They Lost Because Lebron James Hit 3-Pointers

[mctyson]

It is really that simple.  Like Doc said after the game, it will always be a make-or-miss league.  You can have the perfect offensive execution, get a wide open shot, miss it, and the other team can throw in a buzzer-beater off the backboard.

In this case, the C's lost because a career 30% 3-point shooter hit a contested, corner 3 in front of the C's bench in Game 4, then followed that up with a 5-for-7, Ray Allen-like 3-point barrage in Game 5, including 2 fade-away 3's with Pierce draped all over him with the shotclock winding down. 

Let's recap Doc's make-or-miss statement:

Game 4 - Celtics up by 3 after two consecutive 3-pointers by guys who actually make these shots.  Crowd is going crazy.  Shot clock is winding, down.  Pierce is up in Lebron's face, with the whole Celtic bench screaming at him.  He hits a fallback 3 from the corner...crowd goes silent.  Still, game is only tied.  Celtics then get a wide open layup opportunity from Rondo - he misses it.  Game still tied.  Celtics then get a last shot in regulation, screw up the play, Pierce misses.  OT, turnovers plus a ridiculous fade-away buzzer-beater by Wade does the Celtics in.

Game 5 - Not 100% sure of this sequence, but...Ray misses wide open 3 (rims in and out), Lebron hits fadeaway three with shot clock running out and Pierce in his face, Jeff Green rims out tough but makeable running layup in paint, Lebron hits fadeaway three with shot clock running out.  Heat up 6 with 40 secs left.  Game over after turnover on next possession.

If Lebron James hits 5-of-7 threes in any game, Miami will not lose.  Ever.

[pearljammer10]

Yeah it wasnt just leBron it was both him and Wade... They made some crazy tough shots when the celtics were playing great defense. It seemed that whenever the Heat were taking a big shot, or needed a huge shot Wade or James would just drain a jumper from the outside. Can't take that away from them this series.

[timpiker]

I agree.....when LeBum is hitting outside shots the way he did.....he's almost impossible to stop....and when Wade drives to the basket and gets bailed out by the refs every time...they are hard to beat.  But as good as they were I am just po'd at the C's....they just laid down and took it.  If there's one thing I miss about Perk its his toughness...I have to believe there would have been some hard fouls if he was still around.  It just made me sick.  Wade fouled us hard many times but we never reciprocated.  Bunch of babies that laid down............

[Assassin70]

I agree.....when LeBum is hitting outside shots the way he did.....he's almost impossible to stop....and when Wade drives to the basket and gets bailed out by the refs every time...they are hard to beat.  But as good as they were I am just po'd at the C's....they just laid down and took it.  If there's one thing I miss about Perk its his toughness...I have to believe there would have been some hard fouls if he was still around.  It just made me sick.  Wade fouled us hard many times but we never reciprocated.  Bunch of babies that laid down............

We did not lay down.  We had open shots and missed them we had plays and turned the ball over.  We can all thank KG for the Miami era starting earlier than it should have.

We lost because of lack of execution of the last play of regulation in game 4.  When we look back @ history years from now that will be the catalyst of choke James to clutch James.

I just hope Thibs can get the Bulls ready to beat the Heat.  It is possible but not likely now they the Heat put on their proton packs and took care of us.

[Cman]

Yeah it wasnt just leBron it was both him and Wade... They made some crazy tough shots when the celtics were playing great defense. It seemed that whenever the Heat were taking a big shot, or needed a huge shot Wade or James would just drain a jumper from the outside. Can't take that away from them this series.

I agree with the general sentiment.  LeBron and Wade are playing *really* well right now.  They are playing much better than they did during stretches of the regular season (particularly in the first half).  It's hard to beat a team with two* All Stars at the top of their game that are clicking so well.

*I continue to maintain that Bosh isn't as good as people like to think....

[BballTim]

*I continue to maintain that Bosh isn't as good as people like to think....

  I would say that was more true last year when more people thought Bosh was a superstar.

[vinnie]

the lost because they scored zero points in the last 4:30 of the game.

[soap07]

*I continue to maintain that Bosh isn't as good as people like to think....

  I would say that was more true last year when more people thought Bosh was a superstar.

Either way, Bosh was fantastic this season for the Heat. Played excellent defense, very good as a third option. Same for the playoffs, save for the earlier games this season. People can feel free to bash because it's easy to do so with his soundbites, but when it comes down to it, he is as essential to what the Heat do as LeBron and Wade.

[eugen]

I think that the big reason why we lost yesterday in 5 last minutes, is connected to some wrnog decision by the referees against Cs. These wrong decisions made the team nervous. For me the referees has the big part on that.

[mctyson]

the lost because they scored zero points in the last 4:30 of the game.

this is true as well, but they had the lead when they stopped scoring.  technically they still could have won if they got stops, which they almost did if not for Lebron suddenly morphing into Reggie Miller

plus that makes my point (and Doc's point) - it is a make-or-miss league.  you can talk about toughness, chemistry, spirit, etc...all you want, if you don't make open shots and the other team makes tough ones, your team will lose.

[mctyson]

I think that the big reason why we lost yesterday in 5 last minutes, is connected to some wrnog decision by the referees against Cs. These wrong decisions made the team nervous. For me the referees has the big part on that.

the travelling calls on Pierce and BBD were completely horrendous

[mctyson]

I agree.....when LeBum is hitting outside shots the way he did.....he's almost impossible to stop....and when Wade drives to the basket and gets bailed out by the refs every time...they are hard to beat.  But as good as they were I am just po'd at the C's....they just laid down and took it.  If there's one thing I miss about Perk its his toughness...I have to believe there would have been some hard fouls if he was still around.  It just made me sick.  Wade fouled us hard many times but we never reciprocated.  Bunch of babies that laid down............

this reads like Dan "Shank" Shaughnessy's column in the Globe today. he starts by talking about how the Big 3 are old and were beaten by a young team with faster and better perimeter players, then tries to tie with the Perkins trade. he then admits that Perkins wouldn't have changed the results of this series, but then says that he at least would have prevented some penetration and maybe delayed them losing to the Heat a game or two...and that qualifies as a defense of his position being against the trade, criticizing Ainge. terrible.

yet, explain to me how Perkins stops Lebron James from hitting fade-away 3's?  as i see it, in the last 3 games the Celtics lost in this series, they either were tied or had the lead in the 4th quarter...meaning they got there without perkins. in two of those games (2,5) they got blitzed by Heat - specifcally Lebron - during an offensive drought. Perkins helps zero there.  Game 4 they C's blew it, but still Lebron hit a critical 3 to swing momentum. Perkins helps zero there. Just like Game 7 last year, the C's did not lose because they didn't have Perkins.  They had the lead at halftime.  They lost because their offense crapped out.  Kind of like last night.

[Marcus13]

That was one of several reasons, yes

[lrybrd]

While I admit that LBJ and Wade hitting tough shots contributed to the losses, it cannot be overlooked how much of a role that KG had in the losses.  Don't get me wrong.  I love KG's heart and intensity but his absolute refusal to put his rear end on the box and go to the basket against inferior interior players was an absolute killer in my opinion.  We won Game 3 because KG refused to stop going to the basket.  Not only did he score 26 points but we got a lot of open looks out of passes from KG in the post. 

Last night, KG was a beast early when he was attacking the basket from the post.  Then, for some reason, he refuses to go back down in the box after the 1st quarter.  Instead, he decided to shoot jump shots and set picks 30 feet away from the basket. The KG/Anthony and/or Bosh matchup was our one clear advantage against the Heat (after the Rondo injury of course) and we simply did not take advantage of it. 

I know KG prides himself as being a facilitator but his refusal to shoulder the load and exploit his talents on the box played a large role in us losing this series. 

I will continue to wonder what the Cs may have accomplished this year if only KG had heeded everyone's advise and put his rear on the box and gone to the basket. 

[GreenEnvy]

I think that the big reason why we lost yesterday in 5 last minutes, is connected to some wrnog decision by the referees against Cs. These wrong decisions made the team nervous. For me the referees has the big part on that.

the travelling calls on Pierce and BBD were completely horrendous

I could kinda see how they thought Pierce dragged his foot. It wasn't a travel, but gave the appearance of one.

The BBD one was a horrendous call. The game was littered with them. There was the obvious out-of-bounds by Bosh that resulted in a LeBron 3.