Celtics (41-23) at Cavs (51-15) 3/14

[LB3533]

I hated that lineup to start the 4th.  With Lebron on the bench why not let Ray or Pierce play with the second unit?  I'm so sick of resting the starters all at the same time.  One thing I remember about the Jordan Bulls is that either Jordan or Pippen were ALWAYS on the court (except in blow outs).  We've got three superstars and a meaningful minute should not pass where at least one of them is not on the floor.

That's Doc Rivers for ya....

[FallGuy]

Not calling Cleveland great.

But all this nonsense about "belief" is really funny at the pro level. It's high school stuff.

Cleveland is on another level compared to this Celtics team. Period. We cannot compete with them, and we don't, quite frankly.

You can rationalize this away all you want, but the Cavaliers are a FAR better club than the Celtics. Younger, more athletic, better shooters, far better on the defensive end, made a significantly better move at the deadline.

It's not close. Nor will it be.

Sorry, just don't agree at all ... when this Celtics team is healthy and playing their best ball, they can compete and BEAT any team in the NBA, including this inflated Cavs team, who, without LeBron, would be average at best. As I said, don't confuse the Celtics playing poorly with Cleveland greatness.

Totally, totally disagree with you, frankly as strongly as I've ever disagreed with any single post on this board. There's a broad gulf between these two teams - in age, in athleticism, in shooting, in defense, on the bench - and it cannot be bridged. The Celtics as constructed are done as a title contende

Wow. The Celtics have played about as badly as they have played all year, going over five minutes without a score, yet they have stayed in this one most of the way. If the Cavs were so much better, this should have been a blowout. I disagree with your post as strongly as you disagree with mine. I've heard all this argument many times before, and the Cavs' quality is inflated by LeBron James, and the media. Guess we'll agree to disagree, in a BIG way ... but I'll TP you for the good discussion nonetheless.

If you thought the Cavs played well, you are mistaken.

They didn't play well and they STILL killed the C's.

[RMO]

Not calling Cleveland great.

But all this nonsense about "belief" is really funny at the pro level. It's high school stuff.

Cleveland is on another level compared to this Celtics team. Period. We cannot compete with them, and we don't, quite frankly.

You can rationalize this away all you want, but the Cavaliers are a FAR better club than the Celtics. Younger, more athletic, better shooters, far better on the defensive end, made a significantly better move at the deadline.

It's not close. Nor will it be.

Sorry, just don't agree at all ... when this Celtics team is healthy and playing their best ball, they can compete and BEAT any team in the NBA, including this inflated Cavs team, who, without LeBron, would be average at best. As I said, don't confuse the Celtics playing poorly with Cleveland greatness.

Totally, totally disagree with you, frankly as strongly as I've ever disagreed with any single post on this board. There's a broad gulf between these two teams - in age, in athleticism, in shooting, in defense, on the bench - and it cannot be bridged. The Celtics as constructed are done as a title contende

Wow. The Celtics have played about as badly as they have played all year, going over five minutes without a score, yet they have stayed in this one most of the way. If the Cavs were so much better, this should have been a blowout. I disagree with your post as strongly as you disagree with mine. I've heard all this argument many times before, and the Cavs' quality is inflated by LeBron James, and the media. Guess we'll agree to disagree, in a BIG way ... but I'll TP you for the good discussion nonetheless.

Stayed in it?  They might have been close at times but I just never got the feeling the Celtics were "in it".  Giving up offensive rebounds on missed free throws three (or was it four) times has that effect on me.

[tomatolander]

Well, now we will have to get on a long winning streak to catch up the 3rd see to the Hawks... I don't feel good about this one and if we finish 4th we are in trouble. As in, in more trouble than we are right now.

First round: Bucks
Second round: Cavs
 

[divo0oneh]

Biggest mistake is Celtics history = Signing Rasheed (Washed Up) Wallace

[Bahku]

Not calling Cleveland great.

But all this nonsense about "belief" is really funny at the pro level. It's high school stuff.

Cleveland is on another level compared to this Celtics team. Period. We cannot compete with them, and we don't, quite frankly.

You can rationalize this away all you want, but the Cavaliers are a FAR better club than the Celtics. Younger, more athletic, better shooters, far better on the defensive end, made a significantly better move at the deadline.

It's not close. Nor will it be.

Sorry, just don't agree at all ... when this Celtics team is healthy and playing their best ball, they can compete and BEAT any team in the NBA, including this inflated Cavs team, who, without LeBron, would be average at best. As I said, don't confuse the Celtics playing poorly with Cleveland greatness.

Totally, totally disagree with you, frankly as strongly as I've ever disagreed with any single post on this board. There's a broad gulf between these two teams - in age, in athleticism, in shooting, in defense, on the bench - and it cannot be bridged. The Celtics as constructed are done as a title contende

Wow. The Celtics have played about as badly as they have played all year, going over five minutes without a score, yet they have stayed in this one most of the way. If the Cavs were so much better, this should have been a blowout. I disagree with your post as strongly as you disagree with mine. I've heard all this argument many times before, and the Cavs' quality is inflated by LeBron James, and the media. Guess we'll agree to disagree, in a BIG way ... but I'll TP you for the good discussion nonetheless.

If you thought the Cavs played well, you are mistaken.

Did I say the Cavs played well? Please point that out in my post. They certainly played better than the Celtics did, as our boys went over five minutes without a basket! Sorry, but you're not going to beat ANYONE playing that way.

[tenn_smoothie]

very tough to watch - bottom line is this team has always had to work very hard to be successful and even when this team does put the effort in, the results they get are mixed - it is very difficult to stay that focused over many seasons + add in age and injuries and we just aren't quite at the level of cleveland and maybe even orlando and los angeles. in addition, we are especially vulnerable to young athletic teams like atlanta.

one other big problem, i believe, is rasheed wallace. he was a gamble, given his decline last year along with his basic lazy nature. the gamble has not worked and rasheed has been a big minus for this team both in terms of his play and his poisonous attitude.

[Dirk]

That was a 13-0 run, where the celtics managed 7 minutes withouth scoring. First 9 points of the run for the cavs came from the line...

Bench was awful. Rasheed missed a lot from inside the 3 point arc, with is rare. The starting 5 did ok, but overall too many fouls and off rebs given up. I can't figure out what's up with Pierce. He was playing great the first half of the season, dunking everygame and stuff.

[Bahku]

Not calling Cleveland great.

But all this nonsense about "belief" is really funny at the pro level. It's high school stuff.

Cleveland is on another level compared to this Celtics team. Period. We cannot compete with them, and we don't, quite frankly.

You can rationalize this away all you want, but the Cavaliers are a FAR better club than the Celtics. Younger, more athletic, better shooters, far better on the defensive end, made a significantly better move at the deadline.

It's not close. Nor will it be.

Sorry, just don't agree at all ... when this Celtics team is healthy and playing their best ball, they can compete and BEAT any team in the NBA, including this inflated Cavs team, who, without LeBron, would be average at best. As I said, don't confuse the Celtics playing poorly with Cleveland greatness.

Totally, totally disagree with you, frankly as strongly as I've ever disagreed with any single post on this board. There's a broad gulf between these two teams - in age, in athleticism, in shooting, in defense, on the bench - and it cannot be bridged. The Celtics as constructed are done as a title contende

Wow. The Celtics have played about as badly as they have played all year, going over five minutes without a score, yet they have stayed in this one most of the way. If the Cavs were so much better, this should have been a blowout. I disagree with your post as strongly as you disagree with mine. I've heard all this argument many times before, and the Cavs' quality is inflated by LeBron James, and the media. Guess we'll agree to disagree, in a BIG way ... but I'll TP you for the good discussion nonetheless.

Stayed in it?  They might have been close at times but I just never got the feeling the Celtics were "in it".  Giving up offensive rebounds on missed free throws three (or was it four) times has that effect on me.

The tied it up in the Third ... you don't call that being "in" the game? Come on ... all they needed was a decent 4th quarter and they could have won this.

[Trifecta]

I will cheer them on til I'm blue in the face but realistically, I've known for a long time they weren't good enough to be a serious playoff team this year

Seconded. Not much else to be said here. Haven't been this dissapointed with this team in a long time. It's just been building for me since December.

[barefacedmonk]

If all this team cares about is the playoffs, why did they play so well at the start of the season? They were 23-5 on Dec 27.  

TP for a very relevant question.

The answer - because this team is old, in decline and built for the first half of a long season. Not the second half. The idea they're "waiting" for anything before turning it on is a falsehood.

Have they really become so old in the 2nd half that they aren't capable of playing as well when they were 23-5?

I refuse to believe that them being old is the main reason for how we are playing, but yes I will say the injuries hit us bad and disrupted our chemistry.

23-5 was playing above their heads. As the last four months have proven.

Above their heads? I don't think so. They were playing at their potential during that period.

[mahonedog88]

Over the lat two weeks, Marquis Daniels has become as big a drag on thiis team as Rasheed Wallace. I just don't get it.

Yeah that's an under the radar aspect lately.  Marquis started off this season playing so well and looked like one of the best non-talked about signings this offseason.  Lately though, he's been invisible when he's on the court.  You can't blame Danny for this though.  Because noone saw his signings underperforming THIS badly.

[Chief]

I will cheer them on til I'm blue in the face but realistically, I've known for a long time they weren't good enough to be a serious playoff team this year

Seconded. Not much else to be said here. Haven't been this dissapointed with this team in a long time. It's just been building for me since December.

TP

[RMO]

Not calling Cleveland great.

But all this nonsense about "belief" is really funny at the pro level. It's high school stuff.

Cleveland is on another level compared to this Celtics team. Period. We cannot compete with them, and we don't, quite frankly.

You can rationalize this away all you want, but the Cavaliers are a FAR better club than the Celtics. Younger, more athletic, better shooters, far better on the defensive end, made a significantly better move at the deadline.

It's not close. Nor will it be.

Sorry, just don't agree at all ... when this Celtics team is healthy and playing their best ball, they can compete and BEAT any team in the NBA, including this inflated Cavs team, who, without LeBron, would be average at best. As I said, don't confuse the Celtics playing poorly with Cleveland greatness.

Totally, totally disagree with you, frankly as strongly as I've ever disagreed with any single post on this board. There's a broad gulf between these two teams - in age, in athleticism, in shooting, in defense, on the bench - and it cannot be bridged. The Celtics as constructed are done as a title contende

Wow. The Celtics have played about as badly as they have played all year, going over five minutes without a score, yet they have stayed in this one most of the way. If the Cavs were so much better, this should have been a blowout. I disagree with your post as strongly as you disagree with mine. I've heard all this argument many times before, and the Cavs' quality is inflated by LeBron James, and the media. Guess we'll agree to disagree, in a BIG way ... but I'll TP you for the good discussion nonetheless.

Stayed in it?  They might have been close at times but I just never got the feeling the Celtics were "in it".  Giving up offensive rebounds on missed free throws three (or was it four) times has that effect on me.

The tied it up in the Third ... you don't call that being "in" the game? Come on ... all they needed was a decent 4th quarter and they could have won this.

I guess I didn't have a lot of time to absorb it since they gave up an 8-0 run to the Cavs after they tied it.  Which is why, as I said, I never got the feeling they were "in it".

[barefacedmonk]

When was the last time we won a game on Sunday afternoon?