Where this playoff campaign was lost

[Q_FBE]

Game 4 agaisnt Orlando - Boston needed to finish business here against the Magic and could have avoided two physically damaging games against Orlando and get an extra five days to prepare for the Laker showdown.

I don't think the Celtics were at full strength against the Lakers and it cost them on the rebounding and 50-50 balls.

Granted we were probably going to lose Game 1 of the Finals due to rust. But we took Game 2 and then I firmly believe we would have had the energy and the fresh legs to win all our games against Boston and overcome the marginal referreeing. And the Perkins knee injury in Game 6. 

This would not have pleased Stern or ABC because everybody wants to see a Seven Game Texas death match disguised as an NBA Finals. And they want to satisfy all the Kobe ballwashers and Phil "the Weasel" Jackson.

Meantime, team basketball took a backseat to the referreeing spectacle of one team cannot touch the other while the other team could tackle our bigs and get the offensive rebound.

If you want to call me a bitter old troll that is frustrated the Celtics lost, fine. But as a fan of basketball, that was utterly brutal to watch. The NBA needs to revisit the basketball rulebook and go over the film of those playoff games and the regular season and examine the actions of the referees to see how they are applying the rules of the game.   

[BBS]

Don't forget it was also lost at the FREETHROW LINE in game 7.

[Yakmanev]

Don't forget it was also lost at the FREETHROW LINE in game 7.

And the men in green sure didn't put them there it was the boys in grey.

[More Banners]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

[BBS]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

 So the Lakers would have had 21 to 6 freethrow advantage in the 4th then partied on our court. Lovely.

[Yakmanev]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

Detroit won all 3 home games in 04 and Miami won all 3 homes games in 06. Still rare enough though.

[horse]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

You guys took home court over LA by winning game 2. You simply let us take it back.

Don't forget it was also lost at the FREETHROW LINE in game 7.

And the men in green sure didn't put them there it was the boys in grey.

The "men in green" sure as hell put them there. That Allen foul later in the game was a clear foul, and it was a VERY foolish thing to do.

[BBS]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

You guys took home court over LA by winning game 2. You simply let us take it back.

Don't forget it was also lost at the FREETHROW LINE in game 7.

And the men in green sure didn't put them there it was the boys in grey.

The "men in green" sure as hell put them there. That Allen foul later in the game was a clear foul, and it was a VERY foolish thing to do.

Ok so thats one foul. what about the other 19 fouls? How did all these Laker fans make bail already?

[guava_wrench]

I think it was lost in the regular season by not earning home court over LA.

The league may not be flat-out rigged, but I'm convinced the playoffs were "massaged" this year...the conference finals stretched out a couple of games, when it was clear in both series (east/west) which team was better after 2-3 games.

In the Finals, I agree there was no stopping LA at home in game 1.  And game 2 going to us made sense.  I don't think any team has ever won all 3 home games in the 2-3-2 format, so going 2-1 was quite likely, in fact, the most likely outcome, setting up a return to LA with a 3-2 lead.  It was almost by-the-book.  Game 6 to LA was a sure thing, making the most $$ for the league, and setting up the game 7, where the older team ran out of gas with 4 minutes to go.

If we had bothered with the regular season, perhaps that 2-3-2 is in our favor, and we're playing games 6 and 7 at home?  I think that tilts things in our favor and we're hanging #18.  Talent wise, we were pretty close to LA, and I think home court was the deciding factor, and the only thing we could've controlled.

You guys took home court over LA by winning game 2. You simply let us take it back.

Don't forget it was also lost at the FREETHROW LINE in game 7.

And the men in green sure didn't put them there it was the boys in grey.

The "men in green" sure as hell put them there. That Allen foul later in the game was a clear foul, and it was a VERY foolish thing to do.

It is pointless to try to discuss this, though it is frustrating when ref blamers hijack any thread that tries to discuss how the team lost.

The original point of the thread is valid as one of the reasons we fouled the Lakers so much was we had nothing left in the gas tank (per Doc interview). Sheed's back was part of the reason for that. But Perk's injury in game 6 probably played a bigger role in our inability to defend in the fourth quarter by forcing more minutes for KG and Sheed.

A much better scenario would have been Perk starting, but Sheed finishing the game. This would also mean that Sheed would never have to get physical with Bynum, which is really tough on the lower body.

The tables were really turned from 2008. We became the soft team, especially in that final game without Perk and with a tired and aching Sheed and KG.

[Celtics17]

The series with the Lackers was lost on the boards!! This Celtics squad looked, at times, like someone playing his older brother. We just couldnt rebound. Sure there were games were we actually outrebounded the Lackers but never by the same margin they outrebounded us in the last game. It may have been due to injury, too many games against Orlando or whatever but the bottom line is we didnt rebound the ball.

[Spicoli]

Series was lost in game 6. That was the game they needed to win, but instead it was their worst game of the entire season.

[Andy Jick]

Series was lost in game 6. That was the game they needed to win, but instead it was their worst game of the entire season.

I concur...  there was NO effort in that game, and the Celtics played game 6 as if they were already looking toward game 7.  Mentally they were on another planet and the Lakers showed how tough they were in that game.  Just because they give you 7 games doesn't mean you have to use them all.  The game 6 loss wasn't just a loss - it was momentum changing.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

How about reading today's Boston Herald, Ray Allen said that his leg was impaired from the "accidental" knee ron artest gave him in game 6........just like i said before, along with perks knee from kobe...of course if you weren't watching the game or missed that view.....you wouldn't get to see it...they hid the replay original, and only give YOU the one from behind the lakers bench....

[Spicoli]

How about reading today's Boston Herald, Ray Allen said that his leg was impaired from the "accidental" knee ron artest gave him in game 6........just like i said before, along with perks knee from kobe...of course if you weren't watching the game or missed that view.....you wouldn't get to see it...they hid the replay original, and only give YOU the one from behind the lakers bench....

I'm not surprised. I could tell that Ray was injured after Artest kneed him in the thigh. Ray's entire shot comes from his legs. If you ever notice the size of his calves, you'll see what i mean. Getting hit in thigh was the worst possible thing that could have happened for him. Bummer.

[aporel#18]

This playoff campaign was lost when the Celtics became the new "bad boys". It's about some marketing brains that have put that story in the media. How could the Celtics have countered that?

KG is talking trash full time, Perkins complains about everything, Sheed hates Stern and the NBA and is public enemy #1, Rondo is dirty and cocky, Pierce is an actor and even cockier than Rajon. Ray may be a class act, but he's an obsessed personality. Really?

There's some truth in every false story, and the marketing brains have fixed in the published and public opinion this image from the Celtics. It's a subtle way to make them look as the bad ones, and we all know that the "good ones" should win in the end. Right?

The average fans, the media, and even the refs are inclined to think the bad guys shouldn't be allowed to get away with their "evil" plans, and even we, as Celtic fans, are looking for some kind of alibi or justification. It's not a conspiracy, its about mental frames. Even we, that love the Celtics, are affected by that.

The Celtics are the bad boys---> they can't win because they are old, they are slow, they can't jump, they are dirty.

Think about that, there is a lot of power in bias and prejudices, and we've been educated in that "good boy vs. bad boy" scheme of things.

A little funny example, found in youtube. Yes, it doesn't prove my point, it's just for fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bG7EFhMw8w