They Did It! They Took The Next Step & Exorcised Some Demons

[Phantom255x]

I said this in the "how are we feeling heading into Game 7 thread":

I'm getting really sick and tired of getting so close to a Finals appearance and then pretty much choking it in the ECF in 6 or 7 games. For once can we be on the right side of things

And I imagine the whole fanbase was feeling the same way. Since 2010, the C's have played in 5 ECFs and they lost the first four of those. And some of those were in brutal fashion.

2012 ECF - 3-2 lead, Lebron Game 6, lost Game 7
2017 ECF - Cavaliers were just way better tbh
2018 ECF - Again, 3-2 lead, lose Game 6, then lose Game 7 at home
2020 ECF - Choked in 6 games against a team we should have beaten

Now I'll preface by saying, 2018 was very sad and tough but I could sort of understand it since we were the Hospital Celtics, Tatum was just a rookie, and we made an awesome run that postseason despite the odds. And Lebron was still in his prime. 2017 was probably also kind of hopeless given the talent difference.

But still... this was the 4th ECF for the Jays and others who've been here during 2017-2018, and lets face it, if the C's lost last night then it would really fuel the fire on the whole "choking" narrative and that the Jays + Celtics still have maturing to do, need to make the next step, etc. and of course probably lead to annoying trade rumors and such right after the game.

Thankfully though, that's not the case! They came out strong, withstood the valiant efforts by the refs, and finally got some luck late with Butler's missed 3 and a few other close calls (like the Strus 3 being taken away). I'll take it!

Tatum and Brown have now officially taken the next step and in the process the C's have exorcised some demons. What a run, and the C's are back in the Finals! 

Regardless what happens we obviously will want to continue improving the team in the offseason, but one thing's for sure. Tatum and Brown CAN play together and we need to build around our current core. YES it's good enough!

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I said this in the "how are we feeling heading into Game 7 thread":

I'm getting really sick and tired of getting so close to a Finals appearance and then pretty much choking it in the ECF in 6 or 7 games. For once can we be on the right side of things

And I imagine the whole fanbase was feeling the same way. Since 2010, the C's have played in 5 ECFs and they lost the first four of those. And some of those were in brutal fashion.

2012 ECF - 3-2 lead, Lebron Game 6, lost Game 7
2017 ECF - Cavaliers were just way better tbh
2018 ECF - Again, 3-2 lead, lose Game 6, then lose Game 7 at home
2020 ECF - Choked in 6 games against a team we should have beaten

Now I'll preface by saying, 2018 was very sad and tough but I could sort of understand it since we were the Hospital Celtics, Tatum was just a rookie, and we made an awesome run that postseason despite the odds. And Lebron was still in his prime. 2017 was probably also kind of hopeless given the talent difference.

But still... this was the 4th ECF for the Jays and others who've been here during 2017-2018, and lets face it, if the C's lost last night then it would really fuel the fire on the whole "choking" narrative and that the Jays + Celtics still have maturing to do, need to make the next step, etc. and of course probably lead to annoying trade rumors and such right after the game.

Thankfully though, that's not the case! They came out strong, withstood the valiant efforts by the refs, and finally got some luck late with Butler's missed 3 and a few other close calls (like the Strus 3 being taken away). I'll take it!

Tatum and Brown have now officially taken the next step and in the process the C's have exorcised some demons. What a run, and the C's are back in the Finals! 

Regardless what happens we obviously will want to continue improving the team in the offseason, but one thing's for sure. Tatum and Brown CAN play together and we need to build around our current core. YES it's good enough!

yeah we know refs screwed us again and wanted to keep it close. we know marcus was bad at the end

but after all you laid out at the end there is just HUGE RELIEF no matter how we got there.
nobody cared when brown missed two FT's last game that MAY have changed the outcome instead it started a meltdown. so why should we care about butler? we still won wire to wire on road in game 7 against all odds.

NUFF SAID

[Phantom255x]

I said this in the "how are we feeling heading into Game 7 thread":

I'm getting really sick and tired of getting so close to a Finals appearance and then pretty much choking it in the ECF in 6 or 7 games. For once can we be on the right side of things

And I imagine the whole fanbase was feeling the same way. Since 2010, the C's have played in 5 ECFs and they lost the first four of those. And some of those were in brutal fashion.

2012 ECF - 3-2 lead, Lebron Game 6, lost Game 7
2017 ECF - Cavaliers were just way better tbh
2018 ECF - Again, 3-2 lead, lose Game 6, then lose Game 7 at home
2020 ECF - Choked in 6 games against a team we should have beaten

Now I'll preface by saying, 2018 was very sad and tough but I could sort of understand it since we were the Hospital Celtics, Tatum was just a rookie, and we made an awesome run that postseason despite the odds. And Lebron was still in his prime. 2017 was probably also kind of hopeless given the talent difference.

But still... this was the 4th ECF for the Jays and others who've been here during 2017-2018, and lets face it, if the C's lost last night then it would really fuel the fire on the whole "choking" narrative and that the Jays + Celtics still have maturing to do, need to make the next step, etc. and of course probably lead to annoying trade rumors and such right after the game.

Thankfully though, that's not the case! They came out strong, withstood the valiant efforts by the refs, and finally got some luck late with Butler's missed 3 and a few other close calls (like the Strus 3 being taken away). I'll take it!

Tatum and Brown have now officially taken the next step and in the process the C's have exorcised some demons. What a run, and the C's are back in the Finals! 

Regardless what happens we obviously will want to continue improving the team in the offseason, but one thing's for sure. Tatum and Brown CAN play together and we need to build around our current core. YES it's good enough!

yeah we know refs screwed us again and wanted to keep it close. we know marcus was bad at the end

but after all you laid out at the end there is just HUGE RELIEF no matter how we got there.
nobody cared when brown missed two FT's last game that MAY have changed the outcome instead it started a meltdown. so why should we care about butler? we still won wire to wire on road in game 7 against all odds.

NUFF SAID

Yep. I'm ecstatic but also relieved 

[JohnBoy65]

I started watching the Celts in 09. ( I jumped on the bandwagon). I’ve watched nearly every game since. My first celts game I went to was ECF game 6 in 2010. The city, the crowd and the atmosphere made me fall in love even more. It feels like there’s only been heart break since. Getting over the hump, finally, is amazing.

[Phantom255x]

I started watching the Celts in 09. ( I jumped on the bandwagon). I’ve watched nearly every game since. My first celts game I went to was ECF game 6 in 2010. The city, the crowd and the atmosphere made me fall in love even more. It feels like there’s only been heart break since. Getting over the hump, finally, is amazing.

Yeah, took long enough lol

[SparzWizard]

We had 2018, C's couldn't close them out in Cleveland and fell to the Cleveland LeBrons in Game 7. We should have been in the Finals that year to play the loaded Warriors. Idk what happened in 2020 letting a #5 seeded Heat beat us, they had no biz being in the Finals. I felt the C's were coming off hot beating the then-defending champs Raptors in 7 games.

I'm glad we're back in the Finals. No mo ECF exits. Sick of falling just short of that appearance.

[Phantom255x]

We had 2018, C's couldn't close them out in Cleveland and fell to the Cleveland LeBrons in Game 7. We should have been in the Finals that year to play the loaded Warriors. Idk what happened in 2020 letting a #5 seeded Heat beat us, they had no biz being in the Finals. I felt the C's were coming off hot beating the then-defending champs Raptors in 7 games.

I'm glad we're back in the Finals. No mo ECF exits. Sick of falling just short of that appearance.

Exactly. I would have been sick if we actually blew that lead entirely last night. But glad we didn't and whatever, I'm moving on and it's Finals time 

2018 was also a bummer because you thought it could be Boston vs. Houston in the Finals, but instead it was another Cleveland - Golden State where literally everyone knew how that series would go (easy GSW win)