The C’s are shipping up to Boston tied 1-1 with the Golden State Warriors, an ideal start to the NBA Finals… right?

Mike, Josh and Adam discuss the first two games of this Finals series, taking stock of how they’re feeling after the C’s stole Game 1 before getting blown out in Game 2. Is the sky falling? Is everything puppies, sunshine, and lollipops? Are they somewhere in between?

The Pride crew evaluates how the C’s played in each of Games 1 and 2, and look for encouraging and troubling signs, as they note the two different versions of the C’s continuing to show up. One version moves the ball quickly and efficiently, leading to open shots and allowing their league best defense to consistently get set. The other version quickly and efficiently turns the ball over, allows the other team to get fast breaks and momentum – and to set their own elite defense.

Then, Mike breaks his own code to not discuss the refs by lamenting the absurdity of some of the calls that favored Golden State – and Draymond Green in particular. Adam calls Mike out, but he’s determined to make his case. Josh challenges Mike to claim the NBA must be rigged… does Mike take the bait? At minimum, Mike asks the referees get more artful when granting favor to one team over another.

Then the guys look ahead to Game 3 and talk about what adjustments they think the Celtics need to make as they head home. Stick with the two big lineup or shift things around? Different offensive initatiors? More – or less – time for role players like Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard?

And finally, Josh asks Adam and Mike whether they believe – as young Josh once did – that defense wins championships or has this series, and their NBA fandom in recent years, shifted that perspective?

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You can find regular episodes of the CelitcsPod and Celtics PRIDE podcasts on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you listen to your podcasts.

About Celtics PRIDE Podcast: Co-Hosts Adam Motenko, his identical twin brother Josh Motenko, and their friend Mike Minkoff couldn’t stop talking about the team. Now they supply your need for Boston Celtics content with their regular podcast on CelticsBlog.

They will talk nerdy to you, dissect the players on and off the court, and bicker like only opinionated New Englanders can. It’s like if CelticsBlog made a BasketballJones / Dunc’dOn lovechild.

You will get the coach’s perspective, the capologist’s view, and a healthy dose of advanced and traditional stats that breakdown everything that happened and could happen with the #1 dynasty in the NBA. If you often find yourself reminiscing about the players you grew up watching, or you just need reminders about what “being a Celtic” means to you, this is the podcast for you. This is Celtics PRIDE!