Heat (1-0) at Celtics (0-1) ECF Game #2 9/17/20

[Somebody]

The SADDEST part about all this, is it kind of shows that we are BETTER than this Miami Heat team.

Our effort, especially in the 2nd half, is just excruciatingly paltry. All credit to Miami for putting in more effort, but we are better than their team and it has been showing. We just don't have the mentality to do it the entire 48 minutes.

Yeah if we play our best we can win this series.  But at this point our team my need to go to therapy to figure out how to stop throwing games away.  We just have no answer during crunch time (Jaylen's play at the end of the 4th was the exception)

I think Jaylen's play shows us the value of quick hitting offence even against crunch time defences - get your ballhandlers be willing to pass the ball quickly and accurately when they collapse defences and others to find spaces with off-ball movement to attack off the catch/offensive rebound. Complement isolation possessions with that and you'll have a pretty potent offence down the stretch.

[SparzWizard]

@celtics
Brad Stevens: “We’re not beating this team if we’re not completely connected on both ends of the court. So we’ve got to get back to being that ... We’re going to have to fight to get back into this series.”

Oh brother

How about this coach do something about it. Like actually call a timeout in the 1st quarter if the Heat starts off the game being up 6-0 or 8-0.

[Kuberski33]

Tatum has become a prima donna.  Stevens is scared to put him in his place.

The Heat played so much harder than the Celtics in the 2nd half. Really feel that the difference in effort was why they won. Along we terrible rotation decisions by Stevens.

I do think it's fair to ask whether Stevens is the coach to get them over the hump. Tatum may need someone to push him to get him to the next level.  Is Brad the guy to do that?

Of course if you go the other way and bring in someone of the 'aggressive' variety, you run the risk of making Tatum want to go elsewhere - such is life in today's player-centric NBA.

[hpantazo]

If the heat win this series, and we have seen no reason why they won't, there is no stopping the Lakers from the title.

Hot heat or not, the Lakers will beat this heat team.  Too much experience on the Lakers to not do what the Celtics have done the last two games, ie fumble away leads and playing soft in crunch time.  I don't mind that much us losing to the Heat but I don't want the Lakers to win the title again.  ugg

What else can 2020 go wrong? Lakers winning banner #17 and hearing awful/idiotic Lakers fans screaming they're "the greatest NBA franchise of all time screw the Celtics they suck"

Fitting for the way 2020 has been going.

[RPGenerate]

This game 3 might be the most pivotal game of many of our guy's careers. Backs against the wall, this is where we find out what these guys are made of.

[RJ87]

Brad has not lost this team..... HE NEVER had the team. He is too docile for a coach. We have said this over and over again, but some of you disagreed. Now that you need a coach to step in, you have NOTHING.

I mean... We are in the conference finals for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Tonight's loss was bad but some of these takes are over the top.

He has no control of the team.... I think he is scared to rip the players or the refs. When was the last time he spent a T TO PROTECT HIS TEAM?

I don't think he's scared, it's just not who he is. He's never been that angry, emotional, screaming coach at any point of his college or NBA coaching careers. I don't expect him to suddenly change and I think any fan that does is just setting themselves up to be upset.

[liam]

This game 3 might be the most pivotal game of many of our guy's careers. Backs against the wall, this is where we find out what these guys are made of.

Agreed.

[Ogaju]

When you are up 20 points and the other team crawls back without getting in foul trouble YOU ARE SOFT.

[footey]

Tatum has become a prima donna.  Stevens is scared to put him in his place.

The Heat played so much harder than the Celtics in the 2nd half. Really feel that the difference in effort was why they won. Along we terrible rotation decisions by Stevens.

I do think it's fair to ask whether Stevens is the coach to get them over the hump. Tatum may need someone to push him to get him to the next level.  Is Brad the guy to do that?

Of course if you go the other way and bring in someone of the 'aggressive' variety, you run the risk of making Tatum want to go elsewhere - such is life in today's player-centric NBA.

I'm doubting Tatum can be best player on a championship team.  I have more respect right now for Jimmy Butler. He rises to the occasion.  Tatum has wilted.  His defense is frankly overrated in this series too.  Butler just blows by him.  Jimmy Butler, one of the more slow footed swings in the NBA.

[Ogaju]

when you have a team without a dominant big time center or big time power forward who you can pound the ball to for and ones after establishing a 20 point lead.... YOU ARE SOFT.

[Phantom255x]

This team just isn't clutch. And it's not just with scoring, but even late in games when they need stops, they haven't been able to this series.

[blink]

Tatum has become a prima donna.  Stevens is scared to put him in his place.

The Heat played so much harder than the Celtics in the 2nd half. Really feel that the difference in effort was why they won. Along we terrible rotation decisions by Stevens.

I do think it's fair to ask whether Stevens is the coach to get them over the hump. Tatum may need someone to push him to get him to the next level.  Is Brad the guy to do that?

Of course if you go the other way and bring in someone of the 'aggressive' variety, you run the risk of making Tatum want to go elsewhere - such is today's player-centric NBA.

I don't know what the answer is.  I think the first two ECFs that Brad got us to was a lot of playing to the absolute potential of the team.  This year feels different.  Hopefully it is just growing pains for the young guys, but we haven't seen enough adjustments from Brad in this series.  Brad can't get us to run decent plays to react to the zone (or maybe we are just screwing the plays up so badly?  not sure)  Brad hasn't been able to find the right group of guys to defend the 3.  (again maybe it is on the players and Miami is just undefendable from 3?  I doubt it though)

This series is the first time I have wondered about Brad moving forward as well.  I think we need to let the series play out before we make a bunch of judgements about it.  If we come back and win two more games does that change how we feel about Brad?  Probably.

[liam]

The SADDEST part about all this, is it kind of shows that we are BETTER than this Miami Heat team.

Our effort, especially in the 2nd half, is just excruciatingly paltry. All credit to Miami for putting in more effort, but we are better than their team and it has been showing. We just don't have the mentality to do it the entire 48 minutes.

Yeah if we play our best we can win this series.  But at this point our team my need to go to therapy to figure out how to stop throwing games away.  We just have no answer during crunch time (Jaylen's play at the end of the 4th was the exception)

The saddest part of this series is that if we had Herro instead of Romeo we win this easy.

[Tr1boy]

Brad has not lost this team..... HE NEVER had the team. He is too docile for a coach. We have said this over and over again, but some of you disagreed. Now that you need a coach to step in, you have NOTHING.

I mean... We are in the conference finals for the 3rd time in 4 years.

Tonight's loss was bad but some of these takes are over the top.

He has no control of the team.... I think he is scared to rip the players or the refs. When was the last time he spent a T TO PROTECT HIS TEAM?

I don't think he's scared, it's just not who he is. He's never been that angry, emotional, screaming coach at any point of his college or NBA coaching careers. I don't expect him to suddenly change and I think any fan that does is just setting themselves up to be upset.

yes but can a coach like this get a team over the hump??

All the coaches that have previously won exhibited much more fire

Like someone else pointed out. Brad would be a top assistant coach in the league. But not good enough as a head coach (to be able to win a championship)

[Ogaju]

This Miami team has PAT RILEY stamp all over it.... and Pat Riley teams are TOUGH!!!