POST GAME - PLAYOFF ROUND 2 - GAME 6 - MILWAUKEE BUCKS - HOME

The Celtics went wire to wire with a lead and won by 13 points.

Everything about this game was not hunky-dory but our guys came away with a must win on the road and a chance to take this series in yet another historic game 7 showdown.

We took care of the offensive rebounding disparity 8-7 in favor of us  and we only had 8 turnovers to 10 for them.  

As this game moved from the 3rd QTR to the 4th, it was eerily similar to game 5 when the Celtics  barfed away a clear victory.  Deja vu crossed my mind like that second black cat that I saw before.  Then I said, hell no, we ain't losing this game.

In the end this all comes down to my feeling about this matchup.  The Bucks do not have enough pure firepower to beat us if we play with purpose and execute the fundamentals.

Our 3 guys that have been together the longest all came up big.  Tatum with an elite signature game and both Jaylen (22) and Marcus (21) made big time plays when we needed them.  The difference between the Bucks and the Celtics is that AH can go from dropping 30 in one game to only 2 in this game and we an still come away with a double digit win on the road.  Al was great on the glass (10) rebounds and he did a great job protecting the rim (4) blocks.  Derrick White was our main guy off the bench and he is coming out of his funk.  We Beat them with 6 guys plus only 10 minutes for Theis.

It is rare when both teams have each won 2 games on the opposing team's court.

Home court advantage is in fact an advantage that comes into play when an even series goes to a 7th game.

Our guys have a lot of playoff experience including playing in a 7th game.  

It may be ironic that the Celtics secured this game at home because the team they are playing passed on the opportunity.  I see it as justice.  I see it as confirmation that the Celtics, while imperfect, are a mentally tough team that has no fear in them.

If you plan on betting against the Celtics (Perk before game 6) you better think twice!

Jayson Tatum is our ultimate go to guy. Everyone on the team accepts that.

Last night the biggest B2B plays happened after coach called a timeout with 5:23 remaining in the 4th QTR. They ran a beautiful play. Screened on the top left and one on the right that freed up Jaylen. We were only up 8 points at the time 95-87 and we really needed to execute the play. Jaylen drained the 3 off of a Marcus Smart assist putting us up by 11 and Marcus followed that with a step back 22 footer giving us a commanding 13 point lead with 4:20 remaining.

Notice the use of the word, "We".  Most refreshing to see that!

TEAM!!!

________________________________________

Hi,
The game 6 was very similar to game 5. The main difference was the Celtics stood strong this time.
JT was in the zone. Really good contribution by Jalen and Smart. White was very useful, especially on defense. Al, despite scoring just 2 points, was huge in that department.
As a team, we're miserable at the FT line - just 65% (oy!).
One minor point that could come big on Sunday - Bucks gave up almost a minute and a half before the end while trailing by only 13 points. They should've fought, especially considering what happened at the end of the previous game.
One more note. The Bucks have only one offensive weapon - Giannis. Who, last night, got lucky - 2-3 from 3pt and 14-15 from FT. I hope the law of averages will put him back where he belongs in game 7.

AK

Smart kept us in this game early with 14 first quarter points.  We'd have been down 10 after 1 if he had a "normal" game instead of up 2.  The man was the absolute picture of ferocity.  One of the great moments for me, in the first half, was when Brook Lopez, who is HUGE, went down the lane with Jaylen guarding him and Smart waved Jaylen off so he could switch onto Lopez in the paint.  Jaylen's bigger than Marcus but Smart wanted to defend the 7'0", 280# Lopez down low.  Now that's ganas.  7 assists, zero turnovers.  As near a perfect game from Marcus Smart as we could ask for.

It still occasionally blows my mind how close we were to taking Dante Exum instead of Smart.  Utah won the tiebreaker and picked 5th, and took Exum, and we fell to 6th and took Smart.  Would Danny have taken Smart anyway if we picked 5th?  Maybe, but he had no choice after Utah took Exum off the board.  Exum is the same age as Smart and is now playing for Barcelona.  As Winston Churchill once said "there is nothing more exilerating than being shot at, and missed".  We potentially dodged a bullet there.  It takes more than just being drafted by the Celtics and playing for us for a long time for me to consider them to have been "born to wear green".  It takes something inside, and Marcus Smart has got it by the bucketloads.

Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
3 hours ago
Marcus Smart topped Celtics in matchup time vs. Giannis during Game 6, per NBA data. Allowed 12 points on 5-11 FG with 2 shooting fouls and a turnover. Grant Williams had similar numbers (10 points, 4-11 FG, as primary defender). Giannis = 5-13 FG vs. Al Horford.




15 4th quarter points for Tatum, 5-7 and 2-3 from 3.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
One of the funniest differences between Udoka and Stevens is how Stevens would gush about how incredible opponents are, while Udoka referred to former DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo today as a "solid defender."




You know we're having a good game when Jaylen Brown has 22 points on 7-16, 4-7 from 3 and 4 assists and he's the 3rd option.  




Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 9 hours ago
How it started/How it's going... Milwaukee Bucks offense SEASON ECSF VS. BOSTON Rating 1.14 (3rd) 1.03 (8th/ PPG 115.5 (3rd) 100.5 (7th/ FG% .468 (12th) .422 (7th/ 3FG% .366 (5th) .310 (7th/

This is what it looks like when you're going up agains the NBA's #1 defense.  If you live and die by your offense you will struggle to breathe against our suffocating defense.


A 1-6 night for Horford, but 4 blocks and defense on Giannis.  I hope he does nothing but sleep and get treatments for Sunday, because he's gonna need them.


Boston Celtics @celtics
yesterday
Jaylen Brown: “That was a big-time performance ... Definitely a signature game for the Celtics and for Jayson."


Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
yesterday
Jaylen Brown: “I’m looking forward to the best two words in basketball: Game 7.”

This is it.  Game 7.  A victory tomorrow would be a major growth point for this team because it takes poise to close out a quality opponent and reigning NBA Champions in a Game 7.  But win or lose this team has given us many reasons to be proud of them.


Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
That was the first time in 34 years the Celtics won an elimination game on the road outside the first round.

Then: Bird vs. Dominique
Tonight: Tatum vs. Giannis




https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401433615


Bob


.

Yeah, the sequence First Take did on Perk changing his mind on his Finals pick(s) was priceless.  

This team is unique.  They have done things their way.  The old school Celtic teams won G5's all the time.  This one did not but came back and won G6 in hostile territory.  

They are a lot like Celtic championship teams of the past and then they aren't a lot alike.  That's ok.  More than one way to skin a cat and win a championship.  

I honestly cannot see any reason why MIL deserves to win tomorrow.  They are cowards for bailing on the last game of the season to get the Bulls.  They should and will receive justice tomorrow.  Champions do what Ime made the team do by seizing 2nd place and taking on the idiots.  Boston should steamroll MIL for that action as a vivid reminder of the difference between a champion and 2nd place.  It will not be a disappointment if we lose tomorrow.  This team is nowhere near any type of disappointment.  This team has left us with nothing but an extremely bright future in Boston.  It would be sad because we have high hopes and are looking for a new dynasty starting in 2022.      

The Celtics lost G5 and everyone bailed on them.  None here of course, but Stephen A. says we're losing tomorrow after winning G6.  Tim Legler is sticking with MIL.  Perk thought we would be done last night after saying he had us winning the whole thing.  All three have focused their decision on one man.  One man does not a team make as you imply dboss.  We are the better team.  No question.  But the series is still 3-3.

They all have forgotten how we got to the 2nd round.  At the time, we shut down the greatest player on the planet and his space cadet sidekick.  Made them both look pedestrian.  They focused on that one man as well.  He folded up like a cheap suit.  I know Giannis is a totally different animal but he's still only one man.    

This round has been a bit different.  Giannis's first two games were not his best at all and it was a split.  Since then, we've basically said we're going to keep loading up on Giannis but he's going to score 40 regardless.  We can't stop him.  Only contain him. The rest of MIL is going to have to beat us.  And that has been a mixed bag.  Hence the 3-3.

This series, IMHBAO, is the Finals.  Both teams slugging it out, back and forth.  Two heavyweights.  Great basketball.  Mano a Mano.  Since blowing G1, we have not been able to win two in a row.  We have to in order to advance.  Neither team has.  We've reached the end of the road. Put up or shut up.

Our history in G7's is well documented.  It's good, but it's not a guarantee.  We're going to have to play out of our brains.  I can promise you Al and GW aren't going to have 4 points between them.  Everybody's going to be hyped beyond belief with no sleep for the last 48 hours.  This team will not disappoint us.  

The fans will be rocking.  They will do their part.  Jason Tatum is continuing to emerge as an elite leader and player.  Still has some hiccups, but he's the man.  The real deal.  And he plays for Boston.  We are blessed beyond belief.  The future is VERY BRIGHT.  Let's see what we've got tomorrow.  

Go Celtics!!

db

dbrown4 wrote:Yeah, the sequence First Take did on Perk changing his mind on his Finals pick(s) was priceless.  

This team is unique.  They have done things their way.  The old school Celtic teams won G5's all the time.  This one did not but came back and won G6 in hostile territory.  

They are a lot like Celtic championship teams of the past and then they aren't a lot alike.  That's ok.  More than one way to skin a cat and win a championship.  

I honestly cannot see any reason why MIL deserves to win tomorrow.  They are cowards for bailing on the last game of the season to get the Bulls.  They should and will receive justice tomorrow.  Champions do what Ime made the team do by seizing 2nd place and taking on the idiots.  Boston should steamroll MIL for that action as a vivid reminder of the difference between a champion and 2nd place.  It will not be a disappointment if we lose tomorrow.  This team is nowhere near any type of disappointment.  This team has left us with nothing but an extremely bright future in Boston.  It would be sad because we have high hopes and are looking for a new dynasty starting in 2022.      

The Celtics lost G5 and everyone bailed on them.  None here of course, but Stephen A. says we're losing tomorrow after winning G6.  Tim Legler is sticking with MIL.  Perk thought we would be done last night after saying he had us winning the whole thing.  All three have focused their decision on one man.  One man does not a team make as you imply dboss.  We are the better team.  No question.  But the series is still 3-3.

They all have forgotten how we got to the 2nd round.  At the time, we shut down the greatest player on the planet and his space cadet sidekick.  Made them both look pedestrian.  They focused on that one man as well.  He folded up like a cheap suit.  I know Giannis is a totally different animal but he's still only one man.    

This round has been a bit different.  Giannis's first two games were not his best at all and it was a split.  Since then, we've basically said we're going to keep loading up on Giannis but he's going to score 40 regardless.  We can't stop him.  Only contain him.  The rest of MIL is going to have to beat us.  And that has been a mixed bag.  Hence the 3-3.

This series, IMHBAO, is the Finals.  Both teams slugging it out, back and forth.  Two heavyweights.  Great basketball.  Mano a Mano.  Since blowing G1, we have not been able to win two in a row.  We have to in order to advance.  Neither team has.  We've reached the end of the road.  Put up or shut up.  

Our history in G7's is well documented.  It's good, but it's not a guarantee.  We're going to have to play out of our brains.  I can promise you Al and GW aren't going to have 4 points between them.  Everybody's going to be hyped beyond belief with no sleep for the last 48 hours.  This team will not disappoint us.  

The fans will be rocking.  They will do their part.  Jason Tatum is continuing to emerge as an elite leader and player.  Still has some hiccups, but he's the man.  The real deal.  And he plays for Boston.  We are blessed beyond belief.  The future is VERY BRIGHT.  Let's see what we've got tomorrow.  

Go Celtics!!

db

db

I was surprised that Perk abandoned ship but I should not be surprised because he was one of the prognosticators that said the Jays could not play together.

Only one thing I got to say to Perk...carry on!

You are either tuned into the character of this team or you are not.  You are either with us or you are against us.  We got no problem with either but GD stay off the f.....fence.

In my pregame piece I noted some things that the Celtics needed to improve on to win the game.

I am a diehard Celtics fan but I am not stupid.  I would never expect them to do something that they are not capable of doing.  I knew that they could do certain things better.  So did the coach and so did the players.

The problem with these sportscasters is that they are more concerned with being right and how they are perceived as knowledgeable talking heads.  

Us fans are void of those inklings.  We just want to win baby and if we truly believe our team has the character and fortitude to make it out of the dust storm, we are rollin with them to the end.

When this team plays with composure but intensely, what I call intense composure they win. When they don't, they won't. Tatum and crew were really impressive by not getting rattled in game 6. Play this way in game 7 and the sky is the limit. Not only ECF champs but worthy bearers of banner 18 will they be.

Go Celtics!

I was somewhat surprised to see the line for G7 at BOS(-5). While it's not giving it to Boston, it's getting pretty close. But that's what homecourt will do for you.

And even though the line has nothing to do with the outcome of the game, it shows positive energy toward the Celtics winning this out and heading for MIA for the ECF.

db

Just want the Celts to continue to feel a scared about game 7 and not be feeling good about game 6. A little fear has a way to focus you. Other than game 3, both the games that the Celts lost, they were feeling good about themselves. Sweeping Brooklyn and winning back home court.

What a series!