Celts Still Caven't Found What They're Looking For! Game 2 Loss vs CLE 5/9 (Tied 1-1)

[Lee Van Cleef]

Knicks will eats these guys alive in the ECF.

[BRUNiNHO91]

Is it too late to get rid of Jrue Holiday?

Or to give Charlotte Mazzula instead of Lee?

This team better have a special **** performance in game 3..that was probably the worst playoff loss I’ve ever seen Boston take.

[Memokerobi]

Also the last 2 games were also terrible in terms of fans/atmosphere. Both games felt like a Wednesday game in December. Look at how into it the guys in MSG or OKC are. Not a proud Boston moment

[JimmyFromNz]

I think the anti-Tatum venom in the game thread was too much. And let's not use the word 'soft' for so many reasons. He's not soft.

But there is something worrying about Tatum where he is willing to rack up good numbers, but ultimately feel like a bit of a bystander in a game when we needed his fingerprints on a comeback. That's on Joe in some ways, but Tatum has to find a way to impact the game more directly than gravity, even against double teams.

Agree completely. They open the games with such great intent, like putting tatum on the receiving end of easy entry passes at the rim.

Yet completely lose focus of that as the game progresses, I think a lot of that is on the coaching team, particularly when we have 4-5 options offensive options that need to be playing in sync and 'in their spot' to be fully effective.

[Big J]

J. B. Bickerstaff actually outcoached Joe.

Of course he did. It would be more shocking if Joe outcoached anyone.

[Celts17Pride]

Can’t wait for Mazzulla to come out and say he loved the Celtics intentionally on defense tonight

[Setshot33]

Also the last 2 games were also terrible in terms of fans/atmosphere. Both games felt like a Wednesday game in December. Look at how into it the guys in MSG or OKC are. Not a proud Boston moment

Want to know why that is?

Because deep down,nobody trusts this team. They are the Buffalo Bills of the NBA and the Eastern Conference.

[fallguy]

I think the anti-Tatum venom in the game thread was too much. And let's not use the word 'soft' for so many reasons. He's not soft.

But there is something worrying about Tatum where he is willing to rack up good numbers, but ultimately feel like a bit of a bystander in a game when we needed his fingerprints on a comeback. That's on Joe in some ways, but Tatum has to find a way to impact the game more directly than gravity, even against double teams.

He literally led the team in points, rebounds and assists.
But yeah I agree with the initial sentiment. Soft is a pointless thing to say.

I know he led the team in all those things (although it's not exactly a high bar to clear tonight). But you really thought he did enough tonight? Is this the kind of impact that brings home a title? I've almost exclusively said positive things about Tatum for two years, but he might be missing a key element for a 1A on a title team.

(None of this is to excuse all the other problems tonight).

[Tyakack]

I thought the C's would win in 5 but now I'm thinking 6. I think the cavs will win a home game. What's the point of homecourt when they never defend it anyways? We might as well have been the 5th seed.

JT, I'm so done defending him. It's put up or shut up with him for me. He is old enough, he has the experience, he has the most talented team in the league. In a game like this we needed our superstar if we were going to win it.. And not only did we not win, we got blown out in the end.

I've been pretty consistent about this, giving a roster like this to an unexperienced HC is malpractice. I love everything Brad has done but this one move almost cancels out everything else.

Winning a Title with Joe will be like winning it all with Doc. It could happen only because he has the best roster in the league, but good luck. Definitely gonna need it.

[reload141]

Can’t wait for Mazzulla to come out and say he loved the Celtics intentionally on defense tonight

Better yet, how we had good shots but they didn’t fall.

This was our first actual let down game of the playoffs.

So they deserve to get grilled for this.

[fallguy]

I think the anti-Tatum venom in the game thread was too much. And let's not use the word 'soft' for so many reasons. He's not soft.

But there is something worrying about Tatum where he is willing to rack up good numbers, but ultimately feel like a bit of a bystander in a game when we needed his fingerprints on a comeback. That's on Joe in some ways, but Tatum has to find a way to impact the game more directly than gravity, even against double teams.

Agree completely. They open the games with such great intent, like putting tatum on the receiving end of easy entry passes at the rim.

Yet completely lose focus of that as the game progresses, I think a lot of that is on the coaching team, particularly when we have 4-5 options offensive options that need to be playing in sync and 'in their spot' to be fully effective.

Joe is not the guy to manage this team. That's blindingly obvious to everyone at this point (I think).

[Green89]

During Denver's playoff run last season, all of their losses add up to 21 total points they lost by. We lost by 24 tonight.

[Green89]

Tatum started off the game the right way, driving to the rim and getting to the line. Then, after his usual first Q rest, he came back into the game and started taking, deep, contested step back shots.

[Bar Fight]

I just want to say that the “fans” on here are in another world with their ridiculous expectations. I’ve got news for you. The Celtics are going to lose again these playoffs. Multiple times. You set an asininely high bar, you’re going to be disappointed over and over. These are the playoffs. Series are won 4-2, not 4-0. Shooting variance, which will usually favor the Celtics, will, on occasion, go against them. They are still clearly the better team.

But go on calling the team and its players soft. That’s the type of support the team is used to from you after EVERY SINGLE loss.

Yeah, they really shouldn't lose many Playoff games (and certainly not at home) in this year's EC. This is one of the worst AND most banged up conferences in NBA history. Tonight's loss was certifiably embarrassing. They got beat by 30 at home by a mediocre team missing their starting center lol

[fallguy]

80% of yall are either stupid, soft, or don’t know basketball.

Have fun.

Great contribution.

[zoyathedestroya]

I think the anti-Tatum venom in the game thread was too much. And let's not use the word 'soft' for so many reasons. He's not soft.

But there is something worrying about Tatum where he is willing to rack up good numbers, but ultimately feel like a bit of a bystander in a game when we needed his fingerprints on a comeback. That's on Joe in some ways, but Tatum has to find a way to impact the game more directly than gravity, even against double teams.

He literally led the team in points, rebounds and assists.
But yeah I agree with the initial sentiment. Soft is a pointless thing to say.

Kinda disappeared in the 2nd half when team needed him most. 9/1/2, -20. Most of his FTs if not all were in the 1st half. As opposed to what Mitchell was doing. K, not even Mitchell. LeVert pretty much matched his production in that half.

[Celts17Pride]

Read on Twitter

No excuses from Joe

[TheMartian]

So many things being pointed out as to what went wrong. I think the bottom line is this team never learns. They keep making the same mistakes over and over and over, and nothing it seems is being done to prevent those mistakes from happening again.

[GrandTheftRondo]

That could be the most embarrassing playoff home loss in Celtics history.

Not sure I’ve ever seen a 1 seed get outworked and blown off their court like that.

Can’t even come back with that BS shooting anomaly **** either. They didn’t go crazy from deep.

[BK_2020]

I think the anti-Tatum venom in the game thread was too much. And let's not use the word 'soft' for so many reasons. He's not soft.

But there is something worrying about Tatum where he is willing to rack up good numbers, but ultimately feel like a bit of a bystander in a game when we needed his fingerprints on a comeback. That's on Joe in some ways, but Tatum has to find a way to impact the game more directly than gravity, even against double teams.

He literally led the team in points, rebounds and assists.
But yeah I agree with the initial sentiment. Soft is a pointless thing to say.

Kinda disappeared in the 2nd half when team needed him most. 9/1/2, -20. Most of his FTs if not all were in the 1st half. As opposed to what Mitchell was doing. K, not even Mitchell. LeVert pretty much matched his production in that half.

Jaylen and White needed their shots, what can you do. When you have a super team around you you gotta make some sacrifices.