May 4, 20187 yr Author For those asking about my criticisms of the Houston crowd, this is what I'm talking about. The Celtics were down 20, but a couple good possessions strung together and the Garden comes back to life. There's an undeniable difference.
May 4, 20187 yr embiids ability to side step to the side of a defender is such a weapon. that was beautiful
May 4, 20187 yr and just like that, it's a four five point game at half. Edited May 4, 20187 yr by Francisco 2.0
May 4, 20187 yr Author Also, I don't know what Brett Brown was thinking with his lack of timeout usage during that run.
May 4, 20187 yr Boston also plays harder and cares more. Timeouts, although needed during that run, aren’t going to help. Sixers think they are too cool for the league right and think they are owed a spot in the finals. Kids today.
May 4, 20187 yr Boston is doing a great job with their gameplan. Absolutely taking full advantage of the fact that Simmons can't shoot.
May 4, 20187 yr Huge, huge win for the C's. Really played with much more poise than the green Sixers. Sixers really need one more playoff grizzled veteran, maybe a 3-D guy or big off the bench.... Horford with the dagger..... right by a flat footed Embiid..... Edited May 4, 20187 yr by Patrick Bateman
May 4, 20187 yr 7 minutes ago, Machinator said: This is Terry Rozier's world, and we're all just living in it. Kyrie gonna demand a trade this offseason.
May 4, 20187 yr 7 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said: Interesting trio One is not like the others: Got a tattoo of ice cream on their face/ owner of multi-Super Bowl Championship franchise/ Got called "twitter fingers", by a singing rapper...
May 4, 20187 yr 50 minutes ago, Vic Mackey said: I think the brakes need to be tapped on Ben Simmons. No they don’t. He’s already played an entire season at an elite level and he’s not going to stop being young, 6’10”, and supremely talented any time soon. If he stays healthy the sky is the limit, and his floor is like 9 All Star games. The only question on him at all is how long it takes him to learn to shoot. Everything else is there, particularly his elite size and court awareness. Edited May 4, 20187 yr by Goo Punch
May 4, 20187 yr Which Amy? Amy Smart, Amy Winehouse, Amy Adams? Derka, you can’t edit that an hour after the fact. You just own it at that point. Edited May 4, 20187 yr by Brew
May 4, 20187 yr 7 hours ago, Vic Mackey said: I think the brakes need to be tapped on Ben Simmons. You're sounding crazy. Don't kneejerk. He had a very bad gm but he has been incredible this season. Being in the 2nd round in his "rookie" season is ahead of schedule and he will do nothing but get better. Edited May 4, 20187 yr by d2o
May 4, 20187 yr Watching PTI before the Heat series, I was pissed when Wilbon picked Miami for no reason other than "It's the playoffs." But that kinda looks like what's happening so far in this series. Home court does matter. Playoff experience does matter. Little things like Embiid's mask become amplified. An opponent playing over his head (Smart) can disrupt the whole series. Now the Sixers are in totally new territory of having no margin for error. Edited May 4, 20187 yr by Bartles
May 4, 20187 yr 36 minutes ago, Bartles said: Watching PTI before the Heat series, I was pissed when Wilbon picked Miami for no reason other than "It's the playoffs." But that kinda looks like what's happening so far in this series. Home court does matter. Playoff experience does matter. Little things like Embiid's mask become amplified. An opponent playing over his head (Smart) can disrupt the whole series. Now the Sixers are in totally new territory of having no margin for error. They're still kids and they played like it last night. They got up big and started partying like BOS was gonna just lay down. It was just the 2Q and early in it at that. They will learn from it and be fine but it may be too late for this season.
May 4, 20187 yr 9 hours ago, Goo Punch said: No they don’t. He’s already played an entire season at an elite level and he’s not going to stop being young, 6’10”, and supremely talented any time soon. If he stays healthy the sky is the limit, and his floor is like 9 All Star games. The only question on him at all is how long it takes him to learn to shoot. Everything else is there, particularly his elite size and court awareness. It's not his shooting imo, it's his unwillingness to even take a shot. I can tell you this. Your shot will def NOT go in if you never take it. It starts between your own ears.
May 4, 20187 yr 4 minutes ago, Thatguy said: It's not his shooting imo, it's his unwillingness to even take a shot. I can tell you this. Your shot will def NOT go in if you never take it. It starts between your own ears. nothing that an offseason of shooting cant fix
May 4, 20187 yr 13 minutes ago, d2o said: nothing that an offseason of shooting cant fix Half with one hand, half with the other to finally figure out which he is?
May 4, 20187 yr 3 minutes ago, aggie08 said: Half with one hand, half with the other to finally figure out which he is?
May 4, 20187 yr 39 minutes ago, d2o said: They're still kids and they played like it last night. They got up big and started partying like BOS was gonna just lay down. It was just the 2Q and early in it at that. They will learn from it and be fine but it may be too late for this season. At some point, the kids thing needs tossed aside as an excuse. Boston is younger. And among the regular rotation players, the Sixers have Redick in his 12th season, Belinelli in his 11th, Ilyasova in his 9th and Johnson in his 12th. Years of experience, game rotations so far in this series: 59 years for Philly (Simmons, Embiid, Redick, Covington, Belinelli, Saric, Ilyasova, Johnson, McConnell), 47 for Boston (Horford, Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rozier, Baynes, Morris, Ojeleye, Larkin, Monroe) What has hurt Philly more than anything is that dog-ass schedule they played the last month and a half. While they can't help the scheduling, they were not helped from feasting on the likes of Charlotte (4 games), Atlanta (2 games) Brooklyn (3 times) and the Knicks (2 games). From March 1 until the playoffs, they were 20-3. Of those 20 wins, only 4 came against playoff teams, the three losses were to playoff teams.
May 4, 20187 yr 1 minute ago, Francisco 2.0 said: At some point, the kids thing needs tossed aside as an excuse. Boston is younger. And among the regular rotation players, the Sixers have Redick in his 12th season, Belinelli in his 11th, Ilyasova in his 9th and Johnson in his 12th. Years of experience, game rotations so far in this series: 59 years for Philly (Simmons, Embiid, Redick, Covington, Belinelli, Saric, Ilyasova, Johnson, McConnell), 47 for Boston (Horford, Tatum, Brown, Smart, Rozier, Baynes, Morris, Ojeleye, Larkin, Monroe) What has hurt Philly more than anything is that dog-ass schedule they played the last month and a half. While they can't help the scheduling, they were not helped from feasting on the likes of Charlotte (4 games), Atlanta (2 games) Brooklyn (3 times) and the Knicks (2 games). From March 1 until the playoffs, they were 20-3. Of those 20 wins, only 4 came against playoff teams, the three losses were to playoff teams. Agree with most of this. I do think PHI was over-hyped a bit in part due to the streak at the end of the season. Still, Redick and those other guys have more reg season experience but outside of Bellineil none of them have much deep run playoff experience. Additionally, they are more periphery guys than say a Horford (wtih a lot of playoff experience) who has been pretty big for the C's in the playoffs. He really is a very solid pro who has a big influence on the team. Heck Illyasova and Bellinelli just got there a couple months ago and aren't really in decision making positions anyway. All that said, it really boils down to BOS having Stephens and PHI not having him.
May 4, 20187 yr 1 minute ago, d2o said: Agree with most of this. I do think PHI was over-hyped a bit in part due to the streak at the end of the season. Still, Redick and those other guys have more reg season experience but outside of Bellineil none of them have much deep run playoff experience. Additionally, they are more periphery guys than say a Horford (wtih a lot of playoff experience) who has been pretty big for the C's in the playoffs. He really is a very solid pro who has a big influence on the team. Heck Illyasova and Bellinelli just got there a couple months ago and aren't really in decision making positions anyway. All that said, it really boils down to BOS having Stephens and PHI not having him. The Celtics have a slight edge in amount of playoff games by player over Philly. Sure, that number is skewed by a handful of players: Playoff games, career by rotation players Philly-257 total Redick- 95 Bellneili-55 Ilyasova-30 Johnson-49 McConnell-7 Simmons-7 Saric-7 Covington-7 Embiid-7 Boston-279 total Morris-13 Smart-33 Rozier-31 Horford-101 Brown-25 Tatum-9 Ojeleye-9 Baynes-35 Larkin-11 Monroe-12 The Celtics are playing 10 this series, Philly 9 so far. And yeah, Stevens is the difference.
May 4, 20187 yr 2 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said: The Celtics have a slight edge in amount of playoff games by player over Philly. Sure, that number is skewed by a handful of players: Playoff games, career by rotation players Philly-257 total Redick- 95 Bellneili-55 Ilyasova-30 Johnson-49 McConnell-7 Simmons-7 Saric-7 Covington-7 Embiid-7 Boston-279 total Morris-13 Smart-33 Rozier-31 Horford-101 Brown-25 Tatum-9 Ojeleye-9 Baynes-35 Larkin-11 Monroe-12 The Celtics are playing 10 this series, Philly 9 so far. And yeah, Stevens is the difference. Bolded part is my point. 4 starters and major contributors are in their first playoff season. C's are young but only Tatum is in his first playoff season. Rozier and Brown are young but they have 25+ playoff gms each. It makes a difference when those are the guys that you are leaning on vs 4 guys that are getting their first tastes of the postseason.
May 4, 20187 yr 7 hours ago, d2o said: Bolded part is my point. 4 starters and major contributors are in their first playoff season. C's are young but only Tatum is in his first playoff season. Rozier and Brown are young but they have 25+ playoff gms each. It makes a difference when those are the guys that you are leaning on vs 4 guys that are getting their first tastes of the postseason. Agree with all this. And Boston has been playing at home. Let's see what happens when they go back to Philly. All those young guys and role players come back to earth a bit on the road. Rozier has been out of his mind but he struggled in the first round on the road against Milwaukee. Regardless, these two teams are set up to be facing each other in the playoffs for years to come. Even as a fan of neither team, it's pretty cool to see this rivalry come back. If Philly is ready to give up on Simmons they are more than welcome to trade him to San Antonio for a dude with a bum quadriceps and a meddling uncle.
May 5, 20187 yr 20 hours ago, Goo Punch said: Philly is -9 for game three. Damn. Who’s taking Philly -9 here?
May 5, 20187 yr Hmmm. Tonight's lead official: Quote Derrick Stafford, the lead official, can be a hot head and has been quick to call technicals. He has been disciplined for getting into a shouting match with former Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank. He is one of the few refs in the league who favors the road teams. Home teams win just 49% of the games he calls. He averages 39 fouls called per game and 50.8% of those are called on the home team. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 games. He called game 7 against the Bucks and they let both teams play without calling a lot of fouls on either team.
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