Celtics (41-16) at Bucks (39-17) Game #58 2/14/23

[celticinorlando]

If boston gets that kind of effort and production from guys 6-11 they are winning the title. They thoroughly outplayed a bucks team at home at pretty much full strength without their starting 5.

[radiohead]

I get the frustration with Joe not calling a timeout. But overall I think he did a great job coaching this game. I mean you take the team with the best player in the league, the best defense, a complete and healthy line up to OT with 4 of your starters out is impressive. If Holiday didn’t hit that half court heave to end the first half then maybe we win this game? Unfortunate loss but no complaints here. I’m more concerned if we have anything left in the tank vs the Pistons tomorrow.

[Neurotic Guy]

Not sure it’s been said earlier, but if it hasn’t… Derrick White should start and finish over Marcus.

[celticinorlando]

Joe should of called TO but grant dribbling off his foot wasn’t on Joe. That game tonight should have been a Milwaukee blowout.

Took holiday pulling a shot out of his butt and a tech on moose to give them the win

Bucks don’t have the scoring to beat Boston in a series. Nobody fears Allen, cougnaton, Lopez, carter, etc. it’s Giannis, holiday and a gimpy Middleton

[Goldstar88]

Joe should of called TO but grant dribbling off his foot wasn’t on Joe. That game tonight should have been a Milwaukee blowout.

Took holiday pulling a shot out of his butt and a tech on moose to give them the win

But Joe should have told Grant in advance, “be careful not to dribble the ball off your own foot!” If he was any good at coaching, he would have done that. 

[SHAQATTACK]

Good game .

Coach and bench got good minutes .  Playing the underdog role on

[Redz]

Just finished catching on the Celtics game.  What an effort.  Really encouraging stuff.  Not sure I liked Grant Williams handling the ball so luck the last possession, but Mazzula doesn’t like to take the timeout so they improvise I guess.

Underrated favorite play of the game was Rob handling the ball to the left of the top of three point line and firing a laser to Muscala for a wide open 3 (he missed it, but it was still cool to see Rob showing another aspect of his athleticism).

[SparzWizard]

Last year we won at Fiserv Forum twice. We could've also swept them in Fiserv Forum if it weren't for that Game 3 debacle with that goofball ref Zach Zarba messing that ending. I have no issues with this team traveling there to get the W.

The more times this team play 'em, the tougher the C's will be. We nearly beat them there w/o JT, JB, Smart, Horford, and Gallo. Timelord was also in minute restriction off the bench. Bucks may have won the battle tonight but they will not win the war.

[GreenEnvy]

Joe should of called TO but grant dribbling off his foot wasn’t on Joe. That game tonight should have been a Milwaukee blowout.

Took holiday pulling a shot out of his butt and a tech on moose to give them the win

Bucks don’t have the scoring to beat Boston in a series. Nobody fears Allen, cougnaton, Lopez, carter, etc. it’s Giannis, holiday and a gimpy Middleton

I’m starting to think the same thing. They don’t have enough players who can create their own shot. I think Middleton can be better than he currently is, but that’s about it.

We know Giannis will get his. At least we have a lot of bodies to throw at him and make him work on defense.

Holiday plays us so well. He’s a really, really good player. If we can keep him from going off, I don’t know if they have the horses like we do. Sure they have guys who can knock down shots and do the dirty work, but the Celtics match up well with them. We can match their length while being more athletic.

[blink]

Not sure it’s been said earlier, but if it hasn’t… Derrick White should start and finish over Marcus.

I actually seriously considered this for the first time tonight.  C's will never do it, but White is better offensively than Smart.

[tenn_smoothie]

Any of the Joe apologists still ready to excuse that one, too? Just another inexcusable brain fart by him.

Thinks bench players should just iso their way to tie the game up against the best defense in the league. Freaking inexcusable.

like what? Our b-team was playing man. this wasn't even supposed to be a game.

Love that people are trying to blame Joe for this loss. Yes, if only he called a timeout, Grant wouldn’t have dribbled the ball of of his own foot. it’s clearly Joes fault for letting Grant do that. 

Not blaming him, but don’t you think with a bunch of bench players he might have wanted to call a timeout to figure a play? It was a 2 point game. Did he want them to go for the tie or a 3 for the win? The position was going nowhere

Goldy is a Joe apologist. I don't even bother arguing with him about it anymore haha

But, yes, clear brainfart. Joe literally admitted that he screwed up in the game we lost to Miami under similar circumstances by not doing anything and letting them try to iso a possession to tie it up. Yet, with even more missing players and no stars, Joe yet again sat on his hands, didn't call a timeout or a play, and expected an exclusive bench unit to create against the best defense in the league.

I don't care how much of a Joe apologist that you are, that's incompetence and not learning from your mistakes.

Yes, I’m apologizing for Joe coaching the team to the best record in all of basketball. Do better Joe! We shouldn’t have lost a single game all season! Guess they are winning in spite of him. Team probably would be better without a coach. I mean, that’s what Kyrie always said.   

Your sentiments about Joe are all about the regular season.
Those of us who are critical of him are taking what we see now and translating it to the playoffs.
That is the difference.

Personally, I don't believe we can win a title with Joe Mazzulla as our head coach.
I hate the possibility that this guy may cost us a title we will never get back.
I hate that we might be wasting such a talented roster on a coach who just isn't ready or may never be.

[86MaxwellSmart]

The guys played hard and excellent, enough to win this game...and our CRAPPY Coach let them all down by not calling a timeout (as usual) to set up a play....Horrible Horrible coaching. and he also let Milw come back after we took a 14 point lead late in the 3rd.

[Billz401]

I dont care that the bench guys played well, they played like idiots down the stretch and in OT. Completely went away from what got them a 14 pt lead and started playing iso ball per usual. And im so tired of grant trying to do too much out there. Why they went to him on the last possession is beyond my understanding

[86MaxwellSmart]

I dont care that the bench guys played well, they played like idiots down the stretch and in OT. Completely went away from what got them a 14 pt lead and started playing iso ball per usual. And im so tired of grant trying to do too much out there. Why they went to him on the last possession is beyond my understanding

They C's do it all the time, in fact it cost us Game 4 of the Finals and also a Championship last season.

[Celtics2021]

Not sure it’s been said earlier, but if it hasn’t… Derrick White should start and finish over Marcus.

I actually seriously considered this for the first time tonight.  C's will never do it, but White is better offensively than Smart.

This is only half correct.  White and Smart should both start, with Rob or Al on the bench.