Celtics (3-3) at Heat (3-3) ECF Game #7 5/29/22

[MarcusSmartFanClub]

Passionate fans that didn’t believe in the team and wanted changes were not bandwagoners, we just thought the situation was hopeless and wanted some changes.

I love that I was dead wrong. It was a dumb thing for Smart to say

Does this say more about Marcus Smart, or those fans?

I'm with Marcus. I can't remember a more spoiled fan base during a championship run. Stick with your guys, then talk smack in the off-season. I love Marcus, and I love this team. Go Celtics!

[Celtic Fan Forever]

I still haven’t slept, I flew down to Miami because I wasn’t missing a chance to see our boys make the finals for the first time in 12 years. What a crazy game, I felt my soul leave my body when that Butler 3 went up. Obviously it should’ve never been that close, but we’re here, back where we belong in the NBA Finals. We still got some work to do, but I’m excited and want to see these guys show the Warriors that it’s our time! Go Celtics!

[JohnBoy65]

Didn’t we have multiple threads on here that stated we should start to tank for draft position when were 18-21? I seem to remember that. Marcus spoke the truth with that comment.

[Phantom255x]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

[RockinRyA]

 Man canis hoopus looks like celtics forum tonight ****. Lotsa complaining about refs favoring heat, cheering for celtics etc. They must really hate butler

[CelticsWhat35]

Didn’t we have multiple threads on here that stated we should start to tank for draft position when were 18-21? I seem to remember that. Marcus spoke the truth with that comment.

I’m with you to a degree, but the players are being disingenuous when they say it was all about health.  They weren’t playing defense and were playing ISO ball on the offensive end to start the season.  Fans had reason to think it wasn’t working.

Either way, I’m not gonna bother focusing on that.  We’re in the Finals!!

[tonydelk]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

He definitely does but man he was getting calls for him on a giannis type level last night.  Missed charge at the end.  I'm sure the NBA will cover it up and make it look like in the last 2 minute report the calls favored the cs so they take the pressure of all the horrible favorable calls the heat got.

People are bashing smart for the bricks at the end.  All of those outside of his drive that could have been called a foul were good shots that he made all game.  Obviously their game plan was to have smart.beat them. A few of those shots were at the end of the shot clock and he had to shoot them.

[hpantazo]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

He definitely does but man he was getting calls for him on a giannis type level last night.  Missed charge at the end.  I'm sure the NBA will cover it up and make it look like in the last 2 minute report the calls favored the cs so they take the pressure of all the horrible favorable calls the heat got.

People are bashing smart for the bricks at the end.  All of those outside of his drive that could have been called a foul were good shots that he made all game.  Obviously their game plan was to have smart.beat them. A few of those shots were at the end of the shot clock and he had to shoot them.

Smart made the right play taking those shots. As you said, the Heat's plan was to make him beat them. If he had made only one of those 5 it would have sealed the game. Smart was playing hobbled and is fully capable of making those shots.

[hpantazo]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

Not doubt. Butler is an old school NBA warrior. The Sixers really messed up by letting him go and keeping Simmons and Tobias Harris instead. Him and Embiid would have kept them in Finals contention for 4-5 years.

[kraidstar]

Smart with an idiotic comment, saying fans "didn't believe in them" earlier in the season and then "jumped back on the bandwagon."

And whose fault is that, Marcus? You guys weren't passing the ball, weren't playing defense,  and were losing to teams fielding multiple gleaguers in the starting lineup.

Crummy comment.  In the foxhole, I want to be next to the guy who's a little rough around the edges, though.

Me as well, tarheels.

Marcus needs to remember all the Garden full-capacity sellouts during the 1st half of the season when the team was an embarrassment given the amount of talent on the roster. Inconsistent effort and playing bad basketball. Still, all those "bandwagon" fans kept packing the place to watch the games and support the team. A real asinine comment, Marcus.

It's not really incorrect at all. If you go look at some game threads from December vs March it will be pretty different

Yeah people should stop acting as if they were believers the whole time. Im guessing this struct a nerve because its true.

Speak for yourself.  I've been pumping this team's tires since they nearly shocked the Cavs in 2018. Doesn't mean we should applaud games where they are playing iso ball and dogging it on defense.

Imagine paying $600 for tickets and then watching them stagger around the court like a bunch of zombies.

This team was unwatchable. Thank god Ime finally got through to them.

[kraidstar]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

Not doubt. Butler is an old school NBA warrior. The Sixers really messed up by letting him go and keeping Simmons and Tobias Harris instead. Him and Embiid would have kept them in Finals contention for 4-5 years.

Epic fail by the Sixers. As you insinuated, what if they had traded Simmons for a real star, too? Gotta be maddening for those Sixer fans.

[Phantom255x]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

Not doubt. Butler is an old school NBA warrior. The Sixers really messed up by letting him go and keeping Simmons and Tobias Harris instead. Him and Embiid would have kept them in Finals contention for 4-5 years.

Epic fail by the Sixers. As you insinuated, what if they had traded Simmons for a real star, too? Gotta be maddening for those Sixer fans.

Still remember when this blog wanted us to trade Jaylen for Ben Simmons lol. THANK GOD that didn't happen

[kraidstar]

Butler deserves some respect, he absolutely balled out for Miami in the final two games.

47/9/8 in Game 6, then 35/9 in Game 7 and he played ALL 48 minutes yesterday. Also played I think 46 minutes in Game 6. No doubt the guy is a playoff performer.

Not doubt. Butler is an old school NBA warrior. The Sixers really messed up by letting him go and keeping Simmons and Tobias Harris instead. Him and Embiid would have kept them in Finals contention for 4-5 years.

Epic fail by the Sixers. As you insinuated, what if they had traded Simmons for a real star, too? Gotta be maddening for those Sixer fans.

Still remember when this blog wanted us to trade Jaylen for Ben Simmons lol. THANK GOD that didn't happen

Lol true. Or when people wanted us to trade the Brooklyn picks for Jahlil Okafor and Greg Monroe. The front office did a great job being patient and letting this thing play out.

[tonydelk]

Smart with an idiotic comment, saying fans "didn't believe in them" earlier in the season and then "jumped back on the bandwagon."

And whose fault is that, Marcus? You guys weren't passing the ball, weren't playing defense,  and were losing to teams fielding multiple gleaguers in the starting lineup.

Crummy comment.  In the foxhole, I want to be next to the guy who's a little rough around the edges, though.

Me as well, tarheels.

Marcus needs to remember all the Garden full-capacity sellouts during the 1st half of the season when the team was an embarrassment given the amount of talent on the roster. Inconsistent effort and playing bad basketball. Still, all those "bandwagon" fans kept packing the place to watch the games and support the team. A real asinine comment, Marcus.

It's not really incorrect at all. If you go look at some game threads from December vs March it will be pretty different

Yeah people should stop acting as if they were believers the whole time. Im guessing this struct a nerve because its true.

Speak for yourself.  I've been pumping this team's tires since they nearly shocked the Cavs in 2018. Doesn't mean we should applaud games where they are playing iso ball and dogging it on defense.

Imagine paying $600 for tickets and then watching them stagger around the court like a bunch of zombies.

This team was unwatchable. Thank god Ime finally got through to them.

I agree.  I've been watching 90% of the games each year for the last 20 years no matter how bad they were.  As a fan I appreciate good basketball.  I definitely felt they were going no where while playing the way they did in the first few months of the season.  You can't tell me they would not be in the lottery if that didn't change.  When they bought in they started playing championship basketball and we as fans saw it.  It's not a bandwagon fan to feel the team stunk while there record was under .500, they turned the ball over too much, played too much hero ball and weren't together.  We as fans have seen what it takes to be a championship team.  The 1st half of the season was not it.  I'm not a bandwagon fan but as Bird said you can't fool Boston fans.  We know good basketball and bad basketball.  They are still not playing great basketball and if they can figure that out this team will win multiple chips starting hopefully this year.

[tonydelk]

Problem wasn't the shots smart took, the problem was they milked the clock too much just like they did in game 5 against the Bucks.

They played the NBA version of prevent defense. Go for the kill and play further win instead of not to lose.

I understand they milked the clock but all of Smarts shots were wide open.  He hit's 1 of them the game is sealed.  A few were in and out.  If you get an open shot it's a good shot.  Especially if you can run the clock down as well. It's the same as Butler.  Open shots need made.  If you hit open shots you will win the game.