Round 1 Game 1 : Celtics vs Bulls - Saturday, April 18th

MyInsatiableOne · Post #2 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:20 pm

C's, pumped up to show what they can do sans KG, roll and win by 15!!

BillessuR6 · Post #3 » by **BillessuR6** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:33 pm

I didn`t expect KG to play in the first round even before today`s news, so no Garnett doesn`t change my opinion that we are a much better team.

I expect to shut them down on defense and dominate the game!

Let`s go, C`s! One game at a time!

CELTIC PRIDE!!!

kmgarnett21 · Post #4 » by **kmgarnett21** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:25 pm

What a sad start to the playoffs. What horrible news. I'm tired of the people saying "We'll be ok, blah blah blah"

KG is the reason the Celtics are as good as they are today, even without him playing. We NEED KG. I still think we will beat Chicago, although it will be harder than should be, but it'll be almost impossible doing anything else.

Hopefully we can obliterate Chicago in game 1 though. This also sucks b/c not having KG in the playoffs means Powe and BBD will step up big, leading to big contracts for both and we may lose one or both of them this offseason.

Sigh. Go C's. We need a miracle to make another title run.

Rocky5000 · Post #5 » by **Rocky5000** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:07 pm

Everybody has got to step up. We need Big Baby and Leon to play defense like they have never done before. We need Marbury to make the other team pay. Eddie House needs to keep on hitting 3s without going cold, and Tony Allen needs to keep his head in the game. Perkins is going to need to stay out of foul trouble, because without KG the Bulls have a size advantage. Rondo is probably the most important of all. Stop Rose and put pressure on the Bulls' defense.

TheCardinal20 · Post #6 » by **TheCardinal20** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:16 pm

I wouldn't put too much stock into what Doc was saying. KG may not be ready for Chicago, but I'd be absolutely shocked if he doesn't make an appearance in games 5-7 should Chicago steal a game in Boston AND Chicago. Doc is playing games with Cleveland and Orlando, KG will be ready, and I think he will be ready for the Bulls should Ben Gordon have one of his ridiculous stretch of games at the worst possible time.

BillessuR6 · Post #7 » by **BillessuR6** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:34 pm

KG won`t play against CHI. We are a much better team than CHI even without KG. Maybe in the ECF if we get that far, because until then there is still some time to get better...

MyInsatiableOne · Post #8 » by **MyInsatiableOne** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:48 pm

thebirdman wrote:KG won`t play against CHI. We are a much better team than CHI even without KG. Maybe in the ECF if we get that far, because until then there is still some time to get better...

Yeah KG could use the extra 2 weeks if we get to the ECF to heal...we shall see...

It almost seems like they're freaking out over a bad workout this morning and not the whole body of rehab work...everyone has a bad workout once and a while...we shall see...

pballa · Post #9 » by **pballa** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 5:52 pm

time to change my sig to a bulls one and demolish it

Kefa461 · Post #10 » by **Kefa461** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:43 pm

Time to crank it up a notch......KG or not.........Defense is defense.......C's by 7

8-)

MVP16 · Post #11 » by **MVP16** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:51 pm

Interesting to see whether Leon or Baby starts. Baby provides better spacing because of his shooting, but I want to see Leon start. He is just a beast when he gets to start and a starting frontcourt of Leon/Perk should dominate the Bulls on the boards. Thomas and Noah are both skinny and can get pushed around. I also want us to stick to a 3 man rotation at the big man spot of Perk/Powe/Baby with Moore getting very liminted minutes.

Pierce should start the game aggressive and try to get Salmons at foul trouble. The Bulls are extremely thin at the sf spot.

BRUNiNHO91 · Post #12 » by **BRUNiNHO91** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:05 pm

Celtics win by around 10...expect a big playoff series by Paul Pierce..he is the captain, he will lead this team along side Perk on the defensive end, and he will lead this team with Ray on offense...You know he is going to come out strong to try and prove himself once again. Hopefully Marbury turns it up a notch more, House continues lighting it up from 3 pt land, Tony Allen gets his 'salmon n mashed potatoes' before the game..the rest of the players will be fine...

greenbeans · Post #13 » by **greenbeans** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:49 pm

Any chance Doc goes small with the starting lineup for a couple games?
Rondo
Steph
Ray
Paul
Perk

or does he just keep it Baby/Powe?

Post #14 » by **Celtics_Champs** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:06 pm

Can't wait. never been to an afternoon game.

Hopefully the C's set the tone early.

I love playoff time, this board is rocking.

Avalanche · Post #15 » by **Avalanche** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:08 pm

I would go back to starting Baby

We still take this, its still home court and we are the better team with or without KG..

but damn, this takes the excitement out of the game for me, especially cause i have to stay up so late to watch it

Legendary 33 · Post #16 » by **Legendary 33** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:51 pm

Bulls fan here. Just wanna say best of luck to you guys in the playoffs, and I'm extremely sorry for the Celtics today after I heard about what happened to Danny Ainge. Hopefully he makes a speedy recovery.

I do, however, believe that we can push this series to atleast 6 games now, I just can't see Rose not stepping up and penetrating as often as he can against your suddenly softer interior defense. I think the Celtics will win the first 2, we'll take the next two at home, Celts in game 5, and at that point KG (might?) come back and just end things in Chicago. If he doesn't, I'm expecting to see a game 7 blowout similar to your last year series vs. Atlanta.

BRUNiNHO91 · Post #17 » by **BRUNiNHO91** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:45 am

xroyalty34 wrote:Bulls fan here. Just wanna say best of luck to you guys in the playoffs, and I'm extremely sorry for the Celtics today after I heard about what happened to Danny Ainge. Hopefully he makes a speedy recovery.

I do, however, believe that we can push this series to atleast 6 games now, I just can't see Rose not stepping up and penetrating as often as he can against your suddenly softer interior defense. I think the Celtics will win the first 2, we'll take the next two at home, Celts in game 5, and at that point KG (might?) come back and just end things in Chicago. If he doesn't, I'm expecting to see a game 7 blowout similar to your last year series vs. Atlanta.

I'm not going to hate on you...because I guess you have to believe in your team..I mean if you don't, then who will right? But our interior D isn't really 'soft'...you do know Perk and Powe are still pretty mean defenders down low...it isn't the same D as it would be with KG in there, yet it is still pretty damn good. People are kind of sleeping on our current squad...and that's ok because alot don't see what this team does day in and day out like us REAL Celtics fans do..and that's why we don't think a young Bulls roster could take us deep into the series...but I guess you might be able to push it to 6, even though I don't really see it going more than 5...yet this is the NBA..maybe we go only 4 or we could go 7 like we did with the Hawks..we will see..but hey...thanks for the kind words, and I would say good luck to the Bulls too, but that would be a bunch of bullshiet...

And ohh.. it will be amazing to watch a series of Rondo x Rose...I love Rose..the kid is beast..

ChiCitySPORTS#1 · Post #18 » by **ChiCitySPORTS#1** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:52 am

BRUNiNHO91 wrote:
xroyalty34 wrote:Bulls fan here. Just wanna say best of luck to you guys in the playoffs, and I'm extremely sorry for the Celtics today after I heard about what happened to Danny Ainge. Hopefully he makes a speedy recovery.

I do, however, believe that we can push this series to atleast 6 games now, I just can't see Rose not stepping up and penetrating as often as he can against your suddenly softer interior defense. I think the Celtics will win the first 2, we'll take the next two at home, Celts in game 5, and at that point KG (might?) come back and just end things in Chicago. If he doesn't, I'm expecting to see a game 7 blowout similar to your last year series vs. Atlanta.

I'm not going to hate on you...because I guess you have to believe in your team..I mean if you don't, then who will right? But our interior D isn't really 'soft'...you do know Perk and Powe are still pretty mean defenders down low...it isn't the same D as it would be with KG in there, yet it is still pretty damn good. People are kind of sleeping on our current squad...and that's ok because alot don't see what this team does day in and day out like us REAL Celtics fans do..and that's why we don't think a young Bulls roster could take us deep into the series...but I guess you might be able to push it to 6, even though I don't really see it going more than 5...yet this is the NBA..maybe we go only 4 or we could go 7 like we did with the Hawks..we will see..but hey...thanks for the kind words, and I would say good luck to the Bulls too, but that would be a bunch of bullshiet...
And ohh.. it will be amazing to watch a series of Rondo x Rose...I love Rose..the kid is beast..

he said your teams interior d has become SOFTER. not soft. and im sure without KG in the paint, you would agree the celtics are not as good defensivly as they were.

Flight 23 · Post #19 » by **Flight 23** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:29 am

(Bulls fan)

The Bulls are firstly a jumpshooting team. If the shots are falling, it's lights out and the Celtics can't win. Nobody can. If they aren't, historically the Bulls just keep throwing up bricks and get blown out instead of changing things up and forcing it inside.

But with KG out it looks like the lane will be fairly open for Rose if they choose to finally just make him the go-to guy all game long like he should be. I suspect they will do this, and it will be easier for the Bulls when the backcourt is Rose & Hinrich instead of Gordon.

There have been problems all season with Ben Gordon not wanting to relinquish his position as the primary scorer. He is rarely involved in meaningful plays and has become a pure one-on-one scorer that takes possession of the ball, dribbles around mindlessly in a small imaginary box and then jacks up a shot. We often live or die by these low basketball IQ shots of his.

Now if Gordon is going to play team ball (which we see from time to time) in the playoffs, this Bulls team is entirely different and EXTREMELY dangerous.

gf2020hotmail · Post #20 » by **gf2020hotmail** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:37 am

Celtics theoretically should have an especially easy time in game one. The Bulls have been terrible all year in early games:

Dec. 31 Orlando Magic 113 Bulls 94
Jan. 19 at New York Knicks 102 Bulls 98
Feb. 22 at Indiana Pacers 98 Bulls 91
March 28 Indiana Bulls 112 Pacers 106 (Bulls trailed with 3:04 left)
March 29 at Toronto Raptors 134 Bulls 129
April 4 New Jersey Bulls 103 Nets 94 (Bulls trailed with 1:50 left)
2-4 with the two wins coming against subpar teams at home in games they could have easily lost.