Post Game - Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers - Monday, May 27, 2024 - Game 4 Eastern Finals (W 4-0)

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401672001

Wow Wow Wow

This was all about composure in crunch time, which has to be the theme for the whole series. Jaylen again with some huge defensive plays, a great steal, then a huge block on breakout star and major problem for us the whole series Nembhard. And 2 huge clutch 3’s by Jaylen during the comeback, plus a great driving dunk by Jayson and a spectacular crossover up and under finger roll by Jaylen. He totally took over the game, also assisting on DWhite’s corner 3, drawing 2 defenders to cut off his drive. So happy he received the Larry Bird ECF MVP award, he didn’t do it by himself, but his plays both ends in the clutch this series were phenomenal and amazing. He made all the winning plays both ends in clutch time in this series. Actually if he didn’t make them Holiday did, as did Tatum and ofcourse DWhite, was a total team effort!! Thank you Jaylen!!!

Who says we can’t win with an offense of your turn, my turn with the 2 J’s? Mavs are basically doing same thing with Luka and Kyrie. This series was great for us. Pacers pushed us relentlessly all series. Might have been the closest sweep in playoff history as we were behind all game and pulled it out again in the clutch with winning plays both ends. Great job by coach Joe having us so poised at winning/clutch time. Again some incredible plays by Jaylen on defense and offense, just making so many big plays one after another.

For anybody who missed the trophy ceremony after the game:

Series winning sequence:



(um, no Bang, bang? Only one bang? should have been three.)

Well, at least I picked the winner of G4!  Wasn't counting on the 3-ball deserting us.  We make 8 of those missed 3's like we should have and we win by 25.  That's ok.  We found other ways to beat IND.  The 15-4 closeout was spectacular.  DW, right up there in value with KP and JH, is just so clutch, there really isn't anything left to say except I'm glad he's on our team!!

1.  Killing IND softly.  Well, we always wondered whether this team had any guts.  This display was about as heart stomping that I could dream up.  But we did it with a smile.  Yes, some hardcore determination not to repeat the sins of the past, but still smiling.  

2.  Step 3.  Check.  Got the broom out.  No one will ever remember how close the scores were or how the press had to finally resign themselves to the Celtics winning the series.  They know the Celtics in the Finals is catastrophic historically for the other team they will latch themselves to.  Welcome to Hell, media.  History will look back and see Boston 4-0.  That's it for those steps.  Now working on the Finals order of business.  

3.  What more can be said about Derrick?!  OMG!  He's the leader of the non-assuming competitive heart stabbers stompers and life suckers for the competition.  Does DAL really want to get into this?  It might be best that provided they win tonight, they forfeit the Finals.  They will not like what's coming.  Not at all.    

4.  At least Doogie saw one go in and got the vote of confidence from JT to keep shooting.  He will become very important next round.  Bench will be called upon.  Joe knows what he's doing and on whom to call when.  

5.  10-5 in steals is all I see that sticks out statistically.  Close game otherwise on the card.  IND finally shot below 50%.  Some order restored there. I was looking for something a little more drastic.  3-ball for us and mid-range for IND must have canceled each other out.  

6.  The Law of Averages will come through again as it always does like clockwork.  I don't believe DAL, like IND, can play any better and they are barely winning against a pretty good young team.  We have played pretty good but I would not call it great by any stretch.  Some flashy, calculated endings were won only by experience.  But I would never posit we are even close to our Fully Operational Death Star being fully operational.  Unfortunately, DAL, provided they wrap things up tonight or in this series, is going to catch the full brunt of it.  Squarely 2 x 4'ed in the face.  LOA.  Works EVERY SINGLE TIME.  Book it.  

7.  JB got what he deserved.  MVP of ECF.  Hands down.  JT can get his Finals MVP and the O'Brien Trophy if he continues to play like he has the last couple of games.  Now let the team go get the Big One.  

What the going gaga over DAL world doesn't realize and it will come clearly into vision after it is way to late is, all DAL has is Luka and Kryrie.  Yeah, they've thrown together some pieces at the trade deadline that look like it might work, but it won't.  Experience.  We have it, they don't.  Their wheels are very wobbly.  

Just as part of DAL's ensuing fall, provided they don't make history as my son so eloquently put it, and provided Lively hasn't concussed himself out of the Finals, his youthful legs and mind will wobble on the Finals stage as will everyone else but probably Kryrie stumble.  Only a matter of time.  

Please remember this, the "D" is always silent in "D"allas.  What you are left with is all-ass.  OK, I added an "s" but you get the point!  Always has been.  Always will.  Some things never change.  This is one of them.  

db

P.S. In hindsight, I'm actually glad we didn't smoke the crapola out of Indy last night. It would have become the Anniversary of the Memorial Day Massacre and we all remember the bittersweetness of that day and game. No telling where that would have landed us next round. Nice catch, Boston! I'll take the 4-0.

Hi,
It seemed that G4 was similar to G3. Just in more subdued version: 8-point comeback instead of 18-point and it happened at the very end. And IND couldn't muster a single point the last couple of minutes.
Also, in the 4th quarter our defense figured out how to deal with Siakam, and the Law of Averages brought Nembhard back to Earth.
Obviously, some were talking about non-call of Flagrant 1 on JB which could make a difference at the end. I think it was F1 but the refs made the right call keeping in mind their non-F1 call when PP was hit in the face.
All in all, we won, used the broom. Finals, here we come.
12 down, 4 to go.

AK

Bob,

Some of DJ's Conference Finals points (300 or so, from 1978, 79, 80) came from before he became a Celtics player.  

That dropped his CF point total below that of the two Js.

Biggest take from this 4 game sweep has to be the Celtics mental toughness. 3 of the 4 wins were nail biters.

They went 6-0 on the road and in the process sweep all 3 teams on the road.  

Their record, without starting 20 PPG center, was 9-1.

Our bench played below their regular season scoring production.

There has been an awful lot of white noise buzzing about but they Celtics did not let that noise take away their focus.

The Pacers were an excellent sparing partner because of their high speed offense.  The pace that they played with was the biggest challenge that the Celtics had to overcome.

The Celtics remained healthy except for Kornet with his sore wrist and our round 1 KP sore calf issue.

CJ kept his team on track and he made adjustments throughout games.  He clearly won the coaching battle against veteran coach Rick Carlisle.  Interestingly the one thing that captured Carlisle's deficiency was not calling timeouts.  It was the same issue that I have found fault with CJ in the past.

Next up...in absence of a miracle...the Dallas Cowboys horses.