The Matchup

[Neurotic Guy]

...but idk if Klay is the same level of a defender as he was like 4 years ago. He certainly looks slower/sluggish.

I think that's a good observation.

Someone else was observing that GS looked tired as a team in the fourth, and I saw that as well. This is not just a function of Boston's physical defense, but also of the ball movement on offense.

Draymond's remark that they dominated for 42 minutes was a fantasy. He particularly looked inert with the Boston passing finding one open shooter after another in the 4th.

I cannot believe that we won't see better from the Warriors on Sunday, though.

Oh yeah. Tbh I think Game 2 is a “scheduled loss” for us especially since we stole Game 1. But boy, if the C’s win Game 2 and go up 2-0 I’ll be over the moon lol.

Good that it’s less tense for me but hope it isn’t less tense/emotion for the Cs. The Warriors are definitely feeling it a little - they know they need to make a statement tomorrow. . One thing about GS is they’ll stay confident and tough - and they also know how to close out games/series.  C’s have been good with their backs against the wall but have  let up on the gas at times like this (up a game).  Would love for Cs to conjure up intensity for 48 in a game where their backs aren’t against the wall. Play like they need the win.

[Phantom255x]

...but idk if Klay is the same level of a defender as he was like 4 years ago. He certainly looks slower/sluggish.

I think that's a good observation.

Someone else was observing that GS looked tired as a team in the fourth, and I saw that as well. This is not just a function of Boston's physical defense, but also of the ball movement on offense.

Draymond's remark that they dominated for 42 minutes was a fantasy. He particularly looked inert with the Boston passing finding one open shooter after another in the 4th.

I cannot believe that we won't see better from the Warriors on Sunday, though.

Oh yeah. Tbh I think Game 2 is a “scheduled loss” for us especially since we stole Game 1. But boy, if the C’s win Game 2 and go up 2-0 I’ll be over the moon lol.

Means the Warriors will have to win two in Boston, and knowing how we play at home...50/50 shot lol.

Still think C's in 6

Yeah I still got C's in 6 and feel good about it even if they lose tomorrow night.

I know how we've been at home but I actually feel good about our chances of taking both home games (Games 3 + 4) this series which plays into my calculations

Agree with @Neurotic though, it'd be nice to see them actually deliver a "kill shot" and not simply show up when their backs are to the wall or when they're "being threatened". They're up 1-0, but if you go up 2-0 with the next two after at home, your chances are extremely high.

[hodgy03038]

Unfortunately I think we will be playing 5 on 8 tomorrow as the reffing crew should probably be the Zack Zarba "look at me on camera" show with his other usual suspects.

The last officiating crew were fantastic. They let them play - I hardly noticed a call that was blatantly bad like the previous games vs Miami & Milwaukee.

[Phantom255x]

Unfortunately I think we will be playing 5 on 8 tomorrow as the reffing crew should probably be the Zack Zarba "look at me on camera" show with his other usual suspects.

The last officiating crew were fantastic. They let them play - I hardly noticed a call that was blatantly bad like the previous games vs Miami & Milwaukee.

Oh yeah for sure. They let them play Game 1 but I think Game 2, expect some early calls against the C's and for them to favor Golden State a lot. I think tomorrow will be Zarba or Foster. It's ridiculous though that the NBA even has a bunch of these guys (Foster, Zarba, Capers, Brothers, etc.) as the refs for the freakin' Finals but they also have a bit of an agenda too with ratings and such 

[SCeltic34]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

[gouki88]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

Even against Dallas it was playing with fire. But Brown, Horford, Smart, White, Williams x2 and Pritchard is a much better supporting cast compared to Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bullock, DFS and Kleber.

[Phantom255x]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

Even against Dallas it was playing with fire. But Brown, Horford, Smart, White, Williams x2 and Pritchard is a much better supporting cast compared to Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bullock, DFS and Kleber.

Yeah Dallas fans on Reddit have been saying the same. Dallas also got a lot of open looks but missed so many of them. Doncic was fantastic as usual but the others were just inconsistent the whole series (DFS, Bullock, Dinwiddie, Brunson). They clicked all together in two games and 1 of them was the big win and the other they lost by 9. But tbh unlike Boston, Dallas isn’t known for playing great defense either.

Even in the Grizzlies series, the Grizz choked Game 1 and lost by 1, then lost by just 3 in Game 4 without Morant and didn’t have Morant the final 3 games of that series.

Everyone acts like Golden State just cruised to the Finals and dominated but Boston’s better than any team they played and I think GSW got a bit lucky along the way with the teams they faced and their situations. Denver literally only has one guy to rely on (Jokic). Even the Bucks with Giannis and no Middleton still had better role players around him than Denver.

[Goldstar88]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

Even against Dallas it was playing with fire. But Brown, Horford, Smart, White, Williams x2 and Pritchard is a much better supporting cast compared to Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bullock, DFS and Kleber.

Yeah Dallas fans on Reddit have been saying the same. Dallas also got a lot of open looks but missed so many of them. Doncic was fantastic as usual but the others were just inconsistent the whole series (DFS, Bullock, Dinwiddie, Brunson). They clicked all together in two games and 1 of them was the big win and the other they lost by 9. But tbh unlike Boston, Dallas isn’t known for playing great defense either.

Even in the Grizzlies series, the Grizz choked Game 1 and lost by 1, then lost by just 3 in Game 4 without Morant and didn’t have Morant the final 3 games of that series.

Everyone acts like Golden State just cruised to the Finals and dominated but Boston’s better than any team they played and I think GSW got a bit lucky along the way with the teams they faced and their situations. Denver literally only has one guy to rely on (Jokic). Even the Bucks with Giannis and no Middleton still had better role players around him than Denver.

I don’t think the Warriors had an easy path. The Memphis series was very physical and went 6 games. Thought Dallas would put up more of a fight after routing the Suns, though. That was a really disappointing series. C’s did face better teams and had a more difficult path, but as you mentioned the opponents were banged up.

[Phantom255x]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

Even against Dallas it was playing with fire. But Brown, Horford, Smart, White, Williams x2 and Pritchard is a much better supporting cast compared to Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bullock, DFS and Kleber.

Yeah Dallas fans on Reddit have been saying the same. Dallas also got a lot of open looks but missed so many of them. Doncic was fantastic as usual but the others were just inconsistent the whole series (DFS, Bullock, Dinwiddie, Brunson). They clicked all together in two games and 1 of them was the big win and the other they lost by 9. But tbh unlike Boston, Dallas isn’t known for playing great defense either.

Even in the Grizzlies series, the Grizz choked Game 1 and lost by 1, then lost by just 3 in Game 4 without Morant and didn’t have Morant the final 3 games of that series.

Everyone acts like Golden State just cruised to the Finals and dominated but Boston’s better than any team they played and I think GSW got a bit lucky along the way with the teams they faced and their situations. Denver literally only has one guy to rely on (Jokic). Even the Bucks with Giannis and no Middleton still had better role players around him than Denver.

I don’t think the Warriors had an easy path. The Memphis series was very physical and went 6 games. Thought Dallas would put up more of a fight after routing the Suns, though. That was a really disappointing series. C’s did face better teams and had a more difficult path, but as you mentioned the opponents were banged up.

Yeah I didn't mean to say Golden State had an easy path, it's just there's no comparison between the two paths. Boston's path was way harder. And also, everyone looks at Golden State winning two of their series in just 5 games, I put that more on their opponent than I do GSW's talent. The Grizzlies series was one where you could tell GSW was in some bother and it went 6 games and had 2 really close games that went GSW's way.

[Vermont Green]

I don't think that GSW were all that tested in the playoffs.  I think the Celtics would have cruised through those teams also.  That is the question though.  Just how good are they?  Just because they didn't need to be all that good to get to the finals, the way it all worked out, doesn't mean they aren't that good or can't be better than what we saw in Game 1.

I have not changed my opinion all that much after Game 1.  I don't think the Celtics played to their full potential in either the MIL or the MIA series.  They did at times and then other times got tentative or tight.  I can say that if the Celtics do play at or close to their full potential, and do so consistently, that I believe the Celtics are the better team.  Couple of big "ifs" in that though.

As Game 2 plays out, we'll see how the Celtics respond.  Are they going to give up an early lead as they did so many times against MIL and MIA in games that could have put things away?  If they have a lead late, are they going to close out or is the bigness of the moment going to get into their heads and then they play tentative and let GSW back into it?

I think the Celtics are fine in terms of the match up against the Warriors.  It is the match up against themselves, against the pressure, that is going to decide this.  I hope that the Celtics learned from Game 1.  I hope they learned that they can do this but only if they play.  That if they offer any opening to GSW, they are going to take it and put up a lot of points in a short amount of time.  They have to embrace it and play every game, every possession, like it is Game 7.  Every coach is going to say this, every player knows this, but they need to really believe it, really take it to heart.

[SCeltic34]

According to this ESPN article, the Warriors have been terrible defending the 3 in the playoffs.

Golden State has perpetually given up open perimeter looks throughout the playoffs, as their 130 wide-open 3-pointers allowed are the third-most in any postseason since 2014, per Second Spectrum's tracking data, and the most by a significant margin in these playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34038221/boston-celtics-star-jayson-tatum-ready-familiar-bounce-back-struggling-score-game-1

This is supported by NBA.com stats, which shows that the Warriors allow one of the highest 3FG% at 37.4%.  That's with a 17 game sample size, including against weak Western conference teams.  Only 4 teams are worse (PHX 13 game sample size, CHI and DEN 5 games, TOR 6 games).

Keep attacking and moving the ball.  It worked in the 4th quarter of game one, and if we keep doing it we'll get good shots all series long.

Even against Dallas it was playing with fire. But Brown, Horford, Smart, White, Williams x2 and Pritchard is a much better supporting cast compared to Brunson, Dinwiddie, Bullock, DFS and Kleber.

Yeah Dallas fans on Reddit have been saying the same. Dallas also got a lot of open looks but missed so many of them. Doncic was fantastic as usual but the others were just inconsistent the whole series (DFS, Bullock, Dinwiddie, Brunson). They clicked all together in two games and 1 of them was the big win and the other they lost by 9. But tbh unlike Boston, Dallas isn’t known for playing great defense either.

Even in the Grizzlies series, the Grizz choked Game 1 and lost by 1, then lost by just 3 in Game 4 without Morant and didn’t have Morant the final 3 games of that series.

Everyone acts like Golden State just cruised to the Finals and dominated but Boston’s better than any team they played and I think GSW got a bit lucky along the way with the teams they faced and their situations. Denver literally only has one guy to rely on (Jokic). Even the Bucks with Giannis and no Middleton still had better role players around him than Denver.

I don’t think the Warriors had an easy path. The Memphis series was very physical and went 6 games. Thought Dallas would put up more of a fight after routing the Suns, though. That was a really disappointing series. C’s did face better teams and had a more difficult path, but as you mentioned the opponents were banged up.

Yeah I didn't mean to say Golden State had an easy path, it's just there's no comparison between the two paths. Boston's path was way harder. And also, everyone looks at Golden State winning two of their series in just 5 games, I put that more on their opponent than I do GSW's talent. The Grizzlies series was one where you could tell GSW was in some bother and it went 6 games and had 2 really close games that went GSW's way.

I'm willing to say that they had an easy path.  All of the teams they beat were pretenders.  Denver was obviously shorthanded and not close to truly contending.  Memphis was never a contender, Morant or not.  Classic example of team that can put up a good record in the regular season but does not have enough star power to compete for a title.  Dallas was 2-7 on the road in the playoffs and Luka clearly did not have enough support to make them contenders.  A team that is supposed to compete for a title really should not lose a series in 5 games.

A path to the finals usually requires beating another contender in your conference.  Boston beat two of them.  GS on the other hand did not have a real challenge, hence why I believe they had an "easy" path.

[SCeltic34]

I don't think that GSW were all that tested in the playoffs.  I think the Celtics would have cruised through those teams also.  That is the question though.  Just how good are they?  Just because they didn't need to be all that good to get to the finals, the way it all worked out, doesn't mean they aren't that good or can't be better than what we saw in Game 1.

I have not changed my opinion all that much after Game 1.  I don't think the Celtics played to their full potential in either the MIL or the MIA series.  They did at times and then other times got tentative or tight.  I can say that if the Celtics do play at or close to their full potential, and do so consistently, that I believe the Celtics are the better team.  Couple of big "ifs" in that though.

As Game 2 plays out, we'll see how the Celtics respond.  Are they going to give up an early lead as they did so many times against MIL and MIA in games that could have put things away?  If they have a lead late, are they going to close out or is the bigness of the moment going to get into their heads and then they play tentative and let GSW back into it?

I think the Celtics are fine in terms of the match up against the Warriors.  It is the match up against themselves, against the pressure, that is going to decide this.  I hope that the Celtics learned from Game 1.  I hope they learned that they can do this but only if they play.  That if they offer any opening to GSW, they are going to take it and put up a lot of points in a short amount of time.  They have to embrace it and play every game, every possession, like it is Game 7.  Every coach is going to say this, every player knows this, but they need to really believe it, really take it to heart.

I agree.  It's going to be difficult obviously to beat GS twice at home to start the series, but if we lock in we can certainly accomplish this.

The keys are the same as they've been ever since the Bucks series.  Take care of the ball.  Limit opponent's offensive rebounds.  Come out with urgency and play a solid 3rd quarter.  The Celtics are the better team and if they do these things we will hang banner 18.

[kraidstar]

I feel a lot in this series like i did in 2008 against the Lakers.

That Laker club was very good but slightly fraudulent. They could certainly score but didn't have the horses to stay with us athletically. Radmonovic, Gasol, old Derek Fisher, Vujacic, etc. Solid players, but when push comes to shove they couldn't get the big stops or the big loose balls.

With Bynum and Artest they squeaked out a win against us 2 years later - I don't think it's a coincidence that those were both good defenders.

The Warriors have some similar problems. As long as we don't come unglued we will win this series.

[Goldstar88]

I feel a lot in this series like i did in 2008 against the Lakers.

That Laker club was very good but slightly fraudulent. They could certainly score but didn't have the horses to stay with us athletically. Radmonovic, Gasol, old Derek Fisher, Vujacic, etc. Solid players, but when push comes to shove they couldn't get the big stops or the big loose balls.

With Bynum and Artest they squeaked out a win against us 2 years later - I don't think it's a coincidence that those were both good defenders.

The Warriors have some similar problems. As long as we don't come unglued we will win this series.

The Warriors have 3 Hall of Fame players, a deep bench and a very good coach. Don’t see how they are fraudulent at all. I think the C’s take the series in 6 or 7 games, due to their size, strength and defense, but it’s going to be a dog fight. Golden State was by far the most talented team in the West.

[gouki88]

I feel a lot in this series like i did in 2008 against the Lakers.

That Laker club was very good but slightly fraudulent. They could certainly score but didn't have the horses to stay with us athletically. Radmonovic, Gasol, old Derek Fisher, Vujacic, etc. Solid players, but when push comes to shove they couldn't get the big stops or the big loose balls.

With Bynum and Artest they squeaked out a win against us 2 years later - I don't think it's a coincidence that those were both good defenders.

The Warriors have some similar problems. As long as we don't come unglued we will win this series.

The Warriors have 3 Hall of Fame players, a deep bench and a very good coach. Don’t see how they are fraudulent at all. I think the C’s take the series in 6 or 7 games, due to their size, strength and defense, but it’s going to be a dog fight. Golden State was by far the most talented team in the West.

I think describing Klay and Draymond as "Hall of Fame" players doesn't capture how far off their peak they are