I do not get this series. Not one bit.

[indeedproceed]

I've watched every minute of every game, sans the fourth quarter of game three.

Things that are cussin strange, in the form of smug cherry picked questions:

Team 1 has the best record in the league, the league MVP, and home court advantage, and the best home court record in the league. Team 2 has a history this season of choking when it matters against elite teams, and choked away a double digit lead in game 1.

Which team gets absolutely destroyed in game 2?

Team 1 absolutely embarrassed team 2 on its home court in game 2, has not lost a home playoff game yet this season, and is going home for its first home game of the playoff series. Team 2 had to rally t win game 1, then got flat out destroyed in game 2, both on its home court. Also, there are lingering injury questions about its best player.

Which team gets booed off the floor in game 3?

Team 1 shot a better 3pt %, committed less personal fouls, and just proved to the world that it is the more mentally tough team. Team 2 shot SEVEN PERCENT from 3pt range, its regular season leading scorer only managed six points from field goals, made less free throws than team 1, and just suffered the most disparate playoff home loss in franchise history.

Which team pulls off a 10 point victory in game 4?

What the heck is going on here? Rajon Rondo's basketball superpowers aside, does anyone have a handle on this series???

[FallGuy]

I've watched every minute of every game, sans the fourth quarter of game three.

Things that are cussin strange, in the form of smug cherry picked questions:

Team 1 has the best record in the league, the league MVP, and home court advantage, and the best home court record in the league. Team 2 has a history this season of choking when it matters against elite teams, and choked away a double digit lead in game 1.

Which team gets absolutely destroyed in game 2?

Team 1 absolutely embarrassed team 2 on its home court in game 2, has not lost a home playoff game yet this season, and is going home for its first home game of the playoff series. Team 2 had to rally t win game 1, then got flat out destroyed in game 2, both on its home court. Also, there are lingering injury questions about its best player.

Which team gets booed off the floor in game 3?

Team 1 shot a better 3pt %, committed less personal fouls, and just proved to the world that it is the more mentally tough team. Team 2 shot SEVEN PERCENT from 3pt range, its regular season leading scorer only managed six points from field goals, made less free throws than team 1, and just suffered the most disparate playoff home loss in franchise history.

Which team pulls off a 10 point victory in game 4?

What the heck is going on here? Rajon Rondo's basketball superpowers aside, does anyone have a handle on this series???

It's making us all look stupid.

I wrote after game three that I wouldn't be surprised to see us clobber them today. And we did (more or less).

I also won't be surprised if the Celtics get blown out in game 5.

Anyone that claims they know what's going to happen in this series is lying.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Other than we should be up 3-1 if only Rondo had played defense on the 2nd half of game 1? Nope, don't have a clue what the deal is.

Overall we're playing the best basketball of the two teams, we just need to keep it up and hope that the Cavs don't start hitting shots like they did in game 3... they're pretty much unstoppable when they're like that. Us being on fire is not enough at times, we just need to keep playing as good defense as we can and keep the energy up.

[Donoghus]

It's the playoffs, IP.

Throw conventional wisdom & regular season happenings out the window.  

That's about the best I can come up with.  

[billysan]

I can only point to rebounding in game 3 and 4. We got killed on the boards in 3 and got beaten soundly. We cleaned the glass like we owned it in 4 and we won.

Seriously, I think everyone is freaking out because Paul Pierce is being dominated by Lebron James. Who in the NBA isnt dominated by Lebron as a SF?

We win when the rest of the team steps up. We have trouble when Paul is not functioning at 100%. He will not be our Paul against Lebron in this series, I am not sure why but he will not.

Rondo for MVP.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I can only point to rebounding in game 3 and 4. We got killed on the boards in 3 and got beaten soundly. We cleaned the glass like we owned it in 4 and we won.

Seriously, I think everyone is freaking out because Paul Pierce is being dominated by Lebron James. Who in the NBA isnt dominated by Lebron as a SF?

We win when the rest of the team steps up. We have trouble when Paul is not functioning at 100%. He will not be our Paul against Lebron in this series, I am not sure why but he will not.

Rondo for MVP.

My only problem with Paul is when they constantly go to him when he clearly doesn't have it. Keep going to KG to start the game. I mean, how many times throughout the year haven't we started the game just by feeding the ball to Perk? Yet we somehow don't go to KG enough. Let's do it, and establish him, and open up the perimeter by pounding it inside. Then let's find Ray when he manages to get himself open. Stop missing him when he finally does it because they aren't always there.

So let Paul take a step back. He only took 8 shots or so today, so I'm quite cool with that. It was his 2nd half in the 1st game which also killed us. KG was dominating throughout the entire game. Ray was shotting alright. Rondo was hitting shots. No reason to go with Paul in the 4th to the extent that we did.

Pierce's productivity isn't an issue unless he's shooting in volumes.

[PosImpos]

Rondo is the MVP of the second round so far, and has outplayed LeBron in 3 out of the 4 games in this series.

Now THAT is crazy.

[indeedproceed]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

Rondo is the MVP of the second round so far, and has outplayed LeBron in 3 out of the 4 games in this series.

Now THAT is crazy.

You ain't lying.

[BudweiserCeltic]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

[billysan]

I can only point to rebounding in game 3 and 4. We got killed on the boards in 3 and got beaten soundly. We cleaned the glass like we owned it in 4 and we won.

Seriously, I think everyone is freaking out because Paul Pierce is being dominated by Lebron James. Who in the NBA isnt dominated by Lebron as a SF?

We win when the rest of the team steps up. We have trouble when Paul is not functioning at 100%. He will not be our Paul against Lebron in this series, I am not sure why but he will not.

Rondo for MVP.

My only problem with Paul is when they constantly go to him when he clearly doesn't have it. Keep going to KG to start the game. I mean, how many times throughout the year haven't we started the game just by feeding the ball to Perk? Yet we somehow don't go to KG enough. Let's do it, and establish him, and open up the perimeter by pounding it inside. Then let's find Ray when he manages to get himself open. Stop missing him when he finally does it because they aren't always there.

So let Paul take a step back. He only took 8 shots or so today, so I'm quite cool with that. It was his 2nd half in the 1st game which also killed us. KG was dominating throughout the entire game. Ray was shotting alright. Rondo was hitting shots. No reason to go with Paul in the 4th to the extent that we did.

Pierce's productivity isn't an issue unless he's shooting in volumes.

I also love it when we start the game going to Perk in the post.
 
I would love to see more of KG's number early to establish his game.

Ray is always going to be open sooner or later for that kick out on the wing.

Paul is a different story for me. He seems to think that no matter what, he has to be relevant at the end of games. I dont mean this in a bad way, just that this has been his role for so long. He doesnt know how to function well in any other role, but he is getting better.

I also think his ego is taking a beating as he gets dominated nitely by Lebron James in this playoff series. I just dont have confidence that Paul can take Lebron one on one anymore. It may be injury,and I pray that it is, but this season he simply hasnt gotten it done.

We need to continue to beat up Lebron's supporting cast and if others step up like they did tonite, we will be fine. I think it is very obvious that we beat them team against team.

Rondo for MVP.

[indeedproceed]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

That's true. What I meant to say was when he's going to the hole and not getting calls, he quits and settles for jumpers he hasn't been hitting all series. Working in the post ain't a bad idea, but he can't out muscle lebron, right?

[FallGuy]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

That's true. What I meant to say was when he's going to the hole and not getting calls, he quits and settles for jumpers he hasn't been hitting all series. Working in the post ain't a bad idea, but he can't out muscle lebron, right?

How about running him off screens a la Ray?

[indeedproceed]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

That's true. What I meant to say was when he's going to the hole and not getting calls, he quits and settles for jumpers he hasn't been hitting all series. Working in the post ain't a bad idea, but he can't out muscle lebron, right?

How about running him off screens a la Ray?

That's not a bad idea either, as long as he tries to go to the hoop after.

I just hate the idea of him shooting jumpers right now. I don't even remember him making one today.

[vinnie]

What don't you get? Whatever team the league/stern wants to win each game is winning. Haven't you been around here long enough? 

[BudweiserCeltic]

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

That's true. What I meant to say was when he's going to the hole and not getting calls, he quits and settles for jumpers he hasn't been hitting all series. Working in the post ain't a bad idea, but he can't out muscle lebron, right?

Certainly, I mainly mean after he gets a switch after giving Rondo a pick. Maybe do some pick and roll with him instead of pick and pop.

But even so, I think he has a higher chance of getting a good shot against LeBron in the post than trying to blow by him. Pierce's footwork and fakes are excellent, he should be able to do some damage down there if he were more willing to do it. He also can do some good fade aways there from 10 feet or so.

I don't know. But at the moment, I'd be pleased if he just takes a bit of a step back and let the others go to work until he feels confident and comfortable again and is hitting shots.

The only issue I have with PP is that he's not going to the hoop as much as I'd like.

The refs are not giving him the foul calls which has led to turnovers pretty much everytime he has tried.

I'd like to see him getting the ball deeper in the post and work from there. At the moment he looks uncomfortable out there and hesitant in his midrange game.

That's true. What I meant to say was when he's going to the hole and not getting calls, he quits and settles for jumpers he hasn't been hitting all series. Working in the post ain't a bad idea, but he can't out muscle lebron, right?

How about running him off screens a la Ray?

I don't know how much I want him running around though. Defending LeBron alone is already quite tasking. Plus he hasn't been shooting the ball well either, so I don't know how much that will accomplish.

Maybe give him some screen under the basket and quickly find him in the midrange area as he comes off the screen. That would be good. But then again, I don't want him running around much just so that he can get an open jumper.

Maybe a couple of plays here and there to see if he can hit some shots and get confidence.