Do you still believe?

[angryguy77]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

asking a mazz coached team to play disciplined smart ball for 16 straight quarters is asking pigs to fly.

miami had a 3-0 lead and got complacent. celts were fighting for their lives with one last breath, it happens with many 3-0 leads. usually other team finishes them off in 5 or 6. rarely does it go 7.  i do not see that happening again like shaq said. sure we have been down 3-2 before and won series but those series were never 3-0 to begin with.

asking this team to win 4 straight is akin to winning the lottery. or struck by lightning, they'll step on their you know what and get back to normal.

[nyceltsfan]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

asking a mazz coached team to play disciplined smart ball for 16 straight quarters is asking pigs to fly.

miami had a 3-0 lead and got complacent. celts were fighting for their lives with one last breath, it happens with many 3-0 leads. usually other team finishes them off in 5 or 6. rarely does it go 7.  i do not see that happening again like shaq said. sure we have been down 3-2 before and won series but those series were never 3-0 to begin with.

asking this team to win 4 straight is akin to winning the lottery. or struck by lightning, they'll step on their you know what and get back to normal.

Agreed.  Even last night, there were plays that made me think that they were going to squander the lead and melt down the stretch.  Walking the ball up the court with 5-6 minutes left, letting Butler get to the rim unguarded, wide open 3 point looks, etc.

This team is not going to rattle off 4 straight against Miami and I would be totally shocked if we even made it 2 straight.

While I do agree that we are more talented, we are just not prepared for the intensity that is coming our way next game.

[LilRip]

I don’t see the comeback. Tatum wouldn’t let us lose last night and that was the difference. Id be surprised if the team won in Game 5.

Nonetheless, let’s go Cs

[radiohead]

How can you not?

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

asking a mazz coached team to play disciplined smart ball for 16 straight quarters is asking pigs to fly.

miami had a 3-0 lead and got complacent. celts were fighting for their lives with one last breath, it happens with many 3-0 leads. usually other team finishes them off in 5 or 6. rarely does it go 7.  i do not see that happening again like shaq said. sure we have been down 3-2 before and won series but those series were never 3-0 to begin with.

asking this team to win 4 straight is akin to winning the lottery. or struck by lightning, they'll step on their you know what and get back to normal.

Agreed.  Even last night, there were plays that made me think that they were going to squander the lead and melt down the stretch.  Walking the ball up the court with 5-6 minutes left, letting Butler get to the rim unguarded, wide open 3 point looks, etc.

This team is not going to rattle off 4 straight against Miami and I would be totally shocked if we even made it 2 straight.

While I do agree that we are more talented, we are just not prepared for the intensity that is coming our way next game.

right, and if we somehow pull off a game 5 win game 6 will be no cakewalk. miami will treat it as a game 7. spo will have his troops ready next game.  he will not give us game 5 with 16 turnovers again. 

[keevsnick]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

asking a mazz coached team to play disciplined smart ball for 16 straight quarters is asking pigs to fly.

miami had a 3-0 lead and got complacent. celts were fighting for their lives with one last breath, it happens with many 3-0 leads. usually other team finishes them off in 5 or 6. rarely does it go 7.  i do not see that happening again like shaq said. sure we have been down 3-2 before and won series but those series were never 3-0 to begin with.

asking this team to win 4 straight is akin to winning the lottery. or struck by lightning, they'll step on their you know what and get back to normal.

Agreed.  Even last night, there were plays that made me think that they were going to squander the lead and melt down the stretch.  Walking the ball up the court with 5-6 minutes left, letting Butler get to the rim unguarded, wide open 3 point looks, etc.

This team is not going to rattle off 4 straight against Miami and I would be totally shocked if we even made it 2 straight.

While I do agree that we are more talented, we are just not prepared for the intensity that is coming our way next game.

right, and if we somehow pull off a game 5 win game 6 will be no cakewalk. miami will treat it as a game 7. spo will have his troops ready next game.  he will not give us game 5 with 16 turnovers again.

Well, game 6 on the road down 3-2 is the Celtics wheelhouse.

To be honest given how they've played at home this post seaosn I'm greatly worried about game 5. Debating whether to go, and I'm afraid they are going to no show.

[jpotter33]

The thing to keep in mind is that this one loss could be the start of an invasive and fatal crack in Miami’s armor.

The simple fact is that the talent discrepancy in this series is monumental, and we should be winning virtually every game. Miami has been playing way over their head, and I think a lot of that is due to their confidence and riding that high.

If we can keep our energy high and take a convincing win in game 5, I think we see Miami revert back closer to their regular season form after getting off this high and it becomes a coin flip series.

The biggest concern we should have is Spo. He’s such a master tactician that can throw us a loop with an adjustment tgat could turn the tide of a single gamr.

Right now it’s still a long shot given our inconsistency and home play. But if we can get Game 5 and keep up our intensity, I truly think it’s a 50/50 series after that.

[Surferdad]

I don’t see the comeback. Tatum wouldn’t let us lose last night and that was the difference. Id be surprised if the team won in Game 5.

Nonetheless, let’s go Cs

To me, the most likely scenario is a Game 5 win and then a Game 6 loss in Miami.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I believe that they didn’t completely quit, which was nice to see.  They need to be even better in Game 5, because Miami is going to bring it, but I appreciated the effort tonight.

Perk and Eddie House both think Miami is going to go back to the zone big time and wall off the paint completely. They don't think we will shoot that well from 3 again. I think they have to be prepared to take the midrange shots that Miami are giving them.

Most important thing is to not turn the ball over.

One game at a time. Win game 5 at home and it becomes interesting.

Thing is looking at the box score we just shot around our season averages. While Miami went back to earth instead of shooting 50% on 3. We've missed A LOT of open 3's this series.

There's a lot of reasons we went down 3-0. But on the crux of it, their roleplayers were shooting at some ridiculous clip from 3. I think vincent/strus/martin were shooting over 50%

Meanwhile brown/Horfords were shooting something like 15%

if all we keep doing is shooting threes and not try to get in paint(especially when not in zone) we will seal our fate. this team is too one dimensional. live by the sword die by the sword. always take easy points in the paint when they are there and play D. we will shoot ourselves out a game again.

If Maritn and Vincent stop playing beyond their norms, and we hit our avg, there's a good chance history is made.

Providing they win tomorrow, game 6 will be toughest game they've ever played. Get that one and the series is won as I don't think the heat will be able to keep up in a game 7. There will be too much put on their role players and I think they'll be broken mentally by that point.

I'm not getting my hopes up as they've not shown me enough to believe yet.

asking a mazz coached team to play disciplined smart ball for 16 straight quarters is asking pigs to fly.

miami had a 3-0 lead and got complacent. celts were fighting for their lives with one last breath, it happens with many 3-0 leads. usually other team finishes them off in 5 or 6. rarely does it go 7.  i do not see that happening again like shaq said. sure we have been down 3-2 before and won series but those series were never 3-0 to begin with.

asking this team to win 4 straight is akin to winning the lottery. or struck by lightning, they'll step on their you know what and get back to normal.

Agreed.  Even last night, there were plays that made me think that they were going to squander the lead and melt down the stretch.  Walking the ball up the court with 5-6 minutes left, letting Butler get to the rim unguarded, wide open 3 point looks, etc.

This team is not going to rattle off 4 straight against Miami and I would be totally shocked if we even made it 2 straight.

While I do agree that we are more talented, we are just not prepared for the intensity that is coming our way next game.

right, and if we somehow pull off a game 5 win game 6 will be no cakewalk. miami will treat it as a game 7. spo will have his troops ready next game.  he will not give us game 5 with 16 turnovers again.

Well, game 6 on the road down 3-2 is the Celtics wheelhouse.

To be honest given how they've played at home this post seaosn I'm greatly worried about game 5. Debating whether to go, and I'm afraid they are going to no show.

yup. it is nuts. many angles to look at this from. seem to do well in game 6 on road and game 7 at home. who knows. game 5 could turn the whole series and make miami panic. difference is the heat are coached well. they play disciplined most the time.  IF we get to a game 6 this is bot like the bucks or sicers series because we never had to win 4 straight in those. that is the law of avergaes and odds being against us. miami has only lost 1 at home all year BUT ALAS it was to us.

history tells us we lose at home thursday and heat close out in 5. if not i doubt the heat play that bad again in game 6 at home.  game 6 would be their game 7. bad part is each game we win crawling back in this it gets tougher and tougher to keep it going. most peter out. it is an unprecedented hole to dig out of and you are not playing the hawks.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

I don’t see the comeback. Tatum wouldn’t let us lose last night and that was the difference. Id be surprised if the team won in Game 5.

Nonetheless, let’s go Cs

To me, the most likely scenario is a Game 5 win and then a Game 6 loss in Miami.

that scenario happens alot in the NHL. seen it many times. team down 3-0. wins 2 in a row but burns out and cannot sustain.

we also have to have the right mental and psychological outlook. if we win game 5 can we lie to our brains and say hey no worries we will now treat this like being down 3-2 against bucks and sixers. can we do that? can their brains respond to that and trick themselves? into not thinking about being down 3-0? There is a huge psychological effect to all of this.

[ozgod]

People who think they are already dead can no longer be afraid of dying. They need to stop trying to think about winning the series and just literally focus on the next game and play free. Put forward a performance everyone can be proud of, leave it all on the court and that’s all we can ask for. The chances of winning the series are still very low, but they might have a 50%-60% chance of winning an individual game if they do the right things. Like Ortiz and Millar said, you can’t win 3 games at once, just win the next one, then focus on the next one.

[ozgod]

One thing they need to do is figure out how to win if the 3s aren’t falling. They won game 4 in large part because they generated good looks from 3 when Miami where in man to man and they made the shots at a rate of 43% from 3. As a result they became energized defensively, Miami had to walk the ball up from the inbounds and they could set their defense. When they shoot from 3 and miss Miami go into transition and we’re scrambling while they shoot transition 3s or get to the rim. That’s what’s been killing us.

 It’s always hard to stop transition baskets when you miss 3s because they are usually long rebounds and they’re off to the races but this is what Joe has to figure out.

[keevsnick]

Some NBA team will eventually come back down from 0-3, and if they do it will be a situation like this.

Home team is heavily favored but falls down 0-3 in part because they shoot 29% from three while road team shoots 48% from three over three games.

Then shooting luck switches and the home team, which was the MUCH better 3 point shooting team in the regular season, regresses to their mean from three while the road team, which was the much worse shooting team in the regular season regress to theirs as well.

So its possible. Problem is down 0-3 is there's just no margin for error. One more bad shooting game, one Tatum/Brown foul trouble game, one bad ref game, one more "slow down offense and blow game" loss and its over.

Shooting luck matters. Not only is MIA shooting 42% from three to the c's 32% (even after game 4)  but they are shooting 48% on 15-24 ft shots ie long two pointers. The c's are 38% on those shots.

You can't tell me that's ALL defense. Like that's, to some degree at least, luck.

[Vermont Green]

Through the first 3 games, some unexpected Heat players shot the following from 3:

Love           75%   (Game 4  50%)
Vincent       56%   (Game 4  25%)
Robinson     53%   (Game 4   0%)
Martin         48%   (Game 4  40%)

These 4 accounted for over 19 3PA per game in the first 3 games.  There were a few reasons for this from what I saw, Butler was good at setting them up, the Celtics did miss some rotations or otherwise didn't play tight defense, but these guys hit shots at an unsustainable rate.  Hopefully that bubble has burst and these guys will remember that they aren't really that good.  In game 4, this group was still pretty good, more like you would expect, a couple over 40%, a couple under 40%.  We can live with that.  To me, this is the key, do they keep hitting or cool off?

Another key to me is Brogdon.  He has been really flat, really off.  I think there is an opportunity for him to snap out of it and play better, have an impact on at least the next game.  He needs to be the guy for us that Martin and Vincent have been for the Heat.  We need the likes of Brogdon, White, and Grant to outplay the likes of Vincent, Martin, and Robinson.

Another concern I have is with RWill.  It seems the players kind of complained that they wanted him to start and play more but he has not been productive at all in this series.  He is not getting his lob-dunks, many of them end up in turnovers.  On defense, Miami is not challenging him at the rim, they are taking (and making) mid-range shots, mostly by Butler and Adebayo.  He usually brings a rebounding advantage but that is not offsetting his downside in this series.  I think we need to back off his minutes, keep playing Grant, and hope Al stays out of foul trouble.  Maybe give a few minutes to Hauser and hope he can hit a couple of 3s.