For some reason I am not that concerned...

[BudweiserCeltic]

Man, how I wish that last short jumper from Ray would've gone in to cut the lead to two... it rattled out. Ray even thought he had made it seeing his body language as he released the ball.

For some reason I knew that Ray was going to go off when they kept showing him practicing his shot... he kept practicing his mid range jumper, especially while guarded, and that's the shot I've been looking from him all season... that's the shot he made consistently last night.

[CT34]

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.

You know what I agree with you, with this many people not concerned it just can not be a good thing.  But we all have to agree the reason why were not concern YET is because of the way the Celtics played last night.  They didn't play great on defense and we still had a chance to win.  Also Ray Allen seem to have found his touch and I think he will play better on the road then at home.  Also the Piston lost at home to the 76ers in these play-offs so it not like they can't be beat at home.  Now that the Cs lost a home game, I think they will be more focus on the road to get a win.  They always had the home-court to fall back on and now they don't.

I just ran into Cedric Maxwell about in hour ago when I was walking down by Boston Commons and Max told me he not worried because of the way the Celtics lost last night game.  Max tolD me that the he thought the Cs beat themselves.  It wasn't nothing the Piston did, it was what the Celtics did and didn't do.  They did not play good Defensive and they foul too much.  The only thing about the offense that Max was not happy about is that he felt they stop attacking the rim.  Other then Paul Pierce and Ray Allen everyone settled for jump-shoot.  Those thing can be corrected.  

[2short]

I think its a pretty even series the C's going through 2 full series might show.  Doc vs Flip is going to hurt when its close.  But I don't feel we played our best ball last night and were within winning.  Then again, game one you could make the same arguement for the pistons.  However if our d is where it should be and the ball movement returns we can take the series.
rondo needs breathers don't sit him for long stretches

[Redz]

Man, how I wish that last short jumper from Ray would've gone in to cut the lead to two... it rattled out. Ray even thought he had made it seeing his body language as he released the ball.

For some reason I knew that Ray was going to go off when they kept showing him practicing his shot... he kept practicing his mid range jumper, especially while guarded, and that's the shot I've been looking from him all season... that's the shot he made consistently last night.

I still keep thinking about the 3 Ray missed that would have put the Celts up 7 in the 3rd.  Detroit rattled off the three straight threes right after.  Although with all the poise the Pisons were playing with last night I don't know that anything the Celts threw at them was going to have the "dagger" effect.

This series is going to be tight all they way.  Neither team was stopping the other all that much in crunch time.  The bonehead plays were the difference.

You have to like the confidence with which KG and Pierce are playing with, and with Ray back in tow, we should be ok if ANYONE else can step up a bit.

[WedmanIsMyHero]

What about what Michael Wilbon said last night?  It is a bad sign that the Big 3 played well and the Celtics lost.  Shows that they needed more bench support, and you are less likely to get a great bench performance on the road than at home (Stuckey for the Pistons obviously stepped up last night -- remember when Tony Allen had that brief month or two when he could consistently score. . .).

Man, how I wish that last short jumper from Ray would've gone in to cut the lead to two... it rattled out. Ray even thought he had made it seeing his body language as he released the ball.

For some reason I knew that Ray was going to go off when they kept showing him practicing his shot... he kept practicing his mid range jumper, especially while guarded, and that's the shot I've been looking from him all season... that's the shot he made consistently last night.

I still keep thinking about the 3 Ray missed that would have put the Celts up 7 in the 3rd.  Detroit rattled off the three straight threes right after.  Although with all the poise the Pisons were playing with last night I don't know that anything the Celts threw at them was going to have the "dagger" effect.

This series is going to be tight all they way.  Neither team was stopping the other all that much in crunch time.  The bonehead plays were the difference.

You have to like the confidence with which KG and Pierce are playing with, and with Ray back in tow, we should be ok if ANYONE else can step up a bit.

[CT34]

What about what Michael Wilbon said last night?  It is a bad sign that the Big 3 played well and the Celtics lost.  Shows that they needed more bench support, and you are less likely to get a great bench performance on the road than at home (Stuckey for the Pistons obviously stepped up last night -- remember when Tony Allen had that brief month or two when he could consistently score. . .).

Man, how I wish that last short jumper from Ray would've gone in to cut the lead to two... it rattled out. Ray even thought he had made it seeing his body language as he released the ball.

For some reason I knew that Ray was going to go off when they kept showing him practicing his shot... he kept practicing his mid range jumper, especially while guarded, and that's the shot I've been looking from him all season... that's the shot he made consistently last night.

I still keep thinking about the 3 Ray missed that would have put the Celts up 7 in the 3rd.  Detroit rattled off the three straight threes right after.  Although with all the poise the Pisons were playing with last night I don't know that anything the Celts threw at them was going to have the "dagger" effect.

This series is going to be tight all they way.  Neither team was stopping the other all that much in crunch time.  The bonehead plays were the difference.

You have to like the confidence with which KG and Pierce are playing with, and with Ray back in tow, we should be ok if ANYONE else can step up a bit.

Mike Wilborn is also the same guy who said the Cs would be worried only being up by 1 point at half time of the first game.  If Wilborn knew anything about the Celtics he would have known it's hasn't been about the teams offense all season.  If the Cs play D they win, when they don't play D and they turn into a jump shooting team they lose. That's what happen last night.  . 

[Casperian]

Me neither, and it`s not just something I post to be optimistic. I don`t know why, I can`t put my finger on it, but this Pistons team doesn`t scare me nearly as much as Cleveland did.

It`s certainly not a bulletproof argument, but I have a very good feeling.

[BrickJames]

The reason I am not concerned:

"It was a great game.  Both teams played hard.  God bless and good night!"

[vinnie]

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.

Heh, very appropriate you bringing up the moronic PA guy in Detroit, Andy --    My question, however, is when will the Celts ownership succumb and hire its own moron as a PA announcer?  Now that we have the dancing girls, that can't be far behind.

[BigAlTheFuture]

I'm not concerned either and I don't know why. Usually, after a Celtics loss in the playoffs it gives me trouble sleeping . For some reason I got to sleep 15 minutes after the game last night. Part of it is probably because I was expecting a 1-1 tie going to Detroit and because Ray Allen got out of the slump. I don't know about you guys but I feel a road win coming soon. I'm not concerned at all. Go Celtics!

[Redz]

I think there's an odd sense of relief at losing a home game finally because it will force the Celtics hand to finally winning a road game.  It will be another "war ring" to add to their collection as they grow together during their first playoff run together.

On the other hand, if they can't win the road game, they're not ready to be a champ anyhow. For me there's some relief in knowing that for better or worse we're going to learn a hell of a lot about this team in the next two games.

[NUMBA 17]

I have to agree with the tone of EJPlaya (TP) and this post....this was the first playoff loss that I wasn't really heated about....I expected Detroit's best shot, and they got it......
I wouldn't say the Celtics played bad at all...they actually played pretty well over all, just a step slower on D and thats all Detroit needed...if they are gonna hit THAT many key jump shots, then you have to give it to them...


  And look at it this way...if this Celtics team cant win ONE GAME on the road, they dont deserve NUMBA 17...period, point blank.....but IM confident they can...

[celtics2]

I'm very concerned. We have 2 players that don't bring it game after game besides the Allen slump. Rondo and Perkins. We're always playing 5 against 3. The bench is very suspect at this level. Perk does bring things to the team. He puts on his shirt and pants and laces his shoes all by himself. His rebounding and defense come nowhere to his lacking offense. If we win this series Detroit will have to help us out. Detroit knows very well the key to beating us. Over play the big 3 and make believe Rondo and Perk aren't there.

[EJPLAYA]

I'm very concerned. We have 2 players that don't bring it game after game besides the Allen slump. Rondo and Perkins. We're always playing 5 against 3. The bench is very suspect at this level. Perk does bring things to the team. He puts on his shirt and pants and laces his shoes all by himself. His rebounding and defense come nowhere to his lacking offense. If we win this series Detroit will have to help us out. Detroit knows very well the key to beating us. Over play the big 3 and make believe Rondo and Perk aren't there.

There's a reason you don't have any Tommy Points. Come on...

Rondo and Perk are young and inexperienced. They have had games where they carried the team. Especially Rondo. Detroit does a good job of defending the PG. When they slow him down it is tough to get anything down low for Perk. If you're down to 5-6 seconds on the shot clock you don't want it in his hands down there.

He blocked a couple shots, one really big one when we were making a run at the end. He had 6 boards in 26 minutes. He was not the reason we lost. We played poor team defense and committed silly fouls. They played perfect. We almost won. Please be serious with your posts. Saying those two NEVER bring it is nonsense.

[Kiwicelt]

I think there's an odd sense of relief at losing a home game finally because it will force the Celtics hand to finally winning a road game.  It will be another "war ring" to add to their collection as they grow together during their first playoff run together.

On the other hand, if they can't win the road game, they're not ready to be a champ anyhow. For me there's some relief in knowing that for better or worse we're going to learn a hell of a lot about this team in the next two games.

My sentiments exactly!