Tatum (51 Pts) Sets NBA Gm. 7 Record As Celts Eviscerate 76ers 112-88 To Reach ECF Vs. Heat

 

    For the second year in a row and the fifth time in the last seven seasons, the Celtics are going to the Eastern Conference Finals. How they got there this time was the crazy part as Boston's superstar swingman Jayson Tatum erupted for a 51-point, 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals masterpiece as the C's broke open a close Game 7 this afternoon at TD Garden with a 28-3 run in the third quarter which pushed them over the finish line 112-88 over the Sixers. Their reward is a rematch with the Miami Heat who they memorably beat in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. After trailing 3-2 in this series (just like last year when they were down 3-2 to Milwaukee in the second round), it was a very Happy Mother's Day for the Celtics led by Tatum who had the game of his young life while also setting an NBA record for the most points ever in a Game 7. 

    Philadelphia actually got off to a very solid start as they led 29-23 after the first quarter before Boston rallied for a 55-52 halftime advantage. The third quarter-where the Celtics outscored the Sixers 33-10-is the type of playoff frame that gets head coaches fired. Then again, if you were Philly's head coach Doc Rivers, would you want to continue to work with noted dogs and playoff chokers like MVP Joel Embiid (15 points, 8 rebounds) and former MVP James Harden (9 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) who both rolled over and let this blowout transpire without any sort of fight back? What would have been an extremely rough off-season for Tatum if the C's had lost will likewise be a deservedly unkind summer for Doc, Embiid and Harden since the Sixers blew a golden chance to reach the franchise's first Eastern Conference Finals since way back in 2001.

    This will forever be remembered as "The Tatum Game" but Boston also got a solid performance from its other star-shooting guard Jaylen Brown who had his face bloodied but did not slow down as he added 25 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Tatum did what true superstars and (future?) MVPs do in Game 7s by putting his team on his back. The only other Celtic who scored in double figures was backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon who notched 12 points off the bench. Did I mention that Sixers power forward Tobias Harris led them with 19 points and five rebounds? Haha what else needs to be said about a gutless team that also received 17 points from point guard Tyrese Maxey and 11 points from wily veteran forward P.J. Tucker? 

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is on Wednesday (8:30, TNT) at the Garden and there will be no extra days off as each contest will be two days apart with the same exact start time. Heat superstar Jimmy Butler needs no introduction but this is yet another series where Boston rightfully enters it as a heavy betting favorite. Interestingly enough with Lakers-Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals tipping off on Tuesday (8:30, ESPN), this is the exact same final four that the NBA got in the 2020 bubble playoffs. Let's not get ahead of ourselves but it would be fantastic to see another Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals. More importantly, the Celtics have to quickly shift their focus to a team that while missing its sniper shooting guard Tyler Herro is still tougher and markedly better than the Hawks and Sixers. Boston is once again the superior team on paper but Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra is maybe the best in the game so if the C's slip up, Miami could certainly upset them and reach the NBA Finals just like they did in 2020. 

Tatum (19 Pts) Wakes Up In The 4th Quarter As The Celts Survive Game 6 Vs. The Sixers, 95-86

 

    With his team's season on the brink, Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks)-named to the All-NBA First Team on Thursday-was nowhere to be found for the first three quarters of Game 6 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. He started 0-for-10 from the floor and then 1-for-14 before he finally woke up with four clutch three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Luckily for him and the C's, NBA playoff games are still at least four quarters long so the same guy who was a puddle with three (!!!!) points in the first 36 minutes, was somehow the same guy who outscored the Sixers by himself 16-13 as the Celtics locked down Philly for a heart-stopping 95-86 victory to tie the series 3-3. Game 7 of their roller coaster second round playoff series will be on Sunday at TD Garden (time and channel TBD), Happy Mother's Day! The winner of that deciding contest will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals vs. either Miami or New York (the Heat are currently up 3-2 in that playoff series). 

    Celtics head coach Bazooka Joe Mazzulla was under immense pressure as well entering this game (not quite as much as Tatum but still the microscope was squarely on the seemingly overmatched rookie head coach) but to his credit, he responded with a brilliant lineup change: he started center Robert Williams (10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) over guard Derrick White (9 points) for Boston's vaunted double big lineup. It worked perfectly as the C's got off to a great start: they led 29-22 after the first quarter and 50-43 at halftime after being up by as much as 16 points in the first half. Philly made their move in the third quarter-outscoring Boston 30-21-to take a two-point advantage (73-71) into the final frame. Only seven Celtics played in Game 6 but they all made valuable contributions. Point guard Marcus Smart was their best all-around player with a team-high 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown-part of his first All-NBA Team (the 2nd)-added 17 points and six rebounds while power forward Al Horford grabbed 11 rebounds. 

    The Sixers really only had two guys that did much of anything: MVP center Joel Embiid had a game-high 26 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while point guard Tyrese Maxey matched him with 26 points, five rebounds and three steals. Playoff James Harden was in full effect as he stumbled his way to just 13 points (on 4-of-16 shooting), nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. The rest of Philadelphia combined for 21 points which needless to say will not get it done in a potential close out game against a legitimate opponent. This was the second time in the series that the Celtics held the Sixers in the 80s (they scored 87 in the blowout Game 2 loss) so it is no surprise that Boston shot 42.3% from the floor and Philadelphia bricked their way to 36.1%. The Celtics made seven more 3-pointers (15-8), pulled down 12 more rebounds (50-38), dished out four more assists (22-18) and scored six more fast break points (24-18) than the flawed home team. Boston survived despite having six more turnovers (17-11) which led to seven more steals for Philadlephia (14-7). That is a tough way to live and they will have to clean that up for Game 7 if they want to continue their postseason journey. 

Speaking of Sunday, who really knows what to expect from either club? Philly won Game 1, Boston took Games 2 and 3, the Sixers won Game 4 in OT then shocked the Celtics in Game 5 before the C's responded in Game 6 when their backs were officially against the wall. For historical context, the Sixers have not been to the Eastern Conference Final since 2001 with Allen Iverson. Conversely, Boston is trying to get back there for the second season in a row and the third time in the last four years. Remember that the Celtics are only 1-2 at the Garden in this series (and 3-3 in this postseason) so simply being at home does not make this an automatic victory. Let's hope that this series keeps mirroring last season for Boston in this spot vs. Milwaukee where they won Game 6 on the road then came home to beat them in Game 7. They never seem to make things easy on themselves but if the Celts can just win on Sunday, that will make us feel a whole lot better (at least temporarily).

After Not Showing Up In Game 5, The Celtics Are Now On The Brink Of Elimination Vs. The Sixers

 

    In the biggest game of the season, Boston never showed any type of urgency and as a result, they fell flat on their face 115-103 to Philadelphia tonight at TD Garden. The Sixers now have a stunning 3-2 lead in their second round playoff series with a chance to send the Celtics home for the summer on Thursday (7:30, ESPN) back at the Wells Fargo Center. There is absolutely no excuse for the Celts as they got off to another fatal slow start and never recovered as NBA MVP and Philly's star center Joel Embiid (team-high 33 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks) dominated them along with the Sixers' very talented young point guard Tyrese Maxey (30 points, 7 rebounds) who had by far his best performance of this postseason. Boston's stars-small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 36 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (24 points, 6 rebounds)-had nice numbers on paper but their team trailed by as much as 21 points so that all seems pretty hollow in reality.

    For a team that was a whisker away from a 3-1 series lead on Sunday, this is quite a dramatic change for the C's. They never really displayed any type of pulse as Philly led 33-26 after the first quarter and 58-49 at halftime. Nothing changed for the better in the third quarter as Philadelphia outscored Boston 30-23 and they cruised to a surprisingly easy road victory in the all-important Game 5 on the road. Keep in mind, when in NBA history when a playoff series has been tied 2-2, the team that has won Game 5 has gone on to win that series 82% of the time. Sixers shooting guard James Harden (17 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) and power forward Tobias Harris (16 points, 11 rebounds) both recorded double doubles in the win while shooting guard Danuel House Jr. added 10 points and five rebounds off the bench for Philly. Point guard Marcus Smart was the only other Celtic to score in double figures but he just had 14 points and shot 2-of-7 from the floor. 

    Boston's lack of energy all night and the way that they simply rolled over against what we thought was an inferior opponent is beyond scary. Yes, the Celtics rallied from a 3-2 deficit in this same exact spot last season against Milwaukee but it is tough to continue to live like this and expect to survive it again and again. The Celtics' defense has been a major weakness in this series (and truthfully all playoffs long) since the Sixers have scored 115+ points in each of their victories. Boston also fell to 3-3 at home in this postseason which will never get it done. Philadelphia wanted it more as they grabbed a whopping 13 more rebounds (49-36) than the home team and thanks to Embiid, they blocked four more shots (5-1). All series long, the C's have driven to the rim only to get stuffed by Embiid, maybe they could adjust to that a bit more?  Philly also had 10 more fast break points (15-5) than Boston which is hard to explain since head coach Doc Rivers' team plays a pretty deliberate style other than Maxey. 

    There will be so much on the line in Game 6 for the Celtics: head coach Joe Mazzulla's job should most definitely be in jeopardy if they lose and more importantly, we would have to wonder if Tatum and Brown will ever get it done together since they seemingly could not ask for a better path to an NBA title than what has unfolded for them this postseason at least in the Eastern Conference. Seeing the Bruins pull a Bruins and choke in the first round of the playoffs after a record setting regular season was bad enough but watching the Celtics piss away this wonderful opportunity would be arguably even harder to take since the NBA is typically so much more predictable and driven by its stars.

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. 

In Tonight's Episode Of Boston Sports Failure, The Celtics Dropped Game 1 To The Sixers 119-115

 

    So apparently we live in sports hell now. For the second straight night, we were treated to an excruciating setback for the home team as this time the Celtics did the honors by losing Game 1 of their second round playoff series to the Sixers 119-115 at TD Garden. Philly's superstar center Joel Embiid (knee) was out and the Celts were a 10.5 point favorite, therefore no problem right? Nothing is certain though with this ultra talented but bipolar club. Sixers shooting guard James Harden tied his playoff career-high with 45 points (including the dagger go-ahead 3-pointer pictured above). Game 2 is Wednesday (8, TNT) back at the Garden and Embiid could return then, gulp. I am still confident that Boston will win the series but why do they keep making things more difficult on themselves? 

    When we take a step back like Harden (sorry), this result is not surprising at all especially considering how Boston repeatedly stumbled in the first round vs. Atlanta. Despite multiple players that are considered good defenders, their team defense is currently a complete mess. I know that every team scores 100+ points in each game in the NBA these days but this is getting ridiculous for the C's. Besides losing home court advantage right away in this series, the Celtics wasted a fantastic performance by its star small forward Jayson Tatum (team-high 39 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) along with a team shooting performance that seems impossible to lose with-58.7% from the floor and 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Turnovers absolutely killed them as they had a whopping 10 more (16-6) than Philadelphia which simply cannot happen in the postseason if you hope to win anything.

    Harden was the headliner but the others on the Sixers also stepped up with the likely NBA MVP sitting on the sidelines. Point guard Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points, power forward Tobias Harris added 18 points and five rebounds while something named Paul Reed had a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) as Embiid's dollar store replacement. Finally, shooting guard De'Anthony Melton scored 17 points off the bench for Philly. Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown started out fast and finished with 23 points and six rebounds, point guard Marcus Smart added 12 points and seven assists (but also 6 turnovers) and center Al Horford notched 11 points and six rebounds. Guard Malcolm Brogdon (20 points) was great off the bench but he couldn't entirely make up for shooting guard Derrick White's (4 points) worst game of the playoffs and maybe the entire season. 

    In a high scoring first quarter, the Celts couldn't miss and they led 38-31 but it was all downhill from there as the Sixers took each of the final three quarters. Philadelphia cut it to 66-63 at halftime and it was tied at 87 going into the last frame. Philly hit seven more 3-pointers (17-10) and had seven more steals (10-3) than the hosts which led to seven more points off turnovers (20-13). The Celtics pulled down 10 more rebounds (38-28), dished out nine more assists (26-17), they scored 24 more points in the paint (66-42!!!!!) and four more fast break points (14-10) and yet somehow they still found a way to lose on their home court. I refuse to panic and call Game 2 a must-win (YAWN!) but yikes, things would get pretty sketchy if the Sixers can take a 2-0 lead in the series.

I've Never Been More Excited In My Life For A Celtics Season To Mercifully Come To An End

 

    The Celtics have suffered through many terrible seasons (and I'm sure that there will be plenty more of those in the future) in my lifetime but I have to be honest: I can't ever remember wanting a season to end as much as I needed this group to go away. Thankfully the Nets were there to help us as they blew out the Celts one last time: 123-109 tonight at the Barclays Center in Game 5 of their pointless first round playoff series which Brooklyn took four games to one. With that, Boston heads into the off-season with a boatload of questions that they'll need to figure out. Point guard Kemba Walker (knee) and center Robert Williams (ankle) were inactive for the second game in a row, couple that with All-Star Jaylen Brown's absence and you can understand why the C's had no shot in this game or in the series for that matter. 

    As always, the Nets were led by their big three: shooting guard James Harden had a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists with two blocks and two steals; point guard Kyrie Irving added 25 points and power forward Kevin Durant notched 24 points and three blocks. Brooklyn also got solid contributions from small forward Joe Harris (10 points, 6 assists) and Boston native Bruce Brown put up 10 points, five rebounds and four steals off the bench in the win. For Boston, superstar Jayson Tatum's fourth season in the NBA ended with a team-high 32 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. Shooting guard Evan Fournier had 18 points and six rebounds, shooting guard Romeo Langford got a rare start and he made the most of it with 17 points, two blocks and two steals.  Guard Marcus Smart added 14 points and seven rebounds and the forgotten man Jabari Parker put up 13 points off the bench for the Celts. 

    Boston hung around for longer than they should have as Brooklyn led 31-24 after the first quarter and 59-51 at halftime. The Celtics actually outscored the Nets 28-27 in the third quarter before they predictably collapsed in the fourth quarter (27-20) which allowed the home team to lead by as much as 22 points. Brooklyn advances to the second round where they'll meet Milwaukee which should be a way more competitive and interesting series. For Celts GM Danny Ainge (who should be on the hot seat but probably won't be), his summer starts right now as the C's have three pending free agents: Fournier, power forward Semi Ojeleye and center Luke Kornet. Of those three, I'd hope that Fournier is the only one that they are inclined to re-sign (assuming that they don't wildly overpay him). The scary part is that the Celtics are always so reluctant to make big moves. That's why Ainge and head coach Brad Stevens probably won't be fired this summer not that they are the sole reasons why this team underachieved so drastically. Tatum and Brown are obviously everything to Boston's hopefully much brighter days ahead. Other than them-as far as I'm concerned-they are all tradeable in the right deal. 

    The Celts head into the long break with so many issues surrounding them that it's hard to know just where to begin. A) They have to keep Tatum and Brown healthy and happy together; B) They need to surround those two with more talented guys all around them; C) They should get creative to sell the city to perspective free agents. This gentleman's sweep of a series proved yet again how far away they actually are from Brooklyn (who combined in the regular season and playoffs went 7-1 against them in 2020-21) not to mention Philadelphia and Milwaukee-and that's just in the Eastern Conference! I will always love the Celtics and cheer for them but there really was very little to enjoy in this doomed campaign: they endlessly battled Covid-19 with a bunch of guys, injuries to key players, the countless losses to awful teams and they had a bunch of younger players that did not seem to get better as they rotted away on the bench. Here is to some honest conversations in the Celtics' front office starting tomorrow that eventually lead to major changes-whatever that entails. That franchise is too rich in history (namely winning championships) and they have too many fans all around the world to accept another useless campaign like that.  

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!

Jayson Tatum Drops 50+ Points For The Fourth Time In 49 Days As C's Avoid A Sweep By The Nets

 

    Well tonight Kyrie Irving (16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, 6 rebounds) returned to the TD Garden with a decent amount of fans in the building and thankfully, there was nothing but a playoff basketball game to talk about after it was all over. In Game 3 of their first round series, Brooklyn jumped out to a 19-4 lead and at that point, I would have bet anything that they would cruise to another easy win. Not so fast my friends as Boston fought back and eventually held on for a pretty thrilling 125-119 victory behind star Jayson Tatum's latest postseason career-high 50-point, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals masterpiece. This being the predictable NBA, the Celts probably will not win another game in the series since the Nets have way more top-end talent than them but hey, at least they showed some life and were not swept away like a bunch of lifeless scrubs.

    If Kyrie had been a shell of his usual self, Brooklyn could have walked away with a 3-0 series lead (reminder: no team in NBA history has ever recovered from an 0-3 hole). Shooting guard James Harden (team-high 41 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds) and power forward Kevin Durant (39 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals) were both fantastic but with Jeff Green (planter fasciitis) out for the rest of the series, no other Net scored more than eight points. Despite what you might think, Tatum was not a one-man show as guard Marcus Smart added 23 points and six assists, center Tristan Thompson had his best game as a Celtic with 19 points and 13 rebounds then shooting guard Evan Fournier notched 17 points and five rebounds. If you're wondering about center Robert Williams, he played six minutes before leaving with a left ankle injury. He never returned to action and he was seen afterwards in a walking boot. Ugh, other than Gordon Hayward, he is the most injury prone guy on the C's that I've ever seen. You can never count on him for any stretch of time because there is always some injury or issue waiting for him around every corner.  

Whenever the Nets advance past the Celtics (I'm thinking in a gentleman's sweep of 5 games now, right?), they are going to have serious trouble when they face better teams like the Sixers or Bucks in the East. Their big three is normally incredible but the lack of depth is an issue, rookie head coach Steve Nash is as green as he can be in that role and most importantly, Brooklyn refuses to play any sort of defense at all. Yes they have some amazing highlights every game on the offensive end but how do you give up 125 points to a team with one great player? Their lack of size inside is scary as well.  

    Boston shot 5.4% better from the field (50.6%-45.2%), they grabbed nine more rebounds (46-37), they dished out five more assists (21-16), they scored six more points in the paint (21-15) and they tallied eight more second chance points (13-5). The Celtics led 33-32 after the first quarter which expanded slightly to 61-57 at halftime. Unlike in Game 1, the Nets did not come storming back in the third quarter as the C's were up by as many as 17 points (96-79) late in the frame before Brooklyn cut it to 96-84 going into the fourth quarter. They outscored the Celts 35-29 in the final stanza but it was not enough to steal the win or even force overtime. 

    Game 4 is on Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston) back at the Garden and the cool footnote to that is that there will be a full capacity crowd for the first time in the 2020-21 season since many of the Massachusetts Covid-19 restrictions go away on Saturday. If 5000 people made that much noise and caused Kyrie to be so shook, imagine what more than three times that amount of loud Massholes on a long weekend bender could produce? Like most realistic Celtics fans-which is an oxymoron-I was shocked that they pulled Game 3 out so I would be completely dumbfounded if they can do it again in Game 4 (let's call that extremely unlikely at best). It had been an all-around nightmare week for the Celtics so it was nice to see them put all the drama and negative attention to the side and show a little heart against the Nets.

This C's-Nets Matchup Is Going To Be One Of The Least Competitive Playoff Series In NBA History

 

Has there ever been an NBA playoff series that was effectively over after only two miserable games? I ask because our Boston Celtics got embarrassed by the Brooklyn Nets 130-108 at the Barclays Center this evening in Game 2 of their opening round playoff series. Brooklyn is now up 2-0 in the best-of-7 with the series coming to the TD Garden on Friday (8:30, NBC Sports Boston) and Sunday night (7, NBC Sports Boston). The Nets didn't waste any time as they raced out to a double-digit lead (40-26) at the end of the first quarter. That ballooned to 71-47 at halftime so you get the point, there was no need to watch the second half since you already knew the outcome halfway through Game 2. To make matters worse, Celtics star Jayson Tatum (9 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks) got poked in the eye by Brooklyn star Kevin Durant (game-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks) in the third quarter and he never returned to action (granted it was a picture perfect blowout so there was no point anyway).

    Notably, the only two Celtics that seemed to take losing in such depressing fashion personally were guard Marcus Smart (team-high 19 points, 6 assists, 2 steals) and newcomer Evan Fournier (16 points, 2 steals). You can always count on Smart to give an honest effort but it was nice to see Fournier get in Durant's face after the latter got involved in Fournier's conversation with one of the referees. Brooklyn's sharp-shooting swingman Joe Harris (25 points, 2 steals) was unstoppable as he made a franchise playoff record 7-of-10 3-pointers. Shooting guard James Harden added 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds while point guard Kyrie Irving had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. The ghost of Blake Griffin notched 11 points for the home team and nine guys appeared off the bench for Brooklyn with shooting guard Landry Shamet (10 points) the only one to score in double-figures. For the Celts, point guard Kemba Walker put up 17 points and seven assists while center Tristan Thompson had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

    Friday will be the first time that Kyrie returns to the Garden with actual live fans in attendance so he obviously couldn't help himself in his postgame press conference tonight as he alluded to Boston still being a racist city after all of these years. If you are dumb enough to spend however much money it takes to watch another blowout in this inevitable sweep, I suppose one of the only real fun aspects of it will be the chance to boo Kyrie in person as much as you want. Please don't do anything stupid and give more needless fuel to people that aren't from here to cling to the tired old stereotype that Boston is still a tough place to be for minorities. This fake series has already gone off the rails so there is absolutely no need to draw even more negative attention to the Celtics, their fanbase and our beloved home.

In Gm 1 Of Their Playoff Series Vs. Nets, C's Played About As Well As They Could But Still Lost By 11

 

    Under the current impossible circumstances, you could not dream of a better start than what the Celtics got in Game 1 of their first round playoff series with the Nets tonight at Barclays Center. Boston led 21-16 after the first quarter and 53-47 at halftime. As shocking as that was, the second half was basically paint by numbers as Brooklyn decided to try a little bit and they blew the C's out of the water-winning by double-digits (104-93) in a contest where they played kind of terrible. Not that we needed it but it served as a sobering reality check for the Celts that no matter what they do (save for an asteroid hitting the Earth in the next week), they are going to get swept by the Nets in four forgettable games and their really disappointing 2020-2021 season will mercifully be over by next Sunday night.

    One of the only interesting sub-plots of this foregone conclusion of a series is the fact that Brooklyn's big three of power forward Kevin Durant (game-high 32 points, 12 rebounds), point guard Kyrie Irving (29 points, 6 rebounds) and shooting guard James Harden (21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals) had only played together for a grand total of 202 minutes in the regular season. How would it look when they face the pressure of the postseason against a quality opponent? Haha well obviously that question will have to wait until at least the next round since this series basically serves as Brooklyn's extended warmup to the playoffs. Swingman Jayson Tatum led Boston with 22 points and five assists but he was held to 6-for-20 shooting from the field and he turned the ball over four times as well. Guard Marcus Smart (17 points, 5 assists) actually played pretty well and center Robert Williams was able to suit up and he nearly put up a triple-double (11 points, 9 rebounds and a team playoff record 9 blocks) in 23 minutes off the bench. Point guard Kemba Walker scored 15 points while shooting guard Evan Fournier added 10 points, six rebounds and two steals in his Celtics playoff debut. Center Tristan Thompson grabbed 10 rebounds and had two steals in his first playoff game as a Celtic.

    Nets head coach Steve Nash's first playoff game was far from a masterpiece but honestly, how much does he have to do? Small forward Joe Harris (10 points) was the only other Net to score in double-figures and just nine guys on Brooklyn saw the floor but when you have the best trio in the league, you can cut many corners. Brooklyn came out in the third quarter and finally looked a little like the title contender that they are expected to be as they outscored Boston 31-20. The Celtics kept trying in the fourth quarter but they are extremely limited offensively without Jaylen Brown in there so they were outscored 26-20 in the final frame. Neither team shot well at all but Brooklyn at least was over 40% (41.7%) while Boston was 36.9% which is pathetic considering how terrible the Nets are defensively. Brooklyn made six more free throws (26-20) and grabbed 10 more rebounds (50-40). The Nets had twice as many points off turnovers (18-9) as the Celtics. 

    If the C's were ever going to surprise the Nets, this was the time for it. Now, Brooklyn will be more dialed in from the beginning of the game and as a result, Boston will get destroyed and lose by way bigger margins in Games 2-4. This being the NBA, they already get a needless extra day off between contests so Game 2 is on Tuesday (7:30, NBC Sports Boston) and I expect a much uglier blowout loss for the Celts. The Nets were 8-of-34 (23.5%) on 3-pointers in Game 1 and if you think that number will stay in the same area code for the rest of the series, you are completely delusional.

In Case You Forgot, The Celtics Are Nowhere Close To The Nets' Level (Even Without Kevin Durant)

 

    After a fraudulent four-game win streak heading into the All-Star break, it was back to reality for the Celtics (19-18 overall, 7-13 away) tonight as they began the second half of the season with a 121-109 loss at the Barclays Center vs. the Nets (25-13 overall, 14-6 home). It was their seventh straight loss on the road which seems like a sneaky major issue. The sad part for Boston is that with guard Marcus Smart's (19 points off the bench) return to action, they were as healthy as they've been in months while Brooklyn didn't even have Kevin Durant (hamstring) available. The Nets are one of the hottest teams in the entire league (9-1 in their last 10 games) and if they ever get Durant along with guards Kyrie Irving (game-high 40 points, 8 rebounds) and James Harden (22 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) together on the court for a sustained amount of time, yikes look out world. 

    Coming back from the All-Star game, we all wanted to see how the two All-Stars on the Boston would react and the early returns were mixed: swingman Jayson Tatum had a team-high 31 points and five rebounds while shooting guard Jaylen Brown (13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) struggled immensely shooting a woeful 5-of-23 from the floor including 3-for-12 on 3-pointers. As is usually the case these days, offense wasn't the main issue for the Celts, their defense continues to let them down time after time. Center Daniel Theis had 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals while point guard Kemba Walker scored 11 points and center Robert Williams blocked six shots off the bench in only 17 minutes of action.

    For Brooklyn, small forward Joe Harris scored 12 points while shooting guard Landry Shamet (18 points) hit six 3-pointers off the bench and former Celtic Jeff Green added 11 points. The Nets will never be a great defensive team (and really who is anymore in NBA?) but that hardly matters since they possess the most explosive offense in the league. This was the carbon copy of many losses this season for the Celtics as they were close all game long before they completely fell apart at the end where the Nets closed on a 13-3 run after Boston cut it to 108-106. The Celtics led 29-23 after the first quarter but trailed by three at halftime (58-55). Boston outscored Brooklyn 31-30 in the third quarter but they were no match for them in the fourth quarter (33-23).

    The Nets shot 2.6% better from the floor (47.7%-45.1%), hit six more 3-pointers (19-13), made four more free throws (18-14), grabbed six more rebounds (45-39) including six more defensive boards (34-28) while Brooklyn had eight more second chance points (28-20) than the Celtics. From the marquee lights of a primetime game on TNT to the anonymity of a Sunday night (8, NBC Sports Boston) visit to lowly Houston (11-24 overall, 5-10 home), the C's next game is against one of the worst teams in the NBA. Losers of their last 14 games (!!!!!), the Rockets are tanking like you read about: haha they lost by 20 points this evening to the Kings (15-22 overall, 9-12 home) 125-105. These days, I wouldn't bet anything on the C's with your money let alone my money but good lord, if they lose to the Rockets, I might be rendered speechless. No pressure guys.

Blowout Losses By the Celtics are My New Drug

I have to admit that in a weird way I'm enjoying all these blowout losses by the Celtics, juxtaposed with almost nightly college basketball games featuring Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Marcus Smart. Boston (4-8 overall, 2-5 away) had us worried when they won four games in a row a few weeks back, including a buzzer beater at Miami (explain that), but now they have lost four consecutive games including the last three by 13+ points. Long story short: either they're getting a hang of this tanking business or they are just not that good without Rajon Rondo on the court.

Tonight was their best effort so far in that regard (cough, tanking) as they were down 18-1 to the Rockets (8-4 overall, 5-2 home) at Toyota Center and never recovered in a 109-85 loss. You know the C's truly blow when a stiff like Terrence Jones (24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks) has a career-best game against them. Haha keep them coming guys!

It was a night for bums to shine as Patrick Beverley added 16 points for Houston. James Harden (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Dwight Howard (10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) didn't have to do any heavy lifting. Chandler Parsons had 11 points and six assists while Jeremy Lin scored 11 points with five assists off the bench. Houston will never win a championship with this group but they'll get to the playoffs and be entertaining to watch.

For Boston, only three players were in double-figures (which is music to our ears): Courtney Lee led them with 17 points (always a good sign), Avery Bradley had 11 points and Jared Sullinger notched 10 points and nine rebounds.

If you thought tonight was ugly for the Celtics (and it certainly was), tomorrow night (8:30, CSNE) at San Antonio's (9-1, 1st in Southwest Division) At&T Center should be a complete joke. I doubt that the Spurs would overlook them like the Heat did so you can count on a blowout loss for the C's. Playing a back-to-back on the road against two solid teams is a great way to extend this modest losing streak into something substantial.

UPDATE 11/20: Gerald Wallace was fined $10,000 by the NBA for dropping an f-bomb to the media after last night's loss.

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Celtics Show No Signs Of Slowing Down, Win Their Fifth Straight Game

Over the summer and during the preseason when people talked about this being Boston's deepest team in years, this is what they imagined, not the struggles of November and December. For the second game in a row, the Celtics' (19-17, 12-6 home) bench was superb as they helped them beat the Rockets (21-16, 7-10 away) 103-91 at TD Garden.

Boston avenged a 101-89 loss in Houston on December 14 and picked up their fifth straight victory just for fun. The Celts pretty much led wire to wire, however they almost blew a 17-point lead (62-45) from the third quarter as the Rockets cut it to 83-81 in the fourth but the C's hit them with a 12-1 run to end it.

Paul Pierce led the home team with 23 points and six rebounds, Kevin Garnett had 17 points, eight rebounds and four blocks and Rajon Rondo put up 12 points and eight assists. Avery Bradley scored seven points but his real contribution was holding James Harden to 24 points and five assists, seriously. That ended Harden's streak of 14 straight games with 25+ points.

Jared Sullinger had another double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Courtney Lee added 14 points while Jeff Green scored nine.

Chandler Parsons had 18 points for the Rockets while Harvard's Jeremy Lin notched 12 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Omer Asik had seven points and 11 rebounds but a 1 for 8 night at the free throw line took the shine off his work.

Free throw shooting was a teamwide epidemic for Houston, they went 12 for 29 so that was the primary reason why they lost. I can't ever remember an NBA team having that kind of wretched performance. It was stunning, especially since they entered shooting 76% as a team. The Celtics also shot 8.1% better than the Rockets (51.9-43.8%) from the field which was the other main theme of the game.

Boston gets the weekend off then they basically get Monday off as well since the Bobcats (9-26, 4th in Southeast Division) come to TD Garden (7:30 p.m., CSN) in the third game of a five-game homestand for the C's. Charlotte played well at the beginning of the season but it's been all downhill from there, they are still one of the NBA's worst teams.

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Now Is Hardly The Time To Worry About A Silly NBA Game

Normally, after a loss like tonight I would have plenty to complain about regarding the Celtics. However given what happened earlier today in Newtown, CT coupled with the personal tragedy in Rockets head coach Kevin McHale's life recently (his daughter died), everything else seems secondary at the moment and not important in the least bit.

Boston (12-10, 4-6 away) opened its tough three-game road trip (Houston, San Antonio and Chicago) with a 101-89 loss to Houston (11-11, 9-5 home) at the Toyota Center. The Celtics actually led 45-43 at halftime but the Rockets bombarded them in the third quarter (32-25) and fourth quarter (26-19) for the win in front of far from a sellout crowd.

James Harden had a game-high 21 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals while something named Greg Smith put up 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench for Houston. Chandler Parsons (15 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists) almost notched a triple-double and former Knick Toney Douglas scored 11 off the bench. Omer Asik (10 rebounds) and Carlos Delfino each scored nine points in the victory.

Nothing came easy for Boston which is what happens when you shoot a cool 40.0% as a team. Paul Pierce led the Celts with 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Rajon Rondo had 15 points, 13 assists, four steals and a season-high seven turnovers, Kevin Garnett added 14 points and five assists while Jason Terry scored 12 off the bench. Jeff Green (9 points, 7 rebounds) and Jared Sullinger (7 points, 6 rebounds) also had their moments as substitutes.

The C's had eight more steals (15-7) but the Rockets shot much better (48.7%) from the floor, with two more 3-pointers (10-8), four more free throws made (17-13), four more rebounds (45-41) and three more blocks (8-5).

Both teams had played on Wednesday but Boston went two overtimes with Dallas then had to travel to the Lonestar State while Houston chilled at home after beating Washington. That doesn't excuse the big discrepancy for fast break points (25-11) and points in the paint (40-32) that favored the Rockets. Their young legs looked fresh while Boston's old bodies didn't seem to have any energy once Houston took control in the second half.

Things only get harder from here as the Celtics go to face the Spurs (18-6, 1st Southwest Division) at the AT&T Center tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., CSN). San Antonio has lost two in a row-which is big news for them-so they'll be fired up or turned up as the kids say these days. This is the second of two meetings between the teams this season, the Spurs won 112-100 at TD Garden the night before Thanksgiving.

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Mercy: The 2012 All-Star Break Is Finally Here For The Boston Celtics

I sincerely hope that Rajon Rondo enjoyed his 26th birthday today. Without having to play basketball, he was free to do whatever he wanted. The NBA even obliged by naming him to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a replacement for the injured Joe Johnson.

Rondo's teammates on the Boston Celtics could have used him in Oklahoma City though as they lost 119-104 to the Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in a game that wasn't that close or competitive.

May I just say that I'm psyched I don't have to watch the Celts (15-17) for the next five days. Boston lost its fifth straight game while Oklahoma City (26-7) swept the season series 2-0.

The Thunder improved to 11-1 at home this season and they set an NBA season high for points in a half as they led 72-49 after two quarters thanks to an absurd 30-3 run. Really. That was the most the C's had allowed in a half in seven years.

I give Boston a ton of credit for cutting it all the way down to six points (108-102 with 3:31 left) but without Rondo, Brandon Bass, Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox, that was their last gasp.

Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 31 points, six assists and five rebounds while Kevin Durant added 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. Daequan Cook notched 17 points while former Celtic Kendrick Perkins had eight points and 10 rebounds. James Harden scored 17 points off the bench.

I absolutely hate the NBA and almost everything about it but I will admit that the Thunder would make me seriously consider buying League Pass that is if most of their games weren't already on national TV.

After missing two games, Kevin Garnett returned and looked good with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Paul Pierce had 23 points, eight assists and five rebounds while Ray Allen put up 21 points and seven assists. I honestly can't remember the last time those three all scored 20+ points, it figures it would happen when Rondo was out. Avery Bradley had 12 points, five assists and three blocks in his place. Mickael Pietrus had 16 points and seven rebounds.

Pierce and Rondo will be off to Orlando for All-Star weekend but the rest of the C's should get as much rest as possible. They have dug themselves quite a hole (3rd in the Atlantic Division, 8th in the East) by losing the first four games of this road trip and generally looking terrible for much of this season.

Barring a big trade (unlikely), the best we can hope for is that most everybody gets healthy at once and maybe this squad has one last run left in them. They return on Tuesday to close out the trip in Cleveland (1-1 so far this season against the Cavs). That's a must-win before they come back to Boston for a four-game homestand. The first half of 2011-12 was miserable, I feel like taking a cold shower after watching this mess.

UPDATE 2/24: Rondo was also added to the Skills Challenge, taking Stephen Curry's place (he's hurt too).

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