jaedmc Posted May 31, 2024 Posted May 31, 2024 Minny looked hung over from that "We didn't get swept!" celebration. Real let down of a finish from a series of great games. I don't know if there's a human on planet earth who thought Kyrie going to Dallas would lead to this.
Brian Fowler Posted May 31, 2024 Posted May 31, 2024 Hey, Minnesota finally won a fourth quarter! Yay? Well, the NHL has itself a nice week to try to grab some spotlight.
RandomAct Posted May 31, 2024 Posted May 31, 2024 5 hours ago, jaedmc said: Minny looked hung over from that "We didn't get swept!" celebration. Real let down of a finish from a series of great games. I don't know if there's a human on planet earth who thought Kyrie going to Dallas would lead to this. Even the most optimistic Mavs fans were wary of the trade. We were PISSED that they gave up Finney-Smith for Kyrie. Fast forward a year later, and both Derrick Jones Jr and PJ Washington are giving us everything DFS did and then some. Kyrie become a locker room leader and a down in the trenches defender.
Tabe Posted May 31, 2024 Posted May 31, 2024 On 5/28/2024 at 8:48 PM, Brian Fowler said: The streak is over. Kyrie is 14-1 in close out games. New streak started - 15-1 now. That stat is mindblowing.
Brian Fowler Posted May 31, 2024 Posted May 31, 2024 I find it fascinating how we are ready for the finals and we still don't know how good Boston is. On one hand, they're 12-2 in the playoffs after running away with the best record in the league. On the other hand, their competition in the playoffs has been absolutely ravaged by injuries to Jimmy Butler, Jarrett Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Caris Lavert and Tyrese Haliburton, and wasn't exactly a murderer's row to begin with, also benefiting from injuries to a couple of the other best teams in the East they ended up not having to face. They win this series in four or five and they stake a claim as the best team the NBA has seen in over half a decade. And I won't be at surprised if they do just that (disgusted but not surprised.) Or if they lose this series, which also wouldn't surprise me at all, and the talk of them being like the Shaq/Penny Magic or Russ/KD Thunder starts getting real loud
Contentious C Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 (edited) Damn, what a way to respond to a timeout and close a quarter. That Jaylen Brown contract starting to look like a good deal. They did *exactly* what they needed to do in this game, and need to do 3 more times. Washington, Jones, Lively, Gafford: all those guys are...pretty good. But all their opposite numbers on Boston are just clearly better. So, let Luka cook, because he's the best player on the floor and he's going to get 25 or 30 every night regardless. But make the other guys average. The defense tonight has just been out-fucking-standing. 3 more, just. Like. That. Another under-the-radar thought: did anyone think for a second that the phrase "Jason Kidd, NBA Finals coach" sounded that believable 5 years ago? Granted, if you'd asked me, "Joe Mazzulla, NBA Finals coach?" 5 years ago, I would've said, "Who?" But he was on the staff for the loss to GS. He had the reins for that failed comeback against Miami. He finally got some guys on his staff that he wanted for this year. I think Kidd is going to get completely out-coached in this series. It's weird, too, because the real team to thank here is...Minnesota. They wiped Denver off the board, and Denver could have beaten either of these teams in a 7-game series. But Denver gakked against the Wolves, and the Wolves gakked against the Mavs. Edited June 7, 2024 by Contentious C
Brian Fowler Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 Porzingis just utterly dominating the first half of game one of the finals after not playing for 38 days was not on my bingo card. 2
Hail Sabin Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 Hopefully it's just those weird Mavericks Game 1's we play.
hammerva Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 I thought the rust of not playing for about a week would hurt the Celtics a lot more. Well except for Porzingis who needed it
ohtani's jacket Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 If the Celtics win the chip are they going to get the credit they deserve as a historically dominant team?
Hail Sabin Posted June 7, 2024 Posted June 7, 2024 18 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said: If the Celtics win the chip are they going to get the credit they deserve as a historically dominant team? That Drum has been beating for over a week in different parts of sports media/Online/Newspapers.
blitzkrieg Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 (edited) 4 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said: If the Celtics win the chip are they going to get the credit they deserve as a historically dominant team? Can a team be historically dominant if they only win 2 championships since 1986? Edited June 8, 2024 by blitzkrieg
Brian Fowler Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 9 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said: If the Celtics win the chip are they going to get the credit they deserve as a historically dominant team? I think so? I think it partially depends on how deep this series goes (and hopefully we don't see yet another injury derail an opponent.) As a general rule of thumb, my standard for all-time great team is 65 wins, no game 7s. They would be just under that threshold, but the all-time scoring while also having one the best defenses in the NBA is a strong point in their favor. The part that's out of their control is that they faced quite possibly the easiest road to the finals in the 16 team playoff era. Not just because they didn't play any great teams, but all the injuries. It's not their fault that Jimmy Butler, Jarrett Allen, Donovan Mitchell, Caris Lavert and Tyrese Haliburton all missed multiple games against them, and that the Bucks, Sixers, the Knicks all lost without getting to them, again with injuries being a big part of the story. And it's not Boston's fault that they are playing a five seed in the NBA finals. But all that does give spots to poke holes in their resume. But I think if they win in 5 or or less, it's hard to argue with 16-3, never saw a game six. If Dallas drags it to six, and especially to seven, then I think you start looking at the easy path and the injury wrecked field and maybe downgrade them a bit. 1
ohtani's jacket Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 How do you feel about the 2001 Lakers who went 56-26 and then dominated the playoffs with their 15-1 record?
Stefanie Sparkleface Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 4 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said: How do you feel about the 2001 Lakers who went 56-26 and then dominated the playoffs with their 15-1 record? That's a great what if team, because if Kobe, Shaq, and especially Derek Fisher (who missed what, 60 games?) all don't miss a good portion of that season, they could have made it to 70 wins.
SirFozzie Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 This video is the closest thing we'll get to non-XXX rated basketball porn. https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1db3siv/more_impeccable_editing_by_bostons_video_team/
Brian Fowler Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 10 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said: How do you feel about the 2001 Lakers who went 56-26 and then dominated the playoffs with their 15-1 record? Years and years ago on this board I had my first version of all-time great team, which then I only said 65 wins and the ring, but I offered two exceptions. One was that team because of that playoff run, especially though that loaded West. The other was the 2008 Celtics who fit the criteria I was using but I just couldn't in good faith call a team that got taken to game 7 by the 8th seed, then again in the second round, and ultimately needed an NBA record 26 playoff games to be on that level. 5 hours ago, Stefanie Sparkleface said: That's a great what if team, because if Kobe, Shaq, and especially Derek Fisher (who missed what, 60 games?) all don't miss a good portion of that season, they could have made it to 70 wins. Yeah. IIRC, Fisher missed almost the entire season, came back down the stretch, and they immediately became virtually unbeatable. It's always fun to see how important a role player can actually be.
Stefanie Sparkleface Posted June 8, 2024 Posted June 8, 2024 36 minutes ago, Brian Fowler said: Yeah. IIRC, Fisher missed almost the entire season, came back down the stretch, and they immediately became virtually unbeatable. It's always fun to see how important a role player can actually be. So I was curious and checked; when Fisher comes back, the Lakers go 15-5. Two of the games they lose, Kobe's not in the lineup and they lose to Phoenix by 21 and Sacramento by 24, gaps that don't happen with Kobe in the lineup IMO. The third, Kobe gets hurt against the Knicks (and the Lakers still only lose by 1). So assuming Kobe's doesn't get hurt for the Knicks game, they get that game back. Those gaps are hard to make up in the ones Kobe misses. How about their other losses with Fisher out? They only lose one other game without Kobe in the lineup, to the Sonics by 12 when they completely vanish in overtime, so that's another winnable game with Kobe. When Shaq's out of the lineup, they lose by 1 to Denver in November, then Shaq missed six straight in late-January and early-February where they lose two of those games (Knicks by 10, Minnesota by 13). Those are winnable games with Shaq in the lineup because the rebounding totals are even, the Lakers just aren't hitting shots. Shaq being in there to boost their rebounds and get them some second chance points or interior points could easily swing both games. So at that point, you just need five games where a healthy Fisher swings the total when Kobe/Shaq were both in the lineup, and if you look at the Lakers other losses, it's easy to get to give that Fisher swings back to the Lakers (for example, Utah by 5 in November, Golden State by 3 and Milwaukee by 4 in December, Portland by 5 on Christmas, Indiana by 1 in February).
Brian Fowler Posted June 9, 2024 Posted June 9, 2024 And Luka is questionable for game 2. Jesus Christ "best player on the team playing the Celtics don't get injured" challenge level impossible.
Brian Fowler Posted June 9, 2024 Posted June 9, 2024 Well, Luka is going to play. Has three different injuries listed though.
Brian Fowler Posted June 10, 2024 Posted June 10, 2024 Dallas desperately needs somebody to score with a bit of consistency other than Luka. Just one guy to really put pressure on Boston and points on the board. Kyrie started well today but
SirFozzie Posted June 10, 2024 Posted June 10, 2024 There are clutch blocks, and then there's what D-White just did. LET THE BUFFALO ROAM!
Contentious C Posted June 10, 2024 Posted June 10, 2024 (edited) Yeah, there'll be some "Oh, Brown fouled him" kerfuffle in the media on that play, but hey, guess what Luka did a shit job of all night? Making free throws. Can't complain about single missed calls or close games when you don't do the basics well enough. Another "Tatum shot for shit" game and still took it. Good luck winning 4 out of 5 when you haven't beaten us once in 2 years. Lucky there's another 2 days off for KP's ankle (looked like the ankle to me, at least) to get all the therapy it can. Edited June 10, 2024 by Contentious C
SirFozzie Posted June 10, 2024 Posted June 10, 2024 Zingus is ok, according to Joe: https://www.reddit.com/r/bostonceltics/comments/1dcbe7n/joe_mazzulla_on_if_kristaps_porzingis_reinjured/
Contentious C Posted June 10, 2024 Posted June 10, 2024 It didn't look to me like a reinjury anyway; it looked like he rolled his ankle a bit, so I was thinking some kind of sprain at worst. But whatever it is, he's been just enough - 20-25 minutes a game is all we should need from him at this point, and he's giving that. Looking forward to Wednesday.
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