The Celtics Had A Heather Brooke Level Gag Job In Game 4
You know the saying “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed”? Fuck that. I am both extremely mad and extremely disappointed with the Boston Celtics. How dare you put in that type of performance with your season on the line on your home floor. I know how good the Bucks are but I don’t really care. Have some goddamn professional pride for me one time. You lost Game 3, OK fine that was bad but there was still a chance to head back to MIL tied 2-2 and the series very much alive. Instead, we got the same old Celts. Start the game off great, piss it away in the second quarter, collapse in the third, make a small run in the fourth to rope everyone back in, and ultimately come up short. The grit and the heart and the energy that was supposed to be this team’s calling card was something that was promised to us would be there in the postseason. I would like to ask where the hell that is, because it was not at the TD Garden last night and I find that inexcusable.
I just don’t see how it’s possible to spin losing both of these games at home. You did your job and stole one in MIL and then to return home and have back to back disasters like this is crazy. That’s not exactly what’s supposed to happen with the talent on this team. All you can really say is that this was a complete failure by everyone involved. The players, Brad, everyone. The NBA tried to help you win this game, you owned the night at the FT line, all the Bucks best players were in foul trouble and you STILL blew it. That’s pathetic.
By now you know, this blog does not hide when shit like this happens. We do not just blog the wins and the fun times, we torture ourselves and relive the moments that make us all want to claw our eyes out. So let’s get this over with.
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The Good
– I normally have a rule that I only skip this section when the Celtics lose 5 in a row. I feel like that type of behavior should not be rewarded, and while they are currently only on a 3 game slide it’s the playoffs and that’s good enough for me. Plus I’m still mad at these assholes for what they did so we’re skipping this section entirely. It pains me to do that to guys like Mook and Tatum who actually weren’t all that bad, but this is my blog and I make the rules.
I won’t leave you empty handed though. This should cheer you up for a second.
The Bad
– OK but back to this pathetic excuse for a basketball game. You know after spending some time reflecting on this loss, I couldn’t help but think back to Game 7 of last season. You all remember that right? With the Celts backs up against the wall, at home, we saw this team come out and shoot 34/17%. You may remember Terry Rozier shot 2-14, Smart 1-10, Mook 5-14 and while it stung we all said the same thing. Well things would be much different with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
Well, here we were, less than a full year later once again playing at home with our backs up against the wall and what happened. The Celtics shot 37/22%, Terry Rozier shot 1-5, Marcus Smart 1-7, Hayward 1-5 and Kyrie 7-22. Basically, it was the exact type of performance we got last year, only with the guys who were supposed to be the difference. I just don’t even know how to explain that because simple logic doesn’t do the trick. Adding two All Star talents was supposed to help, not hurt. So part of me is mad at this team that they made by brain relive that Game 7 loss. That was supposed to be dead and buried and I spent all night reliving that horror. Screw you.
– They say the NBA is a make or miss league, and what I’m about to show you will not make you happy. In Game 1, the Celtics shot 53% on uncontested shots. In Games 2-4, that number dropped to 38.5%. How bad was it, look at the breakdown
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If this were a classroom, I would ask Horford/Jaylen/Mook to step outside for a minute while the rest of these assholes got an earful. Fine, I’ll accept that Terry always sneaky stunk at shooting and Tatum’s numbers were decent but still not at an acceptable level. My question is what the fuck Kyrie/Hayward? You can’t hit uncontested shots? I’m not even asking you to score over defenders or anything like that, just make your wide open looks and I feel like that’s not a lot to ask for.
– Wyc and Ainge and all of us loved to talk about this team’s depth. How it was the biggest strength of the team and how they were a legit 8-9 players deep. Well where the fuck were they. Last night the Celtics bench scored a combined 7 points, which is one of the lowest total productions from a bench unit in YEARS. You assume that playing at home your bench is going to come through for you, when in fact I would argue it was a major reason why they lost both games. The reality of the situation was Terry/Hayward were severly outplayed by George Hill/Pat Connaughton. Both runs in Games 3 & 4 happened with Giannis on the bench, and you deserve to lose if you can’t stop George Hill.
– Let’s face it, the big momentum play from Marcus Smart never came. He was active at times and nobody really cooked him on the defensive end, but for a team that desperately needed a shot in the arm, we didn’t get that from Smart. I wasn’t really concerned with his production after missing so much time, I was just banking on all the other stuff that makes him so valuable. Frankly, he was a non factor.
– When Giannis went out in the third quarter with 8 minutes to go, that was the Celtics chance. They had to extend the lead in those non Giannis minutes and they didn’t. With 3:54 it was a tie game at 67-67 and both Giannis and Middleton were off the floor. These third quarters really have just been a waiting game to see when the Celts would poop their pants, and it was once again at the end of the third. Here’s how their possessions went from that moment on
Rozier missed three
Kyrie 1-2 at the line
Horford missed 18 footer
Horford missed three
Terry Rozier blocked three
Kyrie travel
Smart turnover
Tatum 2 pt FGM
Kyrie 2-2 at the liune
Smart missed heave
There’s your ballgame. Meanwhile MIL finished on a 13-5 run with Irving/Hayward/Horford all on the floor. I don’t even know what to say to that.
The Ugly
– I feel lied to, tricked, hoodwinked, bamboozled, you name it I feel it. There’s really no other way to describe how it feels when you trusted Kyrie Irving as your #1 option because of everything he said leading into the playoffs. But listen, you go 19-62 over the last three games and do not show up in the one series this team needed you in, what else can you say? We all were willing to put up with the mountain of Kyrie bullshit as long as he delivered in the postseason. He did against the Pacers, but that’s the Pacers, anyone could do that. We needed to see him be the difference against the number 1 seed Bucks, and let’s call a spade a spade he so far has not come through. In fact he’s been downright horrible. Remember, the last Celtics point guard that faced a Coach Bud team had similar struggles and everyone said he was not good enough to be the point guard on a championship team. I ask you, how is what we’re seeing from Kyrie any different?
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Where were all those adjustments that Kyrie talked about after Game 2? He wants to very much to be the man and be the star, well look at what Giannis just did. THAT is what a true #1 guy does. We put all our eggs in the Kyrie basket and he took a shit all over it. He’s going to get killed for it as he should, and his postgame comments didn’t help, but I really cannot believe we just had this type of three game stretch from a player so talented.
– But please, do not think Gordon Hayward is off the hook. If Kyrie was horrific, Gordon Hayward was right there with him. There’s no injury excuse anymore so I’m not sure what suddenly made Hayward turn into the player we saw in October. Not one of his drives to the paint were with purpose, he couldn’t make an outside shot, and to say he was a non factor is an insult to non factors. I don’t know if this was on Brad for how he used him, but at some point Hayward had to step up and be the player we know he can be. Instead he just sort of stood there, when he got the ball he almost played as if he didn’t even want to be touching the rock, and you cannot have that from your All Star caliber talent. The 3-1 hole the Celtics find themselves in is every bit on Hayward than it is on Kyrie. They were supposed to be the difference, and they’ve sunk this team.
– I’m also looking at Brad. He said after Game 3 maybe he should have played Baynes more because of how MIL feasted in the paint. Well, Baynes played 7 minutes and the Bucks had 66 points in the paint so what the hell. Maybe ya know, try what worked in Game 1? His inability to make adjustments has been a problem all series, and just like in that ATL series with Isaiah, Brad has been unable to find a way to get his point guard to be effective. Coach Bud is winning that matchup and it’s not particularly close.
– 25/20% splits in the second quarter, 33/9% splits in the third quarter. At home. Fuck you.
Now, for making it all the way to the end of this blog I have to do my part and reward you. Can’t have a title like that without giving you the goods, so (NSFW) here ya go (NSFW seriously do not open at work). If you’re a Celts fan maybe this will cheer you up. Now down 3-1 it’s going to take a miracle, and all I can say is don’t let this team win Game 5.
Fuck it, Celts in 7 let’s gets nuts