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Post by Admin on Sept 26, 2020 11:39:29 GMT -5
With stuff like what's posted just below, and MOAR, this will just be the penultimate game in this series for EC Champs:
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2020 18:02:49 GMT -5
Admin all fired up? For Game 5, the game thread did not start until 10 mins before!!
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Post by Admin on Sept 26, 2020 19:27:26 GMT -5
Got busy with after hours stock trading ...
Good thing the market is closed on the weekend!
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Post by Admin on Sept 26, 2020 20:33:21 GMT -5
The Celtics’ Glut of Talent Is Starting to Overwhelm the Heat
Saturday, September 26, 6:35 a.m. PT
Jonathan Tjarks: Boston’s talent kept its season alive with a Game 5 win over Miami. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 58 points, while Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart chipped in 15 assists in secondary roles. The Celtics didn’t even need that much help from Gordon Hayward, who has been turned into a $32 million role player now that he’s coming off the bench.
Having that much talent is an incredible luxury. Tatum, Brown, and Hayward are all 6-foot-8 wings with the ability to defend multiple positions, create their own offense, and knock down 3s. An NBA team is lucky if they have one of those types of players. The Celtics have three. Walker is a four-time All-Star and one of the most deadly 1-on-1 scorers in the league. Smart is a first-team All-Defensive selection who plays bigger than his size and has blossomed into an offensive force, averaging 14.1 points and 4.8 assists per game in the playoffs.
Getting five players with that much skill on the same team is hard enough. Doing it when they are all in their athletic prime is almost impossible. Hayward and Walker both turned 30 this season. The rest are in their 20s. Boston is an absolute juggernaut of a team.
As great as Miami’s zone defenses have been in the East finals, the team has been relying on them for the same underlying reason that most NCAA teams use them: They don’t have nearly as much talent as their opponent. Their best scorers cannot match up with Boston’s best scorers. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are elite two-way players, but Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro are giving up a lot of size and speed to their counterparts. It’s why Toronto played so much zone against Boston in the second round, and it didn’t even have to worry about Hayward, who was still sidelined with an ankle injury.
The Heat, who hold a 3-2 series lead on the Celtics, have been winning with team basketball on both ends of the floor and timely plays in crunch time. Their zones have kept the Celtics off-balance, while their motion offense has created a ton of open 3s and cuts for their role players. Erik Spoelstra has squeezed every last bit of production out of his team.
But all you need to know about the difference between these teams is their margins of victory. Miami’s three wins have come by a total of 11 points. Boston’s two have been by 24. Hayward’s return in Game 3 has covered for a lot of questionable decisions made by Brad Stevens. Spoelstra conjured up a win against a full-strength Celtics team in Game 4 by shortening his rotation. But his margin of error is nonexistent, which is why the Heat have been blown out in two of three games since Hayward came back. Spoelstra has done all that he can to get his team to the brink of the NBA Finals. He needs his best player to carry them over the finish line.
Butler, who is averaging 18.4 points on 43.6 percent shooting and 4.4 assists per game in the series, has been oddly passive with the ball. He hasn’t led the Heat in scoring once in five games. Butler has been content to run the offense, set up his teammates, and bide his time until the fourth quarter. Bam has been the Heat’s best two-way player in the series, while Dragic and Herro have been doing the heavy lifting on offense, and their shooters have been on fire. But that formula can only take them so far. Miami shot 7-for-36 for 3 (14.9 percent) on Friday. The well has gone dry.
Butler came to Miami because he thought the franchise would put the best infrastructure around him to compete for a title. They have more than lived up to their end of the bargain. Now they need their franchise player to do the same on the biggest stage. Stars become more important the deeper you go into the playoffs. The Heat need Butler to step up and be the best player on the floor to earn a closeout win.
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Post by cole on Sept 26, 2020 23:18:32 GMT -5
The Celtics’ Glut of Talent Is Starting to Overwhelm the Heat
Saturday, September 26, 6:35 a.m. PT
Jonathan Tjarks: Boston’s talent kept its season alive with a Game 5 win over Miami. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 58 points, while Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart chipped in 15 assists in secondary roles. The Celtics didn’t even need that much help from Gordon Hayward, who has been turned into a $32 million role player now that he’s coming off the bench.
Having that much talent is an incredible luxury. Tatum, Brown, and Hayward are all 6-foot-8 wings with the ability to defend multiple positions, create their own offense, and knock down 3s. An NBA team is lucky if they have one of those types of players. The Celtics have three. Walker is a four-time All-Star and one of the most deadly 1-on-1 scorers in the league. Smart is a first-team All-Defensive selection who plays bigger than his size and has blossomed into an offensive force, averaging 14.1 points and 4.8 assists per game in the playoffs.
Getting five players with that much skill on the same team is hard enough. Doing it when they are all in their athletic prime is almost impossible. Hayward and Walker both turned 30 this season. The rest are in their 20s. Boston is an absolute juggernaut of a team.
As great as Miami’s zone defenses have been in the East finals, the team has been relying on them for the same underlying reason that most NCAA teams use them: They don’t have nearly as much talent as their opponent. Their best scorers cannot match up with Boston’s best scorers. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are elite two-way players, but Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro are giving up a lot of size and speed to their counterparts. It’s why Toronto played so much zone against Boston in the second round, and it didn’t even have to worry about Hayward, who was still sidelined with an ankle injury.
The Heat, who hold a 3-2 series lead on the Celtics, have been winning with team basketball on both ends of the floor and timely plays in crunch time. Their zones have kept the Celtics off-balance, while their motion offense has created a ton of open 3s and cuts for their role players. Erik Spoelstra has squeezed every last bit of production out of his team.
But all you need to know about the difference between these teams is their margins of victory. Miami’s three wins have come by a total of 11 points. Boston’s two have been by 24. Hayward’s return in Game 3 has covered for a lot of questionable decisions made by Brad Stevens. Spoelstra conjured up a win against a full-strength Celtics team in Game 4 by shortening his rotation. But his margin of error is nonexistent, which is why the Heat have been blown out in two of three games since Hayward came back. Spoelstra has done all that he can to get his team to the brink of the NBA Finals. He needs his best player to carry them over the finish line.
Butler, who is averaging 18.4 points on 43.6 percent shooting and 4.4 assists per game in the series, has been oddly passive with the ball. He hasn’t led the Heat in scoring once in five games. Butler has been content to run the offense, set up his teammates, and bide his time until the fourth quarter. Bam has been the Heat’s best two-way player in the series, while Dragic and Herro have been doing the heavy lifting on offense, and their shooters have been on fire. But that formula can only take them so far. Miami shot 7-for-36 for 3 (14.9 percent) on Friday. The well has gone dry.
Butler came to Miami because he thought the franchise would put the best infrastructure around him to compete for a title. They have more than lived up to their end of the bargain. Now they need their franchise player to do the same on the biggest stage. Stars become more important the deeper you go into the playoffs. The Heat need Butler to step up and be the best player on the floor to earn a closeout win.
So come on Jimmy, dribble into defenders and hope for a call. The Lakers closed out, so the refs might be ready to move on.
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Post by kyceltic on Sept 27, 2020 18:05:32 GMT -5
I hope this is not our last game of the season!! Tatum may have to get 35 for us to win!!
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Post by DaCeltics on Sept 27, 2020 18:40:57 GMT -5
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Post by sfbosfan on Sept 27, 2020 18:46:20 GMT -5
Mea Culpa...I copy and paste my post at end of the 5th game posts not seeing a 6th game one started.
I am nervous. Watched the replay 5th game 3rd & 4th Qtrs in between football and even though we won I was anxious & even p..sed they made a couple of garbage 3s at the end. Hoping for a “hat trick” of 3 of my favorite teams winning...49ers, Patriots and now the CELTICS!!! On my 2nd beer. Usually have 5-6 during the game. Getting drunk makes me euphoric when we win and deadens the pain when we .....don’t want to say it.
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Post by petey62 on Sept 27, 2020 18:51:49 GMT -5
We MUST attack the rim
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 18:54:33 GMT -5
That was a travel on Dragic
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 18:54:58 GMT -5
Attack!!!
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 18:56:28 GMT -5
Don't switch on Bam
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Post by DaCeltics on Sept 27, 2020 18:56:46 GMT -5
Maaaaah Kussss!!!!!!
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Post by kivancb on Sept 27, 2020 18:58:55 GMT -5
I tell you, if it were Dragic who made that three (Marcus' 2nd, getting us ahead by 15-14), that was a 3 and 1. DEFINITELY.
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Post by petey62 on Sept 27, 2020 19:02:19 GMT -5
Samart and those 3-point attempts. NOOOOOOOOOO
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 19:04:12 GMT -5
We could be okay
Playing consistenly so far
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Post by sfbosfan on Sept 27, 2020 19:04:28 GMT -5
Geez they are hitting their 3s.
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 19:04:51 GMT -5
Stay on Robinson
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 19:05:10 GMT -5
I spoke too soon
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Post by kyceltic on Sept 27, 2020 19:06:00 GMT -5
Have I told you how much, I hate Marcus Smart!
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Post by sfbosfan on Sept 27, 2020 19:06:02 GMT -5
Give me a break on those 3s. We are not hitting so drive to the basket and at least get 2 points.
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Post by sfbosfan on Sept 27, 2020 19:08:32 GMT -5
They are shooting 53% to our 37...that’s the difference.
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Post by sfbosfan on Sept 27, 2020 19:10:07 GMT -5
Unf—ken believable shooting!
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 19:10:45 GMT -5
too many 3's
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Post by hedleylamarr on Sept 27, 2020 19:11:10 GMT -5
Too many points in the first quarter
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