Why do we fail at the critical junctures?

[Celtics18]

Game seven, Eastern Conference Finals, against the power house Miami Heat.  Going back to the beginning of this era; One title, two Eastern Conference Championships, three Eastern Conference Finals, five second round advances in five years.

We must have succeeded at some of these critical junctures, no?  I think the issue I have with your line of reasoning is that you expect there to be easy ones in the playoffs. 

I never expect easy, and I never expect anything to be handed to anybody once they get to this level. 

For what it's worth, being tested is one of this team's strengths.  It's never been an easy road so when the going gets tough, this team has been there before.  I like that as one of the intangibles in our favor on Saturday. 

[clover]

Quite simply, the Celtics, though very good basketball players, are neither superheroes nor slugs--they are men.

They make mistakes, often do well, but get caught up in things and off track from time to time.

The nature of how the most prominent members of the Celtics get off track happens to provide vivid glimpse of their going awry.  Rondo gets over-fancy on his passes, Pierce goes hero iso, and KG drifts out toward the perimeter.  So we see the chinks in their armor and we interpret the mentality that we think they've got caught up in.

But I don't think their errors are of a particularly different nature than anyone else's--they are simply on display.

[KGs Knee]

It just seems that this team (other than 2008) has never done well when they feel comfortable. 

The same mentality that gives them the ability to continue to fight and grind out games when faced with extremely difficult odds is also their downfall.  Because they seem to thrive in such situations, it's as if unless they face those long odds, they're incapable of consistently playing at their best.  They almost, to a point, need the adversity to succeed.

It's strange, but, at least based on the evidence I've seen, true.