Close Out Game - pep talk

we know how they win.

defense, defense, defense for 48 minutes.

own the glass

great ball movement to search out the best shot

protect each possession

offensive diversity (3 ball, mid-range and at the rim)

FT's are a difference maker so get there and knock them down

Own the 50/50 opportunities

Play fast but don't hurry, play smart.

We have lost the 3rd quarter of every game we have played against the Raptors. That's being out coached. Brad should have sat Kemba in OT and put in Brad Wanamaker. Steadier, stronger, and with a better shot tonight. Unthinkable, yes, but that would have garnered a closeout win. Looks gloomy for Friday.

I can’t believe Stevens didn’t challenge that last no call on Kemba’s drive at end of regulation, that’s 2 boneheaded calls, series should be over, can’t give 2 crucial games away like that.

And agree worse, Wanny couldn’t have been as bad as Kemba was tonite, if we played Wanny we definitely could have won. Why was he initiating offense over and over...???? Smart and Tatum could have done that better tonight.

the morning after hangover.....

I know they are a better team
I cannot figure out why they have not figured out

good defense brings good offense

why are we always going for the killer 3 when they
should be driving to the basket more and more

I know they can win, why am I feeling so uneasy about
Friday, 7th games are killers, why did they put themselves
in this position

If only...if only...if only. We can question all we want, that game is over and we are on to
Friday and let's win there. Where have I heard that before

One word answer to your questions Rosalie: Stevens.

I don't like Toronto because they flop on every opportunity and the coach is an obnoxious whiner. Also, Lowry, whether intentional or not, cut under Jaylen and came close to causing a catastrophic injury early in the game; I think it was intentional because Lowry's a great athlete who knows how to use his strength/leverage. If something like that happens again I would want Jaylen to demonstrably let him no that ain't OK. I want to see more Marcus Smart in these guys. As a matter of fact I'd like to see Jaylen or Jayson put some hard (legal) fouls on Lowry or anybody else if the play calls for it. Toronto won because they dared the refs to call body fouls (on Kemba at the end of the game) and they didn't. That's my rant. Analytically, the Celts have a very good chance of winning game 7 - as pointed out the Celtics have more overall talent; also, Lowry is 34 and they should try to use him up when he's defending as much as possible. The Celts miss Gordon as a point forward which is stressing Jayson and leading to his turnovers; baptism under fire, I expect Jayson to step up and win this game!

cowens/oldschool wrote:I can’t believe Stevens didn’t challenge that last no call on Kemba’s drive at end of regulation, that’s 2 boneheaded calls, series should be over, can’t give 2 crucial games away like that.

And agree worse, Wanny couldn’t have been as bad as Kemba was tonite, if we played Wanny we definitely could have won. Why was he initiating offense over and over...???? Smart and Tatum could have done that better tonight.

Cow,

A coach can't challenge a non call by the referees.
I don't even think Brad could have challenged whether it should have been a jump ball or timeout by Toronto near the end of regulation.

worcester wrote:One word answer to your questions Rosalie: Stevens.

Unfortunately totally agree, such crucial boneheaded calls

Worcester.......Bill Belechick

Yes, Belechik...one of tge greatest coaches ever. If I were Brad, I would call Bill today for some advice. Seriously.

Media seems to be picking Toronto for game 7. I don't know. Toronto needed a miracle in game 3, and the win last night required ridiculous superhuman efforts from Lowry and others along with some bizarre calls and circumstances. Boston is the better team. If they don't get psyched out by the veteran Raptors, I say we win going away. If it's close near the end, then I'll worry...

Good, rather they have a fire in their belly over that. I do have a feeling this will be a battle to the end, Toronto are fighters. Jaylen and Smart seem to have a real chip on their shouldters. If you watched Jaylen's post game interview he threw a shot at Nurse and the Raptor coaches. I guess they were yelling crap from the bench, hence, his comments about coaches being professional. Someone said something to Smart and he had a few words with the players walking off the court. So....we will see what they are made of.

GOD WOULD I LOVE A BLOWOUT

It's time for the Four Horsemen of Toronto's Apocalypse, led by none other than Jayson Tatum.  If he wants to be mentioned in the same breaths as Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Larry Bird and all the Celtic greats that have come before him, he's going to have to carry this team to the next round.  

Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart are all going to show up huge once again.  And TOR will not have an answer.  Their heads will be spinning so much that Theis will get 5-6 dunks wide open because he will be the one they choose to leave open to try to shut down the onslaught.  

Be prepared, lady and gentlemen, for Celtic basketball at its very best Friday.  

db

From your mouth to God's ears, DB.

The Celtics are unlikely to win game 7 against the Raptors.

The elements that resulted in losses in Games 3 and 6 are still there.  

Teams that can win close games at the end have a mental advantage.  They have been there before and won as a team.

Other than Marcus Smart, they are tougher from the neck up, including their coach, than we are.

dboss wrote:The Celtics are unlikely to win game 7 against the Raptors.

The elements that resulted in losses in Games 3 and 6 are still there.  

Teams that can win close games at the end have a mental advantage.  They have been there before and won as a team.

Other than Marcus Smart, they are tougher from the neck up, including their coach, than we are.

I sort of agree, but with the caveat that I think the Celtics are a better team, and thus it might not be close at the end - if not, the veteran experience and "clutchness" of the Raptors won't matter. Also, don't forget the core of this Celtics team has been in a long dogfight of an ECF series before....

Dboss, I will have to disagree with you here. Look at the Philly series, they lost that game, heads were spinning, but, they pulled on their big boy pants and kicked the hell out of Philly.

Sorry, they are the better team, they will show up tomorrow. Lowry can wipe the floor all night, tomorrow it is not going to work. Call me a dreamer, but I am a believer, and I believe they will win.

If they don’t the next time the group gets together in Boston the first drink is on me!!!!!!!!!!

Don't forget that our vets now are Marcus, Jaylen, Wanny, and Daniel - other than Enes, they have the most experience. Brad should lean on them.

dboss wrote:The Celtics are unlikely to win game 7 against the Raptors.

The elements that resulted in losses in Games 3 and 6 are still there.  

Teams that can win close games at the end have a mental advantage.  They have been there before and won as a team.

Other than Marcus Smart, they are tougher from the neck up, including their coach, than we are.

While I won't predict the outcome of game 7, Nurse has been incredible in games following a loss. In the overly statistic driven NBA, he is now the all-time leader in winning percentage following games lost. In English, he wins games after a loss at a better rate than anyone has before. That sample is small, however, and they won game 6, so...

It is true that teams develop mental strength in winning close games. There is no shortage of talented teams that blow it in the big ones, even consistently collapsing with a lead. The choke factor is not an illusion, it happens.

What remains to be seen tomorrow night is if this young Celtic roster has acquired the mentality it needs to take the next step. Fingers crossed they find it.

NYCelt wrote:

dboss wrote:The Celtics are unlikely to win game 7 against the Raptors.

The elements that resulted in losses in Games 3 and 6 are still there.  

Teams that can win close games at the end have a mental advantage.  They have been there before and won as a team.

Other than Marcus Smart, they are tougher from the neck up, including their coach, than we are.

While I won't predict the outcome of game 7, Nurse has been incredible in games following a loss. In the overly statistic driven NBA, he is now the all-time leader in winning percentage following games lost. In English, he wins games after a loss at a better rate than anyone has before. That sample is small, however, and they won game 6, so...

It is true that teams develop mental strength in winning close games. There is no shortage of talented teams that blow it in the big ones, even consistently collapsing with a lead. The choke factor is not an illusion, it happens.

What remains to be seen tomorrow night is if this young Celtic roster has acquired the mentality it needs to take the next step. Fingers crossed they find it.

NYCelt

They bounced back after the game 4 loss so hopefully they can bounce back after the game 6 loss.

I just do not believe that they will.  I think Toronto can lean heavily on their bench.  Starters are going to be tired on both teams.  Theis played 47 minutes.  I expect him to be flat.  Walker shows up and down energy levels.  I am not worried about Smart, Tatum and Brown in terms of being too tired.

Nurse can go to his bench with Serge and Powell.  Who gets it done for us off the bench?

I guess we will find out tomorrow.  Getting beat at the end takes more out of a team than getting blown out.  

I really do not mean to sound so pessimistic.  Let me be wrong and I will be very happy.