ECF: P4 | (2) Boston Celtics vs (4) Cleveland Cavaliers | CLEVELAND WINS 4-3

[Stillwater]

Any time an all star is out it's harder for your coach. But I aint gonna sweat it we have a solid next man up replacement value and honestly with Love being targeted for lesser defense than James or Nance or Thompson adding Green just gives Boston one less angle to try to exploit.

easier for boston to guard lebron tho. just pack the paint

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

[lambchop]

Any time an all star is out it's harder for your coach. But I aint gonna sweat it we have a solid next man up replacement value and honestly with Love being targeted for lesser defense than James or Nance or Thompson adding Green just gives Boston one less angle to try to exploit.

easier for boston to guard lebron tho. just pack the paint

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

I'm not sure anyone actually "came up" with anything. Just seems like two teams feeling comfortable at home

[Stillwater]

easier for boston to guard lebron tho. just pack the paint

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

I'm not sure anyone actually "came up" with anything. Just seems like two teams feeling comfortable at home

maybe so , but seems to me the game plan Stevens had got stymied when Love left. I'm sure he'll draw up a reasonable but less optimal approach for game 7 and not having Love will hurt the Cavs rebounding, but beyond that given it was the main thing they were successful at [targeting Love]esp with the way Love was getting called for ticky tack fouls etc I'm not sure they will have a reasonable option to match the level of offense they got at home previously unless the Cavs players don't show up defensively. Add the less likely scenario that the Cavs guard play is better than it has been offensively overall in this series specifically from the 2 guard spot I think the Cavs would win easily...if not then I expect Boston will make a few runs and keep it close where it could go either way but in the end Lebron is King.

[Dubious Handles]

If Lue just starts Green instead of Love the Celtics will just pack the paint from the get go. Thompson/Green/Smith doesn't work imo.

[kaulkhara15]

Home and road have made a big difference obviously. But being a game 7 you have to factor in the experience. Brown, Tatum, Rozier have never played in a game of this magnitude. Curious to see how they respond. I think this will finally be the close game that goes down to the last few possessions. At least I hope so lol.

Brown, Tatum, and Rozier all played in Game 7 against the Bucks in the first round.

Of course, I’m aware. But first round and conference finals are two totally different things, let alone the difference between Cavs and Bucks in terms of big game experience.

[JShuttlesworth]

Man, I hope Boston wins this. That would be so sick

[Stillwater]

If Lue just starts Green instead of Love the Celtics will just pack the paint from the get go. Thompson/Green/Smith doesn't work imo.

Hate to break it to you but Green and Love have shot nearly identical % from beyond the break in the playoffs this year.

[java051997]

Now that Love wont play in game 7

Lue has to make a big decision who to start. Probably Jeff Green but Nance will play a lot of minutes in this game.

We saw how effective the lineup of
Hill-Smith-Korver-James-Nance.

Nance has been way solid last night.


Now, what adjustment should Stevens be made to matchup this lineup? Morris has been terrible beyond the arc and Smart had bad decisions. But they played really well in their homecourt.

[The Corey's]

Any time an all star is out it's harder for your coach. But I aint gonna sweat it we have a solid next man up replacement value and honestly with Love being targeted for lesser defense than James or Nance or Thompson adding Green just gives Boston one less angle to try to exploit.

easier for boston to guard lebron tho. just pack the paint

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

You don't expect anything to be different?

Cavs havent even been within 10 points in the 4th quarter at Boston but you expect them to win by atleast 10?

[Stillwater]

easier for boston to guard lebron tho. just pack the paint

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

You don't expect anything to be different?

Cavs havent even been within 10 points in the 4th quarter at Boston but you expect them to win by atleast 10?

I don't expect anything to be different for CLE in Boston than game 6 in CLE but given it's an elimination game for Boston as well I think if anything the lack of experience will finally catch up with them.

[The Corey's]

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

You don't expect anything to be different?

Cavs havent even been within 10 points in the 4th quarter at Boston but you expect them to win by atleast 10?

I don't expect anything to be different for CLE in Boston than game 6 in CLE but given it's an elimination game for Boston as well I think if anything the lack of experience will finally catch up with them.

Or Cavs lack of talent and coaching will.

Celtics may lose but it wont be because of experience.

[KingCurry]

Blessing in disguise that Love is out. They've been better without him every year. Remember what happened when Love was out for G3 against the Warriors down 0-2?

Plus it makes the Cavs lineup smaller which means Celtics probably can't play Baynes as much and he's been huge for them

[Tai]

Love has not been nearly as effective as a perimeter threat since the hand injury in the post season anyway so I don't see it changing much in Bostons game plan defensively but hey let them crowd even more...we have other floor spacers that can punish them for it.
If anything Stevens will have to try to find a different player to target Offensively, and whatever he came up with game 6 didn't work out for Boston so I don't expect it to be any different in game 7.

You don't expect anything to be different?

Cavs havent even been within 10 points in the 4th quarter at Boston but you expect them to win by atleast 10?

I don't expect anything to be different for CLE in Boston than game 6 in CLE but given it's an elimination game for Boston as well I think if anything the lack of experience will finally catch up with them.

Do you have anyone in mind when you say "lack of experience" or is it just a blanket statement that supposedly everyone hates ESPN for trotting out at times? Cause Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Horford were all in the ECF last year against the Cavs as well as Game 7 against the Wizards. People love to mention all the "experience" Horford has of having his lunch eaten by Lebron/TT over the years in the playoffs.

Even Tatum had that Game 7 against the Bucks this year, and played well in the closeout Game 5 against the Sixers.

Or are you just trumping it up by saying it's Game 7 in the ECF? I dunno, I'm just curious why the series isn't already over, cause the "lack of experience" line coulda been used from the very start of this series, and now 6 games later it "finally catches up" to the Celtics? I don't get it.

If you just have faith in Cleveland, just say so. But I feel like you're not being sincere saying NOW "well it's about experience" like it wasn't from Game 1 on.

[Grahf]

The Celtics were really hurt by Cleveland’s incredible team defense in the first half last night. Their defense was as good as it can be, we got an all-time great LeBron game, Al Horford played the worst game of his career, and the Celtics still only lost by 10.

Cleveland’s role players have yet to show up in Boston. Horford will be better. Advantage Celtics.

[Roland2000]

The only players that I can count on to perform are LeBron and Tatum and Brown.

LeBron will leave it all on the floor....guns blazing.

The young bucks (Tatum & Brown) don't give a ****.....they're also going down swinging...nothing to lose anyway.

There's got to be a third player for the Celtics to step up to win.

Or a second player for the Cavs.

Please God.....Celtics in 7!!!!!

[PierceFan4ever]

You don't expect anything to be different?

Cavs havent even been within 10 points in the 4th quarter at Boston but you expect them to win by atleast 10?

I don't expect anything to be different for CLE in Boston than game 6 in CLE but given it's an elimination game for Boston as well I think if anything the lack of experience will finally catch up with them.

Do you have anyone in mind when you say "lack of experience" or is it just a blanket statement that supposedly everyone hates ESPN for trotting out at times? Cause Rozier, Smart, Brown, and Horford were all in the ECF last year against the Cavs as well as Game 7 against the Wizards. People love to mention all the "experience" Horford has of having his lunch eaten by Lebron/TT over the years in the playoffs.

Even Tatum had that Game 7 against the Bucks this year, and played well in the closeout Game 5 against the Sixers.

Or are you just trumping it up by saying it's Game 7 in the ECF? I dunno, I'm just curious why the series isn't already over, cause the "lack of experience" line coulda been used from the very start of this series, and now 6 games later it "finally catches up" to the Celtics? I don't get it.

If you just have faith in Cleveland, just say so. But I feel like you're not being sincere saying NOW "well it's about experience" like it wasn't from Game 1 on.

People were saying the same **** when the series was tied 2-2 saying the Cavs are favored now winning 2 home games at home and the Celtics lack experience playing in big games in a huge game 5. That was basically an elimination for the Celtics itself that game and they gave the cavs a whopping.

[afox]

If Lue just starts Green instead of Love the Celtics will just pack the paint from the get go. Thompson/Green/Smith doesn't work imo.

Hate to break it to you but Green and Love have shot nearly identical % from beyond the break in the playoffs this year.

So you're happy Love is out then?

[Triple M]

i wonder how many times the team that wins games 1,2, and 5 go on to lose game 7. i cant recall it happening often; 69 celtics and 73 Knicks stick out

[jonjames]

Congrats Boston Celtics your 2018 Eastern Conference Champions!!!

[Mulhollanddrive]

Perfect situation for LeBron now he can't lose even if he loses and has a free hit at a legacy defining performance.