Tonight was embarrassing. 2nd game in a row we get crushed in the 3rd quarter.
And similarly to game 2, we actually weren't that bad in the 1st half. Jaylen, Morris and Brown were killing it and Kyrie was doing his thing.
Milwaukee right now just has the ability to kick it up a notch, make adjustments and the Celts don't.
They smother us on defense and kill us on offense by attacking the basket.
As I much as I want to crucify Brad, I am really not sure I can. The players know what they need to do because they already did it in the 1st round and in game 1 of the 2nd round.
They double teamed Giannis, shared the ball, didn't just settle for outside shots and played like a team. The team wasn't just running through one player.
I feel like we are at the point where the players shouldn't need the coach to hold them by the hand.
Kyrie is trying WAAYYY too hard to be the hero. The Bucks have dominated him in the last 2 games.
For whatever reason, after becoming a big part of our victory in game 4 vs Indy and in game 1 vs the Bucks, Hayward has disappeared again. We're back to the regular season all over again. Hayward is our x-factor and the guy we need to get hot in order for us to play at a higher level.
I said this after game 2 and will say it again. Brad should adjust the starting lineup. Replace Tatum with Hayward, play Al at power forward and put Baynes back in the lineup. Baynes also needs to be a bigger part of our team. Look at how pivotal Brook Lopez has become for Milwaukee. We need his size. Let Morris and Tatum come off the bench.
The problem with starting Morris (and Tatum to a lesser extent) is they run hot and cold. If you play them off the bench, I feel like you're playing to their strengths a bit more. We also need to get more physical. Don't be afraid to start using a little muscle, a forearm here and an elbow there. I am not talking about starting a brawl but sometimes you just need to physically intimidate your opponent.
The only encouraging thing in last 2 games is that Jaylen Brown has shown huge signs of improvement.
Anyway, I'm still sticking with my Celts in 6 prediction (with great hesitation.)