Enjoy the next week...

[ACF]

My glass is on the left.

[MaxAMillion]

They didn't have a collapse the year they won the title. Your post about same old team ignores that fact. I agree that the team will struggle if it continues to have to depend on Nate Robinson. Hopefully Rondo will come back healthy and West will get healthy as well. If that happens and the rest of the team remains healthy then there won't be any collapse.

[barefacedmonk]

They didn't have a collapse the year they won the title.

Not every success story follows the same script. 23-5 is still [dang] good...we were 1-3 against this same opponent last year...we all know what happened in the playoffs...not even Dwight Coward's elbows could stop us.

EDIT: TP for ACF...for some reason I thought he was the OP

Yeah, no TPs for debbie downers though

[Tai]

Same ol same ol.   Tune em out until the playoffs.  Predicable Christmas failure.  They'll coast until the games matter.  Get ready for some thrilling apathetic .500 basketball.

I didn't even know the Christmas failure was supposed to be predictable. Shaq gets in foul trouble early in the 2nd, early in the 3rd, then fouls out early in the 4th. Howard gets fouled by everyone else to compensate, while not getting a lot called on him on the defensive end, that's where the game was won. Maybe that's predictable, but us losing based on not bringing it?

And now we're just gonna suck till the playoffs? Meh. I'm not even sure if you want them to win.

[xmuscularghandix]

These dudes disagree with you.

[Drucci]

We got down by 13 points early, fought back, got a 10 point lead, lost it in the last minutes because Ray and Paul went cold and Nate got abused by Nelson. And yet Orlando barely won while Shaq and JO were basically non factors and Rondo didn't play... I didn't see a lack of effort but a lack of gas at the end. We will be fine.

[CelticSooner]

Did you guys know the C's only play Orlando 3 times this season? Next two are in Boston as well. I just assumed we played Orlando 4 times as usual.

[xmuscularghandix]

We got down by 13 points early, fought back, got a 10 point lead, lost it in the last minutes because Ray and Paul went cold and Nate got abused by Nelson. And yet Orlando barely won while Shaq and JO were basically non factors and Rondo didn't play... I didn't see a lack of effort but a lack of gas at the end. We will be fine.

Thanks for the Christmas gift... A realistic Celtic fan who see's what's happening. TP my man.

[Kiorrik]

We got down by 13 points early, fought back, got a 10 point lead, lost it in the last minutes because Ray and Paul went cold and Nate got abused by Nelson. And yet Orlando barely won while Shaq and JO were basically non factors and Rondo didn't play... I didn't see a lack of effort but a lack of gas at the end. We will be fine.

Drucci being CB's Paul Pierce; bringing the Truth.

[Kiorrik]

My glass is on the left.

Honestly, the glass is full to me. I don't mind today's loss, and still think we look championship-worthy. Health is the usual issue, but that shouldn't be a problem come Playoffs.

I like what I saw today; a gritty fight from a limping Celtics team.

Cheers peeps.

[hpantazo]

They didn't have a collapse the year they won the title. Your post about same old team ignores that fact. I agree that the team will struggle if it continues to have to depend on Nate Robinson. Hopefully Rondo will come back healthy and West will get healthy as well. If that happens and the rest of the team remains healthy then there won't be any collapse.

At least we had a number of injuries and were on the road. What excuse did the lakers have? They also got blown out at home by the lebrons last Xmas and they still one the title, so that goes to show you how much today's games meant.

[radiohead]

Then prepare to tune out this team until the playoffs.  If this season is anything like the previous seasons... we're headed for another post-Christmas collapse.   Probably play uninspired, going-through-the-motions, injury plagued .500 basketball for the rest of the regular season and then hopefully get our crap together when the playoffs come. 

So anyways... enjoy the next week... prepare for the free-fall... prepare for everyone to write off this team and completely totally forget their hot start... prepare for countless "trade Ray, trade Pierce, trade KG, etc" threads... prepare to actually start buying into the idea of blowing up the aging squad and actually selling yourself on a couple rumored deals... prepare for a couple embarrassingly brutal blowouts to the hands of the Lakers/Heat... then prepare for the "shocking" playoff run...  it's all coming.

  You tune them out. See you in April.

+1...and TP as well!

[LarBrd33]

They didn't have a collapse the year they won the title. Your post about same old team ignores that fact. I agree that the team will struggle if it continues to have to depend on Nate Robinson. Hopefully Rondo will come back healthy and West will get healthy as well. If that happens and the rest of the team remains healthy then there won't be any collapse.

My original post isn't dismissing the team.  I'm saying that post Christmas we fall apart mentally, stop trying... and eventually get it together in time for the playoffs.

07-08 True the young pups who won the title in 08 didn't necessarily "collapse" after Christmas... 07-08 they didn't even play Christmas Day.  They were 29-3 on Jan 5th... then from Jan 6-Feb 22nd they went 11-9.  That qualifies as a brain fart.

08-09 -  They win 19 in a row leading up to Christmas day. 27-2.... Then they lose to the Lakers.  Proceed to lose 6 of their next 8 games following that (including 4 in a row).  Brain fart status.

09-10 - Beat the Magic on Christmas Day... have a 23-5 record... then proceed to go 6-11 the rest of the month.   Brain Shart for sure.

Is that not a pattern?   They drink too much egg nog during the holidays and take a mini vacation post Christmas.  

Dunno how long the collapse will last, but get ready for some frustrating basketball.  10-11 Celtics -  Win 14 in a row leading up to Christmas day... get beat by the Magic... classic brain fart ensues.

[celticinorlando]

naw...i think they rebound and beat the pacers and pistons. the difference the last 2 seasons was the celtics went directly out west after the Christmas game. this year they don't.

[LarBrd33]

naw...i think they rebound and beat the pacers and pistons. the difference the last 2 seasons was the celtics went directly out west after the Christmas game. this year they don't.

heh... maybe. The team quality doesn't matter. Last year we dropped games post-christmas to the 76ers, Clippers and Warriors.   Year before that we dropped games post-Christmas to Warriors, Knicks and Bobcats.  Year before that we dropped post-Christmas games to the Bobcats, Wizards (twice) and Raptors.

Not exactly playoff teams.