[Down 2-0, Do You Believe?] Updated: Down 3-1...How 'bout now?

[Stig]

No, unless someone get hurt in the heat team, we are done.

Everyone knows we are bad at 3rd quarter, yet we do nothing to change that. This is how far these people can carry this team. The return of Hayward won’t change that much, and he may not need to return at all if we lose the next one.

[bopna]

When GH comes back, we'll talk.

This team can...question is will they.


2 evenly matched teams, it can go down as the closest sweep  ever or we will be winning the next 4 since its still anybody's ball game every last 2 minutes...all boils down to execution and less mistakes.

[Csfan1984]

Even though I picked Heat in 6. I do believe there is a chance. The C's have had big leads and lead most the time that makes me believe C's are capable.

[ederson]

No, unless someone get hurt in the heat team, we are done.

Everyone knows we are bad at 3rd quarter, yet we do nothing to change that. This is how far these people can carry this team. The return of Hayward won’t change that much, and he may not need to return at all if we lose the next one.

on the other side we are better than the heat in at least 2 of the other 3 quarters and based on your logic heat does nothing to change that.

The players that are  completely outplayed in the 3rd quarters are the same that build +15p leads in the second. Yet you choose to ignore that

[Sophomore]

No, unless someone get hurt in the heat team, we are done.

Everyone knows we are bad at 3rd quarter, yet we do nothing to change that. This is how far these people can carry this team. The return of Hayward won’t change that much, and he may not need to return at all if we lose the next one.

We won the third quarter in game 1.

[Sophomore]

It’s been pretty disappointing. When the heat roll out their zone we look like we’ve never seen one before; no idea how to attack it. That causes long offensive stalls and turnovers. Got to fix that but haven’t seen any growth yet.

[ederson]

It’s been pretty disappointing. When the heat roll out their zone we look like we’ve never seen one before; no idea how to attack it. That causes long offensive stalls and turnovers. Got to fix that but haven’t seen any growth yet.

Zone defenses are not easy to crack even in europe where teams are more confortable with. What disappoints me is that we look completely unprepared although we knew that Heat (and Torronto) use this.

Kanter (with all his limitations) can help , faster ball movement too or  JT on the empty at the FT line But most importantly a fast pace   ,attack the basket before the zone is set. We built the leads playing fast !

[boscel33]

Both are some of the ugliest losses I can recall.  I'm tempted to say, stick a fork in em!   

[Rikibellevie]

I believe it. But I even still think we will do it. The bubble build incredible results. Some alchimy bringed by the bubble context. With this context, even a 3-0 would't be for me a 100% Heat victory; if one day a comeback from 3-0 is done it can be here with no home advantage and streaks... Still hope e don't have to pass this way (hope more a 2-2 then 2-3 then 4-3 for us)

Our guys are young but smart and I am sure Tatum, JB and Kemba will want to show up on saturday. Esp Tatum. Next superstar test for him. He missed bigly the last 2 4th quarter in overplaying first and underplaying today. He must be their at the 4th, he has all the offensive keys to be a hot 4th quarter men.

I don't understand at all the negativity on "in game" posts. With 2 superstars under 25 and still learning their place in the game, we are in Conf final, had great wins over Phily and Raptors. Heat is fantastic this buble, but the very near future is for us, not for them (if they don't get Antetokounpo). If they win it all, which is still unprobable, bravo, but the buble conditions would have given them the condition. If we pass to final it can be a very big gap for us as the contender next year... Keep hope for this season... Until we get hope for next one.

[LB3533]

We may lose Game 3 at the buzzer and go down 0-3.

I'd still believe we could and can come back to win this series.

[RJ87]

I do. As I said in the game thread, at no point while watching this series have I thought the Heat were the more talented team. When we play our game and stick to it, we're flat out better. We've held double digit leads in both games and have lost by a combined 8 points. We haven't been outclassed and we haven't been outmanned. It's a gut and heart check because we have been out hustled and we've relaxed at key points, but this team is capable of turning it around.

[Roy H.]

My initial prediction was that we’d fall behind 0-2, then win four in a row.  I’m wavering, but I’ll stick with that.

At what point did Hayward return in your prediction?

Game 3.

[Vermont Green]

I can say that  I am not running out to put any of my hard earned down on the Celtics coming back and winning but as a fan, I have certainly not given up either.

If I had to point out one thing that is separating these two evenly matched teams it is the experience they have in guys like Butler, Dragic, and Crowder.  Especially Bulter and Dragic have been big in the big moments.  Their young guys have been good for sure but in those big moments, you can see that Butler and Dragic find another gear and make the close out plays.

Kemba is our veteran (and to some degree Smart) but he has just not shown the same kind of leadership or ability to respond to the big moments so far (much improved last game of course).  Tatum is right there with anyone on the Heat in talent/skill, but he is 22.  My god, that is so young.  It is a lot to ask of a kid who has not even filled out yet.

This is not over by any stretch.  Hayward will help.  But this Miami team is good and they are clicking.

[Banner18now!]

Stevens is in over his head against Spolstra. Miami plays with way more confidence and execution than Boston. Boston has the better overall talent but Brad is just not getting the job done. Nice coach but he may be more suited for college. I don’t see him getting it done in Boston.

[jambr380]

In the last 7 games, we have won one blow out, one close one (thank you game 7), and lost 5 that were absolutely heartbreaking (game 5 was borderline, but we did have a lead at half time). Unfortunately there is something missing in this team that allows them to close out close games and/or games they are up by ~15 points.

Otoh, MIA seems to have this magical power where the ball turns into the flame ball from NBA Jam in the last couple of minutes of a game. Whether it's the bubble, momentum, or whatever, something needs to change fast - both with the mentality of our team AND with theirs. If we don't make them feel like absolute crap in game 3 (not just a 'regular' win), I fear dropping down 0-2 just might be a little too much. MIA is riding this wave of confidence and neither MIL or us have been able to shut it down.