Celtics (12-8) at Rockets (13-7) Game #21 12/5/16

[Ilikesports17]

We had moments but we have some of the most physical defensive wings and Gordon and Harden are going off on us.  We aren't playing physical is what I see.

Smart is the only physical player

Bradley is a finesse pesky defender, Horford is soft as well. IT........yea.

Smart is the only one in the trenches that's ready to jump out and go ape

Jae is too, but he hasnt jumped off the screen with his physicality for me this year.

[mr. dee]

We had moments but we have some of the most physical defensive wings and Gordon and Harden are going off on us.  We aren't playing physical is what I see.

Smart is the only physical player

Bradley is a finesse pesky defender, Horford is soft as well. IT........yea.

Smart is the only one in the trenches that's ready to jump out and go ape

We have Jaylen, but he's too raw to contribute consistently. Zizic and Yabusele are both physical based on what I've seen on their highlights.

[Rosco917]

Interesting...
IT was on the bench, and Smart and Rozier were running the team, we had a 6 point lead. Horford was the go to guy with the second unit, ball movement, and defense were excellent.

IT comes back into the game, instantly it becomes about him, and we surrender the lead, and fall behind. Then the flagrant one call on Harden, and the missed Horford layup.

yeah, tough loss

[Ilikesports17]

An argument could even be made that the refs were even on our side tonight and we still lost.  Smh.

Please make it then?? Enlighten us

Get out of here.  That Smart's call wasn't even close to flagrant.

That's all you have?
Definition: A foul is considered flagrant when it involves excessive or violent contact that could injure the fouled player
So what about a direct and intentional elbow to the side of Marcus Smart's head wasn't excessive. Even if he didn't mean it he was swinging his elbows hard enough to warrant it violent or excessive you take your pick.
But of course based on this one play the refs were on our side
At some point this pessimism has to be considered trolling.

Whatever.  I'm not the type to argue.  This team i watched tonight, according to my analysis, suck major balls.  We are not getting out of the first round.  That is the reality.  You may choose to bury your head in the sand but that is the reality unless we make a major trade.

8 teams in the NBA get out of the first round.

I dont think the 9th best basketball team in the NBA "sucks major balls"

[Ilikesports17]

Interesting...
IT was on the bench, and Smart and Rozier were running the team, we had a 6 point lead. Horford was the go to guy with the second unit, ball movement, and defense were excellent.

IT comes back into the game, instantly it becomes about him, and we surrender the lead, and fall behind. Then the flagrant one call on Harden, and the missed Horford layup.

yeah, tough loss

yeah inserting Thomas and removing Smart and Rozier ended up losing the game, but thats the exception as opposed to the rule.

[jpotter33]

https://twitter.com/CelticsHub/status/805980577866350592

Yep, confirmed it was a three. For those saying that's not why we lost, well this is one of the few times where the officiating did legitimately cost us a loss. It should've been a tied game.

At the very least they should replay the game from that point with the Rockets up two and the ball. That's absolutely horsecrap that they have a multimillion dollar facility dedicated strictly to replays and they rush through it and get it wrong.

[Somebody]

Sigh...starting bradley...that's what I call throwing in the white towel @surferdad. Marcus did a good job of guarding Harden like he always had.

[jambr380]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

[Somebody]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

Well yeah but if we put Smart on Harden at the start he wouldn't have gotten so hot and bradley would have played better

[jambr380]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

Well yeah but if we put Smart on Harden at the start he wouldn't have gotten so hot and bradley would have played better

Maybe, but Smart essentially had back to back fouls on Harden 3s which accounted for six quick points. I am all about Smart's defense, but physical defense on Harden is unfortunately off-limits unless you want your whole team to foul out.

[walker834]

keep hope alive.  lol.  For the first time in a while i wonder what it would be like if we never get there and end up like the hawks but we'll be alright. I'm not completely sold on Big Al yet.  Good signing and i like how he fits and how versatile he is but his game at the same time we seem to be lacking something.  Brad is a good coach and will figure it out. None of these guys are Pierce, KG and Ray or Bird, Mchale and Parish yet though.

I also don't understand why Smart wasn't on Harden.

The consensus has always been that we are going to get there though and I've always felt taht way. 

We are 21 games in.  Just something about how this team has played so far i don't like though.  We coast.

They had James Harden we didn't.  We can't afford to coast when they have Harden and we don't.

Teh nba isn't like it used to be where you could assemble a team with a certain identity. some of these guys are what they are.

Horford is a really good player but when we aren't doing anything to separate ourselves from other teams we are basically what we are. 

Brad needs to work his magic or something.  We have a lot of road games coming up where hopefully we wake up.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

Well yeah but if we put Smart on Harden at the start he wouldn't have gotten so hot and bradley would have played better

Maybe, but Smart essentially had back to back fouls on Harden 3s which accounted for six quick points. I am all about Smart's defense, but physical defense on Harden is unfortunately off-limits unless you want your whole team to foul out.

gotta be kidding me, smart couldn't stop Harden once! what in the hell were you people watching? go rewatch the game! in the 4th before CBS had to put AB right back in, Harden blew past smart at least twice for made layups and multiple possessions of making the D cave!

[Somebody]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

Well yeah but if we put Smart on Harden at the start he wouldn't have gotten so hot and bradley would have played better

Maybe, but Smart essentially had back to back fouls on Harden 3s which accounted for six quick points. I am all about Smart's defense, but physical defense on Harden is unfortunately off-limits unless you want your whole team to foul out.

gotta be kidding me, smart couldn't stop Harden once! what in the hell were you people watching? go rewatch the game! in the 4th before CBS had to put AB right back in, Harden blew past smart at least twice for made layups and multiple possessions of making the D cave!

What? Talk about cherry picking. Watch the first couple of quarters and you'll see that the AB you adore got burnt and made harden hot. It was only when Smart was on him he stopped being so hot. Also, AB also got blown by in the 4th so I don't know what you're talking about, it wasn't like anyone could have shut Harden down then anyways, Smart, with his size and tenacity was the obvious choice. I do admit smart got burnt in those plays though.

[walker834]

AB is a bad matchup for Harden.  You need someone who is going to punish Harden on the offensiev end.  AB was jump shooting and not really taking it to the basket.

Smart at least has the ability to be physical on both ends if he turns it up a notch. 

Harden vs Bradley as far as offensive prowess is not a good matchup. Not many players are with Harden.

Especially when Bradley is jumpshooting and missing like he was.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

It was inconclusive.  We need to play better.

Inconclusive? It was [essentially] a stationary player and an immovable line. One would think a simple pause and zoom could have solved this pretty easily.

Like everyone else has said, very disappointing loss. There are lots of reasons why we lost (including playing IT down the stretch), but it would have been nice to have the ball, tied, with the ability to win it or go to OT. The refs took that one major piece away from us.

Well yeah but if we put Smart on Harden at the start he wouldn't have gotten so hot and bradley would have played better

Maybe, but Smart essentially had back to back fouls on Harden 3s which accounted for six quick points. I am all about Smart's defense, but physical defense on Harden is unfortunately off-limits unless you want your whole team to foul out.

gotta be kidding me, smart couldn't stop Harden once! what in the hell were you people watching? go rewatch the game! in the 4th before CBS had to put AB right back in, Harden blew past smart at least twice for made layups and multiple possessions of making the D cave!

What? Talk about cherry picking. Watch the first couple of quarters and you'll see that the AB you adore got burnt and made harden hot. It was only when Smart was on him he stopped being so hot. Also, AB also got blown by in the 4th so I don't know what you're talking about, it wasn't like anyone could have shut Harden down then anyways, Smart, with his size and tenacity was the obvious choice. I do admit smart got burnt in those plays though.

**** that was only a couple possessions I talked about but go watch the game again, if Smaht wasn't fouling him, he was blowing past him. no one can stop Harden this season and it certainly wasn't smart in this game!

AB is my first fave player and surprise Smaht is my second, it still doesn't change the fact that smaht wasn't stopping him either!