For The Third Time In The Last Four Years, The Celtics Bow Out In The Eastern Conference Finals

 

    In 2020 and with the easiest path that they'll ever see (think the Bruins last postseason) in real life, it shouldn't have ended like this for the Celtics. Being overmatched in the NBA Finals vs. the Lakers (as painful as it is to say this) would have been understandable and the end to a wonderful season. Instead, dreams of another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals meeting will have to wait for at least another year as Boston lost 125-113 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight vs. Miami in the Disney World bubble. It sucks that it had to come against my favorite team but in a weird way, it was very refreshing to see a team-first club succeed in a league that's typically dominated by stars and little else (see: this season's Lakers). The Celts might have more top-end talent but that couldn't have mattered less as the Heat used great teamwork, balanced scoring and better coaching (and front office moves!) to reach their first NBA Finals since 2014. 

    Boston trailed for most of Game 6 but of course they led by six points (96-90) after a bucket by Jaylen Brown (team-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) early in the fourth quarter. From there, Miami went on a crazy closing run of 35-17 to take it. From the outside, this might have been a stunning ending but not if you've watched the C's blow leads and falter in fourth quarters repeatedly in the Toronto series and basically every game vs. the Heat. Bam Adebayo (career-high 32 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists) was the best player on the court this evening and likewise the best overall player in the entire series from start to finish. Jimmy Butler added 22 points and eight assists while Duncan Robinson added 15 points and six rebounds while crafty veteran Goran Dragic notched 13 points and seven assists. Miami basically only used two guys off their bench but that's all they needed as rookie shooting guard Tyler Herro (19 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds) closed out his star-making series with a flourish and old man Andre Iguodala (15 points, 2 steals) had his best game as a member of the Heat. Jae Crowder is also going to the NBA Finals after he put up nine points, six rebounds and two blocks to close out his former club. 

    Jayson Tatum (24 points, career-high 11 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) had a weird Game 6 as he went scoreless in the first quarter before taking over in the second quarter. Hopefully this pumps the brakes a bit on those that want to say he's one of the best players in the league. Yes, he had a really good season and he shows signs of being a special player all the time but a better, more complete player takes over that series and doesn't get overshadowed by Adebayo or frankly anyone else on Miami. Kemba Walker (5 assists) and Marcus Smart (8 rebounds, 2 steals) both scored twenty points but the real cause of Boston's downfall was their brutal 3-point shooting (15-for-46, 32.6%) which was reminiscent of their Game 7 loss two years ago to LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. I have been a Brad Stevens honk going back to his magical days at Butler but is it time to wonder if he'll ever get over the hump of the ECF? Furthermore, would it kill him to try and change things up in an elimination game when guys like Smart (4-for-13), Tatum and Walker (both 3-for-10) have no solutions to a contest that's quickly slipping away from their grasp then to continue to jack up dreadful 3-pointers with no hope of going in. 

    Gordon Hayward (12 points) just wasn't enough of a factor either in 32 minutes off the bench. Five different Celtics made appearances off the bench but they still managed to get outscored by the unlikely Herro/Iguodala tag team by a count of 34-17. Maybe Danny Ainge could have made a move or two at the trade deadline (groundbreaking idea, I know!) like Miami did to pick up valuable experienced veterans like Iguodala and Crowder. It was easy to make fun of what seemed like minor moves at the time but who's laughing now? Trader Danny gets way too fixated on hoarding draft picks which doesn't make sense since when he's not in the lottery where he can get studs like Tatum or Brown, he honestly does not draft all that well. Like at all. Tatum, Brown and Kemba are a great base to start with but like Stevens, this seems to be their ceiling if they don't decide to further reinforce things by surrounding them with more quality players. 

     Miami led 33-27 after the first quarter then Boston responded to outscore them 33-29 in the second quarter to cut it to a one-possession game (62-60) at halftime. Both teams scored 26 points in the third quarter which should have set up a fantastic fourth quarter but instead the Celtics chose to collectively pee their shorts. They should be embarrassed as the Heat outscored them by 10 (37-27) with a possible Game 7 looming on Wednesday night. Instead, Game 1 between the Lakers and Heat will begin that night (9, ABC). Just like the ball, these numbers don't lie: Miami shot nearly 13% better from the floor (56.3%-43.4%), 15.5% better on 3s (48.1%-32.6%), they attempted 11 more free throws (26-15) and hit 10 more of them (22-12). The Heat also grabbed nine more defensive rebounds (38-29) and handed out four more assists (30-26). 

    Bigger picture, other than some obvious moves by Ainge (another big guy, please!), we can only hope that this serves as another valuable lesson to this team's nucleus of what it takes to win more often at this level. From all accounts, they are likeable guys that put in the work and have more important things than just basketball on their minds 24/7. This is all well and good but professional sports are a results oriented business and going out with a whimper like this will never be an acceptable conclusion for such a proud franchise. The sad reality is that they were frontrunners who started the postseason 6-0 in the bubble, only to sputter to a 4-7 finish after this final debacle. 

     

    

    

    

After An Awful 1st Quarter, Boston Rallies To Force Game 6 vs. Miami With 121-108 Victory

 

    Admit it, there were many times in the first half of tonight's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the Heat that you were screaming at the TV for how badly Boston was playing. In an elimination game from the Disney World bubble, they were completely lifeless in the first quarter as the Heat outscored them 26-18 and things didn't get better at the start of the second quarter as they trailed by as many as 12 points (40-28). Full credit to the C's though who were down 58-51 at halftime but just when everyone started to fully doubt them, they submitted their best frame of the season-starting out on a 20-5 run and outscoring Miami 41-25 (the most points they've scored in a quarter in the playoffs and +16 tied for their best scoring differential in a playoff quarter as well) in the third. From there, they coasted to a 121-108 win which cut Miami's series lead to 3-2. Game 6 is on Sunday night (7:30, ESPN). 

    It was all about picking up the pace for the Celtics as they continued to get stops against the Heat and turned those into layups, wide open 3-pointers and free throws. No surprise that Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) was in the middle of everything for Boston since his 17 points in the third were a new playoff career-high for him. Jaylen Brown (28 points, 8 rebounds) was also really good and it felt like the first time in weeks that they both played well in the same playoff game. Daniel Theis (15 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) outplayed Bam Adebayo (13 points, 8 rebounds) so obviously it was his best game of the series thus far. Kemba Walker (15 points, 7 assists) had a mostly quiet performance although Jeff Van Gundy was raving about it for some reason and Marcus Smart (12 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals) was back to his old self-in a good way. Even Boston's much-maligned bench made some things happen: Gordon Hayward scored 10 points and Enes Kanter scored eight points in 10 minutes of action. 

    Early on when it looked like Boston's season was going down the tube faster than you could say "1-2-3 Cancun," Duncan Robinson (20 points) scored 12 in the first quarter including two drives to the basket which resulted in easy baskets which should never ever happen. Goran Dragic (team-high 23 points) was the only other guy on the Heat to have a solid game but luckily he fouled out in the fourth quarter after he went in for a layup and kneed poor Theis in the junk. Ouch babe. Jimmy Butler was held to 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists while Jae Crowder added 14 points and six rebounds. Game 4 legend Tyler Herro (14 points) thankfully came back down to Earth in a major way. 

    Boston outscored Miami by 20 points in the second half thanks to some atrocious 3-point shooting by the Heat: 7-of-36 for 19.4%. That set a franchise-low for their worst ever shooting percentage from long distance when they had 30+ attempts. It's foolish to think that the Heat will do anything like that in Game 6 but what is sustainable for the Celtics is their determination on rebounds (50-38 overall and 13-6 on offensive boards) while also tallying more than twice as many steals (7-3) as Miami. Boston also hit five more 3-pointers, two more free throws (25-23), had two more assists (29-27) and committed one less turnover (12-11). 

    It sounds silly to say it since most were probably picking the Green to win this series coming into it but right now, all the pressure still lies on the Heat. Sitting in the bubble for months, they've had little else to do but watch the Nuggets twice rally from 3-1 deficits which in normal NBA postseasons are a borderline lock to be over. Boston has more talent than Miami and while it is super frustrating that it takes an elimination situation for it to finally come out again, at least we see that it is still there. The Celtics can reach a level that the Heat can't but the key to that remains in their attitudes and desire to play to their strengths (defense, transition, spreading the ball around, etc.). Boston has already beaten Miami more times this postseason than Indiana and Milwaukee combined. Now, they need to focus and try to duplicate that near perfect third quarter and more than acceptable fourth quarter (29-25). We all desperately want a Game 7 in our lives and the only way to get it is for the C's to once again prove that Games 1-2 and 4 vs. the Heat weren't a true reflection of their capabilities.

      

    

    

Herro (Career-High 37 pts!) & Heat Push Celtics To The Brink Of Elimination With 112-109 Gm. 4 Win

 

    How much difference can one spot in the NBA Draft sometimes make? Well my friends, look no further than the 2019 NBA Draft where Miami had the 13th pick with Boston right after them. The Heat took shooting guard Tyler Herro from Kentucky while the Celtics selected small forward Romeo Langford from Indiana. The story goes that C's GM Danny Ainge loved Herro when he crushed it at a pre-draft workout in Boston but that meant absolutely nothing as he dropped a career-high 37 points tonight at the Disney World bubble while Langford's utterly forgettable rookie campaign is already over after surgery on his wrist. Miami held on for a 112-109 victory in Game 4 to give them a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 5 is on Friday night (8:30, ESPN) and I don't blame you for starting to drink already in anticipation of that one last disappointment from the C's. 

    Only 13 teams in NBA history have ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit although that includes Denver twice already this postseason-against Utah and the fraud Clippers. Boston has done it twice before but not in a long time: 1968 vs. Sixers and 1981 vs. Sixers. This is all glossing over the fact that the Heat are a better team right now at this moment. It doesn't matter how many high draft picks the Celts have on their current roster, Miami has more guys that can go off in a given contest while Boston cannot figure things out from game to game. In fact, since leading 2-0 in the last round vs. Toronto, the C's fell to 3-6 in their last nine games after this loss. Besides Herro (who has scored in double-figures every playoff game), Jimmy Butler (24 points, 9 rebounds), Goran Dragic (22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) and Bam Adebayo (20 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals) all continued to play their roles to perfection and carve up Boston in the process. 

    The final score was closer than it really should have been because numerous questionable foul calls and replays all seemed to go Boston's way near the end. Make no mistake, as ugly as the first half was for both teams, the Heat outscored the Celtics in the first, second and fourth quarters therefore they deserved to win this more. Oh and the simple facts that the Heat had three times as many steals as the Celtics (9-3) while Boston turned the ball over an absurd 11 more times (19-8). Nobody in Green better illustrated the unpredictable nature of the Celtics than Jayson Tatum (9 rebounds, 3 blocks): he went scoreless in the first half then caught fire in the second half to the tune of finishing with a team-high 28 points. Two other Celtics scored 20+ points but just barely: Jaylen Brown had 21 points and nine rebounds while Kemba Walker notched 20 points with five assists. Marcus Smart (10 points, 11 assists, fouled out) picked a poor time to morph back into Marcus Smart when it comes to shooting as he went 3-for-12 from the floor including a disgusting 1-of-8 on 3-pointers. Props to Gordon Hayward (14 points, 7 rebounds in 31 minutes off the bench) who missed the birth of his son (after 3 girls!) this afternoon for this frustrating setback. You think his wife will hold that decision against him for the rest of his life?

    You have to hand it to the NBA for sucking most of the life out of this series by putting two extra days off since Game 3 which in case you forgot happened way back on Saturday night which in 2020 terms was a lifetime ago. The first half was borderline unwatchable and it looked like anything but a game this deep into the postseason. Miami led by one point after the first quarter (24-23) and 50-44 at halftime-the first time that they were up at the break in this series while holding Boston to its lowest scoring first half of the playoffs. 

    We all know how poorly the Celts typically perform in the third quarter at the bubble but not this evening as Tatum caught fire and they outscored the Heat to trail by just one point (77-76) heading into the fourth quarter. To say that the last 12 minutes were a slog is being generous, is there anything more tedious than the end of a close NBA playoff game when there are roughly a thousand whistles and 500 replays/reviews? I didn't think so. Boston shot almost five percent better from the floor (47.6%-42.9%), they hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), grabbed six more rebounds (46-40), handed out eight more assists (28-20) and blocked three more shots (5-2). Bottom line: if they weren't so careless with the ball and/or if they found a way to slow down Herro a tad, this would have been a win. 

    The Celtics have already won when facing elimination this postseason but that was a little different scenario as they had blown a 3-1 lead vs. Toronto and had to survive Game 7 just to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Adebayo appeared to pick up a hand/wrist injury late in Game 4 but he never came off of the court so who knows how serious it is. To lose to the Heat is one thing, I doubt that many Celtics fans realized how good they are but to lose in a gentleman's sweep (5 games) would be downright pathetic. I'd like to think that the C's have too much fight left in them to go out like that but if they get down early and/or big on Friday, do you have any confidence that they'll battle back and not fold? Yeah, me neither. Time to prove us wrong guys! PS I love Brad Stevens but are we starting to see that his teams only have a certain ceiling? Something to chew on until Game 5 tips off, I'll bring the alcoholic beverages-we'll surely need them.

Maybe The C's Aren't Front-Running Frauds As They Take Must-Win ECF Gm 3, 117-106 vs. Heat

 

    It was a tough night for the hot take artists both locally and nationally as the Celtics led from start to finish en route to a 117-106 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami at the Orlando bubble. Trailing 0-2 in the series, Boston simply had to win to at least temporarily save their season and they delivered with their best performance of this postseason (sorry, Game 7 vs. Toronto was a great result but too clunky). Now rather than making vacation plans, the C's get additional time to think about Game 4 which doesn't happen until Wednesday night (8:30, ESPN) thanks to the NBA's wacky schedule. This was only the second loss in the playoffs for the Heat and their first in regulation which has to count for something. 

The gameplan for the Celtics was obvious as they went to the basket at will and outscored the Heat there 60-36 (tied for the most in the past 20 postseasons). If you're looking for a good sign as a Celts fan (haha no Heat fans allowed here anyway!), the last two Eastern Conference champions-Cleveland in 2018 and Toronto last year-also trailed 0-2 in the ECF. I'm just saying. This was the first time all postseason that Boston had four guys score 20+ points: Jaylen Brown led the way with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals; Jayson Tatum (25 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists) just missed out on a rare triple-double; Kemba Walker had 21 points and six rebounds; Marcus Smart added 20 points and six assists. We found out this afternoon that Gordon Hayward (6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, block) would return after missing over a month with an ankle sprain and while his shot was rusty (2-for-7 from the floor), he made a real impact off the bench in 31 quality minutes. 

    Bam Adebayo (game-high 27 points, game-high 16 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) continued to be a force for Miami but luckily, Tyler Herro (22 points off the bench) was the only other Heat to have a solid outing. Jimmy Butler (17 points, 8 rebounds) wasn't much of a factor while Goran Dragic (11 points, 5 assists) and Jae Crowder (10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) were both locked down as they each shot a miserable 2-for-10 from the floor. Fake me out 12-year-old sharpshooter Duncan Robinson put up 13 points on four 3-pointers and an ultra rare (for him) free throw. Boston outscored Miami in the first, second and third quarters but their 20-point lead in the fourth quarter was whittled down to five measly points before they closed it out with some Smart free throws (he was 10-of-10 from the line overall!) down the stretch. 

    The C's led 31-22 after the first and 53-50 at halftime. We held our breath waiting for the inevitable implosion in the third but it never happened as the Celts topped them by a bucket (26-24). The Heat are impossible to put away which coupled with the fact that the Celtics can't close anyone out makes no Boston lead ever safe in this series. Miami outscored them 32-28 in the fourth but thankfully it was too little, too late. Make no mistake, the Green deserved to win as they shot nearly 10% better from the floor (48.2%-38.8%), they pulled down eight more rebounds (50-42), notched six more assists (27-21) and made three more steals (8-5). 

    Looking at the first three games of this series, Boston has outplayed Miami for long stretches, they have been up by double-digits in every contest and yet they still trail 1-2. In many ways since Game 1 was decided in overtime, they could easily lead 2-1 or even 3-0 but here we are. Tonight was further proof that they have a slightly higher ceiling than Miami when they choose to share the basketball and play their signature lockdown defense. Hayward gives them a boost and he brought more positive news saying that his wife Robin (who is very pregnant with the couple's fourth child) will let him stay in the bubble rather than leave for the birth which would require another quarantine. Miami's last loss came in Game 4 vs. Milwaukee so it's nice that they will be hearing and thinking about this setback for longer than usual. We'll see how they respond to a little adversity but you can bet that they are going to be a notch above this imperfect showing. I'm just happy that the Celtics have more meaningful games to play since if they trailed 0-3, Game 4 would have been more useless than those extra days off.

C's Waste Another Big Lead (17 pts) & Nightmare 3rd Quarter Puts Them In 0-2 Hole vs. the Heat

 

    After sweeping the Sixers in the first round and winning the first two games vs. the Raptors, the Celtics fell to 2-5 in their last seven contests after an extremely frustrating 106-101 loss tonight to the Heat at the Disney World bubble in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami improved to a remarkable 10-1 this postseason and took a commanding 2-0 series lead which as we learned in the last round against Toronto, teams that are up 2-0 in a best-of-7 series have advanced 93% of the time (like the C's in 7 games vs. the Raptors). Ruh roh. Game 3 is on Saturday night in primetime (8:30, ESPN) and needless to say, Boston will be playing to save their postseason since no team in NBA history has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit. No pressure or anything. This loss does not fall solely on Celts head coach Brad Stevens but this series means very much to his NBA career and he fell to 4-10 (.286) all-time in the ECF including 1-5 (.167) in his last six games. 

    If you watched the game or even just by glancing at the box score, you can see that the third quarter essentially decided everything: down 13 at halftime, Miami absolutely blitzed Boston 37-17 (their worst scoring margin all season!) which was enough to help them survive getting outscored in all three other quarters. Oh and double-digit leads continue to mean nothing as Boston was up by as many as 17 points in the second quarter (58-41 with 3:19 left in the half); they've now blown double-digit advantages in four of their five playoff losses. I despise cliches but watching these first two games, you can clearly see that Miami is the much hungrier team. The Celtics have more talent on paper than the Heat but Miami is playing more unselfish, team basketball. How else do you explain six Heat scoring in double figures led by Goran Dragic's game-high 25 points while Boston only had four guys in double figures? 

    Duncan Robinson (18 points) caught fire early on with a trio of 3-pointers but the Celtics managed to lead 31-28 after the first quarter. Boston's best 12 minutes of Game 2 came in the second quarter as their defense locked down Miami to the tune of 29-19. The C's outscored the Heat in the third quarter in Game 1-which didn't matter since they lost in OT-but they were back to their nightmare third quarters from the Toronto series. Suddenly, they forgot how to defend simple pick-and-rolls where Bam Adebayo (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) got dunks and easy buckets over and over again. Neither Jae Crowder (12 points, 3 steals) nor Tyler Herro (11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) were as good as they had been in the series opener but at least they did something. Jimmy Butler (14 points, 4 steals) was invisible but somehow his teammates lifted him up and you can bet that he won't have another complete clunker like that in this round at least.

    Kemba Walker (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was Boston's highest scorer and best player, Jayson Tatum (21 points, 5 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 6 rebounds) were fine and Marcus Smart (14 points) did his thing but collectively it wasn't enough. Boston's bench was a factor in the first half as Enes Kanter made a rare playoff appearance and put up nine points and six rebounds which sadly turned out to be his final stat line as well. Brad Wanamaker made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half but he predictably was held to one point in the second half while Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams combined to play 19 minutes but they went scoreless (granted they took 2 shots, both misses by Semi). Romeo Langford also came out of witness protection in the first quarter, got hurt in 1:21 (right adductor strain) and never returned. He was the 14th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, what was Celts GM Danny Ainge thinking there? 

    You look at the stat sheet and in some ways, it's stunning that the Celtics found a way to lose. They shot 5.6% better from the floor (50%-44.4%), hit seven more free throws (19-12) and grabbed three more rebounds. On the other hand, Miami hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down five more offensive rebounds (11-6), they dished out eight more assists (27-19), had more than twice as many steals (11-5) and committed 11 less turnovers (20-9). Therefore the Heat boatraced the Celtics on points off turnovers (26-10) and put up five more second chance points (16-11). This evening was the first time in the postseason that Boston trailed in a series and we saw how well they dealt with a little adversity in that instance. 

    If we are being real here, Game 3 is all about the Celtics since the Heat are playing with house money at this point (not only making it this far but surprisingly leading the series 2-0 to boot). If they fold and go down 0-3, there will be endless questions asked of Ainge, Stevens and their top players for however long this unpredictable offseason lasts. Celtics fandom aside, we all know that this should be a six or seven game series because there really is not that much separating them from the Heat or at least there shouldn't be. Saturday will show us what they're truly made of and if we have grossly overrated them all along. 

If Gm. 1 of the ECF-Won 117-114 by Miami in OT-Is Any Indication, Buckle Up For A Hell Of A Series

 

    A very troubling trend for the Celtics began in the last round of the playoffs vs. the Raptors: they really struggled to put away Toronto time and again which is why what should have been a gentleman's sweep (5 games) ended up going the distance. Even in Game 7, their defense-and the Raptors' inept offense-were the main reasons that they were able to hold on. Up 14 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 tonight vs. Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals in the Disney World bubble, you might have put that painful theme out of your mind. Unfortunately, the Heat outscored the Celts 35-23 in that frame and 11-8 in overtime en route to a crazy 117-114 victory. This was an especially rough loss for the C's since they not only had a chance to win it at the end of regulation (with the ball in their best player's uber-talented hands) but they were also up by one point late in overtime and they could not hang on. 

    Jayson Tatum's (game-high 30 points, game-high 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals & 2 blocks) numbers look great but his 3-pointer to win it at the buzzer was a questionable decision at best and then after Kemba Walker (19 points, 6 assists, 6-for-19 shooting) hit a clutch basket to put Boston ahead 114-113 with 23.6 seconds left in OT, Jimmy Butler (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) answered with a big-time And-1. He made the free throw too which set up the play of the game: Tatum drove to the basket but was stuffed at the rim by Bam Adebayo (18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks). Of course the former Kentucky star only made one of his two free throws, leaving just enough time for Tatum to catch a long inbounds pass, fall down, get up then have a heavily contested tying 3-pointer rim out. Ugh, just brutal.

    It was a bizarre contest from start to finish since Boston outscored Miami 26-18 in the first quarter then the Heat couldn't miss in the second quarter (37-29) to make it 55-55 at halftime. The Celts got over their series-long bugaboo of terrible third quarters vs. Toronto with a solid 12 minutes this evening (28-16). Boston's foul trouble caught up to them when it mattered though as Miami shot 12 of their 28 free throws in the fourth after the Celtics got into the penalty early.

    Both clubs were understandably gassed by the time that overtime came around and it showed in Tatum's uncharacteristic ice cold shooting (2-of-10 in the 4th quarter and overtime combined). Goran Dragic somehow led the Heat with 29 points and he added seven assists as well while former Celtic Jae Crowder (22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) was fantastic. Williams College alum Duncan Robinson (6 points in 17 minutes) was a non-factor since he picked up three fouls in the first half but it wasn't much of a loss since Tyler Herro played 40 minutes (!) off the bench and almost notched a triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists). 

    Marcus Smart (26 points, 6-for-13 on 3-pointers!) continues to play great while Jaylen Brown (17 points, 5 rebounds) could never really get untracked. Boston's bench was outscored 22-18 by Miami but more importantly, they wasted Brad Wanamaker's (11 points, 6 assists, 5 steals!!) best performance in the NBA. The main story was that the Heat surprisingly played bully ball on the Celtics, to the tune of outscoring them 48-26 in the paint. Yeesh. Miami shot 2.8% better from the field (47.1%-44.3%), hit one more 3-pointer (16-15), grabbed four more rebounds (41-37) and handed out eight more assists (32-24) which sneaky was another huge subplot-too much 1-on-1 by the C's. Boston made three more steals (9-6) and had two less turnovers (12-10) as both teams played pretty clean playoff basketball.

    No rational person thought this would be a quick series but clearly, it's imperative for the Celtics to make the proper adjustments and get a win in Game 2 on Thursday night (7:00, ESPN). They didn't play bad in Game 1 but they have to find a way to seal up these playoff wins when they get the chance. Brown will be better and I'd say that Kemba is due as well after three straight sub-standard outings by him. Dragic won't drop 29 points again or I might keel over. Whatever it takes, Boston can't afford to go down 2-0 vs. Miami because they are a real tough matchup/mirror image of them.  

     

     

    

The Raptors Survive An Epic Double Overtime Thriller (125-122) To Force Game 7 vs. The Celtics

 

    Where do you begin after watching the craziest game of the NBA playoffs this season? Let's start with the most important fact: Toronto outlasted Boston 125-122 in double overtime meaning that Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals will be in primetime on Friday night (9, TNT). The winner advances to face Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals while the loser exits the Disney World bubble for good. As you can assume by the score and the stage, there were many heroes for both teams and perhaps only one real goat. There was no question who was the star of the night (and perhaps the best player of the series): Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (game-high 33 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) simply refused to let his team lose. Toronto has now won three of the last four games in the series after Boston took the first two games. 

    The Raptors also received a solid outing from Lowry's backcourt mate Fred VanVleet (21 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals) which was not a shock. Arguably, Toronto's second-best player on the night was an unexpected one-Norman Powell-who scored 23 points (including 10 points in OT) off the bench. OG Anunoby (13 points, 13 rebounds) had a double-double while Pascal Siakam (12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) didn't do much when you consider that he played the most minutes of anybody on either side (54). Serge Ibaka was questionable coming into Game 6 with a sprained ankle but he gutted it out and posted 13 points with three blocks in 21 minutes off the bench.

    Before this evening, the Celtics were 15-0 when Jaylen Brown scored 25+ points in a playoff game. As I've always said, goofy stats are made to be broken since Brown was excellent with a team-high 31 points, a team-high 16 rebounds and two steals. Marcus Smart (23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) had a triple-double while Jayson Tatum (29 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks) nearly matched that. Daniel Theis (18 points, 7 rebounds) also played well, particularly in overtime where he finished a pair of alley-oops. I can't fairly pin the loss on one guy but Kemba Walker (5 points on 2-for-11 shooting, 7 assists) was invisible. If he had been anywhere near his normal self, Boston would have won this going away by double-digits. 

    This followed Game 5's start as Toronto was ice cold but the Celtics weren't much better as they grabbed a 25-21 lead after the first 12 minutes. Both teams scored 27 points in the second quarter giving Boston a slim 52-48 advantage at halftime. A disturbing storyline from the entire series continued as the Raptors outscored the Celtics in the third quarter (33-25). I could probably be on Brad Stevens' staff (assuming that I could quarantine and pass a bunch of Covid-19 tests in time) if I solved that riddle, why does that keep happening? The first quarter was a brickfest and the fourth quarter was the sequel that nobody wanted as neither team could buy a bucket but the C's did just enough (21-17) to force overtime. The first overtime was pretty gross as well because each club could only manage a measly eight points apiece. Things heated up in the second overtime with the Raptors outscoring the Celtics 19-16.

Take a breath, I think that we all need one at this point. Some stats were eerily similar: they each hit 44 shots from the floor including 19 3-pointers. Toronto had twice as many steals (10-5) and blocks (8-4) and three less turnovers (15-12) which gives you an idea how Boston lost when they grabbed 12 more rebounds (58-46) including six more offensive (14-8) and dished out 10 more assists (32-22). Oh and the Raptors' bench outscored the Celtics' bench 38-16. Yeesh. 

    Looking ahead to Friday which promises to be very exciting for basketball and sports fans in general, Boston is 23-7 all-time in Game 7s (2-1 under Stevens) while Toronto is 3-2 all-time although they've won their last three in a row. There really isn't that much left to say, it's just a question of which players/team will step up when it matters the absolute most? The stakes are going to be very high as the Raptors bid for their second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance while the Celtics try for their third trip there in four years. You figured that this would be a great series and while it's been bumpy at times, here we are.  

     

    

    

    

    

    

After Getting Embarrassed In Game 5, The Raptors Look Like A Team That's Ready To Exit The Bubble

 

    When it comes to playoff series in any sports, it's all about the bounce back effort-after a win or a loss. For a still relatively young group like this edition of the Celtics who sprinted out to a 2-0 series lead vs. the Raptors, only to lose the next two games in frustrating fashion, tonight showed why they have a great chance to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and perhaps even beyond that. Boston led Toronto from start to finish in a true Game 5 beatdown, 111-89 (it wasn't even that close since they were up 30 points for a brief moment) that gives them a 3-2 series lead with a chance to send the Raptors back to Canada on Wednesday night (6:30, ESPN). 

    The C's defense was locked in from the opening tip as they held Toronto to just 11 points in the first quarter which tied a franchise record for the lowest output in a playoff frame. This had the feeling of an early-round March Madness mismatch as Boston was in front by 27 points (62-35) at halftime before the ultra rare extended garbage time (basically the entire second half) in an Eastern Conference semifinal game. The Raptors outscored the Celtics 28-25 in the third quarter and 26-24 in the fourth quarter, haha they should be very proud of themselves for that.  

    After being held under 20 points in each of the first four games of the series, Jaylen Brown exploded for a game-high 27 points with six rebounds and three steals. He had the highlight of the game (and one of the top plays thus far in the postseason) when he dunked on Game 3's hero but current zero OG Anunoby (who was a game-low minus-26!!!!!). I've maintained that Boston's starting five is better than Toronto's and they proved it once again this evening as they all had at least 12 points: Kemba Walker (21 points, 7 assists)-who has been the best all-around player in the series-was over 20 points for the second time in the series, Jayson Tatum (18 points, 10 rebounds) notched another double-double, Daniel Theis (15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) put together one of his best performances as a Celtic and Marcus Smart (12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists) was back to his usually most effective self in a more defensive-minded role. Hell my man Brad Wanamaker played 28 minutes (which is a lifetime for a substitute like him) and scored a playoff career-high 15 points which is really all you need to know about how well Game 5 turned out for the Green. 

    Toronto's offense was extinct all game long (too soon dinosaur fans?) with only three starters scoring in double-figures: Fred VanVleet (team-high 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) was the lone Raptor who showed up while Kyle Lowry (10 points, 5 assists, 2 steals) morphed back into the guy who used to always disappear in the playoffs while Pascal Siakam (10 points) continues to fortify his case as the fraud of this round of the playoffs for either conference. Marc Gasol was held scoreless in 14 invisible minutes which is saying something for where he's at in his long NBA career and the only explanation for him starting every game is that he must have naked pictures of his goofy head coach Nick Nurse or something. Off the bench, Norman Powell (16 points) was Toronto's second-leading scorer which is never a good thing unless it's a preseason game and something called Matt Thomas added 10 points. As you can imagine, the stats were all laughably in Boston's favor: they shot nearly 11% better from the floor (49.4%-38.8%), hit more than twice as many free throws (24-11) and they grabbed nine more rebounds (45-36) than Toronto.   

I would not assume that Game 6 will be easy for the Celtics but the fact is that the Raptors have been in the Disney World bubble longer than any other team so you have to wonder if they already each have one large foot out of their luxury hotel room doors. They won an NBA title last season and without Kawhi Leonard, nobody thought that they would come anywhere close to a repeat. They have had a great season but Boston is a better club in almost every measurable way. Miami failed yesterday in their first opportunity to eliminate Milwaukee but no worries there since they still lead the very overrated Bucks 3-1 and Giannis has seriously hurt his ankle two games in a row. The point is that the C's should bring this same level of focus and intensity to Wednesday so they don't give the Raptors any hope in a winner-take-all Game 7 on Friday night which nobody from Boston wants any part of, trust me on that. The C's cannot expect the Heat to lose again to Milwaukee so they'd best follow their lead and get to the Eastern Conference Finals ASAP.  

 

    

    

The Celtics Should Have Buried The Raptors When They Had The Chance, Because Now It's A Series

 

    Well it's time to take the Raptors seriously since they outplayed the Celtics tonight in Game 4 and evened up the series 2-2 with a grimy 100-93 victory. Toronto hit 10 more 3-pointers than Boston and for the fourth straight contest, they outscored the Celts in the third quarter (32-24) to create some separation after it was tied 49-49 at halftime. Jayson Tatum (24 points, 10 rebounds) was really the only Celtic that played well as Kemba Walker (15 points, 8 assists) somehow only took nine shots in the entire game while Jaylen Brown (14 points, 6 rebounds) was ice cold shooting 4-for-18 overall and 2-of-11 on 3-pointers.

    The best players on the Raptors carried them as Pascal Siakam (23 points, 11 rebounds), Kyle Lowry (22 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals) and Fred VanVleet (17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) all played the entire 24 minutes of the second half. Meanwhile, Serge Ibaka (18 points, 7 rebounds) continued to be very effective in limited minutes (22) off the bench. The Game 3 hero OG Anunoby (11 points, 2 blocks) was back to being a nobody. We can all agree that Game 3 was a fluky win by the Raptors but they didn't need any luck in this one, they were the superior team and they earned the right to be back in the series. They doubled up the Celtics in second-chance points (24-12) which perfectly illustrates how much more they wanted this. Boston has to be kicking themselves for not hanging on in Game 3 and now they've dropped two games in a row after starting the postseason 6-0.

    Using the momentum from Thursday night, Toronto got things going with a strong first quarter-outscoring Boston 31-27. Foreshadowing the fourth quarter, the C's clawed back in a gross second quarter (22-18). The Celts only were able to put up 20 points in the fourth quarter while the Raptors had 19 points, so they needed way more offense in crunch time to grab the win or at least to send it to overtime. Since his excellent Game 1 outing, Daniel Theis (8 points, 7 rebounds) has been contained while Marcus Smart (8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) predictably has struggled for the past two games after dominating in the first two contests. For once, Boston's bench was actually pretty solid as Semi Ojeleye and Brad Wanamaker both scored seven points but Robert Williams continues to fade as well as he was held to six points and five rebounds after he scored in double-figures in the first two games of the series. 

    Toronto handed out five more assists (23-18) than Boston, they blocked three more shots (5-2) and had two fewer turnovers (14-12). Needless to say, Game 5 on Monday night (6:30, ESPN) is enormous for both teams. The Celts went 3-1 against the Raptors in the regular season then after going up 2-0 in this series, you felt like Boston was in great shape, especially when they led by two points with 0.5 seconds left in Game 3. Since then, things have completely been turned upside down starting with Anunoby's prayer followed by tonight's sloppy performance by the C's. I still have confidence that they will win this series but Toronto is for real and Boston can't let up anymore. They should take a cue from Miami who is about to surprisingly sweep Milwaukee to reach the Eastern Conference Final. 

    

      

      

    

    

Anunoby Hits A Game-Winning 3-Pointer At The Buzzer, Toronto Gets By Boston 104-103 In Gm 3

 

    Tonight was a painful reminder to the Celtics and their fans to not get too ahead of ourselves. Relax with all the NBA Finals talk since they still have a ton of work to do to make that dream a reality. Kemba Walker (team-high 29 points) found Daniel Theis (9 points, 7 rebounds) with a beautiful no-look bounce pass and the resulting dunk put the C's ahead 103-101 with 0.5 seconds left in regulation. Suddenly, a 3-0 series lead (then maybe a sweep?) and a guaranteed trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was on all of our minds. That came to a crashing halt though since Kyle Lowry (game-high 31 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) threw a perfect inbounds pass from one side of the court to the other to OG Anunoby (12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) and he hit a wide-open 3-pointer as time expired. If nothing else, at least now we have a series more befitting of these two clubs-not the first-round joke of a sweep against the Sixers. 

    Before Game 1, I don't think anybody expected a sweep or even a five-game series so perhaps this was long overdue after the Raptors didn't show up in the opener and then they fell short in Game 2. Toronto's stay in the bubble was basically on the line since no NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit and they stepped up as you would expect from a defending champion. Along with Lowry, Fred VanVleet (25 points, 6 assists) played much better than he had in the first two games. Pascal Siakam (16 points, 7 rebounds) still hasn't made much of a difference so he's probably due to have a big performance at some point. Maybe his 14 points in the second half of Game 3 was a sign of things to come for him. Marc Gasol (10 points, 6 rebounds) remained in the starting lineup and he was better than Game 1 or 2 which isn't saying that much.

    This was Tatum's worst game of the postseason as he went 5-for-18 from the floor for 15 silent points. Jaylen Brown (19 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) played well until the final sequence where he got caught doubling Gasol in the lane thus leaving Anunoby by himself standing at the 3-point line. He was very frustrated after the loss which is completely understandable but I am confident that he will channel that energy into Game 4 on Saturday night (6:30, TNT). Tatum getting contained for one night wasn't surprising but the real lock of the century was Marcus Smart (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals) going ice cold (4-for-15 overall, 2-for-9 on 3-pointers) after doing his best Steph Curry impression to start this series.

    Kemba dropped an amazing 17 points in the first quarter as Boston led 33-28. He hit his customary buzzer beating 3-pointer to cap off a stellar first half for the C's who were up 57-47 at halftime. Toronto fought back with a strong third quarter (29-23) and they squeaked by in the fourth quarter (28-23) to regain some life in this series. The bottom line was that the Celtics let this one slip away despite the Raptors hitting four more 3-pointers (13-9) than them. The C's hit seven more free throws (16-9), grabbed five more rebounds (44-39) and blocked two more shots (7-5).

    The players were allowed to have family members join them in the bubble before the second round of the playoffs so it'll be nice to get away from basketball for a bit before they get back to work. Game 4 will likely dictate if this will be a long series or not. If Toronto wins and ties the series at two games apiece, they start over and it becomes a best-of-3 series. Conversely, if Boston bounces back and takes it, that should be a wrap. Tatum was awful tonight and what are the odds that will happen again? Plus, it took a miracle finish for the Raptors to win so as frustrating as this was for the C's, I wouldn't sweat it too much. They are bound to play better on Saturday and I doubt that Lowry and VanVleet will combine for 56 points (or more) for the second game in a row.

       

        

    

      

Boston Outscored Toronto By 11 Points In The 4th Quarter To Take Game 2 By A Score Of 102-99

 

    The Celtics did not play well for much of Game 2 against the Raptors tonight in the Eastern Conference semifinals but led by Jayson Tatum (playoff career-high 34 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), Marcus Smart (19 points including five 3-pointers in the 4th quarter) and Kemba Walker (17 points, 6 rebounds), they still managed to find a way to come out on top. Boston's 102-99 victory gives them a 2-0 lead in the series and in NBA history, teams that are up 2-0 in best-of-7 playoff series have gone on to win that series 93% of the time. 

    As expected, the Raptors were better than their no-show on Sunday in Game 1 but it still wasn't enough. OG Anunoby is a nice defender and role player but when he leads Toronto in scoring (like he did tonight with 20 points), that is great news for the C's. Fred VanVleet added 19 points and seven assists but he is still ice-cold on 3-pointers (3-for-12 this evening including his miss at the buzzer that would have sent it to overtime). Pascal Siakam (17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) is an All-Star for a reason but so far against Boston, he hasn't been much of a factor for the defending NBA champions. Kyle Lowry (16 points, 7 assists, 4 steals) also couldn't buy a 3-pointer (0-for-7 in Game 2). For the second straight game, Serge Ibaka (17 points, 9 rebounds) was one of the few bright spots for Toronto yet he once again didn't start but I guess that doesn't really matter since he logged six more minutes than the washed up Marc Gasol (6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks). 

    Toronto's head coach Nick Nurse is starting to feel the pressure as he constantly worked the crooked refs and after another loss, he bitched to the media about all of Tatum's free throws (he went 14-of-14 from the line). You can sense the desperation, after all he's not stupid: he realizes that his team while very solid is still flawed with no real go-to scorer in crunch time. He also understands that Game 2 was a vital opportunity to tie the series. Instead, now they will be playing for their bubble lives on Thursday night (6:30, ESPN) since no team in the NBA has ever rallied from a 0-3 deficit in a playoff series.

    The Celts have Tatum which is their biggest advantage but they also possess a bunch of other guys that can go off at different times. Jaylen Brown (16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) has been relatively quiet so far in this series so he's due for a breakout performance at some point. Daniel Theis only scored three points but he still made his presence felt with nine rebounds and three blocks. Likewise, Robert Williams (11 points) continues to be an immediate spark off the bench for Boston.

    It was tied at 28 after the first quarter and the Celts had a slim two-point lead (50-48) at halftime. Toronto had their first really good quarter of the series in the third-outscoring the Celtics 30-20-but their double-digit advantage late in the frame wasn't enough to propel them to a win in the fourth quarter.

    Besides shooting better than Toronto both from the floor (they made 4 more 3-pointers than them) and hitting more free throws (23-16), the C's corralled three more rebounds (44-41) and blocked two more shots (9-7). Other than hoping and praying that VanVleet and Lowry heat up or that Siakam takes over, I'm not sure what Nurse's strategy will be to try and turn this series around in a hurry. Boston is a step above them in class and I believe that will continue to be proven for however long this lasts. 

     

    

    

    

Celts Blow Out Raptors 112-94 In A Non-Competitive Gm 1 Of The Eastern Conf. Semifinals

 

    After a week between playoff games, it was impossible to know what to expect from the opener between the Celtics and Raptors. Regardless if you root for either team or if you are a neutral observer, I doubt many people predicted such an easy win for the C's in Game 1. Boston took it by a score of 112-94 (that truthfully wasn't that close) after building a 19-point lead in the first quarter and never trailing for the entire contest. Haha talk about a winning combination, if they can do something like that in every game for the rest of the series I like their chances to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years. 

    If the C's do win this series-their first ever against the Raptors-I shall dub today's performance "The Marcus Smart Game." He tied Jayson Tatum (9 rebounds) with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point land. We all know that Smart's shooting comes and goes like the tides in New England waters so you have to appreciate when he is feeling it like he did today. All of Boston's starting lineup had at least 13 points as Daniel Theis scored 13 and grabbed a career playoff-high 15 rebounds with two blocks, Kemba Walker added 18 points and a playoff career-high 10 assists while Jaylen Brown notched 17 points despite a rough shooting afternoon (6-for-18). 

    The Raptors are still the defending NBA champions so you have to respect them. Nick Nurse was the Coach of the Year and they have really overachieved in 2019-20 without last season's NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard who took his considerable talents to the Clippers. In many ways, Toronto is a carbon copy of Boston (minus the star power of Tatum): they play great team defense, almost everybody can hit 3s, they compete hard every game and they have a bunch of versatile players. Just like Smart's shooting was a mirage, Toronto struggling so much offensively (36.9% overall including 25% on 3s) figures to pick up in a major way. Kyle Lowry (17 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) was their leading scorer while Pascal Siakam was held to 13 points, OG Anunoby notched 12 points and seven rebounds but Fred VanVleet was the real weak link with 11 points, eight assists and six steals on a horrific 3-for-16 shooting including 2-for-11 on 3-pointers. 

    Toronto's bench was actually pretty good as Serge Ibaka put up 15 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes plus Norman Powell scored 10 points. In the exact same amount of playing time, Ibaka was way more effective than the ghost of Marc Gasol (7 points, 6 rebounds) so that would be an obvious change to the starting lineup for Game 2 at center for the Raptors. Robert Williams did about as well as he possibly could with 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes off Boston's bench. Gasol is way too old, fat and slow to keep up with Time Lord's ridiculous athleticism.

    The Celtics just never gave the Raptors any hope of coming back today let alone winning Game 1. They were up 39-23 after the first quarter and 59-42 at halftime thanks to Kemba's buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Tatum hit a sweet fadeaway jumper at the end of the third quarter which gave Boston a comfortable 88-73 lead. A great sign for the C's heading into Game 2 on Tuesday night (5:30, ESPN) is that teams that win Game 1 in best-of-7 NBA series go on to take that series 76% of the time. Of course you can expect the Raptors to play much better but then again odds are that Tatum and Brown will improve as well. Toronto is not Philadelphia, they are tough but I like Boston's depth and abundance of scoring options compared to the Raptors' rather limited offense if they aren't making a bunch of 3s. Game 2 is a huge one since being up 2-0 in the bubble compared to tied 1-1 makes a (Disney) world of difference.   

     

    

      

    

Celtics Sweep The Hapless 76ers Out of The 1st Round, Setting Up A Juicy Matchup With Toronto

 

    The Celtics and the Sixers have met 15 times in best-of-seven series in their storied NBA rivalry but this turned out to be the first time that there was a sweep as Boston sealed it with a 110-106 victory this afternoon in Game 4 at the Orlando bubble. It was another clunky effort for the C's but the bottom line was that they got the job done and advanced to the second round for the fourth year in a row thanks to a game-high 32 points from Kemba Walker who advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in his long career. Jayson Tatum added a beefy double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds, Jaylen Brown scored 16 points and Daniel Theis notched 15 points as the C's move forward to a much-anticipated meeting with the Raptors-a team that they've surprisingly never met before in the postseason (the only team in the East that can say that). 

    The Sixers had no real reason to show up for this pointless contest but they managed to make the Celts sweat a bit too much for our liking. Joel Embiid put up 30 points and 10 rebounds in his final game of the 2020 season. Tobias Harris (20 points) showed what he's made of as he returned from a scary fall earlier in the game when his face smashed violently against the court. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton both scored 14 points while the ghost of Al Horford managed to record maybe the least impressive double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in playoff history. Finally, Alec Burks scored 13 points off the bench for Philly but without Ben Simmons, this series was a wrap before it even began. The Sixers are a very flawed team so whenever next season begins, they figure to look way different both on the bench (coaches and players) and on the floor. 

    Boston got off to a slow start-trailing 32-27 after the first quarter and 58-57 at halftime. The turning point was Harris' injury late in the third quarter that forced him to go to the locker room for a bit with a towel covering some sort of cut near his eye. That propelled the Celtics to a 19-2 run into the fourth quarter, with a dagger 3-pointer by Tatum at the end of the third quarter that gave Boston a 12-point lead (89-77). Philly took the final frame (29-21) but their brutal 3-point shooting (9-for-34, 26.5%) and seven less assists (19-12) than the Celtics helped to send them out of the happiest place on Earth.

    I think I echoed the same sentiment in all four games vs. the Sixers that the C's would have to play much better to beat the Raptors and get to the Eastern Conference Finals. Toronto swept Brooklyn today as well, which proves absolutely nothing since the Nets were the worst team to make the playoffs in either league this bizarre year. They don't have Kawhi Leonard anymore which seems quite relevant but the Raptors are still the defending NBA champs and they have played great lately (14-1 in their last 15 games). In many ways, they are a scrappy, tough defensive team like Boston with versatile guys like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet that won't be rattled. Also, if you like Brad Stevens, Nick Nurse is arguably better than him-he was named NBA Coach of the Year yesterday. For what it's worth, the C's went 3-1 against Toronto in the regular season.

    Game 1 is not until Thursday night (time TBA) so the only real thing to pay attention to the next few days when it comes to this series is the status of Kyle Lowry. The Raptors' do-everything point guard left today's blowout (150-122 over the Nets) with an ankle sprain and he's getting an MRI tomorrow. Obviously, they didn't need him to close out Brooklyn so they were probably being extra cautious looking ahead to a real opponent on the horizon. If he misses time or even if he's hurt enough to not be himself, that would be a huge development for both clubs. Stay tuned, either way this is going to be a fantastic series between what I believe are the two best/most well-rounded teams in the Eastern Conference-sorry Bucks.  

      

     

       

     

    

    

The Celtics Close On A 10-0 Run To Beat the 76ers 102-94 & Take An Insurmountable 3-0 Series Lead

 

    In their final breath at the Disney World bubble, the 76ers pushed the Celtics to play almost an entire playoff game before they predictably collapsed down the stretch. Paced by Kemba Walker (24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) who was the only relevant guy on Boston to have a solid performance, Boston did just enough to cover (degenerate gamblers everywhere rejoice!) but more importantly capture Game 3 by a final score of 102-94. I'd love to see what kind of outrageous odds that you could get on Philadelphia coming back from an 0-3 deficit and winning four straight games to take the series since get this: no NBA team has ever fully rallied from an 0-3 hole. Like contestants on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette going on a 2-on-1 date, I am sure that all the Sixers already have their bags packed and sitting by their hotel room doors ready to be taken away. 

    Despite the C's trailing 94-92 with 2:14 left in regulation, I can't say that I was sweating it too much since I knew that they'd find a way to come out on top without even needing overtime to decide things. It has to be a good sign long-term for Boston that they were able to win even though Jaylen Brown (20 points, 7 rebounds but 6-for-16 shooting) and Jayson Tatum (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks on 6-for-19 shooting) were far from their best. Typical of a grinding, somewhat grimy contest, Marcus Smart (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) shined more than usual. Daniel Theis had eight rebounds, five rebounds and two blocks before fouling out (he literally got battered by Joel Embiid all night long) and once again, Boston's bench outscored Philadelphia by a decent margin: 20-8 thanks to Grant Williams (7 points) and Enes Kanter (6 points, 6 rebounds).

    This being the NBA, they were sure to assign one of their most crooked referees (which is really saying something) and true to form Scott Foster called four more fouls on Boston which resulted in 10 more free throws for Philadelphia. Tatum actually was whistled for three fouls in the first half hence why he never could really get untracked. Philly also dominated the Celts on the glass (57-45)-which could be a serious issue against a worthy opponent-including an absurd 20 offensive rebounds yet somehow Boston still found a way to get it done. 

    Embiid had a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds which is misleading since he went 7-for-20 from the floor but 14-of-16 at the free throw line. He also had a game-high four turnovers and was a game-low minus-18 for what that's worth. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton both scored 17 points while Tobias Harris put up 15 points and 15 rebounds. With Ben Simmons out, this was played at Philly's preferred slow pace but their half-court offense was a disaster because as a team they shot 29.5% from the floor (2nd worst in the league this season!) which is horrid. Alec Burks scored nine points off the bench for them with the three other Sixers that appeared off the bench going scoreless. Yeesh. 

    I think I hear Philadelphia's team bus already idling outside the arena in anticipation of Sunday's matinee (1, ABC) beatdown on national TV. I wouldn't be surprised if it's one of the fastest games in NBA playoff history. After the Sixers get eliminated and BU alum Brett Brown is fired (since this is all his fault, haha right) shortly after that, perhaps he can be hired to be a monorail conductor at Disney World. It's been a minute since my last trip to Disney, is that still a thing? Needless to say, other than getting the sweep (which as I noted above is basically a given), the only thing the C's should worry about is keeping everyone healthy. I doubt the final score will be close so it would certainly help to get the starters out ASAP with Toronto (also up 3-0 on hapless Brooklyn) on deck for what should be a hell of a series, far from this waste of everybody's collective time and energy during a pandemic. 

 

    

      

    

Can This Shift To A Best-of-5 Series Because the 76ers Don't Belong On the Same Court as the Celts

 

    Boston spotted Philadelphia a 14-point lead in the first quarter (25-11) of Game 2 but it hardly could have mattered less as the Celtics rolled to an emphatic 128-101 blowout. They now lead the first round series 2-0 and this has all the makings of a sweep, I'm just waiting to hear the Sixers chant "1-2-3 Cancun" in one of their huddles while Brett Brown starts updating his resume and LinkedIn profile. On one hand, the Orlando bubble has shown us that nobody is unbeatable without the crutch of home-court advantage to fall back on as the top seeds in both conferences (Bucks and Lakers) each lost their Game 1 yesterday. Still, at this rate it'll be shocking if the C's don't win the next two games by double-digits easy. 

        I almost feel bad for Joel Embiid (game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds) because he is one of the NBA's best players but right now, his supporting cast is a bunch of nobodies and that's being extremely generous. Somewhere Ben Simmons wakes up in a cold sweat. No matter what they do, Philly has less than zero chance to win this series especially after losing the first two games. Then again, how much less engaged can they get? On the other end of the court, Jayson Tatum (33 points including 8-for-12 on 3-pointers with 5 rebounds and 5 assists) continues his rise to NBA royalty in his own right. At the ripe old age of 22, his potential seems limitless and he's lucky that he has more than capable teammates like Jaylen Brown (20 points, 5 rebounds) and Kemba Walker (22 points) around him.

    After outscoring Boston 33-27 in the first quarter (when they should have been up by way more), Philadelphia fell off a cliff for the rest of this laugher. The Celts posted 30+ in each of the last three frames: 38-24 in the second quarter, 33-18 in the third quarter and 30-26 in the fourth quarter. As you can imagine, basically the entire second half was extended garbage time and as such, many role players for the C's had nice nights. Starting for the injured Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart had 10 points on a very Smart-esque 3-for-11 shooting (1-for-7 on 3s!). Enes Kanter nearly had a double-double (10 points, 9 rebounds) in only 22 minutes of action.  Rookie Grant Williams added nine points and six rebounds for Boston while Brad Wanamaker scored seven points and rookie Romeo Langford notched six points. Hell even Tacko Fall had three points in his NBA playoff debut.

    If the roles were reversed and Brad Stevens was in charge of this junior varsity version of the Sixers, you at least could count on him getting the most out of the limited roster. Also, the team would always play hard no matter what. Unfortunately for the Sixers, they are stuck with Brown (not for long though!) who is woefully overmatched when he runs into any competent NBA counterpart. Then again, what can be reasonably expected of a starting lineup that includes such lumanaries as Josh Richardson (18 points), Shake Milton (14 points) and ice cold Tobias Harris (13 points, 11 rebounds on 4-for-15 shooting)? All that you need to know is that Boston's shaky bench-with its best player Smart starting-still managed to outscore Philadelphia's bench 41-20. 

    Be sure to begin your Friday night (6:30, NBC Sports Boston) festivities by watching the Celtics destroy the Sixers once again. Toronto is probably going to sweep Brooklyn and as I said, Milwaukee is at least guaranteed of playing a needless extra game in the first round against Orlando. Boston is a pretty young team overall but a little more rest would be a bonus before the playoffs really begin for them. This series is already a joke and call me crazy but I like watching competitive contests in the postseason. Leave the lopsided scores for sleepy regular season games in the dead of winter. I demand more entertainment, specifically I want to see Tatum, Brown and by extension Stevens tested against legitimate opposition.

In The Least Surprising News Of The Day, Gordon Hayward Will Miss The Next Four Weeks (Ankle)

 

    Don't take this the wrong way: Gordon Hayward seems like a nice enough fellow and all plus he's a fine basketball player but can we agree that he will probably never have an injury-free season with the Celtics at this rate. Last night in Boston's first playoff game in the bubble against Philadelphia, he sprained his right ankle late in the Celtics' 109-101 win. This afternoon came the utterly predictable news from the team that he will be gone for around four weeks after suffering a grade three sprain. Keep in mind that the C's tend to undersell injuries to their players that ultimately tend to keep them out for much longer, remember Kevin Garnett, fat and over-the-hill Shaq, Kyrie Irving, etc.?

     As I said in my recap of Game 1, the Sixers as they are currently constructed with duck tape and krazy glue pose no real threat to Boston other than making them play an extra game or two in the series that is totally unnecessary. Nope, Hayward's value really comes into play when the Celts take on better teams, like the Raptors in the second round or the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals (granted Milwaukee looked terrible in a shocking Game 1 loss to Orlando this afternoon). Generally speaking, we know what Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kemba Walker will bring in terms of scoring and all-around play. The NBA is all about having multiple scoring options since the stars will have off-nights from time to time. 

    Moreover, Hayward's best quality is his versatility: he can dribble, he can shoot, he can rebound, he can defend and he can pass. Right now, his biggest issue is staying healthy and just being on the court. We'll never forget his gruesome ankle injury in his first ever game as a Celtic which now looking back feels like a sign of brutal things to come for him. Last season-his second in town-he played in 72 regular season games and this year it was down to only 52 due to a fluky broken wrist. Despite all the video games that he loves to play, I don't think it's an issue of conditioning or not taking proper care of his body. Unfortunately for Hayward, most of these injuries feel like nothing more than bad luck.

    Yes he's overpaid and he has a propensity to disappear in big games and/or against quality opponents but he is not a complete scrub by any means. This season Hayward averaged 17.5 points per game (6 more than last season!) with a career-best 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He's also a trusted shooter at 38% on three-pointers and 86% on free throws. We all know what Marcus Smart brings: he's one of the best defenders in the league, a great energy guy and emotional leader of the Celtics. However, aside from his random hot streaks that happen once in a blue moon, he still can't shoot consistently well. Assuming that Smart moves into the starting lineup that also takes away Boston's best bench player while also making their bench even more of a liability which is another thing that could bite them later on this postseason. I'd like to say that I have confidence that Hayward will be able to return while the Celts are still alive in bubble playoffs but how could I? He's become Mr. Glass of the C's. 

     

     

The Celts Let The 76ers Hang Around But Take Gm 1 Behind Tatum's Playoff Career-High (32 pts)

 

    Let's be honest, this first round playoff series between the Celtics and the Sixers should not be a long one. After Ben Simmons went down with a knee injury last week, you knew that Philadelphia's days in the Disney World bubble were limited. Of course, Boston wasn't complaining since they earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference and the 76ers dropped down to the sixth seed so these rivals would meet right away rather than deeper in the playoffs. Game 1 tonight was not a classic matchup by any means but it should serve as a harbinger of things to come as the C's didn't play particularly well yet they still walked away with a 109-101 win. Jayson Tatum was the best player on the floor as he scored a game-high/career playoff-high 32 points with 13 rebounds and three blocks. 

    Many think that Boston has the best young duo in the league and Jaylen Brown certainly held up his end of the bargain with 29 points, six rebounds and three steals. Kemba Walker added 19 points and five assists while Gordon Hayward posted 12 points and a game-high four steals but unfortunately he suffered what looked to be a pretty bad right ankle sprain. He was seen after the game leaving on crutches as he headed for an MRI. Ugh, poor guy has had such an uneven Celtics career with all the injuries that he's dealt with. Let's hope it's not as bad as it looked like in real time. 

    Joel Embiid (26 points, game-high 16 rebounds, game-high 5 turnovers) is still an absolute beast but who else left on Philly scares you? Josh Richardson scored 18 points and Alec Burks produced the same amount off the bench while Tobias Harris added 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Filling in at point guard for Simmons, my man Shake Milton put up 13 points but without one of the best passers in the NBA (Simmons) not to mention ballhandlers, the Sixers turned it over 11 more times (18-7) than the Celtics. That coupled with Boston's seven more steals (12-5) and five more made free throws (23-18) were the only real differences in the contest. Oh and if you're looking for the ghost of Al Horford, he manged to have six points, seven rebounds and six assists with a game-low plus-minus of minus-18. Hey Al, do you wish you remained with the Celtics rather than go to the rudderless 76ers in free agency? Nevermind, you don't have to answer that big guy.

To Philly's credit, they came out on fire leading to a one-point lead (26-25) after the first quarter. Boston woke up and started to play their style in the second quarter which gave them a 55-49 halftime advantage. Naturally, when you thought that the Sixers would just roll over they actually controlled the third quarter completely (30-20) to go into the fourth quarter up 79-75. Philly's lack of depth and foul trouble to both Embiid and Horford (5 fouls apiece) helped Boston finally pull away a bit in the fourth though they had to sweat it out at the end despite what the final score might lead you to believe. 

    Once they start matching up with better teams further in the playoffs, Boston's bench will simply have to perform better. Tonight's total output of eight points from them is beyond embarassing. Marcus Smart (2 points, 0-for-5 shooting, 2 steals in 32 minutes) figures to slot into Hayward's spot in the starting lineup assuming that he's out for at least a few games. Smart tends to play better in the most important games and he certainly left room for improvement personally after tonight's stinker. 

    You have to love the sheer predictably of some NBA playoff series, especially those in the earlier rounds. I hate to forecast the future-which is truly futile in 2020-but here is how it'll go for the 76ers: they'll get swept by the C's or lose in a gentleman's sweep (5 games). They'll fire their head coach (BU product and Maine native) Brett Brown and replace him with some other NBA retread. Then Embiid and/or Simmons will demand a trade when they realize that Philadelphia is not going anywhere with this mostly average roster behind them. Anyways, see you on Wednesday night (6:30, NBC Sports Boston) for Game 2.