Anyone just a little concerned?

[chibi]

Well, these are the kinds of concerns teams have to deal with, typically.  By overcoming obstacles like injuries, fatigue, and pressure-packed situations, teams become worthy champions.

If your bench continues to overachieve and if your stars maintain their composure, you'll win at least 1 game on your home court.

Another concern is the attitude of the team.  The Lakers will play like they have nothing to lose.  Will the Celtics burden themselves with the weight of expectation and play like a team with everything to lose?

P.S.  Go Lakers  

[Frontierboy]

Right now, we're the team with all the adversity..... family problems, injuries...... so yeah, I'm a little worried

[Petro]

I'm worried but with all the stuff that has gone on this year the Celts will summon one more gutsy performance to put this thing away Lakers will struggle in Boston and the C's will start the game better at home than thier notorius bad starts in L.A.

[biggs1221]

In my heart I believe that Boston should and will win it all in game 6. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that some things have me a little worried.

1. While he's been good on the defensive end and ok for most of the games KG has yet to really play that great. I keep hearing and hoping that the next game will be his game but it never materializes. And while he wasn't the only reason we lost last night it's safe to say that he had a big part of it.

2. Ray Allen's family problems. I don't know what's going on and I wish him and his family the best. Players family lives are more important than Basketball. That said, Ray didn't play that great last night and I would think it has to do with whatever going on
with his kid. We don't know if he'll play in game 6 and even if he plays something like this could get in his head. We know what can happen to him when he's thinking about stuff. Like I said, I know family is more important but as a Celtics fan we need Ray to for us to be able to pull this one out. I hope for MANY reason's and some that are selfish that this isn't something serious.

3. Rondo is stinking it up. I love the kid but he's not done very much on the road in LA and I personally believe his lack of shooting is hurting us. I hope he can play like he did in that one home game against the Cavs.

4. Perkins. While he hasn't given us much in points it's clear that his big body is needed down low. And it's not looking good that he'll play in game 6 or even a game 7 if need be.I think last night showed that we need him.

5. Paul played almost the whole game last night and has to get on a plane and fly home and play probably a entire game again.  Can he do it and play at the same level he did tonight? And can PJ play this long for Perk at his age?

6. Did we give LA some hope in this?

I'm not in any way trying to be a doom and gloom person while we're up 3-2 in this with the Garden waiting for us. But I'm really wanting Boston to close this one out and not go to another 7 games vs Kobe.

I'd add to your list of concerns the following:

7. 2 jet-lagged teams for game 6 = a game where anything could happen.  I believe our C's our the better team, especially at home, but nothing like a 6 hour flight to neutralize the advantage.

8. Kobe in a game 6 or 7 is just as dangerous as LeBron was in game 7.  And if he is aggresive in either of these games, he will get to the line like 25 times.

9. While the C's have always comeback, LA has proven itself capable of outscoring us by like 20 points in any one quarter stretch.  If the C's dont show up for a quarter or 2 (which they have shown they are prone to do), they can get down big again and are certainly beatable

While I remain optimistic, these concerns are the reason I HATED that some commentators were calling the series over when we went up 3-1.  Just because it hasn't happened in 28 tries doesnt mean it cant (and I wonder how many of those 28 consisted of matchups were one team was vastly superior to the other, which is not the case here; or happened in a different era of basketball, like the 50s-60s).

As a Boston sports fan, I have seen crazier things happen in the past 5-6 years alone (eg Red Sox comeback from 0-3 deficit, Pats beating the 14 point favorite Rams, and Pats losing this past super bowl).  And coming back from a 3-1 hole is not that crazy / impossible.  It simply requires, a) winning your game at home (done); b) stealing a game 6 on the road; c) and then we are in a winner take all game 7.

Anyway, Go C's, but lets please not count our chickens before they hatch anymore.

[crownsy]

of course im concerned, i'll be concerned till the clock hits 0.0 with us ahead...

but im not going to stress over it, everything we've seen so far points to us being the better team.

if we can avoid spotting the lakers 20 points for a thrid stright game, we should be fine.

[tanner]

Yes, because we can't use two of our starters and no solid backups.  The PG spot has gotten so bad Doc has had to shuffle through 3 to 4 players every game.  In Perk's case, you'd think it be easier with four or five bigs at our disposal, including the defensive player of the year.  But seeing Game 5, I'm not confident.  W/o Perk I don't think we can rely on just trying to defend Gasol and Odom.  We have to take out one or both by being more aggressive offensively  and get them into foul trouble first.  That means KG doing what he's hardly done in this series.

[cdif911]

I'll attempt to be the voice of reason here and say I am not concerned.

The Celtics have been almost unbeatable at home this year, to lose 2 straight would be unthinkable.

Paul Pierce has come into his own during these playoffs, especially when the big spotlight is on him - I expect game 6 to be a Kobe/Pierce duel, with Pierce coming out on top

Though Perk is done, PJ has shown he can fill the role, and the team has been pretty solid with Posey as the backup 4 (though I agree Powe and Baby should fill time to get boards/defend depending on matchups)

The PG by committee is working.  Rondo starts the game, attempts to set tempo - if his jumper isn't falling, if he isn't making the right decisions House is adequate - Sam was solid last night and even TA brought a look that worked.

The Lakers are not mentally tough like the Celtics.  They can and will fold.  We haven't seen the c's fold this season and I wouldn't expect it now.  They have guys who have been there (Sam/BGJ) and guys who really really want it (Big 3) - The Lakers have guys who have been there (Fisher/Kobe) but you don't see the emotion in their other guys, with the exception of 10% Sasha....

I like our odds. I think game 6 will be the end of this series.

[Roy Hobbs]

They're not ideal circumstances, playing without starter, and with another with his head in the clouds.  Still, I think Paul and KG will put this team on their backs, and get this over with in 6.

[crownsy]

the main thing i hope we wont do at home is spot the lakers 20 points.

that lost us game 5, not anything later in the game. that was the second game in a row we came out flat defensivly, let them score a ton of points, and then somewhere a light went on like "oh, were much better defensivly then them, we should get some stops"

i'd liek that to be the mentality for 48 minutes. if it is, we win, if its not, and they get a huge quarter, then they can hang. simple as that.

[hpantazo]

the main thing i hope we wont do at home is spot the lakers 20 points.

that lost us game 5, not anything later in the game. that was the second game in a row we came out flat defensivly, let them score a ton of points, and then somewhere a light went on like "oh, were much better defensivly then them, we should get some stops"

i'd liek that to be the mentality for 48 minutes. if it is, we win, if its not, and they get a huge quarter, then they can hang. simple as that.

that's exactly why we can't start Rondo and Powe on tuesday. We have to go with House and Posey and spread the floor and be up 10-12 early rather than down 20

[crownsy]

the main thing i hope we wont do at home is spot the lakers 20 points.

that lost us game 5, not anything later in the game. that was the second game in a row we came out flat defensivly, let them score a ton of points, and then somewhere a light went on like "oh, were much better defensivly then them, we should get some stops"

i'd liek that to be the mentality for 48 minutes. if it is, we win, if its not, and they get a huge quarter, then they can hang. simple as that.

that's exactly why we can't start Rondo and Powe on tuesday. We have to go with House and Posey and spread the floor and be up 10-12 early rather than down 20

rondo had little to do with that early lead, the fact that our entire team didn't want to play defense had alot more to do with it, espiaclly in the low block.

rondo is fine to start, espically at home, where he plays like night and day. If he gets in trouble, just got to trust doc to have a short leash.

[DutchHoops]

No point in worrying over RayRay, we just don't know what the situation is. Might be all OK as we blog. Perk is a major setback, but then seeing TA play for a bit gives me hope, he's very smooth.
If i was a Laker fan i don't think i'd be shouting championship yet. For LA to beat the C's in Boston they need to bring some Magic, and haven't seen any of that yet, 12 minutes of prime-time at the most, and i'm quite sure Sasha "Hollywood Actress" Vujacic can handle neither the Garden nor the Thruth come tuesday.

[Stu]

I'm concerned about how Paul will play in game 6.  We all saw how invisible and unmotivated he seemed after the six hour flight in game 3.  Now, in addition to the flight, throw in the fact he played 48 minutes last night.  I'd love to say he can duplicate that performance in game 6, but with the situation as it is, I'm just not sure.

[Redz]

nope

[EJPLAYA]

Not worried yet. Had we come out with the intensity defensively that we should have this is over. They won't make that same mistake twice. We just need to come out and put it to them early. If they stay in this and happen to pull this off then the pressure is all on us for game 7. Don't think it will be an issue though. Closeout games are tough. KG just needs to stay on the floor!