After Another Epic Playoff Win The Celtics Are Showing The World Just How Terrifying They Can Truly Be

Maddie Meyer. Getty Images.

How's everyone doing this morning? I'm doing fucking fantastic thank you for asking. Through two games of this first round series, I'm not sure it's possible to be doing better than I am right now. All my agendas are thriving, my favorite basketball team is up 2-0 which is where we were all hoping they'd be, Rob Williams return is on the horizon, how could life get any better? Well, that's a stupid question, life sitting at 3-0 would obviously be better but cut me some slack here I'm still blogging on raw emotion. I didn't get much sleep last night but for all the right reasons which was certainly a nice change of pace. How many times did I refresh Twitter and look at the same tweets/read the same Reddit posts/watch the same highlights? It's hard to say. Do I plan on stopping from now until Saturday night? Absolutely not. 

What we are witnessing is a Celtics team that is starting to put everything together. This is a team that finally has the perfect mix of talent and balls. They are tough and they are unstoppable which is the exact combination you want to see this time of year. We all had the same questions heading into these playoffs given what we lived through during the regular season. Could this team come through in the clutch? Could they outduel two offensive powerhouses down the stretch of a game? If they got down, would they quit? Just think of what we've seen the Celts overcome in these first two games. There was Kyrie going supernova in the fourth quarter, with him and KD combining for over 60 points on good shooting splits. The Celts still won. The Nets have shot like 46% and 47% from deep in both games as a team. The Celts still won. They've had explosions from their bench players. The Celts still won. They had a 17 point lead on the road. The Celts still won.

We've seen the Celts come through in the clutch, we've seen them completely eliminate two offensive players I was told you could not eliminate, we've seen them come back from being down big, we've seen them execute in the fourth quarter in high pressure situations. So while it may only be 2-0, it feels like we've checked off like 10 different boxes we were all curious and maybe a little nervous about heading into this series. 

Now I will stress this once again, just like I did all throughout the regular season. Perspective is important. We are all rock hard thinking about this team right now, but do not assume this series is over. I know the percentages when a team gets up 2-0. I know what the Celts record is (40-1) when they find themselves in this position. I do not care. This series is FAR from over. I don't care how bad they've looked, I still respect the shit out of KD and Kyrie as basketball players. This series can flip pretty quickly if the Nets simply do what the Celts just did and protect home court. The last thing you should be doing right now is thinking this series is a wrap just because it's 2-0. Enjoy the position we find ourselves in but that's it. There is still a ton of work to be done before we can start thinking about Round 2. If they win Saturday and go up 3-0? That'll change. But that hasn't happened yet so let's all just try and remain calm.

OK, that was a lie. We're not going to stay calm in this blog. We're going to inject this shit into our goddamn veins and enjoy ourselves because the Celts look incredible right now. Let us begin.

The Good

- It's always a nice problem to have when I sit down to write this blog and I have to have around a 15 minute internal debate as to who starts us off. Many players will tell you they wake up each gameday and are motivated to be in this spot in the postgame blog. I can't back that up with actual evidence but I know in my heart it's true. While this may not be a popular selection, it feels right. We're beginning with the play of Al Horford

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For the second game in a row, it was Al Horford that played a gigantic role in how this shit turned out. In Game 1 it was his first quarter offense. Guys were clearly nervous, but there was steady Playoff Al. He was the calming presence that only a father can bring. He backed up that great Game 1 performance by being even better in Game 2. A nice little 16/6/2 on 6-10 (3-6) in his 32 minutes, this is both surprising and not surprising all at the same time. Why? We talked about how insane Al's TS% is when he gets 2 days of rest. It's over 60%. So it shouldn't surprise you that so far in these playoffs where the Celts have had 2 days rest in between both games and have another 2 days before Game 3 that Al is averaging 18.0/10.5/2.0/1.5 on 60/62% splits with 2.5 3PM so far this postseason.

To keep it simple, he's been incredible. Not just as a defender and a rebounder, but one of the the biggest keys to the Celts success this postseason was that Al was going to consistently knock down his open safety valve threes. We've seen that before, Playoff Al did that shit in 2016-17 when he went for 58/52% splits in their 18 postseason games (ECF). We're seeing the same shit so far in this series and it opens everything up offensively. The rest is clearly doing his body good and I could not be more thankful that the NBA schedule makers did this. 

Just listen to this man and tell me he is not a proud father

To think there are NBA teams out there that don't know how to utilize AL HORFORD of all people. He's the ultimate glue guy who also happens to be pretty fucking good on both ends. What a trade for Brad who keeps looking better by the second. 

- Watching the development and maturation of Jayson Tatum has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. You saw the talent immediately, he was a monster the second he stepped on an NBA court. But since that moment we've seen Tatum evolve into not just a player who can play at a top 5 level on any given night, but he's quickly asserting himself as one of the best two way wing players in the entire league. 

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When I think of Tatum's development, last night was a perfect example of his growth. He shot the ball like shit to start, in fact, it was the worst start to any playoff game he's ever had

This would have been a problem for Young Tatum. He'd sulk, he'd start forcing things offensively, his defense would regress, you know the typical shit young players do as they learn the NBA game. Now? It doesn't matter what Tatum does to start these games, he's finding ways to make a gigantic impact even without scoring. Last night it was his passing. I'll never understand how people who get paid to watch and talk about the game of basketball have uttered the words "Tatum is selfish". You fucking morons. In a game they needed Tatum's playmaking, he finished with 10 assists. Defensively, he had Kevin Durant IN JAIL for a full 48 minutes. Do you know how hard that is? It's virtually impossible for mere mortals to do that, and Tatum has now done it twice through two games. The defensive numbers are insane

vs Durant: 44 possessions and 4 points 

vs Kyrie: 9 possessions and 2 points 

vs Brown: 5 possessions and 0 points

and when was the last time you saw someone do this to Kevin Durant?

we're blocking crunch time fourth quarter KD midrange pullups now? Is this real life? Yes, yes it is and it is glorious.

It's not just his production though. This series has brought out the killer instinct we've all wanted to see from Tatum. He's starting to feel more confident in that role and it's almost like he flipped a switch. I mean, this is the LeBron 2012 Game 6 staredown. Tell me I'm wrong.

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and it came directly following his kill shot three late in the fourth quarter. If I'm to believe that Tatum now has this "fuck you" approach where he wants to bury everything and everyone that stands in his path, well I'm not sure my Celtics boner is going away anytime soon. That's like the final form in Tatum's development before he takes over the league. First it was putting on NBA muscle, then it was his passing and defense, and now it's the mentality. You mix all that shit together and you get the type of player that can carry you to a championship. 

- We love and we trust for a reason. I dunno about you, but I have done so much love and so much trusting through 2 games I didn't even know my body was capable of it but boy am I glad I did. When Marcus Smart showed up to the Garden in his DPOY robe, Im sure you saw some takes like "Oh great this is going to his head! He needs to focus!"

No. Smart rocked that DPOY robe partly because ya know, he is the DPOY, but also because he knows that locking up these Nets is no problem. We're at the point where people have to lie about "Kyrie cooking the DPOY" despite the fact that he very much has NOT cooked the DPOY

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Offensively, Smart is playing a bit out of his mind but that's all gravy. I want to focus on his defense. There are real people in this world that STILL question why this man was awarded the DPOY. It's almost as if they watch these games with their eyes closed. Why did Smart win? I dunno….

Here are the actual real life numbers that the haters and losers of which there are many refuse to acknowledge and accept. Through 2 games, Smart has guarded Kyrie Irving on 63 possessions and allowed 14 total points. When it comes to Kevin Durant, Smart has matched up with him on 16 possessions and allowed 7 points. For those not great at math, that's 79 total possessions against Kyrie/KD and only 21 points. THIS is why Marcus Smart is the DPOY. 

So while certain Boston media members will try and tell you that Rob was actually the best defender on the team and Smart only got DPOY as some sort of legacy thing because they have this weird anti-Marcus Smart complex, and other fanbases will tell you Kyrie cooked Smart on his way to 39 points in Game 1, all we can do is laugh at them. They've lost and even if they don't want to admit it, you cannot argue with what has actually happened. 

- Can you believe we've gone this long and haven't even mentioned Jaylen yet? My god what an embarrassment of riches we are currently experiencing. 

I think Tatum said it best in his postgame press conference

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Correct. What a difference it makes to be able to play the Nets with Jaylen as opposed to last year when we saw what it looked like without him. Crazy how that works! Here's what I've loved about Jaylen so far in this series. When it came time to win the game, Jaylen is performing at his best. In Game 1, it was his fourth quarter offense that snapped them out of their funk and allowed them to come back. Last night in Game 2 it was the same shit. A huge 10 points on 4-6 (2-3) shooting while playing every second of that fourth quarter. They do not win this game without him despite his early struggles. That shows me the same type of internal growth that Tatum is having. These two are not checking out mentally despite early offensive struggles. Defensively, Jaylen is playing some of his best defense of the season in this series. There aren't too many off ball mistakes, his on ball defense is nails, he's perfected the doubling of KD where it seems like Jaylen ends the play with a steal 95% of the time, it's incredible.

Can you imagine what it looks like as soon as Tatum/Brown get out of their shooting slumps? My god.

- Listen, we all know how elite this defense is. We watched it all year. But even knowing that I still cannot believe what they are doing to Kyrie/KD in this series. 

I cannot ever remember Kevin Durant going 0-10 in a half. I don't know what it is, but he cannot even dribble against this defense right now. When has he ever been so loose with the basketball? That tells me the Celts defense is getting into his head a little bit. All I was told after Game 1 was that KD wouldn't struggle like that again. I dunno, are we sure about that? That doesn't mean he won't have a monster game in this series, but at some point the conversation needs to shift from KD simply having an off night to Ime knowing exactly what to do to limit both of these players. Both can be true. 

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The biggest thing is they are getting right into both of these guys' airspace and staying there. Having great length, size, and quickness at all 5 positions is what makes this possible. It's all about making these two feel uncomfortable with the ball and then praying for the best. As long as Nash isn't going to make any adjustments, I see nothing changing on this end.

- I think it's about time everyone thanks Danny Ainge. His draft picks are all over this series, especially the later picks that a whooooooooooole lot of people said were busts and bad picks. Whoops!

Grant Williams going a perfect 6-6 (4-4) and saving this team when things looked to be getting out of hand early. Payton Pritchard outplaying Kyrie Irving in a playoff game. These are both real things that actually happened. We saw the Celts bench really not do much in Game 1, well in Game 2 they won this game. Period. Full stop. 

Grant's work early in terms of his shooting and his defense and then the rebounding late were MASSIVE. Pritchard coming in as the fourth quarter closer and knocking down jumper after jumper was incredible to watch. Just two guys who have fully bought into their role, have the trust of their coach and are now thriving. Ime deserves credit for realizing that it's OK to stick with these young guys late in games, especially when they're playing well. You'll remember, that was not always the case. Love and trust everywhere you look.

- Celts had a massive recovery on the glass and finished tied 36-36. They had 27 AST on 39 FGM which means they once again broke the 20 AST target number which almost always leads to a win. They dominated points in the paint 44-34. They shot 52% as a team, despite starting the game at 38/28%. 

If you rebound and move the ball, this Nets team cannot beat you.

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- Shoutout Daniel Theis. It was a little ugly there early for him, you thought maybe the move was to slide Grant into all his minutes, but he responded exactly how you hoped as the game went on. He finished with 15/6 on 7-9 shooting including some huge fourth quarter buckets and while this man cannot make a putback to save his life, I'm certain that Daniel Theis is ready to die for this team and for that he gets nothing but my respect.

- OK, let's talk about that fourth quarter. First, here's how it looked

Remember when this was the worst 4th quarter team in the NBA? That's not hyperbole either, that's the truth. Well that shit was so 2021 because in 2022 the Celtics are a 4th quarter wagon. Look at that shit! Offensively they attacked the rim, they didn't turn it over, they didn't rely on threes, and they defended their asses off for all 12 minutes. I think we were all a little nervous heading into this quarter after the Celts sort of ruined their momentum after tying it up at 81-81, but they came out and immediately punched the Nets in the mouth once we got to the fourth and never looked back.

Don't ask me why Nash never called a timeout once the Celts went on a 10-0 run to tie things up, but I'm sure glad he didn't. The Nets went around 7 minutes in this quarter without a FGM. Do you know how insane that is? 

If you're telling me the Celts are not going to throw away games in the fourth quarter anymore, I'm not sure they have a weakness. What a turnaround.

The Bad

- OK, what's the deal with Goran Dragic. What did the Celts ever do to this man? What's the beef there because Dragic comes out seeking blood whenever he faces this team. His two best performances as a Net have come in this playoff series and I for one do not care for it. He's unstoppable which makes no sense, but I don't know what the answer is. It doesn't matter who they throw at him, I've yet to see Dragic even touch the rim on any jumper he takes. It's maddening. The dude is like 45 years old, can we please do something about this? 

It's like I'm reliving the Bubble ECF all over again. Please clean that up.

- I thought the Celts struggled a little bit early in this game with the Nets physicality. They were more reactionary and that's never going to win you playoff games. They were slow to the 50/50 balls which almost always led to dagger BKN threes. I can't see that approach changing in Game 3, so I would like the Celts to be a little more prepared and ready for it. 

- I know it worked out, but if I could make one request it would be to not spot the Nets a quick 9 points to start games. It's hard enough worrying about KD/Kyrie defensively, I don't need to also worry about Bruce fucking Brown shredding this team in a 9-0 start. I'm also not totally thrilled with what we've seen from the Celts in terms of finishing at the rim around Drummond/Claxton. They've struggled with that a little bit all series when it comes to finishing in that zone. 

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- There needs to be a mandatory 20 minute practice session on throwing entry passes. My god I have never seen so many lazy entry passes to a player in the post end up in a turnover. You cannot be having that at this point of the season. Pass with conviction. Especially when you know a defense is trying to be physical and maybe over play. Whether it was Smart or Pritchard it didn't matter. Stop throwing lazy entry passes.

- Oh, and make your goddamn FTs. This is the playoffs. I can't be having this team miss 5+ FTA every game, which is what they've done to start this series. Those points are too valuable.

The Ugly

- Playing the Nets is pretty simple. You need to rebound, and you need to take care of the basketball. When you turn it over, you die. I would not say that the Celts have done a good job with this, and as long as they are this reckless with the basketball they will continue to find themselves in a dogfight. The Nets are the #1 team in the NBA in scoring off turnovers. As long as you don't do that, you take away a huge part of their offense. So when I look up and see 4 of the 5 Celtics starters had at least 3 TOs, that's nowhere close to good enough. 

They got down by 17 in the first place because they could not stop throwing the ball to the other team. We saw Jaylen literally fall over just trying to dribble. Self inflicted wounds will kill you almost every single time, so just because the Celts pulled this out doesn't mean it's OK. It means they got lucky.

Alright, so now we wait. I don't know how I'm going to make it until Saturday night, but if having everyone rested is the price I have to pay then so be it. You go up 3-0 and the series is virtually over. That is what is on the table right now for the Celts and something tells me they know they have the Nets on the ropes. Now it's just time to step on their throat and end this shit. LFG.