Will this team ever be able to overcome the choke label now!!!!

[Yuckabuck33]

I'm confused. Who tried to do "more than they were capable of? It seemed to me that everyone is keeping to their roles rather well. Except sometimes people played below their roles.

Portis rebound- Brown knocks it out of Smart's hands.  But both are expected to rebound.

Smart's drive- He saved the possession at first since Al and Tatum didn't move when they were supposed to. Nobody cut in a way to get open for Smart to pass to, forcing him to shoot. Jaylen stayed in a spot that allowed Holiday to leave him and block the shot.

Oh, wait, was that another shot at Marcus Smart? The only person actually doing what he's supposed to. Our modern day Dennis Johnson. Trying to clean up his teammate's mistakes and then getting all the blame.

[dannyboy35]

 No bigger choke than 2020. Although maybe that’s more just cia h and players all giving up together.

[dannyboy35]

 I think they either win or don’t but under pressure I believe at least smart will choke again. I’m hoping Tatum and brown have matured. Smart is 28. Would have happened by now.

[jambr380]

I think they either win or don’t but under pressure I believe at least smart will choke again. I’m hoping Tatum and brown have matured. Smart is 28. Would have happened by now.

This is a somewhat perplexing take. Marcus Smart might be one of the players best known for making big-moment plays in the league. I get it, Wednesday wasn't his finest moment, but I'm not going to pretend that Smart is some kind-of choke artist now.

[ozgod]

I think making the conference finals after a terrible end to Game 5 is a good response that should go a long way towards proving this team's resilience. They may play poorly, in fact they often will. But they have heart and they have guts to respond to adversity. People who still think otherwise probably stopped watching them in December 2021. Because back then yes, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory all the time. But I think their performances in 2022, not to mention against Milwaukee where they lost 2 home games and still won the series, shows that we can put that perception to bed now. We shot 42% game 7 and still won well, because we just suffocated them. We got guys with heart and that won't quit 

[colincb]

I think making the conference finals after a terrible end to Game 5 is a good response that should go a long way towards proving this team's resilience. They may play poorly, in fact they often will. But they have heart and they have guts to respond to adversity. People who still think otherwise probably stopped watching them in December 2021. Because back then yes, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory all the time. But I think their performances in 2022, not to mention against Milwaukee where they lost 2 home games and still won the series, shows that we can put that perception to bed now. We shot 42% game 7 and still won well, because we just suffocated them. We got guys with heart and that won't quit 

Not with this defense they won't. They may lose, but there are not many times they won't have a chance to win even then.

[ozgod]

I think making the conference finals after a terrible end to Game 5 is a good response that should go a long way towards proving this team's resilience. They may play poorly, in fact they often will. But they have heart and they have guts to respond to adversity. People who still think otherwise probably stopped watching them in December 2021. Because back then yes, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory all the time. But I think their performances in 2022, not to mention against Milwaukee where they lost 2 home games and still won the series, shows that we can put that perception to bed now. We shot 42% game 7 and still won well, because we just suffocated them. We got guys with heart and that won't quit 

Not with this defense they won't. They may lose, but there are not many times they won't have a chance to win even then.

That's what I've been saying for the past few months. Before the Phoenix game on New Years Eve they didn't win a single game where they shot below 30% from 3. But after the New Year they've won multiple games despite shooting below 30% from 3, because the team has figured out how to decouple its defensive effort from its offensive performance. Because they now have consistency in their defensive effort and they have a system and coverages that they trust, they can maintain it irrespective of their offense. So when they shoot well from 3 they're really hard to beat, but even if they don't they give themselves a chance. It took them half the season to figure out it but as long as they trust what got them this far they will always give themselves a chance - even more than we fans do at times