvious and indisputable skills (and assuming he can stay healthy), there is a clear-cut winner there; and that says a lot about how good the chemistry is between these two young'uns.  















bob



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[dboss]

Bob

I think the Leonard trade ideas are media driven and the media has yet to highlight the seriousness of his injury.

Danny Ainge is sitting on top of the world.  He hit 4 home runs in 4 years  in the draft plus a few base hits (Theis and Semi) 

He still has draft assets in the bank and two of his future picks are very likely to be lottery level opportunity.  (Sacramento and Memphis)

He may not draft a top 5 center but he will draft a center that can and will be coached up.  As long as the owners are willing to take less profit, this team should be able to retain their 7-8 man core and stiil add more talent because of all of the draft picks in the pipeline.

This is the most talented roster since the rebuild began.  As good as IT Avery and Jae were this talent is much better.

[bobheckler]

bob


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[dboss]

In absense of some galactic anomaly, the Celtics will meet the Cavs for the 2nd straight year in the ECF.

I am convinced that Boston can win that series as well.  I think the improbable is going to happen.

[bobheckler]

bob


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[bobheckler]

bob
MY NOTE:  "Brinko de Mayo". Beautiful...


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[NYCelt]

Excellent headline.

[NYCelt]

In absense of some galactic anomaly, the Celtics will meet the Cavs for the 2nd straight year in the ECF.

I am convinced that Boston can win that series as well.  I think the improbable is going to happen.

I think you're right, but it will all hinge on defending James.

It may come down to Tatum, Brown, Smart and Morris getting the call. Alternately, and in combination.

There are others on the Cavs you can risk giving the shot, if you do what you must to slow down James.

[bobheckler]

Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
about 17 minutes ago
Cs asst. Micah Shrewsberry on the Baynes 3-point effect: "Earlier in the series, Embiid was like a foot in the lane, and now he’s at least two feet out and creeping more toward Baynes. And now our guys are getting more toward the basket.”


bob


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[bobheckler]

Interesting.  So, the ATO where Morris inbounded the ball over the top to Horford for the layup that put us up by 2 with 8.4 seconds left in regulation is a play he used at Butler in 2009.

Brad's brain is an encyclopedia.

https://mobile.twitter.com/pickandpopnet/status/993128677666942976


bob


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