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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 19:38:22 GMT -5
OKC taking it to the lakers in Q3 75-59!
The Thunder are for real ...
Celtics vs. Nets: Live stream, start time, TV Channel, how to watch NBA seeding game (Tue. Aug. 5) (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)AP By Tom Westerholm | twesterh@masslive.comThe Boston Celtics are struggling a bit within the NBA’s Disney World bubble, but on Wednesday -- after losing to the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat on Tuesday -- they have a chance to get back on track against another banged up team: The Brooklyn Nets. Here’s how to live stream the game or watch it on national TV. A full list of Celtics seeding games can be found here Aug. 5 vs. Brooklyn NetsStart time: 9 p.m. TV: ESPN, NBC Sports Boston Online: NBC Sports Online | ESPN | fuboTV | Hulu+ Live TV (Click Source for Link) Here’s what the Celtics had to say after Tuesday’s loss.
Brad Stevens on the loss
“Miami had a lot to do with it. Miami was dictating how the game was played. They were great. And they deserve a lot of credit for that. I think maybe talking too much about our approach would take away from them. I don’t want to do that. I thought they were great tonight. I thought we started off defending really well for the first three minutes. We were very active, very locked in, very engaged. We missed a few shots and for whatever reason it went kind of downhill from there. I thought at the start of the third quarter we were great, but you’re fighting uphill then. But credit Miami. They did a great job. They’re a really good team. We’ve got to get a lot better obviously, and work on it.”
Stevens on Boston’s struggles vs. opposing bigs
“We’re fouling because they’re getting the ball so deep. I’ll have to go back and look at a couple of the perimeter fouls again, but the post fouls they’re just getting it deep and they’re using their strength and size. So we’re going to have to not allow the ball to get deep. We’re going to have to figure that out. At the beginning of the year I thought we guarded with great intensity, we kept the ball out of the paint. We’re not doing as good of a job now at keeping the ball out of the paint, so we’ve just gotta figure out if it gets down there we’re toast. So we’ve gotta keep it from getting down there.”
Jayson Tatum on frustrations after he and Gordon Hayward picked up techs
“We just have to stay focused. Basketball is an emotional game and we let our emotions play too much of a part today. We just got to do a better job of just focusing on what we can control and not worry about other things.”
Tatum on prepping for the playoffs
“We’re taking it one day at a time. We’re taking it one day at a time. We’re not looking too far ahead. We’re just trying to get better, use these games to build rhythm and chemistry. Obviously we know we are going to the playoffs, but we’re still focused on one game at a time.”
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:03:06 GMT -5
Preview: Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets After the disappointing loss to Miami, the Brooklyn Nets offer the Boston Celtics an ideal opponent to turn things around. By daniellubofsky
Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
There’s no maneuvering around the disappointment following Tuesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat. Undefeated against them in their two previous meetings and relieved of having to halt Jimmy Butler (ankle soreness), Boston’s energy was lacking and they paid for it.
If there is a preferred opponent to face on the heels of a lackluster outing, the Brooklyn Nets offer the Celtics a shot at salvation at 9:00 PM EST.
Brooklyn infamously entered the bubble with a roster that was anything but intact. But three games in and they’re a surprising 2-1, including their most recent over the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks, who sought rest for their best players more than anything else but played them enough to warrant the outcome a surprising one.
Absent from that win were Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, and Jarrett Allen. The former two sat with injuries and are probable for Wednesday’s game. Allen was rested and should be good to go.
The last time these two teams met was eight days before the NBA’s shutdown in one of the more thrilling if not improbable games of the season. Boston led by as many as 21 in the second half. Brooklyn, without Kyrie Irving, got the game into overtime and escaped TD Garden with a nine-point win on the shoulders of Caris LeVert’s career-high 51 points.
Boston will be without Kemba Walker in the halfway point of their seeding games. While Brad Stevens assures his point guard won’t see a minutes restriction in the playoffs, Walker, who put up 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting against Miami with four assists, has taken an every-other-day approach to the rehab of his right knee. On the second night of a back-to-back, that plan relegates him to street clothes today.
Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images
Jayson Tatum led Boston in scoring against the Heat with 23 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He seems to have put his opening dud against the Bucks behind him, and the Celtics will need him to carry more of the load in Walker’s absence against Brooklyn.
Boston is 1-2 in three seeding games. A few things go in the opposite direction and they could very well be 0-3. Miami is creeping up in the standings, now only 1.5 games behind for the #3 seed.
More important than seeding, however, is the confidence with which Boston enters its first-round matchup. If the postseason began today, there wouldn’t be much, but the Nets are a favorable matchup to begin rebuilding that foundation.
Projected Starters
PG – Brad Wanamaker – Tyler Johnson
SG – Jaylen Brown – Joe Harris
SF – Gordon Hayward – Caris LeVert
PF – Jayson Tatum – Rodions Kurucs
C – Daniel Theis – Jarrett Allen
Injuries
BOS - Kemba Walker (Rest)
BKN - Jamal Crawford (Hamstring)
How To Watch
Time – 9:00 pm EST
TV – NBC Sports Boston, ESPN, NBA League Pass
What to watch for
Can the Celtics rediscover their elite defense?
Boston has been the fifth-best defensive team throughout the regular season. That prowess has not traveled to the bubble, where only Portland and Philadelphia are surrendering more points per 100 possessions than Boston’s 118 through three seeding games.
Their three opponents don’t exactly fall on the easier side when it comes to defensive results. Portland, Miami, and Milwaukee rank fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, in offensive rating. However, that’s hardly an excuse considering the likely path of Boston’s Finals hopes, one that could include any of the other top three East teams, none of whom rank lower than 12th in offense.
Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
“Our defense has to improve from what it’s been in the first three games,” Brad Stevens said following the loss to Miami. “At the beginning of the year, I thought we guarded with great intensity and we kept the ball out of the paint. We’re not doing as good of a job now at keeping the ball out of the paint. If it gets down there, we’re toast.”
Brooklyn hardly strikes fear into its seeding opponents, but the Celtics have faced their wrath before. Jarrett Allen punished Boston’s suspect interior for 17 points and 14 rebounds (five offensive) back in November. LeVert’s 51 points on March 3 included 26 in the fourth and 11 in overtime.
The Celtics might already be locked into a top-4 seed. That hardly does any good if they enter the playoffs sputtering where they should be thriving. They need to start playing like it in the ways the do best, starting at the defensive end against an opponent that, despite the potential for damage, ultimately gives them a supreme opportunity to do so.
How Boston fills the Kemba void
Walker wasn’t filling his accustomed minutes load in Boston’s three scrimmage games, 22.6 in the bubble compared to 31.3 a game on the season. Nevertheless, his absence demands those minutes to be filled.
Brad Wanamaker has done enough to earn over 19 minutes a night as the backup point guard, but there’s a reason Stevens has kept him off the bench in 13 of the 14 games Walker has missed this season.
Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
As steady a floor general as the 31-year-old is, the Celtics are giving up an extra 2.5 points per 100 possessions defensively with Wanamaker and are a minus-4.0 on offense per Cleaning The Glass.
Those numbers are a bit easier to stomach in a role that simply has Wanamaker fill the time between Walker’s breaks, less so when you ask him to fill Kemba’s starting shoes.
Marcus Smart has played 23.0 percent of his minutes this season at point guard. While Boston’s offense struggles, its defense ranks in the 95th percentile, perhaps exactly what’s needed to reboot the Celtics’ aforementioned sputtering defensive effort.
No matter who officially starts in Walker’s spot, expect playmaking responsibilities to be split among Boston’s trio of starting wings. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have come a long way as creators while Gordon Hayward has spent time initiating the offense.
Can the Celtics avoid complacency?
Boston is expected to come out victorious against a Nets team missing a handful of its top players. The same could’ve been said in their matchup against a Miami team without Jimmy Butler. Look what happened there.
The Heat without Butler are still miles ahead of what’s left of these Nets, but the point remains the same. Complacency is a legitimate factor in certain instances. Boston let it affect their chances against a conference foe, lifeless and sloppy on defense, expected to be handed the win because the odds suggested it.
It’s easy to view these Nets as an afterthought, but the Celtics shouldn’t feel like they have that luxury. Not only is the third seed still technically up for Miami’s grasp, but Boston hasn’t exactly been building the right habits as the postseason nears with a 1-2 record.
They need to start trending in the right direction. The only way to do that is to handle the only game that matters: the next one. Brooklyn doesn’t inspire much motivation in that regard, but the Celtics better find the means to avoid a pit that will only grow deeper if they don’t.
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:04:25 GMT -5
Definitely the Celts are a work in progress.
But size is really an issue. Opposing bigs always have big scoring nights against the Celts.
If this trend continues then the Celts could exit in the 1st round because their opponent is the Sixers and Embiid.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:10:29 GMT -5
Definitely the Celts are a work in progress. But size is really an issue. Opposing bigs always have big scoring nights against the Celts. If this trend continues then the Celts could exit in the 1st round because their opponent is the Sixers and Embiid.
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:16:43 GMT -5
What's more concerning is the Celts shooting poorly from the 3pt land against the Bucks and Heat.
Celts are a small ball team, so they should be very good from the 3pt area.
If you're a small ball team and not very good at shooting 3s then you're not going to be a very good team.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:27:47 GMT -5
12-11 Nets 5 min into game ...
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:35:11 GMT -5
3 keys to victory over the Brooklyn Nets
by Mark Nilon
Key to victory No. 1: Start strong, finish strong
Thus far throughout the Boston Celtics’ first few outings, it has been a tale of two halves.
Back on (re)opening night, the shamrocks came out of the game pretty lackadaisical. Down 20-6 at the 7:25 mark of the game (about five minutes in), it appeared Friday night’s outing had the makings for a complete and utter blowout.
However, as the game progressed, went into the second half, and players began to find their rhythm — although, unfortunately not Jayson Tatum who finished with just five points on 11 percent shooting — the outing actually became tremendously competitive. In the end, had it not been for their slow start to the contest, it is quite possible that Boston could have come away from the outing with a ‘W’, instead of dropping to the Milwaukee Bucks by the score of 119-112.
Despite a win in their followup outing against the Portland Trailblazers, the shoe was on the other foot, as the team found themselves coming out of the gates swinging. Outscoring Rip City by a score of 67-48, Tatum seemed to have put his woes behind him, scoring 21 points in the first half. As the game went into the third and fourth quarters, though, things began to simmer down, as Tatum dropped just 11 more points while the Cs were outscored by Damian Lillard and co. 74-61, ending the game with a too close for comfort final score of 128-124.
This trend even found itself riding into last night’s game against the Heat. Trailing for the entirety of the first half (outscored 63-51), Boston came back hard in the second half — specifically in the fourth –, as they outscored Miami 55-49. Alas, it was too little too late and, in turn, they could not make up for their lackluster start and lost by a mere six points.
Had they played just a bit better in the early stages of the game, perhaps we’d be talking about how the team is riding high on a two game-winning steak themselves, rather than discussing their sub-.500 record.
With this in mind, we’d say that a simpler way for Boston to attain a victory this time around will be consistency throughout the first game; starting off and finishing strong, if you will.
Key to victory No. 2) Unleash Robert Williams III
Coming into the Disney bubble there had been big talk pertaining to the Boston Celtics’ second-year big man, Robert Williams III and his seemingly improved game due to ample rest during the hiatus.
When asked personally about how he was feeling heading into the NBA’s resumption, Williams went on to say:
“I actually feel like I got a little bit quicker, a little bit faster … three and a half months gave my body time to heal. I got some good treatment, good work in”
Despite this hype surrounding the man known as “Time Lord”, we have yet to see sufficient minutes bestowed to him on the hardwood. In tonight’s matchup against the Nets, this has got to change.
With his impressive combination of skill and athleticism, he very well could become a fantastic combatant in the postseason going up against the likes of Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo come the postseason.
Throughout the year, Williams has put up solid averages of 4.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks per game, and the best defensive box plus/ minus rating on the entire team with 4.4.
If they hope to utilize his specific skillset when it matters most, they must roll him out in situations with little on the line, such as tonight’s outing.
Key to victory No. 3) Treat the Brooklyn Nets like they would any other team
It’s no secret that the Brooklyn Nets are the most undermanned team in this 22-team Disney bubble. With the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, and Wilson Chandler all opting out for various reasons, the team has been virtually unrecognizable during these initial games.
And yet, despite this, they find themselves boasting a 2-1 record during the league’s resumption, an overall record of 32-35, and still in possession of the Eastern Conference’s second seed.
Led by the likes of a 40-year-old Jamal Crawford (albeit, in just six minutes of action), Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Garrett Temple, and Justin Anderson the diminished Nets have even managed to best the presumptive title favorite Milwaukee Bucks in yesterday’s outing 119-116.
The Boston Celtics couldn’t even do that!
To put it as simple as possible: regardless of their lack of star power, Brooklyn is still an NBA team who currently find themselves cast as the underdogs in the bubble.
Though the Celtics are obviously already heading towards their sixth consecutive postseason, coming into the playoffs polished is a must if they wish to have an extended stay.
With this, every remaining regular-season game needs to be looked at in the same vein — as a way for them to better position themselves for success moving forward.
This trend must continue with the Nets tonight, and this game must be treated as if they’re playing against the Bucks or Lakers themselves.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:36:07 GMT -5
From the top: SWISH!
From the left: SWISH!
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:37:17 GMT -5
Jaylen making 3s makes the Celts a very good team.
Against the Heat, both Jaylen and Gordon didn't make a single 3-pointer.
I think the Celts can live with being small as long as they're making 3s on a regular basis.
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:39:46 GMT -5
Today's NBA is all about the offense.
The Rockets are using a 6-7 Robert Covington as a Center and the Rockets are winning a lot of games.
Celts just need to be better on offense to compensate for their lack of size.
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:40:48 GMT -5
RWill now in the game.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:41:11 GMT -5
Rob Williams sighting ...
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:42:28 GMT -5
Allen blows right past the Time Lord like he was a broken clock.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:44:14 GMT -5
Smart for THREE ...
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:45:07 GMT -5
RWill to the rim from Romeo ... +1 ... 26-24 C's (2 mins to the half)
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:46:13 GMT -5
FTs for RWill as Temple fouls him setting a screen ... he makes both (28-24)
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Post by cole on Aug 5, 2020 20:46:32 GMT -5
Just got in. Nice to see Robert Williams hit a couple of free throws
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:47:45 GMT -5
Tatum picks up his 3rd foul in 6 mins ... Brad will challenge but JT did get him on the arm.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:50:33 GMT -5
How many members here wanted T.J.Warren ... half or more?
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:51:54 GMT -5
Great defensive play from Romeo.
This kid Romeo is a keeper!
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:51:59 GMT -5
Maker 2-2 FTs ... 30-25 C's Romeo with the defense gets a turnover and RWill throws it down off a great ally-oop from Smart!
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:54:32 GMT -5
How many members here wanted T.J.Warren ... half or more? I wanted Warren.
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:55:44 GMT -5
Celts go 5-8 from 3pt land and Celts end up scoring over 30 points in the 1st qtr. and having a 9-point lead.
Again, if the 3s fall for the Cs, they're a very good team.
If the 3s don't fall the Celts are like a lottery team.
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2020 20:56:44 GMT -5
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Post by fierce on Aug 5, 2020 20:57:54 GMT -5
Celts big FT advantage, Celts now have 17 attempts from the stripe while the Nets only 3.
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