In Game 4 Of The ECF, The Celts Staved Off Elimination With A Complete 116-99 Win At Miami

 

    In the grand scheme of things, tonight was likely just a stay of execution for the 2022-23 Celtics but hey, at least they showed up and competed en route to an impressive 116-99 victory at the Kaseya Center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami still leads the series 3-1 and keep in mind that in addition to no teams ever rallying from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history to win that series, only three have even forced a Game 7. So yeah, the C's still have an insane amount of work to do but at least we can think about them for a few more days and not focus all of our attention on the mediocre Red Sox (26-23). Game 5 is Thursday (8:30, TNT) at TD Garden. Tonight's win was notable for a few reasons besides the obvious of avoiding an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the eight-seeded Heat; Boston improved to 5-3 on the road this postseason while also staying unbeaten (3-0) when they face elimination and furthermore, Miami suffered their first home loss this postseason (5-1).

    What makes this Celtics team so baffling is that results like this should be more of the norm given the talent and depth gap between them and the Heat. It is beyond frustrating that it took them this long to find a way to finally put a little pressure on Miami and show that the Heat are not this unstoppable force that the C's made them seem in this series especially in that pathetic Game 3 performance that is best forgotten ASAP. Boston's superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks) had his third 30-point game of the series but this was the first time when he truly felt like the best player on the floor. Conversely, his All-NBA cohort shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 2 steals) continued to struggle but luckily, his teammates were there to pick him up. The other three starters for the Celtics-guard Derrick White (16 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks), center Al Horford (12 points, 7 rebounds) and point guard Marcus Smart (11 points, 6 assists, 2 steals)-all scored in double figures. Additionally, power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 6 rebounds, steal, block)-the same guy who did not play a single minute in Game 1 thanks to head coach Joe Mazzulla's stupidity-proved that he is a very valuable guy off the bench in the right situation. 

    Miami's superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, steal, block) was not nearly as effective as you might think-save for a strong third quarter-since he shot 9-for-21 from the field. Boston's defense was really good and they completely neutralized center Bam Adebayo (10 points, 5 rebounds, steal) who is undoubtedly Miami's second best player. Point guard Gabe Vincent (17 points) and small forward Caleb Martin (16 points off the bench) were both good but neither of those scrubs went crazy which was a marked improvement for the Celtics from the last few contests. Also, Vincent rolled his ankle in the third quarter and managed to return to action but that is an injury to monitor on Thursday. They say that role players always perform better at home so hopefully both of those guys can come back to Earth even further in Game 5 but we will have to see it to believe it. 

    Things certainly did not start out too hot for Boston as they trailed 29-23 after the first quarter and 56-50 at halftime. They were fantastic in the third quarter though (38-23 including a 19-2 run that gave them an 18-point advantage) and that carried over to the fourth quarter (28-20) as Miami went ice cold and had no response for the Celtics' lockdown defense and pinpoint 3-point shooting. For the game, Boston shot nearly eight percent better from the field (51.2%-43.6%), they hit 10 more 3-pointers (18-8), handed out 10 more assists (28-18), they had three more steals (8-5), five less turnovers (15-10), eight more fast break points (18-10) and 13 more points off turnovers (27-14) than Miami. 

    Beware of people (mostly fanboys) trying to talk themselves into a historical comeback by the Celtics being right around the corner these next few days. Remember that this is the same club that is under .500 at the Garden (4-5) this postseason so they will have to win Game 5 before I ever start to take this seriously at all. It is hard to fathom that they could go 0-3 at home in the Eastern Conference Finals so hopefully they show some more pride and find a way to extend this series back to Miami for Game 6. If that happens, then we will have something to talk about as the Heat would have to start feeling a bit uneasy about how things are crumbling apart.

The Celtics Beat Themselves As The Sixers Escape Game 4 With 116-115 OT Win To Tie Series 2-2

 

    Anybody that has ever watched the NBA can tell you that every detail and a single possession or two can be the difference between winning and losing an important playoff game. Apparently the Celtics' woefully overmatched head coach Joe Mazzulla has not received that crash course yet as his team blew a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold of its second round series vs. Philadelphia. Instead of coming home with a 3-1 series lead, the series is knotted up 2-2 following Philadelphia's 116-115 overtime victory this afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center. There are a million ways to breakdown this utterly predictable loss by the Celts but it really came down to this: their point guard Marcus Smart (21 points, 7 assists) had a chance to win it at the end of regulation but he missed a 3-pointer and then their superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (24 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks) could have taken a shot at the end of overtime that would have clinched it but instead, he took too long then threw it out to Smart for a three that he could not shoot in time before time ran out. Ugh. 

    For all the crowing we hear non-stop from the team, fans and bobo media members about how Tatum and Boston's star shooting guard Jaylen Brown (23 points, 5 assists) are the best tandem in the league, that sure was not the case in Game 4. Philadelphia's much-maligned shooting guard James Harden (game-high 42 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals) and the NBA's MVP center Joel Embiid (34 points, 13 rebounds) dominated the contest and outscored Boston's dynamic duo 76-47. You cannot argue that the Celtics have a deeper roster but playoff games are usually decided by star players and there was no question which pair was ready for this moment and which one came up short yet again in a key spot. If Tatum and Brown are as good as we think that they are (or maybe can be), they simply cannot lose this series to a washed up/playoff choker like Harden and out of shape/injury prone Embiid.

    Truth be told, if the C's had somehow pulled this off, it would have been a miracle since they sleepwalked through much of the proceedings. They trailed 27-19 after the first quarter and 59-50 at halftime when it felt like it should have been much more in favor of the Sixers. Despite being up by as much as 16 points and playing to a draw in the third quarter (33-33), you knew that Philly would have a hard time closing it out since they are not a very good team after all. True to form, Boston stormed back in the fourth quarter (24-15) with an excellent defensive frame (finally!) but it was still not enough to prevent overtime.

    Both teams only played eight guys apiece in the entire game and point guard Tyrese Maxey (14 points, 8 rebounds) was the only other Sixer to score in double figures. Boston's guard Derrick White added 12 points while center Al Horford (10 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks) was immense defensively. Sixth Man of the Year and backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon (19 points, 8 rebounds) continued to play great as he earned more minutes (36-31) off the bench than White who hasn't been nearly as effective as he was in the first round series against Atlanta. I know that little Joey will not do it but starting Brogdon over White in Game 5 seems like a nice lineup change to me but what do I know?

    Just like many other times in the up and down regular season (which sounds crazy for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and NBA title favorite) and thus far in the playoffs, the C's will always be their own worst enemy-somewhere the 90s one-hit wonder band Lit smiles. They owned many of the stats in Game 4 except the most critical: the Sixers had three times as many steals (9-3), they committed three less turnovers (10-7), they hit three more free throws (19-16) and scored 10 more second chance points (19-9) than the Celtics. Game 5 on Tuesday (7:30, TNT) at TD Garden is obviously the biggest game of the season for the C's and like Game 2, it feels like a pseudo must-win because if they go down 3-2, it is tough to see them winning two elimination games with how all over the place they tend to be. 

Celts Bounce Back From Hideous Game 3 Loss To Beat The Hawks 129-121 & Take A 3-1 Series Lead

 

    I still have my doubts whether the Celtics can consistently focus and play enough defense to win an NBA title this postseason but at least they got back untracked tonight with a 129-121 victory over the Hawks at State Farm Arena. This should have been the close out game of an easy first round sweep but Boston messed that up by somehow losing to Atlanta 130-122 in Game 3 on Friday. Oh well, the gentleman's sweep should be completed on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) back at TD Garden. The Celtics' two stars showed up in a major way as small forward Jayson Tatum (7 rebounds, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown both scored a team-high 31 points. The Hawks' lone star point guard Trae Young had by far his best outing of the series with a game-high 35 points, 15 assists and two steals but shucks, it was not enough to tie up this pointless series. 

    Boston came out with a purpose in the first quarter as they took a 35-25 lead. They still were up by double digits heading into halftime (65-53) after point guard Marcus Smart's (19 points) late three-pointer. Atlanta made its push in the third quarter (34-27) but the C's did just enough to hold on in the fourth quarter (37-34). That essentially ended this series since pretty much nobody rallies from a 3-1 hole in the NBA playoffs which is rather pathetic but mostly true. 

    The Green are far deeper than the Hawks as shown by the fact that three other guys scored in double figures: shooting guard Derrick White (18 points) along with point guard/Sixth Man of The Year Malcolm Brogdon (14 points) and center Robert Williams (13 points, game-high 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks) who were both great off of the bench. Center Al Horford played 34 minutes, took two shots that he missed but still had a real impact with 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Small forward De'Andre Hunter added 27 points and seven rebounds for Atlanta while shooting guard Dejounte Murray notched 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Center Clint Capela (10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was the only other Hawk to reach double digits. 

    With injuries to Giannis and Joel Embiid already, the Eastern Conference playoff picture is really beginning to open up in Boston's favor which makes it so important for them to eliminate an inferior opponent like Atlanta ASAP. Philadelphia-who they completely own-awaits them in a second round series that could start as soon as Saturday. The Celtics shot eight percent better from the field (51%-43%), they grabbed seven more rebounds (49-42), they scored 12 more points in the paint (56-44) and 10 more fast break points (18-8). If I know anything about a hapless franchise like the Hawks, they will barely show up for Game 5 and Boston will blow their doors off while we all get loose on Canal Street. Ideally, the Celts can build up a big lead on Tuesday allowing their starters and key bench guys to not have to play big minutes to get this done.

Bruins Take A 3-1 Series Lead & Depart Florida With The Panthers' Soul After A Lovely 6-2 Victory

 

    After radio silence for the first three games of this first round playoff series, I just had to chime in today after the Bruins and Panthers treated us sleep deprived young dads to a rainy Sunday afternoon special. Boston kept the momentum rolling from Friday's pivotal 4-2 victory in Game 3 as they won 6-2 today at good old FLA Live Arena to put the Panthers on the brink of elimination facing a 3-1 deficit. The teams get an extra day off (for Florida to start booking those tee times and island vacations?) before they meet again for Game 5 on Wednesday (7, NESN) at TD Garden. After surprisingly crumbling in the third period of Game 2 and getting blown out 6-3, the B's righted the ship with a memorable weekend in the Sunshine State. Neither performance was perfect but they looked much more like the club that had the best record in NHL regular season history. 

    The two main stars in Game 4 for Boston were goaltender Linus Ullmark (41 saves)-shown above challenging Panthers bozo Matthew Tkachuk to a fight in garbage time-along with left wing Taylor Hall (2 goals, 2 assists). Shouts to left wing Jake DeBrusk who also added two goals plus left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (goal, assist) who has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in his first four NHL playoff games and fellow newcomer Dmitry Orlov (assist) who has a point in all four contests. This was a true team win for the Black and Gold as every guy that suited up (and remember that they were once again missing Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci) seemingly made a positive contribution. 

    Boston never trailed in Florida this weekend and their much maligned power play scored a goal in the first period and in the second period to stake the Bruins to a 2-0 lead. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (25 saves) was making his first start since March 27 and shocker, he looked rusty. He made a good save but then couldn't cover up the puck which allowed left wing Brad Marchand to knock the puck in at 9:45 of the first period. Center Pavel Zacha and Bertuzzi had the assists on Marchand's third goal of the series. 

    After Tkachuk picked up a stupid cross-checking penalty at the end of the first period, the B's made him pay as DeBrusk finished a pretty passing sequence from Orlov and Hall at 1:52 of the second period. Jake's second goal of the postseason gave Boston a 2-0 lead. Tkachuk briefly made up for his idiocy with a goal at 16:00 of the second period that cut the Bruins' advantage down to 2-1. He made the most of a favorable bounce and put in a sweet shot between his legs before Ullmark could recover. His second goal of the playoffs was assisted by center Carter Verhaeghe and UMass defenseman Brandon Montour.  

    Once again, Boston struck early-this time in the third period-to regain control of the contest. Bertuzzi had an awesome re-direct of a shot by defenseman Brandon Carlo. Left wing Nick Foligno added the secondary assist at 2:26 on Bertuzzi's second goal of the series. Florida briefly made it interesting as center Sam Bennett's power play goal made it 3-2 Boston at 6:11. He went to the net and was rewarded when Ullmark left a rebound on the doorstep. Montour and Tkachuk assisted on Bennett's second goal of the playoffs. The B's wasted little time wrapping it up though as DeBrusk scored a similar tally to Bennett's less than two minutes later at 8:05. Zacha and Hall provided the helpers on that one before Hall clinched it with a beautiful goal via a breakaway. His filthy dangle around a helpless Bobrovsky was a reminder that he used to be an NHL MVP not that long ago. Center Tomas Nosek and Ullmark notched the assists on probably the prettiest goal that a Bruin will score this postseason. For good measure, Hall added an empty netter at 19:31 for the final margin. Rookie left wing Jakub Lauko and Kennebunkport native Garnet Hathaway got their names on the scoresheet with the assists. 

    This is not the NBA and we are talking about the Bruins so even with a commanding 3-1 series lead, this is not fully over quite yet. Still, you have to like their chances to get this done in three possible games. They are clearly better than the Panthers so there is no need to give them any hope and have to go back to Florida for a Game 6. Get this over with on Wednesday and hope that the Leafs-Lightning series (which Toronto currently leads 2-1) goes seven games before you have to face one of those much better teams in the second round.

    

Stephen Curry Drops 43 Points As Golden State Beats Boston 107-97 To Even The NBA Finals 2-2

 

    Just when you start to have confidence in the Celtics this postseason, they completely disappoint you and fall flat on their faces. Tonight at TD Garden in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals and with a golden opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, the Warriors closed up shop on a 17-3 run to win 107-97 and even up things up at 2-2. Golden State improved to 6-0 this postseason following a loss. Similar to the second round where they lost Game 5 to Milwaukee or in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. Miami where they choked in Game 6, Boston once again found a way to falter in a major way on their home court. They fell to 6-5 at the Garden this postseason including a puzzling 4-5 record in the last three rounds (forget the sweep vs. the hapless Nets). Golden State's superstar point guard Stephen Curry (43 points, 10 rebounds) had one of the best games of his Hall of Fame career as he singularly willed his team to victory. Game 5 is at the Chase Center in Oakland on Monday (9, ABC). 

    It was all about Curry but Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson added 18 points and two blocks, small forward Andrew Wiggins notched 17 points and 16 rebounds (!) while backup shooting guard Jordan Poole put up 14 points off the bench. Power forward Draymond Green was slightly more useful than his Game 3 no-show as he had nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. For Boston, small forward Jayson Tatum (23 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (21 points, 6 rebounds) were both OK but neither of them could rescue their team as they collectively went ice cold in crunch time yet again. Point guard Marcus Smart (18 points, 5 assists, 4 steals) was fine until he kept taking 3-pointers and missing them late in the fourth quarter (sound familiar?) and power forward Robert Williams grabbed 12 rebounds. Finally, backup point guard Derrick White notched 16 points off the bench for the Celtics. 

    This was the first close game of the series so you had an uneasy feeling the whole night as Boston could never really separate from Golden State. Boston was up 28-27 after the first quarter and they led by five points at halftime (54-49). Their regularly scheduled third quarter collapse wasn't as terrible as usual (30-24 Warriors) but the change was that the fourth quarter-which Boston had owned in the first two games-was utterly dominated by the road team. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 28-19 as Curry could not be stopped and nobody on the C's could do much to stem his barrage (7-for-14 for the game) of three-pointers.

    The numbers as you would expect were not pretty for the home team: Golden State grabbed 13 more rebounds (55-42) including five more offensive boards (16-11) and the Warriors had seven more second chance points (19-12). With Boston's size advantage, that rebound total is unacceptable especially on their home floor. The Warriors also shot four percent better than the Celtics from the field (44%-40%). If I know anything about the Celts, they will probably play great on Monday and grab another road win to take a 3-2 series lead with a chance to win Banner 18 back at the Garden on Thursday (9, ABC). Then again, Curry is clearly the best player in this series (and a lock to capture his first Finals MVP award if they win another title) who the NBA's top-ranked defense has no idea how to stop let alone slow down. Don't get it twisted though, the Celtics are the better team and if they lose to this mostly one-man wrecking crew, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for this summer and many years beyond it. 

The Eastern Conference Finals Takes Another Wild Turn As Boston Smothers Miami 102-82 In Game 4

 

    After no-showing for much of the contest then rallying like crazy but ultimately losing Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals 109-103 on Saturday night at TD Garden, the Celtics had no choice but to win this evening at home as they faced the Heat who led the series 2-1. One of the only certainties in this postseason is that Boston will bounce back from a loss as they improved to 5-0 after defeats with a lopsided 102-82 victory that evened the series at two games apiece. When I say that Miami never stood a chance, it is the honest truth since they were down 18-1 (!) right at the start. The Heat set a franchise playoff low with 11 points in the first quarter and they trailed by as much as 32 points while their starting lineup combined for 18 points which does not even seem possible. The all-important Game 5 is at FTX Arena in Miami on Wednesday (8:30, ESPN). 

    Boston's lockdown team defense was the main story as they held Miami to 52 points in the first three quarters. Like his team, Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) responded the right way after an embarrasing 10-point outing in Game 3. Four other Celtics scored at least 12 points led by point guard Payton Pritchard who scored 14 points off the bench, point guard Derrick White (starting for an injured Marcus Smart) added 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals-his best game as a Celtic-shooting guard Jaylen Brown was ice cold but had 12 points and seven rebounds while center Robert Williams returned from missing Game 3 with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 19 very impactful minutes. Veteran power forward Al Horford only took two shots but he was a force defensively with a game-high 13 rebounds and a game-high four blocks. 

    For Miami, with shooting guard Tyler Herro (groin) out and their best player small forward Jimmy Butler (6 points, 7 rebounds) clearly not himself, they were lost offensively. Heat center Bam Adebayo was a beast on Saturday with a team-high 31 points and 10 rebounds but then he disappeared once again with only nine points. Point guard Kyle Lowry had just three points while Miami's other two starters-power forward P.J. Tucker and shooting guard Max Strus were both held scoreless. Shooting guard Victor Oladipo was the only guy on the Heat that played well in Game 4 as he had a team-high 23 points and six assists off the bench while New Hampshire native and shooting guard Duncan Robinson (14 points, 2 steals) finally seemed to find his shooting stroke in garbage time and small forward Caleb Martin added 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. 

    Boston shot six percent better from the field than Miami (39%-33%) and more importantly, they attempted nearly three times as many free throws (32-of-38 vs. 8-of-14). The C's owned the glass with 21 more rebounds (60-39) and scored 10 more points in the paint (38-28). It was stunning to see such a proud and tough team like Miami get destroyed like that, then again this has been a postseason full of blowouts in the NBA. I could see a lineup change perhaps for the Heat in Game 5 with either Oladipo or Robinson coming in for Strus. We'll have to see if Smart returns for Boston. It will be the biggest game of the playoffs (thus far) for either club since it would be quite difficult to rally from down 3-2 in this series.

Horford Goes Toe-To-Toe With Giannis & A Huge Fourth Quarter Helps The C's Tie The Series 2-2

 

    The beauty of the playoffs in sports, even in the usually predictable NBA is that you never really know what's going to happen on a given day. Take last night for example as Boston rallied for an amazing 116-108 victory at the Fiserv Forum in Game 4 of their second-round series with Milwaukee. The huge fourth quarter by the Celtics (where they outscored the Bucks 43-28) allowed them to even up the series at two games apiece while also taking back the home court advantage that they lost when Milwaukee stunned them in Game 1. Few would argue that Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (game-high 34 points, game-high 18 rebounds, 5 assists) is the best basketball player in the world these days but incredibly, 35-year-old Celts center Al Horford (who most thought was washed up when he was traded back here last summer) nearly matched him with a playoff career-high 30 points and eight rebounds.

    Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum (30 points, team-high 13 rebounds, 5 assists) had his best game of the series but there is little doubt that this will be remembered forever in Celtics playoff lore as "The Al Horford Game." Boston's point guard Marcus Smart (18 points, 8 assists, 2 blocks) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (18 points) were both good as well while backup point guard Derrick White had his best playoff performance for the C's with 11 points off the bench. Part of the reason that Boston won is because they did not allow any of the other Bucks to really go off: center Brook Lopez was the next highest scorer for the home team with 17 points and seven rebounds, point guard Jrue Holiday had decent numbers (16 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) but he shot a pathetic 5-of-22 from the floor. Meanwhile, shooting guard Wesley Matthews added 12 points while Arlington's own Pat Connaughton notched 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the reigning world champions. This was a contest where you could clearly see that Milwaukee dearly missed its second best player-small forward Khris Middleton-who is still out with a sprained MCL. 

    I wouldn't say that Boston stole this game since they outworked Milwaukee in crunch time so they earned that coveted road playoff win. However, if I was a Bucks fan I would feel that they let this one slip away since they led for most of the game before falling apart in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Milwaukee was up 25-18 after a low scoring first quarter then Boston cut it to a one-point margin at halftime (48-47 Bucks). Milwaukee took control again in the third quarter (32-26) but that only set the stage for the best quarter of the postseason for the Celts. The numbers don't lie since the C's owned a majority of the most important stats: they shot nine percent better from the field (50%-41%), they hit five more 3-pointers (14-9), hit their free throws at a higher rate (90%-77%) and handed out seven more assists (25-18) with three more fast break points (16-13) than the Bucks. 

    It's crazy how fast a series can shift because if the Bucks had won Game 4, it basically would have been over. Winning three straight playoff games against Milwaukee would be nearly impossible. Instead, Boston has a great opportunity to take control tomorrow night (7, TNT) in Game 5 in what should be another electric atmosphere at the TD Garden. You wonder if the Bucks will try and get Middleton back at some point this week. The Celtics actually announced a few hours before Game 4 that center Robert Williams was out with left knee soreness (his surgically repaired left knee, not great!) but that turned out to be not much of a factor. Neither team has won two games in a row this round so hopefully the C's can flip that trend and put the Bucks on the brink of elimination with another outstanding team performance.

Thanks To Brad Marchand (5 Points), The Bruins Have Evened The Series With The Hurricanes 2-2

 

    In a truly stunning turn of events, the Bruins-Hurricanes first-round playoff series has taken on serious NBA playoff vibes with the home team winning every game so far. Home ice is supposed to be mostly irrelevant in the NHL playoffs but that has been far from the case in this matchup. This afternoon at TD Garden, Boston celebrated Mother's Day by rallying twice and using a brilliant playoff career-best five point (2 goals, 3 assist) performance by star left wing Brad Marchand to take Game 4 by a score of 5-2. After looking dead in the water following losses in Games 1 & 2 at Carolina, the B's evened the series 2-2 with Game 5 set for Tuesday (7, NESN) back in Raleigh, NC. 

    What made this victory quite impressive was that Boston survived without their top two defensemen: Hampus Lindholm (still recovering from that Game 2 concussion) and Charlie McAvoy (put in Covid protocol this morning). This meant that the immortal Josh Brown (-2) played 12:52 in an important playoff game and his team still managed to win despite the fact that he doesn't belong in the NHL. The Hurricanes looked so good in the first two games and the Bruins answered the bell to survive the must-win Game 3 but if Boston wins this series, we will likely look back on Game 4 as a big turning point. Today was when Carolina started to crumble, led by bozo defenseman Tony DeAngelo who jawed with Marchand all day and ended his outing by tossing his stick as Brad scored an empty-netter to make it 5-2 with 35 seconds left in regulation. 

    For the fourth straight game, the Canes scored first as UNH defenseman Brett Pesce skated free in the slot and took a pass from forward Max Domi that he whipped past B's goaltender Jeremy Swayman (24 saves) for his first goal of the playoffs. Center Eric Staal had the second assist on opening tally which came at 14:06 of the first period. That lead was very short-lived though as Bruins captain and center Patrice Bergeron tied it with a backhander at 16:09. His third goal of the series was assisted by Marchand and right wing David Pastrnak. 

    Carolina quickly regained the lead in the second period as Staal one-timed a sweet backhand pass from behind the net by right wing Nino Niederreiter. That made it 2-1 in favor of the Hurricanes 33 seconds into the frame with DeAngelo picking up the second assist (his 5th of the series). Things started to go Boston's way from there beginning with a fortuitous call: left wing Jake DeBrusk tied it at two with a power play goal at 18:44 of the second period. DeBrusk's first goal of the postseason was assisted by Marchand and Bergeron. It appeared like Jake pushed Carolina goaltender Antti Raanta's (23 saves) pad before knocking the puck in through a maze of bodies. Canes head coach Rod Brind'Amour challenged the play but lost it which sent the home team right back on the power play. 

    Marchand made the Hurricanes pay as he ripped a wrist shot over Raanta's glove 44 seconds into the third period. It was a 5-on-3 after Bergy had taken a high stick right above his eye from Canes center Sebastian Aho that made him bleed like an ECW wrestler in the late 90s. That gave Boston its first lead of the contest at 3-2 with center Charlie Coyle and DeBrusk picking up the assists on Marchand's second goal of the series. Pasta put it out of reach with a tap-in from a gorgeous cross-ice feed by Marchand that made it 4-2 Bruins at 5:41. Bergeron had the other helper on Pastrnak's second goal of the series. A great stat about the reunited perfection line: Boston is now 6-0 all-time in the postseason when those three guys record multiple points in the same game. 

    If you believe in momentum in the NHL playoffs, the B's certainly have it at this moment. Remember though, Carolina has home ice advantage so Boston will have to win a game there to advance past this round. For that reason, Game 5 seems like a lovely time to shift this narrative and show that they can also win on the road in a tough environment full of liquored up rednecks. It will be Swayman's first playoff start away from the Garden but I never worry much about him. I realize that Linus Ullmark played better than him down the stretch in the regular season but I still think that the rookie should have started in Games 1 & 2 (not that it would have mattered with how poorly the entire team performed) just like he should have started last postseason with Tuukka Rask falling apart but I digress. All the pressure has shifted to the Hurricanes as they contemplate getting eliminated by the B's for the third time in the last four postseasons. For these reasons and more, Game 5 should be a doozy and it's not a stretch to say that whomever wins that one will probably capture the series as well.

Boston Sweeps Brooklyn In A 116-112 Game 4 Win & Rolls To The Second Round Of The Playoffs

 

    Who had the Celtics being the only team to sweep their opponent (the Nets) in the first round of the NBA playoffs this postseason? What seemed hard to believe came true tonight at Barclays Center as Boston held off Brooklyn 116-112 to abruptly end the series 4-0 in favor of the C's. If you were worried about how the Celts would do in close games, this was the fourth time already this postseason that the contest was decided by single-digits. The Nets knew that it was over before this one had even started but they made it interesting in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Celtics 34-26. Boston advances to the second round for the fifth time in the last six seasons where they will likely face the Bucks who lead the Bulls 3-1 with Game 5 in Milwaukee on Wednesday night (7:30, TNT).  

    Just like Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) in Game 1, power forward Kevin Durant exploded for 39 points along with nine assists and seven rebounds. It took Durant 31 shots to get 39 points and he was 3-for-11 on three-pointers but it was still by far his best performance of the series. Likewise, Brooklyn's shooting guard Seth Curry added 23 points in his top outing in the four games. Power forward Nic Claxton had 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals but he broke Shaq's infamous playoff record by missing his first 10 (!!!) free throws of the night. Point guard Goran Dragic (10 points, 8 rebounds) was also good off of Brooklyn's bench one last time. 

    For Boston, shooting guard Jaylen Brown notched 22 points and eight rebounds while point guard Marcus Smart was great with 20 points, 11 assists and five rebounds and ageless center Al Horford added 13 points and six rebounds. Boston's bench was led by power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 3 blocks) and point guard Derrick White (9 points, 6 rebounds). The Nets certainly didn't want to go back to Boston for pointless Game 5 and for the first three quarters, the Celtics made sure of that. The C's led 30-26 after the first quarter and 58-50 at halftime. The C's were up double-digits going into the fourth quarter, as they led 90-78. Boston scored 12 more points in the paint than Brooklyn (44-32) and they grabbed seven more rebounds overall (45-38) including five more defensive boards (35-30) and two more offensive boards (10-8). 

    Considering that Milwaukee has blown out Chicago in the last two games, I fully expect them to beat the Bulls on Wednesday but it would be nice to see Chicago extend the series (don't count on that) and give Boston a little more rest not that they really need it after a sweep. Regardless whenever it starts, a Celtics-Bucks playoff series would be epic. Giannis is the best player in the world right now and even with shooting guard Khris Middleton-their other All-Star-out, Milwaukee is still the defending champ and a team that has given the Celts problems for years. This is why Boston pushed for that two-seed though, they will have home court for the next series which as we all know is typically a huge factor in the NBA playoffs.

The Bruins Wasted A Great Opportunity To Take Control Of The Series As They Fell 4-1 To The Isles

 

    Whenever the Bruins have a frustrating loss, particularly in the playoffs, I like to say "the Bruins never making anything easy on themselves." It's not exactly ground-breaking stuff but I think that it applies all too often for the B's. Tonight was the latest example as they lost 4-1 to the Islanders in Game 4 of their second round playoff series. Another win at the Nassau Coliseum would have given them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and that might have meant that they wouldn't have to go back to Long Island. Instead, thanks to their uneven effort, the series is now tied 2-2 and it comes down to a best-of-3 series against the Isles who are the definition of gritty and tough to play against.

    The final score is very misleading, especially if you weren't watching the whole game since New York scored two empty-net goals. There were no goals scored in the first period but it was still pretty crazy since there were two fights (Taylor Hall vs. Scott Mayfield and Jarred Tinordi vs. Matt Martin) and B's star David Pastrnak hit the post on the most wide open look that he'll ever see with a goalie in net. Boston actually led 1-0 when center David Krejci put in a rebound for a power play goal at 3:57 of the second period. His first goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Brad Marchand and Pasta. Boston's lead lasted for less than three minutes as Islanders left wing Kyle Palmieri put in a close-range one-timer from center Mathew Barzal. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Palmieri's team-leading fifth goal of the postseason.

    Barzal is by far New York's best and most talented offensive player so it was surprising that he did not have a goal in their first eight playoff games this year. He is starting to heat up though at just the wrong time for the Bruins as he scored the lone Islanders goal in Game 3 and this evening he had the game-winner as he batted a loose puck out of the air to make it 2-1 at 13:03 of the third period. Mayfield and fellow defenseman Noah Dobson had the assists on Barzal's second goal of the playoffs. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 30 saves so he was one of the few bright spots in the loss for Boston. His counterpart Semyon Varlamov (who improved to 7-2 against the B's this season) had 28 saves but you have to say that the black and gold did not test him nearly enough. Centers Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted the empty-netters for the Isles as the Coliseum exploded at the end of this victory for their beloved home team. 

    Game 5 is on Monday (6:30, NBCSN) at the TD Garden and Game 6 (time TBA) will be back in Uniondale on Wednesday. Needless to say that Monday is the biggest tilt of the season for both clubs. To go up 3-2 thus giving yourself two chances to eliminate the other team is a huge advantage versus being down 3-2 in the series and having to win twice in a row at each venue no less. Don't be surprised if Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tinkers with his lineup a little bit on Monday. Nick Ritchie has been useless for much of this postseason so why not throw rookie Trent Frederic in there and see if he can provide some type of spark? If nothing else, he would bring energy and fresh legs to a group that looked understandably tired in Game 4 after taking so many tough hits from the Islanders all series long.

Friday Was Fun, Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming: The Nets Owning The C's

 

    I thoroughly enjoyed Game 3 on Friday and I hope that you did too because now the Celtics-Nets first-round playoff series is all but over after Brooklyn gave Boston another reality check tonight at the TD Garden with a 141-126 beating that wasn't nearly that close. The Nets' big three of Kevin Durant (game-high 42 points, 5 assists, 2 blocks), Kyrie Irving (39 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals) and James Harden (23 points, playoff career-high 18 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals) combined for an absurd 104 points as Brooklyn took a commanding 3-1 series lead. Only 13 teams in NBA history have ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit so yeah, Game 5 on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) at the Barclays Center will be the last time that you thankfully see these woefully overmatched Celts for a long time. Let's just hope that Celtics GM Danny Ainge has the guts to make some real moves this summer for the first time in a while since this team is in desperate need of some major tinkering.  

     A tall task for Boston to even the series at two games apiece got even more unlikely right before tip-off as point guard Kemba Walker (left knee medial bone bruise) and center Robert Williams (left ankle sprain) were both ruled out. Williams is sadly made of glass so that wasn't a surprise by any means but it was a bummer that Kemba couldn't play either as bad as he's been in this series. That meant more pressure fell on Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum (team-high 40 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) and he met the challenge about as well as you could possibly imagine given the impossible deck stacked against him. Point guard Marcus Smart (16 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) and shooting guard Evan Fournier (16 points) were both predictably ice cold after they were each really good in Game 3's shocking win by the Celts. 

    The Nets also received 14 points from small forward Joe Harris while Boston native Bruce Brown added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Boston had three bench guys in double-figures, only because there was so much garbage time after Brooklyn led by as many as 27 points. Rookie point guard Payton Pritchard scored 12 points, rookie small forward Aaron Nesmith added 11 points and the ghost of Jabari Parker notched 10 points and six rebounds in front of a sold-out Garden (for the first time at a Celtics game in 14+ months). The Nets improved to 6-1 against the Celtics this season so let's not kid ourselves into thinking that all this dominance is just because of Boston's current injuries. Brooklyn can put the C's and their fans out of their collective misery on Tuesday in what will undoubtedly be another blowout. Haha good times!

The B's Rallied From Two Goals Down, Only To Lose Gm 4 in OT After Blowing a Third Period Lead

To beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2018 playoff game, it requires a (cliche alert!) full 60-minute effort or in this case even longer than that. Boston did everything they could to tie up their series at two tonight at TD Garden but they still fell short as Tampa Bay defenseman Dan Girardi re-directed a pass from Harvard's Alex Killorn at 3:18 for a bitter 4-3 overtime victory. The Lightning took a commanding 3-1 series lead with the chance to end things on Sunday afternoon (3, NBC) at Amalie Arena. The B's were plagued by another atrocious start on their home ice-spotting Tampa a 2-0 lead less than halfway through the first period-but unlike Game 3, they were able to recover from that.

For the first time since Game 1, Boston actually led for a little while (6:20). Unfortunately, Tampa Bay wasn't a fan of that as Steven Stamkos tied it at three with a wicked one-timer at 12:56 of the third period. His third goal of the playoffs (2nd of the series/1st non-ENG) was assisted by J.T. Miller. The Bruins actually had a few nice shifts to start their first overtime session of the playoffs but they weren't able to cash any of them in. Like the rest of the Lightning goals in Game 4, Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask (24 saves) couldn't do much to stop Girardi's goal. Killorn took the puck down the right side then threw a backhander in front of Boston's net where it deflected off Brian Gionta (no clue why he had a shift that early in OT) and then Girardi got his stick on it. Yanni Gourde had the second assist on Girardi's game-winning goal, extending his point streak to four games.

I wish I could pinpoint a reason why the B's got off to such miserable starts in Games 3 and 4, my best rationale is that they were too tight. Whatever the case may be, the Lightning are ready to go every time so you have to match that or else your season will be over on Sunday night. Rick Nash's turnover led to Brayden Point skating in and splitting both Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy (how does that happen?) before beating Rask for his third goal of the postseason. Riley Nash was a healthy scratch along with Tommy Wingels and Danton Heinen, meaning that Ryan Donato, Gionta and Tim Schaller were in the lineup for Game 4. Rick's rough first period continued when he was called for a tripping penalty and then Chara put the puck over the glass in his own end for delay of game. Tampa Bay had a two-man advantage for 19 seconds which the Bruins were able to weather but they could do nothing to stop Nikita Kucherov's one-timer from Victor Hedman (4-game point streak) and Stamkos at 9:53.

It became a special teams game and Boston's top-ranked power play (in the playoffs) did its job by going 2-for-4. Their comeback fittingly began with a power play goal from David Pastrnak (5-game point streak) at 15:28 of the first period. It was an amazing bit of hand-eye coordination by Pasta since he was able to hit a floating puck out of mid-air before it dropped back to the ice. His sixth goal of the playoffs was assisted by Torey Krug and Brad Marchand (17th multiple-point playoff game). Trailing 2-1 after the first period, the B's were quickly able to tie it at two early in the second thanks to a power play goal by Patrice Bergeron (5-game point streak). His fifth goal of the postseason was assisted by Krug (7th career multiple-point playoff game).

The Bruins grabbed that 3-2 lead in the third period thanks to a brilliant play by their two best players: Marchand went up ice while they were shorthanded and threaded a pass to Bergeron (20th multiple-point playoff game) between two Lightning defenders that the center was able to deflect in for a beautiful goal. Andrei Vasilevskiy (29 saves) had to be stunned since he hadn't seen his team trail in either Game 2 or 3. I hate to harp on the officials-who have been consistently awful all series-but that particular goal felt like some sort of justice for the Black and Gold since they were only shorthanded because of a bogus hooking call on Noel Acciari (big, strong Hedman flopped like an Italian soccer player). After that, basically everything went wrong for the B's as Krug appeared to suffer a serious ankle (or foot) injury after crashing into the boards and a no-call on Kucherov holding McAvoy which led to the Stamkos tying tally set the stage for the first ever playoff overtime game between these clubs.

So here we are, Krug left the Garden on crutches and in a walking boot therefore I doubt that he'll be available on Sunday. Get ready for Nick Holden trying to keep Boston's season alive! For real though, after such an unexpectedly fun and successful campaign for the Bruins, it would be a shame to see it end in five games in Tampa Bay. If I know the B's, I bet that they find a way to get it done in Game 5 only to return to TD Garden and lose in Game 6. Who knows? As you would expect, the numbers heading into Sunday are nothing but grim if you are a fan of Boston: they are 0-22 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail 3-1 and 7-15 in Game 5s in which they trail in a series 3-1. Conversely, Tampa Bay's small sample size is pretty solid: they are 4-0 in best-of-seven series when they lead 3-1 and 3-1 in Game 5s when leading a series 3-1. Boston is 1-5 when they allow the first goal this postseason while Tampa Bay is 6-1 when they score first so clearly whichever team strikes first on Sunday will likely be a key factor.

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Senators Blank the Bruins 1-0 in Game 4 to Take a Commanding 3-1 Series Lead

Game 4 was right up Ottawa's boring alley: low-scoring, mostly forgettable hockey but ultimately the Senators skated away with a huge 1-0 victory this evening at TD Garden. Ottawa takes a 3-1 lead in the first round series vs. Boston and they will have a chance to eliminate the Bruins on Friday (7:30, NESN) at Canadian Tire Centre. Senators goaltender Craig Anderson made 22 saves for his fourth career playoff shutout and third in an Ottawa uniform.

After a scoreless first period (Boston has yet to score a 1st period goal in the entire series) in which Ottawa outshot the home team 14-12, things started to get bogged down in the second frame which is just how the Senators prefer it. The B's actually had some great scoring chances in the first but Anderson came flying out of the crease to stop Brad Marchand before Ryan Spooner was later stuffed on his shot from the slot. Each team was limited to five shots in the second while the Senators outshot them 8-5 in the third.

The Bruins appeared to take a 1-0 lead at 10:49 of the second when rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy's shot from the point (possibly deflected by an Ottawa stick) went by Anderson. The issue was that rookie Noel Acciari was just barely offside something like 20 seconds before the goal. The Senators' evil genius head coach Guy Boucher used his challenge and after a long review, it was rightfully overturned much to the disappointment of Bruins fans. As I said, it was the right call (after the fact), but it's frustrating when it is called a goal on the ice and more importantly, the infraction had nothing to do with the goal which happened way later.

Ottawa had won both Games 2 and 3 by the same final scores: 4-3 in overtime. When Bobby Ryan scored his third goal of the series at 5:49 of the third period, you had a feeling that the B's were in trouble. Defenseman Erik Karlsson (of course) made the goal as his slap pass was intentionally wide of the goal right on Ryan's stick. Tuukka Rask (26 saves) and Zdeno Chara nearly combined to make the puck stop on the goal-line but Ryan overpowered them to push it across. Ryan (3 goals, 2 assists) and Karlsson (5 assists) have points in every game this series. Derick Brassard was credited with the second assist on the game-winning goal (Ryan's 2nd in a row), giving him a three-game point streak (2 goals, 3 assists).

Boston was 0-for-1 on the power play in Game 4, leaving them 2-for-11 in the series. Ottawa was 0-for-3 on the power play and they are 3-for-13 in these four games. Senators defenseman Cody Ceci led everyone in ice time (25:37) while McAvoy was second (25:03), Karlsson was third (24:51) and Zdeno Chara was fourth (24:09). The Bruins won Game 1 (2-1) but they have lost three straight contests heading into Friday's tilt in Canada's capital city. No pressure right? All the B's can do is worry about that one and figure out a way to bring this series back to Boston rather than having to pack up their stuff for the summer.

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Bruins Take a Commanding 3-1 Series Lead on Jarome Iginla's 1st Career OT Winner

I would have said the exact same thing (well maybe worded a little differently) if the Bruins had lost Game 4: this was a huge result. By rallying for a 3-2 OT win over Detroit on Jarome Iginla's tip in, Boston goes back to TD Garden with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to eliminate Detroit in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon (3, NBC).

The first period was the best of the series for the Red Wings and conversely the worst for the Bruins. Niklas Kronwall gave Detroit a 1-0 lead at 11:00 with a blast from the point on the power play that Tuukka Rask (35 saves) never saw. Without Rask, the B's could have found themselves down 2 or 3-0 in the first period as Detroit outshot them 15-5.

The team that had scored first won the first three games and the odds were even more in the Red Wings' favor when they went up 2-0 at 4:27 of the second period on Pavel Datsyuk's goal. Boston finally started to wake up and they received a huge goal by Torey Krug at 10:14 on the power play. His first of the postseason was assisted by Patrice Bergeron (or should I say Mr. Selke?).

Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard was in the pregame warmups but left with the flu so he was a last-second scratch. Red Wings backup Jonas Gustavsson (37 saves) was actually really good and I feel like he earned the start for Game 5 as well. It only took 1:15 in the third for Boston to tie it up. Carl Soderberg made an unbelievable pass from behind the net to Milan Lucic out front for an easy goal. That was Looch's second of the postseason and Dougie Hamilton had the second assist.

I forgot to mention that it shouldn't have been decided in overtime since Brad Marchand missed not one but two of the easiest goals he'd ever have in his career. It was scary in the extra session that Boston dominated so much (outshooting Detroit 12-3) but thankfully, Iginla tipped in Hamilton's shot at 13:32. Believe it or not, that was the first overtime winner in the playoffs in Iginla's illustrious career. Hamilton notched another helper on it as well.

Boston has won the last three games in the series so they have all the momentum plus Rask has allowed just four total goals in four games. He made the save of the game and one of the best in the postseason by stuffing Justin Abdelkader's breakaway attempt in the first minute of overtime. The B's have extra incentive to get rid of the Red Wings since the Canadiens are sitting around and waiting for their next opponent.

UPDATE 4/25: Another day, another major award nomination for a Bruin. Today Tuukka Rask was named one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy (top goaltender) along with Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop and Colorado's Semyon Varlamov. I might be seeing this through my black and gold colored glasses but like Patrice Bergeron and the Selke Trophy, I feel like Rask is the favorite for this too.

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