How are you feeling? What's your confidence level?

[Redz]

Here?s how I feel.  The Mavs have had a hell of a run and it was good of them to give their fans something to be happy about in the Finals.  Getting swept is brutal.  They avoided that.

Now the Celts can give their fans a special moment too and be done with it. 

I feel great. 

[BringToughnessBack]

We have lost 3 games in the playoffs. Confidence level is off the charts. We knew there would be one or two games the 2 offensive forces would go bonkers with chance bench got hot finally.

I could see us winning in Dallas game 6  if there is one. I am expecting huge performance like the last 2 losses for game 5 and to clinch tomorrow though.

[celticinorlando]

If our role players go cold like the mavs were in the first 3 games we are completely screwed relying on mr step back 3/missed layup who in all his finals games combined is shooting 36%
Need everyone to be on so he can just defer

Game 4 was a turd sandwich for everyone. Brown, white, holiday, horford, Tatum, PP.

Need a combination of three or four of the above to play closer to their norms.

Game was lost with effort. Got killed in the rebounding department and the lackadaisical turnovers.

It certainly was a turd sandwhich for everyone?only 1 of those guys is first team all nba and in MVP discussions this season. There?s even fans on this very site saying he had a good game in that 40 point loss and will now win finals mvp because of it. It?s no surprise the first game the rest of the team was off Tatum lost his cool and we lost by 40. Better hope Jaylen and our role players don?t go cold

The mvp talk is just ridiculous by everyone. It?s about winning a title. I get so tired of the who is the mvp of the finals talk.

Who cares. Get this thing over the finish line and give the finals mvp trophy to Brad Stevens.

It?s all there for the Celtics. Home. Great crowd. Chance to clinch. A special date for a lot of reasons. It?s storybook.

But we have seen this movie before where it turns into a horror story by the end. That?s my fear.

Yeah I agree I just don?t have a feel for what?s gonna happen, I truly believe it could go either way, they seem due for a mind boggling big home loss like they?ve been prone to do but they absolutely SHOULD win?is your confidence still sky high like it was after game 4?

I believe they will win tomorrow. I think it is pretty much a must. Around 60 percent confidence. Just the old demons starting to creep back in. I am nervous for preseason games so this is pretty rough. Just want this series to be done.

If they lose game 5 this will be tricky. But this team has not lost 4 straight games since 2021 so that is some solace. They have only lost 6 games at home all season playoffs included.

It is a 3 game series with Boston needing one more and the mavs all three and two of which are in Boston. 

They have responded all year the following game after being blown out including two in the playoffs. They have clinched two series at home in game 5s.

Recently the Celtics lost Russell (6) Hondo (17) and jones (24). Those jersey numbers are 6 17 24?the exact day they can win banner 18 in game 5, which was Walton?s number.

It also is the 16 year anniversary of the last championship won in the garden to the day.

Last three Celtics teams have lost the close out game on the road only to win the title at home (84, 86, 08). Bird?s teams were blown out by double digits.

All those factors mean nothing but it would be really cool to see them all connect.

[celts55]

100% positive they win the series. 90% they win Monday.
Crap games happen to teams that are up 3-0 quite often. Just look at the Hockey game last night. Panthers lose 8-1.

[celticinorlando]

Kyrie Irving reflects on how he didn?t want to be traded to Boston and didn?t have the right attitude:

?As a player, they expect you to buy into the Celtics pride. If you don?t, you?re going to be outed. I?m one of the people who is on the outs,? he says, laughing.

[mef730]

Kyrie Irving reflects on how he didn?t want to be traded to Boston and didn?t have the right attitude:

?As a player, they expect you to buy into the Celtics pride. If you don?t, you?re going to be outed. I?m one of the people who is on the outs,? he says, laughing.

Oddly enough, Celtics fans prefer ?Celtics pride? to ?give up when I don?t feel like playing.? We are kind of funny that way, I guess

[Phantom255x]

It didn't work with Kyrie and I'm sure he had some stuff going on outside of basketball. I get that. But he also didn't help himself with his actions on the court, in the locker room and also with that BS saying "if you'll have me back I'll definitely return". He didn't have to say that. I get it's a business but he didn't have to say that at all that night. Ainge even said he knew by February-March that Irving was likely going elsewhere in the offseason. He already had a step out the door.

[celticinorlando]

Skip Bayless quickly becoming (well maintaining) his status as King Clown.

[Redz]

I don't get too worked up aboit a blowout loss.  It was embarassing, but it's over and it only counts as one loss/win.  Same as a nailbiter.

I one hope for garbage time was the Pritchard could find his shot.  He did see a few go in, but was far from efficient.  Conversely, the one guy I've been afraid of getting for them (besides the obvious stars), was Hardaway.  He got to see a bunch of 3's go through the hoop.  Hopefully no carry over on that.  He is a legit scoring threat.

[BringToughnessBack]

NBA com is filled with 5 main articles all about the amazing Mavericks. Sickening . Their loss tomorrow will end the nonsense

[celticinorlando]

I?ve been staying away from national media. They seem to be back saying the mavs are back.

[Phantom255x]

I?ve been staying away from national media. They seem to be back saying the mavs are back.

Same, though granted I never really followed them much to begin with. I mean even if the C's sweep a series it's "why did the other team lose, is the Boston team overrated, etc." It even happened with the dynasty New England Patriots era. Sickening.

I will love to see some of the national media guys though eat crow if they do win. I will absolutely grab my popcorn and watch some clips of that for a day or two afterwards.

[Surferdad]

For the stat nerds out there, I am 99% confident that my confidence level is in the 95th percentile.

[Celtics2021]

I don't get too worked up aboit a blowout loss.  It was embarassing, but it's over and it only counts as one loss/win.  Same as a nailbiter.

I one hope for garbage time was the Pritchard could find his shot.  He did see a few go in, but was far from efficient.  Conversely, the one guy I've been afraid of getting for them (besides the obvious stars), was Hardaway.  He got to see a bunch of 3's go through the hoop.  Hopefully no carry over on that.  He is a legit scoring threat.

Hardaway?s defense is terrible.  I would be fine with him getting more minutes because he hit some shots against garbage time defense.

[Who]

I don't get too worked up aboit a blowout loss.  It was embarassing, but it's over and it only counts as one loss/win.  Same as a nailbiter.

I one hope for garbage time was the Pritchard could find his shot.  He did see a few go in, but was far from efficient.  Conversely, the one guy I've been afraid of getting for them (besides the obvious stars), was Hardaway.  He got to see a bunch of 3's go through the hoop.  Hopefully no carry over on that.  He is a legit scoring threat.

Hardaway?s defense is terrible.  I would be fine with him getting more minutes because he hit some shots against garbage time defense.

I thought Hardaway cost them the game in Gm 3 he was so awful. Lousy in Gm 1 as well. They played better in Gm 2 vs Gm 1 in large part because they dropped him from the rotation. I was surprised Kidd brought him back for Gm 3.

Can't defend.
Can't rebound.
Can't pass.
Can't handle the ball.

Only good for making perimeter jump-shots and if they aren't falling at a good clip, he is a large net negative out there.