Boston fans shouldn't give up on this team so easilly.
Of all the teams, we probably match up better with the Knicks and Heat than anybody else. They are both teams that are led by a dominant SG and SF (where AB and Green have been dominant defensively) and both teams that lack a real interior post presense.
Sure there was some ugly in this game, but you need to take the good from it too.
1. Jeff Green has proven he is quickly becoming our #1 scoring option, and that he can do it on the big stage on both ends of the floor - fantastic game.
2. Avery Bradley went back to his roots offensively - stopped taking so many jumpers and went back to cutting to the basket, which he does so well. If he can score more consistently of efficient cuts like this, that's a good place to be.
3. Between Jeff Green, Brandon Bass and Paul Pierce the defense we played on Carmello was phenomenal. That was no fluke - each of those guys did a phenomenal job, and if we can continue to hound him like that we give ourselves a good chance.
4. AB played outstanding defense on JR Smith and really made him earn his points
5. Bass, Green and KG had 26 rebounds between them, and we didn't get outrebounded for the game.
6. We held the Knicks to < 90 points
We did a lot of good things out there, and that's why we gave ourselves a chance to win despite only three players in double figures, not a single field goal off the bench, and allowing the Knicks to get 15 steals.
If we lost this game by 20 in an embarassingly lobsided defeat then I would say this mood is warranted, but aside from Jeff Green we played probably the worst offensive game of the season and still had a chance to win on the road against a very good team.
This series is far from over. Remember that if we win game two we take homecourt advantage AND take the momentum going back to Boston.
