Clippers (29-14) at Celtics (35-10) Game #46 1/27/24

[scaryjerry]

We keep losing to top teams.

Our w/l record isn't reflective of how good we are.

We have to start showing we can beat these kinds of teams.

Against teams that are .650 or above (Bucks, Sixers, Nuggets, Wolves, Clippers, and Thunder), Boston is now 5-6.

One of those losses was to the Bucks the night after a hard-fought OT win over Minny, so that one's understandable, but the last two—losses to Denver and the Clips—were pretty hideous.

Yup and they still have the same bad habits. Blow out the heat and start thinking too highly of themselves and come out the next game and lay an absolute egg, just like they do every year in the playoffs.
That Miami win meant little to nothing, they were just unsustainably hot from 3, if anything it was bad because it went straight to their head. This teams overrated.

Also how did the clippers manage to beat us on the second night of a back to back going from Toronto to Boston?

[Birdman]

Need Porzingus to be healthy during playoffs if we have any chance of winning, that’s the bottom line

[Birdman]

Anyone else thinks the Clippers may be the best team in NBA?

[Surferdad]

Anyone else thinks the Clippers may be the best team in NBA?

To me, they were not that impressive. Celtics just stunk up the joint.

I turned it off when the lead hit 30 because it was clear the Celtics did not have the goods last night.

[scaryjerry]

Anyone else thinks the Clippers may be the best team in NBA?

Not willing to go that far but they’re a legit contender if kawhi can stay healthy

[Vermont Green]

Anyone else thinks the Clippers may be the best team in NBA?

They are certainly in the hunt to be the best team in the league. Last night was just one game. The Clippers played great. Very good Defense. But the Celtics were unusually bad especially shooting. I think the Clippers caught them by surprise.  If healthy, the Clippers can certainly beat Denver, or anyone else in the west.

[cman88]

so predictable. whenever the celtics lose the same posters are all over the thread ot say "see! I told you so!" using "wins over 65% is an arbitrary winning percentage to choose to say we suck. Yet we have the top seed playing one of the toughest NBA schedules.

yet when we win everyone is absent...the loss sucks. but we are bound to have bad games over an 82 game season. what you want to look for are patterns. we still have the best record in the NBA...and are still 3 games up in the east..

I think one thing is obvious is we need KP healthy if we want to do anything in the playoffs. This game may be totally different if he plays.

are we perfect? no....but all the other eastern conference contenders have their own warts as well. we just have the least. Yet i'm sure i will be told to disregard any warts from the other eastern contenders..those are mere blips. while every celtics loss is a sign!

[angryguy77]

so predictable. whenever the celtics lose the same posters are all over the thread ot say "see! I told you so!" using "wins over 65% is an arbitrary winning percentage to choose to say we suck. Yet we have the top seed playing one of the toughest NBA schedules.

yet when we win everyone is absent...the loss sucks. but we are bound to have bad games over an 82 game season. what you want to look for are patterns. we still have the best record in the NBA...and are still 3 games up in the east..

I think one thing is obvious is we need KP healthy if we want to do anything in the playoffs. This game may be totally different if he plays.

are we perfect? no....but all the other eastern conference contenders have their own warts as well. we just have the least. Yet i'm sure i will be told to disregard any warts from the other eastern contenders..those are mere blips. while every celtics loss is a sign!

The pattern remains the same in our losses. We live and die by three just like we did last year. We have an actual PG this time and Joe still can't figure out how to run an offense that takes advantage of the talent we have.

I won't give Joe credit for wins where we shot 50% from 3.


I can't praise a coach who has guys passing out of easy layups for 3's.

You have one of the best drivers in JT....figure out how to use him. Figure out how to have your guys actually make cuts.

[cman88]

so predictable. whenever the celtics lose the same posters are all over the thread ot say "see! I told you so!" using "wins over 65% is an arbitrary winning percentage to choose to say we suck. Yet we have the top seed playing one of the toughest NBA schedules.

yet when we win everyone is absent...the loss sucks. but we are bound to have bad games over an 82 game season. what you want to look for are patterns. we still have the best record in the NBA...and are still 3 games up in the east..

I think one thing is obvious is we need KP healthy if we want to do anything in the playoffs. This game may be totally different if he plays.

are we perfect? no....but all the other eastern conference contenders have their own warts as well. we just have the least. Yet i'm sure i will be told to disregard any warts from the other eastern contenders..those are mere blips. while every celtics loss is a sign!

The pattern remains the same in our losses. We live and die by three just like we did last year. We have an actual PG this time and Joe still can't figure out how to run an offense that takes advantage of the talent we have.

I won't give Joe credit for wins where we shot 50% from 3.


I can't praise a coach who has guys passing out of easy layups for 3's.

You have one of the best drivers in JT....figure out how to use him. Figure out how to have your guys actually make cuts.

We tried that too and it wasn’t exactly working either.

Without KP our offense is just predictable and Tatum/brown are more easily trapped. Could be wrong but I feel a lot of our losses are with him out.

His ability to score from the post, 3, midrange and draw fouls really is the key difference in this year vs last.

Without him we revert to last years Celtics.

It’s honestly why his health is so important to our postseason

We have no one who can remotely replicate what he brings.

[angryguy77]

https://twitter.com/RealBobManning/status/1751505063674098035?t=cXhwsSNdYN6f-GxreuM93Q&s=19


Even jt gets it

[moiso]

https://twitter.com/RealBobManning/status/1751505063674098035?t=cXhwsSNdYN6f-GxreuM93Q&s=19


Even jt gets it

This seems pretty significant to me, that he said this.

[scaryjerry]

so predictable. whenever the celtics lose the same posters are all over the thread ot say "see! I told you so!" using "wins over 65% is an arbitrary winning percentage to choose to say we suck. Yet we have the top seed playing one of the toughest NBA schedules.

yet when we win everyone is absent...the loss sucks. but we are bound to have bad games over an 82 game season. what you want to look for are patterns. we still have the best record in the NBA...and are still 3 games up in the east..

I think one thing is obvious is we need KP healthy if we want to do anything in the playoffs. This game may be totally different if he plays.

are we perfect? no....but all the other eastern conference contenders have their own warts as well. we just have the least. Yet i'm sure i will be told to disregard any warts from the other eastern contenders..those are mere blips. while every celtics loss is a sign!

All teams have warts including the Celtics. The Celtics are a good team that has had a good season, my problem is they aren’t light years ahead of the competition and are far from promised anything like some pundits and fans seem to think… frankly I worry about their mental toughness when it really matters

[Who]

Without KP our offense is just predictable and Tatum/brown are more easily trapped. Could be wrong but I feel a lot of our losses are with him out.

I was feeling the same way so I looked it up this morning.

With Porzingis = 25 wins 8 losses
Without Porzingis = 10 wins 3 losses

No real difference.

[Who]

You have one of the best drivers in JT....figure out how to use him. Figure out how to have your guys actually make cuts.

I wouldn't think of Tatum as one of the best drivers. Even if we talk only about forwards and not guards, I still do not regard him as one of the top guys. Others are more explosive athletically or better ball-handlers.

Here are some stats from nba.com on drives for forwards

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives?PlayerPosition=F&dir=D&sort=DRIVES

Tatum is about 25-30th in the league with 8.8 drives a game.

Luka tops out the league at 19 drives per game. Zion and Giannis 2 and 3 at 15-16 drives per game. You have to go down about 20 guys to 10 drives per game. Jaylen Brown is there at 10.4 drives.

[CelticSooner]

https://twitter.com/RealBobManning/status/1751505063674098035?t=cXhwsSNdYN6f-GxreuM93Q&s=19


Even jt gets it

He in lies the biggest problem with the team. What counter punches does Mazzulla even have? It’s like the Ravens expecting Lamar Jackson to run around all game in the playoffs. Not gonna happen