Post Game - Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers - Wednesday, May 15, 2024 - Game 5 Eastern Semifinals (W 4-1)

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401658228

AL!!!  AL!!!  AL!!!  

That's all that really needs to be said.  He may want this championship more than any of his teammates given his inevitable proximity to retirement.  We might be recalling this game and that masterful performance as an inflection point.  Couple that with Jayson's declaration that winning home games going forward will be much more of a priority and  certainly more enjoyable for the Celtic fans going forward and you have the start of a recipe for success.

This game took a while to develop.  Probably longer than any of us wanted.  I didn't get my 40-point lead at the half that I wanted but the 2nd quarter ended very well I thought.  

I'm only going to complain about one thing and it wasn't about anything related to Boston because Boston played a good game overall.  Closeouts are difficult and this one was as well until near the end.  But it was the clearly CLE-hired announcers TNT put up last night.  For 47 minutes and 45 seconds it was ALL about CLE and Donovan Mitchell and Coach Bickerstaff and Jarred Allen and the Little Engine That Could and every player on the court and team for CLE.  I turned to my wife about halfway through the 3rd and asked her if it was just me or did TNT actually plant and hire CLE homers to call this close out game with nothing on their notes or in their ear that had anything Boston on it or in it?  It was so bad and I got so bent out of shape that I missed what Al was doing.  That' was easy because they never said anything about it to even get my attention.  

Then they get to the end and it's, "Oh well, looks like Boston is going to win this and close out this series.  CLE played a magnificent game, series deserves all the credit in the world.  Boston's  going to have to play much better these next two rounds if they are going to stand a snowball's chance against ANY of the remaining teams, blah, blah, blah, etc.,"  They missed one of the greatest performances of an old guy that probably should be retired not named LeBron and I got so sidetracked with their drivel, I missed it too!!  Inspired play.  THAT'S a CELTIC!! Al earns and will get a championship for that performance last night alone.  His elation after his last 3 tells it all.    

CLE was keying on him on the switch on our defense and daring him to shoot 3's for our offense.  CLE's let's beat up on the old guy tact almost worked.  Al started building another shopping mall early on in the game but by the 2nd half he figured it out.  Everything that came down the lane named Garland got a rude awakening.  That dude couldn't find his ass with both hands.  Mobley?  That's another story but you needed someone to make up DM points.  

OK, I've beaten the horse dead.  Gotta get ready for the next round and more dumping from everyone non-Celtic.  

db

P/S. Just as a bonus since no one non-Celtic has pointed this out/reported it, here are the playoff records as of last night of the Top 5 remaining teams

MIN 6-3
OKC 6-3
NYK 7-4
DEN 7-3 and you guessed it...!!!
BOS 8-2

You'd never know it.

Props to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Down 2 starters and their 6th man and they still went out there and fought.  Their fans have reasons to puff their chests out today.  In the end, though, it didn't matter.  A relatively close game for most of it we ended up winning by a very comfortable 15.  I think if it wasn't a playoff close-out game we (meaning 'me') wouldn't have been so stressed.

12 fritos each team.  15 total personal fouls each team.  We can both claim we deserved more but neither of us can claim we got robbed overall.  Hard to believe with Tony Brothers leading the ref team.

This is a pnr league and Joe couldn't figure out how to stop Mobley from doing that to us all game.  If 33 isn't his career high it has to be damn close.  On the Game On! thread I was saying that they'd go small and bomb away.  Mobley made me wrong, he FAR exceeded my expectations.  Next year Cleveland will have Allen and Mobley and that's a really good 1-2 front court punch.

There are those, to be fair, who take a different view on this:

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
about 5 hours ago
Al Horford on Mazzulla: "(He's) been key for our success. I feel like he has put us in positions defensively, but also offensively for us to continue to grow as players ... to make reads, to figure things out. There are a lot of ways teams try to play us and I feel like he's been


When Mook was a Celtic some people ran down his defense and lack of foot speed (Cowens' ears should be burning right now) but he is a microwave on offense.  He, along with Mobley, gave the Cavs a puncher's chance.  He gave them what we signed Svi to give us.


The real hero for us was the OG, almost 38 year old Al Horford.  There was nobody on either team more spry, more energetic, more active, more focused and intense out there than Al.  Cleveland kept going on mini-runs that kept them close and every time Al would do something that turned them back.  22 points on 8-15, 6-13 from 3.  15 rebounds, 7 offensive, 5 assists, 3 blocks in 35 minutes.  A pretty damn good boxscore, but his on-court impact was even bigger, he fueled us.

Horford sprinting after a ball going out of bounds and cocking his arm back like he was about to throw a spear into the chest of Dean Wade to save a possession, looking like Prime Time MJ staring down at a basket needing to be abused:




“Tonight you saw his gift. His gift is just passion, inspiration, toughness, competitive nature.” This used to be Al Horford’s team. He’d never claim it, but he ran things. He passed the baton years ago, but he’s the reason the Celtics just made the ECF.


Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
5 hours ago
NEW @CLNSMedia - Tito Horford doesn't say much to Al when he's struggling even though he's always around the #Celtics "I just say, sometimes you're gonna have a bad game. Just move forward...he always listens & then says, 'I'm gonna get better, daddy'"


Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
about 7 hours ago
On/off for Al Horford in the Eastern Conference Semifinals... Horford on: 158 minutes - Celtics 372, Cavs 314 Horford off: 82 minutes - Cavs 192, Celtics 170 The last time the Celtics reached the ECF with just two losses? May 8, 1986 Al Horford was born four weeks later.


We now await the winner (survivor?) of the NY/Indy series, NY is up 3-2 and they're in Indy.

I was all happy and giddy last night after the game, a real spring in my step, and then I remembered this is only the midway point.  You need 16 playoff wins to win a Championship and last night was just #8.  That was a sobering thought.  Al deserves, and is getting largely through his own effort, a few extra days off.  We need to use that time to prepare to blitz NY or Indy so we can do the same with the winner of the WC Finals.  Dallas beat OKC in OKC last night to take a 3-2 lead and will head back to Dallas for Game 6.  Who had that on their bingo card?  Minny is in a must-win situation, down 3-2, in Minny tonight.  Pretty amazing considering they went up 2-0 by beating Denver twice in Denver to start the series.  Gives me hope for our Celtics.  I'm expecting Denver to come out of the west and it would be nice to win at least one in Denver since Denver has proven they can win in Boston.


Bob


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gyso wrote:

That is one of the greatest sports photos of all time. Ever. We have to retire Al's number when that day comes.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2024/05/joe-mazzulla-shows-crucial-growth-in-celtics-game-5-win-over-cavs-robb.html



Joe Mazzulla shows crucial growth in Celtics Game 5 win over Cavs


Published: May. 16, 2024, 6:15 a.m.


By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com


BOSTON — The Celtics became the first team to advance to the Conference Finals on Wednesday night with a 113-98 win over the Cavaliers in Game 5. The win did not come easy for Boston against an undermanned Cavs squad as a lack of energy and defensive focus was prevalent throughout much of the first three quarters. Amid the ups and downs, there was a steady presence determined to keep the Celtics on track in Joe Mazzulla.


Mazzulla took his lumps during his first postseason at the helm in Boston. He made some questionable lineup choices (Derrick White says hello), was a little too slow with adjustments (Philadelphia series) and struggled with late-game management in a few key spots.

He’s had a far better team in year two from a talent perspective but questions remained about Mazzulla entering this postseason as expectations for this team remained sky high. With Boston losing ugly at home in Game 2 of the Miami and Cleveland series, Game 5 had a recipe for disaster written all over it. Boston was looking at a golden opportunity to end a series early, get some needed rest and prepare for two potential East Finals opponents. However, like so many times in past postseasons, the Celtics put themselves in danger of punting on that opportunity. The defense was not sharp early, Marcus Morris got hot and the undermanned Cavs weren’t going away quietly.


A year ago, Mazzulla was very reactive on nights like this. In Game 5 on Wednesday night, it was the opposite. The Celtics head coach was proactive with his timeouts, accurately reading his team was lacking energy and discipline throughout the first three quarters of this game. Whether it was stopping a quick 6-0 Cavs run or simply showing his displeasure with a couple of uninspired offensive possessions, Mazzulla ensured Cleveland was not able to put together any significant runs all night long after the first quarter.

Mazzulla also did well managing his rotation during what was an uneasy night at times. He went away from Sam Hauser for much of the second half as he struggled defensively. Al Horford’s slow shooting start and defensive switching onto smaller guards may have made it tempting for Mazzulla to go small. Instead, he stuck to his guns with the veteran and was rewarded with Horford’s best game of the postseason.


Perhaps most impressively, Mazzulla got full offensive buy-in from his stars when it mattered most. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for more fourth-quarter assists (6) than field goal attempts (4) in what was a beautiful scoring frame for Boston. The Celtics shot 64 percent from the field in the fourth quarter as they pulled away late with 10 assists on 11 made field goals as Brown and Tatum broke down the defense time and time again in search of easy looks.

“I think we got the ball up the floor quickly, got into our spacing very quickly,” Mazzulla said. “We talk about guys leading in different ways, Jaylen and Jayson’s ability to just read defenses and make the right play for themselves and for each other really showed.

“They tested our spacing discipline, they tested our trust in each other, and all the guys made plays down the stretch where we got 2-on-1s and we just made the right play over and over again. So it’s a credit to the guys’ discipline and execution and trust in each other.”


Making the simple play was the right path to victory for the Celtics on Wednesday night but it hasn’t been the easy one for this group over the years. Mazzulla’s persistence on this front clearly reaped dividends in Game 5 when it mattered most and earned him plenty of praise for his players.

“Joe has been key for our success,” Horford said after Game 5. “I feel like he has put us in positions defensively, but also offensively, for us to continue to grow as players on the offensive side of the ball. Continue to make reads, continue to figure things out. There’s a lot of ways that teams try to play us and I feel like he’s been great tactically with our group. Making us see things, making us think about it, and us being able to process so much information.”


Bigger tests remain for Mazzulla in the coming weeks against tougher competition on a bigger stage. For now, he’s shown important growth in getting efficient early round results for this group that should come in handy for the long haul.

The Celtics haven’t been playing their best basketball of the season in the playoffs so far but their performance in the fourth quarter in Game 5 looked like a team on its way there.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Mobley pnr-ing us to death last night frustrated the hell outta me but, clearly, Joe's coaching has matured in this past year.  He is better, if not much better, this year (he at least knows how and when to call timeouts now).


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Taking care of business.

It certainly wasn't pretty, but you don't receive style points in the playoffs. A W is a W anyway you slice it.

Al was just fantastic, his grit and will were the key to this win, along with finding his three point stroke. JT continues to do things that are overlooked. His rebounding and defense was solid and he hit the dagger that finally put the Cavs to sleep. D White found his shot last night and did D White things on defense.

It was predictable that old Marcus Morris would go off on us. He was hitting everything even when contested. If it wasn't for those found points this game would have been easier. It was a little disturbing seeing Mobley torch Kornet. We need to get KP back, Al can't hold the fort by himself. Depending who we play next round either Kornet, Queta or Tillman have to give us some interior defense.

To victors go the spoils, now we can lick our wounds and regroup. Its only going to get tougher, but half way there.

During the Anti-Celtics broadcast, TNT guess talking head, Draymond Green, declared that AH was the weak link and that the Cavs should go at him.  

As the game flipped over into the 2nd half and throughout the 3rd and 4th quarters, the Cavs went at AL over and over again, matching him up with the the super quick guard Darius Garland off of PNR.  On defense the Cavs decided to leave AH open on the perimeter because he has struggled knocking down 3 pointers and earlier in the game it appeared that those struggles would continue.

Unfortunately for the Cavs, both their offensive and defensive strategies turned into a S--T storm with them down wind.  You could not write a better script!  Those TNT guys are so GD arrogant that they could not accept that they were wrong.  Big Al destroyed the Cavs at both ends.  

All the networks want talk about is Boston losing 2 games at home and how they have been a .500 team at home over the past few years during the playoffs.  It is as if no teams loses games at home during the playoffs.  

The 4 and 0 darlings to start the playoffs (OKC and Minnie) now find themselves on the road to elimination.

The team at the top of the heap is the same team that was at the top during the regular season.

Every team in the playoffs has flaws.  The team that overcomes those flaws will win the crown.  There is no room on the wagon for all the vagabonds (Celtics Haters)

Nice post, dboss.  I know Ktron and his stance on Draymond.  While he does have important things to say and relay with his 4 championships, but he's damaged goods and I hope he's just filling in at TNT for a couple of games and that's the end of it.  I know Ernie and all the guys are being cordial with him, but he needs to exit Stage Left pretty quickly.  Nothing will tank one of the greatest, most successful shows of all time (Inside the NBA) faster than $h1t through a goose than signing up Draymond for any additional appearances on that program.  He dug his own grave and now must live in it.  

Sticking with his podcast is about as far as it's going to go, which believe it or not, I have listened to upon occasion mainly to see how he gets out of everything.  He's still clueless.    

See my rant about the homer CLE TNT announcers in the Post G5 thread.  OMG that was possibly the worst broadcast I have ever had listened to.

db

P.S. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the Anti-Broadcasts and game coverage is only going to get worse especially if we have to play NY next round and especially if we drop one (or both) of those first two games. Heck, even if we crush NYK or IND in the first two games, it will still be doom and gloom from the media. I hope we won't need a DEN moment to get our heads out of our asses. But if we do, we will overcome it. Fasten your seatbelts!

Al Horford discovers The Fountain of Youth. Film at 11.

I'm not sure where Porzingis is in his rehab, but starting the next round at home, it might be good if he sits longer. Getting through the conference finals with Porzingis in limited minutes, if he's ready to play at all, that will be the best bet he might be available and hopefully closer to 100% if we reach the finals.

We're starting to bring back up old pre-KP bad habits through the first two rounds like more ISO, somewhat suspect defense at times, hurling the 3-ball, etc. The quicker he can get back without upsetting the apple cart the better IMHBAO. He's such a great floor spreader, spacer and cohesive part of our offense and defense and a complete and total back breaker for our opponents.

db