For some reason I am not that concerned...

[EJPLAYA]

I don't know what it is, but I really think that we are just fine still in this series. I feel very confident that we can go in and get 1 of 2 in their building. I still think it will go 7, but they don't scare me nearly as bad as Cleveland did. Think about this:

They played basically a perfect game last night and we still had a great shot at winning.

We played poor defense overall and still had a shot.


I think the key adjustments are stepping up the D which you know they will do, and taking it to the basket more. We shot way too many 3's as usual. 5-19 didn't help. 3-4 of those fall though and we win. We take 7-8 of those to the rim though and we win.

I might change my opinion after these next two in Detroit, but I still feel like they had to be perfect to beat us.

[BudweiserCeltic]

As I said before in another thread, this is the first loss in the playoffs were I'm not really bothered by it.  I saw too many positive things last night.

[jay_jay54]

I don't know what it is, but I really think that we are just fine still in this series. I feel very confident that we can go in and get 1 of 2 in their building. I still think it will go 7, but they don't scare me nearly as bad as Cleveland did. Think about this:

They played basically a perfect game last night and we still had a great shot at winning.

We played poor defense overall and still had a shot.


I think the key adjustments are stepping up the D which you know they will do, and taking it to the basket more. We shot way too many 3's as usual. 5-19 didn't help. 3-4 of those fall though and we win. We take 7-8 of those to the rim though and we win.

I might change my opinion after these next two in Detroit, but I still feel like they had to be perfect to beat us.

EJ,i feel the same...seems like a few adjustments here/there,and we might be fine.As you say,they played probably their best(Detroit),and we still had a good chance to win.Im sorry for the lost,but have a positive feeling about going on the road this trip.

[Redz]

The Celts won Games 5 & 7 in each of the first two rounds.  Those were the games that they faced the most pressure for a "must win".  In all 4 occasions they took care of biz when they needed to.  It just so happens that all of those games happened to be at home.  Game 3 vs Detroit does not necessarily fall under the must win category, but of they drop that one we'll be looking at pretty close to a must win situation in Game 4.  I still believe that when this team needs to answer the ultimate bell they'll do so. 

Hopefully they win Game 3 and aren't in that position.

[BringToughnessBack]

I too, am not as worried today as I thought I would be. I refrained from posting last night as I tried to gain some perspective on that game. I knew, deep down, we would need to win some games on the road and if we are truly a championship team, they will find the strength to prevail in one of the next 2 games, or God forbid, in a game 6 when there backs are truly against the wall. This Detroit team goes through long dry spells as well on offensive and in one of the next 2 games, we need to make sure we really capitalize on them when they occur. I thought in both games so far, we should have been up by double digits leaving the 1st quarter.

The one thing that does worry me and has been a prevalent theme throughout is that our coach does not seem to call timeouts at the right time. When I watch Phil J or The Spurs Coach, it seems they are very in tune to the pulse of the game..the minute the tide starts to turn, they call a timeout, they do not wait until the tide has turned and then some. Doc seems to give our players a bit more leeway before calling a timeout..sometimes that works but more times then not, it does not.

All in all though, if we are going to win a title this year, we should and have to win on the road more then once. It is that simple. I know the Spurs or the Lakers could come into our building and win one and I am sure that we can also do the same. Deep down, I do believe when all the "experts" count us out on the road, we will once again show why we were the best in the regular season and surprise them...

[CT34]

I don't know what it is, but I really think that we are just fine still in this series. I feel very confident that we can go in and get 1 of 2 in their building. I still think it will go 7, but they don't scare me nearly as bad as Cleveland did. Think about this:

They played basically a perfect game last night and we still had a great shot at winning.

We played poor defense overall and still had a shot.


I think the key adjustments are stepping up the D which you know they will do, and taking it to the basket more. We shot way too many 3's as usual. 5-19 didn't help. 3-4 of those fall though and we win. We take 7-8 of those to the rim though and we win.

I might change my opinion after these next two in Detroit, but I still feel like they had to be perfect to beat us.

You know what I feel the same way you do and it scares me.  I look at the fact that outside of Suckey and Hunter the Piston have gotten very little from their Bench.  The Cs played bad on defense and they still has a shot at winning the game. 

The things the Celtics must do is attack the basket, stop fouling and play better defense. If they are able to do those things I think they could get their first road win tomorrow night. 

[Vermont Green]

I figured I would check out the blog and see all kinds of doom and gloom but I am surprised to see a thread like this.  I completely agree and I have that same kind of "not quite sure why I am not more worried" uncertainty but I agree with everyone.  Even CT34 isn't worried (weren't you the one who was sure that game 4 against Cle was "must win"?).

The game last night reminded me a little bit of the Villanova-Georgetown NCAA final.  Georgetown was better and would have won a 7 game series but Nova played one game about as well as they could play and won.  Of course if Det keeps playing this well, we are in trouble but at this point, I am not losing any sleep.

[crownsy]

I'm feeling unconcerend for one reason, and i'll ask if you guys agree with me.

It's my feeling that, between ray getting it going last night, KG and pierce, this team will not allow itself to lose it all without a fight.

You can say all you want about the first to series, should have won a road game, you bet, should ahve finshed teams off in 5 or 6, also true.

But, what the media doesnt talk about as they rip on them for not winning on the road is that EVERY TIME so far that this team has had its back against the wall, the've come out like  a house of fire and won.

two game 5's and 2 game sevens, one a blowout, on a classic "were not going home yet" game by the team captain.

I just don't think, as the media is hinting today, that this team will have the same road let downs. If this team dies here, it will not be due to lack of passion.

mabey we will lose two in detroit, but one thing i do know, it won't be because we come out without a spark.

[Hoops]

I'll take this line of thinking one step further (I'm also not that worried). I think Boston could take the next two games in Detroit. One of the two games will be a dogfight, won by shear will. I can easily see the other being a game where Detroit is too laid back and plays sloppy - they're prone to it.

The C's don't have to win both games in Detroit, obviously. But if they can eek out a win in game 3, I could see them going for the jugular in game 4 and then finishing it off in game 5 at home.

[Andy Jick]

they can win if they keep b-b-b-b-b-billups under control (sorry, just thought i'd get everyone ready for that moronic PA guy).  when chauncey plays well, the pistons do.  rondo needs to ATTACK him - get him in foul trouble.

they need to play desperate...quite honestly, to this point in the playoffs they haven't had to.  well, they do now...we'll learn what this team is made of.

[The MadLad]

glup! im not concerned either for the same reasons that everyone else has posted. but that has me concerned! when this many people agree on something, it cant be right.

[JAM]

I think we will win one in Detroit.  Likely Game 4, but, we could win Game 3.  Either way I still say Celtics in 7. 

[waiting for #17]

"The one thing that does worry me and has been a prevalent theme throughout is that our coach does not seem to call timeouts at the right time. When I watch Phil J or The Spurs Coach, it seems they are very in tune to the pulse of the game..the minute the tide starts to turn, they call a timeout, they do not wait until the tide has turned and then some. Doc seems to give our players a bit more leeway before calling a timeout..sometimes that works but more times then not, it does not."



This has been my biggest complaint about Doc since day 1. Stop the opponents momentum with a time-out. Simple.

[LarBrd33]

The reason people aren't feeling panic right now is because this is what everyone expected.  From day one we've expected to meet the Pistons in the ECF for a touch matchup.  Them beating us at home was what we presumed would happen during a long 6-7 game series.   

People were full of panic and anxiety during the Atlanta and Cleveland series, because we all expected the Celtics to at least get beyond those teams.  The thought of choking and not reaching the ECF made people loopy. 

Right now... this is what we have waited for and anticipated.

[Chris]

Of course I am concerned, because now they have to win on the road, which they haven't done yet...but I definitely feel like I am less concerned than I should be. 

Last night this team looked tired, but they still nearly pulled off the victory against a Detroit team that was playing nearly flawless basketball.

Now, I don't know if they are going to win the series, because if Detroit can put together 3 more games like last night, it would be tough to beat...but I think the C's can play better, and the Pistons can play worse.