Play Like Champions
by Jeff Clark on May 15, 2008 11:00 AM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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Rondo, Pierce, Garnett and company once again took care of business on their home home court last night. However, that's just the first step and it doesn't do anything to clear up the questions about their record on the road.
The Celtics walked into the playoffs with the swagger of a team that had conquered the regular season and expected to do the same to the postseason. But something happened on the way to the Finals. At times you could describe the team's play as "soft," "timid," or even "lost." These are not terms you hear associated with Championship teams. They need to fix that fast if they want to go down in history for the right reasons.
It isn't supposed to come easy in the playoffs. The stakes are higher, the teams are better, and everyone is fighting for their proverbial lives. But if you look back, the teams that win the title typically take care of business. The have an alpha-dog feel about them. Look at the Spurs; they have that swagger of "we've been there before and we'll do it again." Look at the Pistons; when was the last time you saw them play with panic? That's not to say that those teams weren't tested. They just took care of business.
That's not to say a team can't catch lightning in a bottle and run a hot streak right into the Finals, not unlike the Miami Heat did a couple years back. Basketball is still very much a game of confidence and streaks, and if the Celtics can start rolling, there's no telling when or if they'll be stopped. But it has to start somewhere.
That's why this next game is so critical. Winning game 5 was fantastic. It allowed the Celtics to seize momentum and take the advantage in the series. But what good is that if they drop the next game? What if they play hard, make a decent effort, but still come up short on the road once again? They could point to a very tough defensive Cavalier team and say that they were just too strong at home. They could throw their hands up in the air and say "when LeBron is on, there's no stopping him." They could do all this in game 6 and still turn around and take care of business at home and advance to the next round. But that's not the way champions do it.
It is one thing to have one series go seven games, even if it is the first round. It is another thing to need another seven games to get out of the second round. It is still another thing to lose every road game along the way. This is not the kind of play that translates into banners in the rafters.
Obviously if the team gets knocked out, it wasn't meant to be. The question is, even if the Celtics advance, but need a seventh game to do it (still winless on the road), can they really have much hope to beat the Pistons and eventually win the title? Stranger things have happened, but it just doesn't seem likely.
A win in game 6 doesn't answer all the questions and silence all the critics, but it is a huge step in the right direction. Winning on the road? Check. Putting the opponent away when they are down? Check. Displaying mental toughness and killer instinct? Check.
I still believe this team has a chance to get on a roll and recapture that dominance that they displayed in the regular season. It can happen. They have the defense to shut down any and every team in the league. If they play with confidence and swagger, there's no stopping them. But it has to start somewhere. I think it has to start with this next game.
Technically speaking game 6 isn't a "must win" situation. But if they want to prove to the world (and more importantly to themselves) that they are a Championship caliber team, it would be a good idea to get the win on Friday and close this thing out.
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It’s hard to remember how tentative I felt about this team’s chances back in the fall and winter. I’d love to be reminded about the results of polls on the site about how deep into the playoffs they’d go. I didn’t dare hope for better than second round myself, and I’d be surprised if most other fans did either.
But my response to the way they’ve played these two series doesn’t feel like garden-variety what-the-hell-you gave-it-your-best-shot disappointment. It feels like betrayal. When they were down in the second quarter last night I kept shutting off the TV and then turning it back on again 10 minutes later (leaving the DVR running all the while, of course). If they hadn’t pulled it out in the third, I’d have abandoned all hope til next year. This has been an absurdly difficult 11 games to watch, considering the genuine real ties to these guys I have exist only in my head…
by festoonic2 on May 15, 2008 1:01 PM EDT reply actions
I’m not that worried about Detroit. I have a healthy respect for them but they’re not a championship caliber team and we matchup better with them than Cleveland. I’d more worried about whoever makes it out of the West, that’ll be a gargantuan step up from what we’re playing right now.
Anyways, let’s leave that until after we defeat these Cavs.
How is San Antonio ‘taking care of business’ this round so far? People need to remember this Celtics team has been together a few months not a few years and until they lose a game at home they are championship caliber. Losing on the road does not mean they are not championship caliber. If they win all their home games in the playoffs they are not only championship caliber they win the championship. It could happen. Not the easiest road to take but if they do it that way it should not diminish winning a championship that way. Once again the only ‘must win’ road game to me is if they lose a home game.
CelticRebel you took the words out of my mouth. I actually think my wife is having a hard time too. I found myself telling her to chill out during last night game. She almost throw the remote at the tv on that James Posey turn-over late in the 4th. I can’t only image what might have happen if we went to the game last night. I’m happy I stayed home.
I think it makes sense for a lot of folks to be questioning this team’s championship mettle at this point. After seeing how easily they rolled the Texas Triangle and the last few months of the season, we expected that team going into the playoffs. Then, a funny thing happened. We found out that the playoffs are a totally different animal, intensity wise. Even the bad teams like Atlanta were finding ways to pick up their play and gut out wins at home. Doc started to make some questionable decisions regarding the rotation (and obviously, that’s this team’s achilles heel). And we have had guys banged up and underperforming whether they will admit it or not (Ray Allen, James Posey, PP in rnd 1).
I agree completely that this team needs to close out Cleveland in game 6 for me to regain that confidence that they can win the title. If they can’t, and even if they manage to win game 7, it does not bode well against the Pistons. I don’t agree that we match up better with them than the Cavs — that’s a foolish thing to say since the Pistons are a MUCH better and MUCH deeper team. Sure they lack the one transcendent superstar, but they have superior talent overall to the Cavs and they have years of playoff experience together under their belt. They’ve been in game 7s, they’ve won at home, they’ve won on the road, they’ve won and lost NBA Finals… to say that if we make it past the Cavs it’ll be all good is just flat out wrong.
Game 6 is huge. I think that the series effectively ended last night. No way does Queen James and the Cavs win a game seven in Boston if it comes to that. But if the Celtics are a championship team, they ought to be able to put away Clevland and win a close out game on the road. If they can’t do that, I don’t see them winning the championship. Friday is a key game for the Celtics.
If they are going to win, Pierce and Allen have got to play better. What on earth has happend to Ray Allen. He just looks terrible. He doesn’t move, he can’t hit an open shot, he turns the ball over. At this point, I think they should start Posse and bring Tony Allan off the bench and not play Ray at all. I hear nitwits in the media talking about the Celtics big three showing their age. No, it is Ray Allen showing his age. The Celtics have got to figure out a way to get him on track.
by JohnCK on May 15, 2008 3:13 PM EDT reply actions
Ray Allen does look old but he came up with a key tip to get us that rebound at the end of the game. It was a good heads up play.
by liam on May 15, 2008 3:38 PM EDT reply actions
Look at the Pistons; when was the last time you saw them play with panic?
hmm… last year in the eastern conference finals when basically this same cavs team beat them in 4 straight games. and by same cavs team… I mean Lebron James. So we are already doing better than the pistons did last year.
and the spurs….. well they havent won on the road in the second round either, and they havent even touched New Orleans when they play in New Orleans. If they havent panicked yet… they will when they are down by 20 in game 7 in new orleans.
by Blood Sweat and Bears on May 15, 2008 3:49 PM EDT reply actions
It’s not that I don’t think Detroit are a very good team. I just don’t think they’re that much better than Cleveland. I think those two teams are pretty close.
No 7-3 centre in Big Z. No James. Detroit have played well defensively but not as good as Cleveland have. There’s three big problems off the table. Add rebounding, that’s four big problems off the table.
Detroit pump in a few issues of their own (the Billups headache is the headliner) but overall I don’t think they force us away from our game the way Cleveland do. I said that in the regular season and in pre-season.
Detroit are capble of beating us. I don’t think it’s a given the C’s win …. my point is that I don’t think it’s a big step up from Cleveland and overall I prefer how the C’s matchup against Detroit.
The playoffs are a different beast than regular season. You are playing the best teams in the league nite in and nite out. The teams make adjustments, some nites you don’t play your best. Everything needs to be judged on a different basis. I think the further you get into the playoffs the better you play. Even though you are playing better and better teams, you’re also playing better because of getting used to a new environment. Just don’t get too worried about any one game or quarter. Do what I do. Rent an ekg machine and a defibrillator for the playoffs. Medicare might cover the cost, which is justified, if you’re in that bracket.
game 5 we were asleep at the start and very jittery at the end terrible turnovers by ray and posey. thankgod, paul hit the clutch free throws. we were so afraid to send rondo to the line, we put the ball in hands that were very shaky. we have yet to play a steady game against the cavs who are a good team and really scare me- i agree who- they scare me more than detroit- but the celtics unsteadiness and choppy play scares me more than anything. doc shortening the rotation was very good, but a lot of his machinations or lack of therein, frighten me to death. keep up the good work rondo,kg, and pp, and get a groove-ray. and perk- stop making faces, smell the coffee and move those feet.
Got to agree with WHO here….I will even dare say that IF we don’t get pass the Cavs in this series I am a firm believer that the Cavs would repeat against the Pistons in the next series considering how we are able to push king James to the limit would even increase their swagger..
Its no joke to go up against the 4 BIGS of Cleveland…The Length of Big Z, Verajao,Joe Smith and their smallest Big Ben Wallace can still eat Detroit alive and I believe he would be ressurected in that series..I haven’t even talked about Lebron who I believe no one from Detroit will be able to stop…They certainly tried last yr and thrown everything but the bus at Lebron and he still carried the Cavs.
Delonte is also having a tremendously good series that an injured Billups won’t be able to keep pace with Mr. throw caution to the wind West( I think West only had one bad game which is game one,he has been decent in game 2 and phenomenal the rest of the way)….So I bet the Pistons are even begging for the Celtics to come out on top in this series as they will certainly feel they can match up well with us than the Cavs.
but the celtics unsteadiness and choppy play scares me more than anything[/quote]
Ditto
[quote]Ray, please wake up from your coma and start being the 3rd head of the so called Big three.
Ray is due for a good performance. It has to be coming … right?
You can only hold down a player that talented for so long
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