Today's Game: Less Than a Triumph

[celticinorlando]

maybe they needed it to go this way...where they were up big and had to come from behind late to pull the game out. who knows...maybe this will help them from here on out.

[snively]

Agreed -- a decent result but a [dang]ing performance

The Celtics look incapable of defeating the Cavaliers in a seven game series. The Celtics only won today because the Cavs' second best player wasn't in the lineup.

You might have come to the same conclusion after watching game 7 of the ECF in 2008.  The Celtics have always been vulnerable to 4th quarter heroics from opposing stars because they have to depend on offense by committee and/or 4th quarter heroics from a guy who hasn't been consistently explosive/dominant since 2002 in Pierce.  

[wdleehi]

To me, the most frustrating thing is we see what the Celtics are capable of doing, but we never see them put together a four quarter game.  



They played a great 3 quarters and final 2 minutes.  


But they stop playing for so much of the 4th, the only reason they were close enough to win was they had built up such a lead.  


I want to see them start playing full games.  

[Who]

Agreed -- a decent result but a [dang]ing performance

The Celtics look incapable of defeating the Cavaliers in a seven game series. The Celtics only won today because the Cavs' second best player wasn't in the lineup.

Sideshow Bob or Shaq?

B/c Sideshow kills us...

Anderson Varejao = second best player

You could make a case for several players as their third best player. Not sure who I would pick there.

[celticinorlando]

To me, the most frustrating thing is we see what the Celtics are capable of doing, but we never see them put together a four quarter game.  



They played a great 3 quarters and final 2 minutes.  


But they stop playing for so much of the 4th, the only reason they were close enough to win was they had built up such a lead.  


I want to see them start playing full games.  

BRAVO!! TP...sums up my frustrations exactly

[BballTim]

  Lighten up. We crush them for 3 quarters, cruise until the game gets tight and then beat them again. It's like double bonus points.

  And why get on TA after that rebound? The vapor lock wasn't his, it was the refs.

[Who]

;)It's funny but if we had played a very tight game throughout and won in the last few minutes the whole discussion on the blog would have been how we beat a top opponent. Since we were killing them and they made a strong comeback though everyone seems to think we are doomed. Just imagine how good we would have looked if we were losing by 22 and ended up winning?

Disagree -- Cleveland didn't have Varejao in the lineup. If he was fit and in the team, and Boston won the same way, I would be more optimistic about the performance.

I just don't see Boston winning that same game if Varejao was healthy. The Cavs defense would have been much improved especially their transition defense + their rebounding would have been better + Varejao's movement offensively causes this team problems just like Hickson's did.

If Varejao was out there today ... I just don't see Boston pulling out that game.

[BballTim]

Agreed -- a decent result but a [dang]ing performance

The Celtics look incapable of defeating the Cavaliers in a seven game series. The Celtics only won today because the Cavs' second best player wasn't in the lineup.

  I don't think you can just make the statement that AV would have been a key player in a game where they were getting blown out for three quarters.

[celticinorlando]

the goal tend on Tony was horse...they dont give them that....game is over right there

[radiohead]

Anything less than a triumph is a loss in my opinion. It may have been an ugly win, but it is still a WIN. Every time a team goes down, you expect them to come back. What more with the best team in the league? The important thing is we held on and weathered Cleveland's run. Come playoff time, we would need the mental toughness to grind out wins like this. We all would have wanted a blowout victory, but I have no qualms taking this win and building from it. The reality is, this year's C's aren't as dominating as the championship team in '08. If we are to make a deep playoff push, I expect a lot of "ugly" wins like this, specially as we go further down the road against the stronger teams in the league.

[snively]

;)It's funny but if we had played a very tight game throughout and won in the last few minutes the whole discussion on the blog would have been how we beat a top opponent. Since we were killing them and they made a strong comeback though everyone seems to think we are doomed. Just imagine how good we would have looked if we were losing by 22 and ended up winning?

Disagree -- Cleveland didn't have Varejao in the lineup. If he was fit and in the team, and Boston won the same way, I would be more optimistic about the performance.

I just don't see Boston winning that same game if Varejao was healthy. The Cavs defense would have been much improved especially their transition defense + their rebounding would have been better + Varejao's movement offensively causes this team problems just like Hickson's did.

If Varejao was out there today ... I just don't see Boston pulling out that game.

I thought Hickson was just as good Varejao on the boards today, especially early.  

Their main problems were sticking to Ray Allen, keeping Rondo out of the transition game and LeBron's inability to punish the C's from deep.  I don't see Varejao solving those problems.

[Eja117]

It depends on what they learned.  If they think this somehow validates them as a major team then it's worse than a loss. If it humbled them on some level and makes them determined to try harder ( I doubt it) then it's better than a win

[CoachBo]

  Lighten up. We crush them for 3 quarters, cruise until the game gets tight and then beat them again. It's like double bonus points.

  And why get on TA after that rebound? The vapor lock wasn't his, it was the refs.

The refs aren't a factor if he isn't at the rim BEFORE THE SHOT HITS THE RIM. Calling that a rebound is just laughable, an excuse that strains credulity. Allen had NO shot at any rebound because he was at the rim a clear two seconds too soon.

Whether the call was appropriate or not is just obfuscation by you guys. Tony made a terrible mental mistake being at the rim WAY too soon.

[connerhenry43]

did not read the whole thread, but you beat the best team in the nba, you should be happy. perfect? no. but after losing a few ugly ones, this is a feel good win. we have had problems with clev, so this helps.

progress needs to be made, but you beat clev, you have to be happy. the win in la was kobe-less, but whenever we beat the lakers, you will see this guy smiling.

[jdpapa3]

  Lighten up. We crush them for 3 quarters, cruise until the game gets tight and then beat them again. It's like double bonus points.

  And why get on TA after that rebound? The vapor lock wasn't his, it was the refs.

The refs aren't a factor if he isn't at the rim BEFORE THE SHOT HITS THE RIM. Calling that a rebound is just laughable, an excuse that strains credulity. Allen had NO shot at any rebound because he was at the rim a clear two seconds too soon.

Whether the call was appropriate or not is just obfuscation by you guys. Tony made a terrible mental mistake being at the rim WAY too soon.

I can't side with you on this one. Tony made an aggressive play for the rebound and even had the mental aptitude to NOT touch the ball until after it hit the rim. I will not fault tony for that one. It was a clean rebound which the replay showed pretty clearly.