PLAYOFFS: Rnd 1, Gm 6 – Celtics (3) @ Hawks (2) – 8:30PM, Thurs, April 27, 2023

[Fantaxp7]

Just friggin win...

[Red2]

I think we win tonight but nothing about this team shocks me anymore so it could easily be a loss. Our ciach is a major reason we could lose

[tfribs45]

a bunch of Debbie Downers around here lately, cheer up C's fans! Weather the storm....."The Comeback is always greater then the setback"!

[Larry_Russell]

team has awakened,
Energy has shifted
eyes have been opened
nuts are up

20 point blowout tonight

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

Coach needs to show this team the Milwaukee game and be like, "This could be you if you don't take this **** seriously."

Yeah it really is. Milwaukee is out, Boston has home court advantage throughout the east, Embiid is supposedly hobbled and Miami is missing Herro.

Of course in order to take advantage of this they have to get by the juggernaut 7th seed Hawks.

[exculpatory]

Copied & pasted from the #7 thread because it is so germane to Game 6.

JB showed up.

Credit where credit is due - non-basketball feelings totally set aside:

Discounting his consistently inexcusable TOV & outrageous missed FTs, #7 truly brought it >>>> than our MVP.

Tatum needs to wake the mother **** up ASAP.

AND BROGDON & WHITE NEED TO CLOSE - WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GAMES WHERE MARCUS HAS FOCUSED ON CAREFUL DISTRIBUTION & D, & IS ONLY SHOOTING MUST TAKE CATCH & SHOOT 3 POINT SHOTS IN THE FLOW OF THE GAME.

AND IF THE BUBBLEGUM MORON DOES NOT LEARN WHEN TO CALL MOMENTUM CHANGING TOs, & COME UP WITH APPROPRIATE ATO PLAYS, FIRE HIS ASS NOW. GOOD GUY BUT WAY OVER HIS HEAD.

As usual you cut through the BS to get to the point. No one can argue Brown is better than Tatum. You can question why in a game 5 close out Tatum played so casually. He didn't bring his A game or his A effort.

The Heat just won 3 in a row to upset the Bucks yet in their play in game, the Hawks dominated them. They may have been down 3-1, but they believe they are good enough to beat us. Down 111-99 with 5 minutes to go, they didn’t roll over and Tatum in particular didn’t close this game with the intensity we expect.

All season long - even during the great start - this team has shown an inability to clamp down in crunch time. It’s a problem. The Hawks know they can score against our defense when it matters.

This is a series now. Bogdanovich is a Celtic killer, Collins has been resuscitated from his coma, Hunter is heating up, Trae got his swag back and the Hawks get their other best player back from suspension for game 6 at home.

Tatum needs to play like he hates to lose and believes it can happen. That’s when he is at his best.

Well said as usual & spot on.

[exculpatory]

team has awakened,
Energy has shifted
eyes have been opened
nuts are up

20 point blowout tonight

Which team?

[Celticsfan100]

Can you imagine the threads after tonight’s game. It’s either we are winning it all or we are getting eliminated first round. I think we got this unless the game stays close and their shooters get hot and they barely beat us. But we should win comfortably if we play like who we are. This has a 2008 feel to it. No matter how good the defense was Atlanta could not miss a shot. Especially Joe Johnson. Just end this and be done with this team. Regardless of seeding they’ve always played us well in the playoffs.

[TheMartian]

Tatum masterclass tonight 5-17 from the FG, 3 clutch turnovers and 10 “I have to better” in the postgame press conference

Lol, 50-50 chance you're right.

The 50 - 50 is the harsh reality of things. And I'm not just referring to JT, it could be JB or DWhite or whoever, it's just that the Celtics feel it the most if it's JT. And that's sad.

[TheMartian]

All I know is, when JT plays badly, the team follows suit and chalks up an L. JT needs to be great. Not just good. GREAT.

[The Corey's]

The question is, why is Tatum bringing the ball up court in crunch time when he is a turnover risk?

To be honest, all things being equal, white or brogdan need to be handling the ball down the stretch.

Tatum is not a facilitator.

[zoyathedestroya]

Not worried. Same way I wasn’t worried this series will go past 5 games. Not worried at all.

[sam_I_am]

Not worried. Same way I wasn’t worried this series will go past 5 games. Not worried at all.

I think if the Hawks and Celtics each play their best, the Celtics win. I think the Hawks have a puncher’s chance because they have enough great offensive players to make the Celtics work their asses off to get 1 more win and a coach who bailed out a sinking ship.

Why am I worried? Because this team this season has shown over and over again that they do not close out games and are vulnerable in close games.

[BRUNiNHO91]

If this goes 7 I can see Boston folding like a beach chair. This team is soft and the coach is easily a bottom 3 coach in the playoffs. This has to be a win.

Play Brogdon you gum chewing vegetable.

[ConstableGeneva]

Read on Twitter

At least Smart reads my tweets apparently.

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

Not worried. Same way I wasn’t worried this series will go past 5 games. Not worried at all.

I think if the Hawks and Celtics each play their best, the Celtics win. I think the Hawks have a puncher’s chance because they have enough great offensive players to make the Celtics work their asses off to get 1 more win and a coach who bailed out a sinking ship.

Why am I worried? Because this team this season has shown over and over again that they do not close out games and are vulnerable in close games.

That is exactly what worries me as well. Five games into the playoffs and Boston is playing exactly like they did in the regular season despite people saying this would be a different team come playoff time.

Let's not forget this is the same Boston team that lost back-to-back home games against Orlando; Atlanta absolutely has a chance in this series.

[ConstableGeneva]

Not worried. Same way I wasn’t worried this series will go past 5 games. Not worried at all.

I think if the Hawks and Celtics each play their best, the Celtics win. I think the Hawks have a puncher’s chance because they have enough great offensive players to make the Celtics work their asses off to get 1 more win and a coach who bailed out a sinking ship.

Why am I worried? Because this team this season has shown over and over again that they do not close out games and are vulnerable in close games.

That is exactly what worries me as well. Five games into the playoffs and Boston is playing exactly like they did in the regular season despite people saying this would be a different team come playoff time.

Let's not forget this is the same Boston team that lost back-to-back home games against Orlando; Atlanta absolutely has a chance in this series.

It's the same Boston core from 3 years ago who let Raptors extend the ECSF to 7 games when they could've buried them in a 3-0 hole and finished them off in 4. Only cos they couldn't guard a SLOB play with almost no time left lol.

[The_Ghost_of_JB]

Read on Twitter

At least Smart reads my tweets apparently.

Unfortunately that's been the general theme of this series. Game three they were just flat out beat but the rest of the games Boston had a decent size lead and either lost it or Atlanta closed the gap enough to make it a game.

[_Und3r][D4wg_]

Stop it with this Unfinished Pussyness, show some spine & professional pride after being abused & humiliated by a tiny guy unfairly ridiculed as resembling a discarded lollipop dragged through a dirty carpet.

Come out with sustained aggression & controlled anger, and play like true seasoned & skilled veterans that have learned over the years how to win games playing the right way.

Compete fiercely all game long to justify the millions they're being paid, and live up to the adulation & expectations of their supporters and the estimation of basketball fans in general.

Please!!! End this!!! Go & win, Cs!!!

[Celts17Pride]

Just play hard for 48 minutes. That’s what I am asking for tonight