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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 2:01:07 GMT -5
This week we have a short road trip to DC followed by the tougher of the two games with a date in Milwaukee on Thursday.
For this one, Jayson is back and Pritchard has been upgraded to "probable." So aside from Gallo, everyone else could get minutes Tuesday and pending another blowout, the bench could get considerable PT that folks here have been pounding the table for ... you may finally get your wish! Come the fourth quarter, "no time left for you" starters may be a rabbit out of the hat with a wave of Mazz's wane. Wouldn't that be music to the ears?
The Celtics appear to be getting healthy at just the right time as there are just seven games left in the regular season, including tomorrow night’s game. Despite a lackluster March, the Celtics seem poised to contend for the first seed again. A win tomorrow [tonight] could put them just one game back behind the Milwaukee Bucks before a head-to-head matchup on Thursday. However, it’s more likely that they’ll head into that game 1.5-2.0 games back considering Milwaukee will be playing the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers this week.
Regardless, with the Philadelphia 76ers receding in the rearview mirror, it looks likely that the Celtics will own a top-two seed this postseason. Which seed it’ll be is largely in their hands, especially pending this week’s results. Boston will definitely want to avoid any health concerns tomorrow night to go into that Bucks game fresh (and with Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back).
There are some good hoops on the horizon.
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Post by puddin on Mar 28, 2023 5:43:10 GMT -5
The Celtics appear to be getting healthy at just the right time as there are just seven games left in the regular season, including tomorrow night’s game. Despite a lackluster March, the Celtics seem poised to contend for the first seed again. A win tomorrow [tonight] could put them just one game back behind the Milwaukee Bucks before a head-to-head matchup on Thursday. However, it’s more likely that they’ll head into that game 1.5-2.0 games back considering Milwaukee will be playing the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers this week.
Regardless, with the Philadelphia 76ers receding in the rearview mirror, it looks likely that the Celtics will own a top-two seed this postseason. Which seed it’ll be is largely in their hands, especially pending this week’s results. Boston will definitely want to avoid any health concerns tomorrow night to go into that Bucks game fresh (and with Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back).
There are some good hoops on the horizon.
"Despite a lackluster March".... yikes.... now that is an understatement!
The once high flying C's play in March...
.... brought a whole new dimension to the term.... "LACKLUSTER".... no question!
Pud
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Post by kivancb on Mar 28, 2023 6:56:53 GMT -5
I would sit Horf tonight and not overplay Rob as well - we need them at 100% against the Bucks. Blake, Gwill, Muscy and Luke should do it against the Generals.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 12:31:55 GMT -5
Here's another song for Jaylen who couldn't find it in his heart to give any appreciation to the fans for their generous and timely applause/standing ovation upon his 41pt game. His toying with the fans of the Celtics is a Royal Scam just as the song itself plays to his concerns about indigenous peoples being taken advantage by the white explorers of the new world and their "scam" to steal their riches. In fact, the Pope was recently in Canada (song is about St John Island) donning a headdress (below) as he apologizes for the indigenous schools run by the Catholic Church that suppressed and terrorized (even killed) the children of the villages (of western Canada) that were there long before Charlemagne marched across Europe felling indigenous kingdoms in the name of Christianity and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor to a higher plain than the pious kings whose religion he fought to spread while ending idolatry and paganism.
For those interested in history, here's a video that attempts to break down the lyrics of Royal Scam with historical research to make sense of the song's meaning. Indeed the entire album questions who was here first ... white or black with tunes like "Caves of Altamira," "Kid Charlemagne" and "Don't take me alive."
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 17:38:33 GMT -5
This "Indigenous" discussion has been moved to avoid cluttering up the game thread. It can be found and continued for discussion if so desired here:
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 18:11:46 GMT -5
Q1:
Wizards lineup change (Delon Wright, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Kristaps Porzingis, Monte Morris)
Celtics lineup change (Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White)
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Post by dfries13 on Mar 28, 2023 18:35:02 GMT -5
We forget to play defense way too often this year.
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Post by kivancb on Mar 28, 2023 19:02:53 GMT -5
I would sit Horf tonight and not overplay Rob as well - we need them at 100% against the Bucks. Blake, Gwill, Muscy and Luke should do it against the Generals. I wish the coach listened to me. Al has been godawful on both ends tonight.
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Post by kivancb on Mar 28, 2023 19:20:19 GMT -5
80-60 Wizards. Incredible.
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Post by dfries13 on Mar 28, 2023 19:28:15 GMT -5
80-60 Wizards. Incredible. Our defense is like the all star game defense. Nada
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 19:35:52 GMT -5
Zinger is unstoppable ... and hitting 3-pt prayers like crazy!
We on the other hand can't put it in the ocean.
So much for resting the starters in Q4 ... they'll need every second of Q4 to make this up for grabs.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 19:39:28 GMT -5
Attachments:
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Post by elvissurfs on Mar 28, 2023 19:43:37 GMT -5
I would sit Horf tonight and not overplay Rob as well - we need them at 100% against the Bucks. Blake, Gwill, Muscy and Luke should do it against the Generals. Agree!...and why the heck are any starters even playing now?...down 23...end of the third...rest them, and no injuries!...coach is retarded...oh, sorry, mentally challenged...
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 19:43:54 GMT -5
Q4:Wizards lineup change (Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Jordan Goodwin, Kendrick Nunn, Taj Gibson) Celtics lineup change (Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams, Derrick White)
JB a layup
Brogs a bank J
White a 3
JB TOV for easy transition dunk by Wiz ... TO Mazz ... 107-85
Pull the plug Mazz ... we're toasted ... Save it for Thursday!
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Post by elvissurfs on Mar 28, 2023 19:47:16 GMT -5
Zinger is unstoppable ... and hitting 3-pt prayers like crazy! We on the other hand can't put it in the ocean. So much for resting the starters in Q4 ... they'll need every second of Q4 to make this up for grabs. Wave the white flag...this is over...
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 19:57:24 GMT -5
With 9:21 to go, Mazz did indeed pull the plug:
Celtics lineup change (Payton Pritchard, Mike Muscala, Sam Hauser, Grant Williams, Luke Kornet)
109-94 WAS now as PP makes a 3 and the Green Team in DC comes alive!
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 19:59:16 GMT -5
Kornet cuts it to -15 again
Kornet a putback on PP's missed 3 ... -13
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Post by elvissurfs on Mar 28, 2023 20:01:54 GMT -5
Bench closing the gap, but then a real stupid pass by I don;t know who...4 point difference...lame...
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Post by kivancb on Mar 28, 2023 20:05:01 GMT -5
I don't like our chances in the playoffs with this coach of a person. I just don't.
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 20:07:29 GMT -5
Grant TOV for transition dunk
He gets the 2pts right back
Hauser a 3
Zinger puts it away by himself though with 2 mins to go ... 121-103
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Post by kivancb on Mar 28, 2023 20:10:28 GMT -5
Hey! We finally won a quarter (by 2) at the end!
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 20:10:44 GMT -5
Grant 1-2 FTs
Kornet a dunk
Hauser reverse layup ... 130-111 WAS
Wiz shot clock violation ... Game Over
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Post by puddin on Mar 28, 2023 20:13:13 GMT -5
Hey! We finally won a quarter (by 2) at the end! Just goes to show.... it's not how you start... it's how you finish that REALLY matters!
Pud
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Post by Admin on Mar 28, 2023 20:27:43 GMT -5
Sure looks like Mavs f'd up trading Zinger on nights like this ... Not only him but they passed on Brunson too.
The Kyrie Irving experiment failed. The Mavericks' best path forward is to tank. By Yaron Weitzman
Over the past 14 months, the Mavericks — led by first-time GM and former Nike executive Nico Harrison, but also team owner Mark Cuban, who spearheads all basketball decisions — have turned Kristaps Porzingis (averaging 23 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in Washington), Jalen Brunson (23.8 PPG, 6.2 APG, 41.1 3P% in New York) and Dorian Finney-Smith (an elite wing defender and career 35.6% 3-point shooter in Brooklyn), as well as potentially three first-round picks (more on that in a bit) into what could very well be three months of Irving. And none of this even touches on the first-round pick the front office surrendered last offseason for Christian Wood, only for it to become clear before the regular season even tipped off that Jason Kidd had no faith in Wood’s abilities, or the decision to sign JaVale McGee, promise him a starting role and then have him spend the majority of the season on the sideline registering DNPs. But the Irving deal represents the tipping point. The Mavs brought him believing that he and Luka Dončić would transform their offense into an unstoppable force. To be fair, that prediction has mostly come true; lineups with both Irving and Dončić on the court have scored at rate better than that of the No.1-ranked offense of the Sacramento Kings. The problems, not exactly surprisingly, have come on the other end of the floor, where the Mavericks have surrendered points at a bottom-10 rate. The issue is that the talent drain has left Dallas bereft of depth, size and, well, capable defenders. They can’t contain players along the perimeter (since the Irving deal, only four teams have allowed more points per game in the paint). They can’t rebound (only three teams since the deal are allowing more second chance points per game). They don’t deter shots at the rim (opponents have finished a ridiculous 71.7% of their looks at the basket since the deal, the league’s fourth-highest rate). It should come as no surprise, then, that the Mavericks are 4-13 since Irving’s Dallas debut. Put it all together, and this season’s Mavericks appear to be toast. Maybe they notch a few victories over their last seven games, but it’s hard to envision this squad advancing past the playoffs’ first round, let alone the play-in. So what then? Because not only is this season heading down the drain, but it’s safe to assume that at some point, Dončić is going to look around and say, "Yeah, no thanks." How can the Mavericks avoid that fate? They can offer Irving to a multi-year extension, which, given how much they surrendered to get him, seems like something they have to do. But who knows if Irving is interested in returning to Dallas? Also, given his history, is betting its future on Irving something a team should want? Another option is to let Irving walk and try to find a replacement with the $25-or-so million they can create in cap space. But the Mavericks have never had success in free agency. Also, this year’s pickings are slim — Fred VanVleet and Draymond Green would probably be the two best options. Which leads us to what might just be the Mavericks’ only shot at salvaging their dream of a Dončić-led championship: Spend the season’s final two weeks tanking harder than any team has ever tanked before. If the Mavericks' first-round pick lands somewhere outside the top-10, it will be sent to the Knicks as the final piece of the Porzingis deal. If it lands in the top 10, though, it will convey to next season (it remains top-10 protected through 2025, then converts into a second-round pick). If the Mavericks can get below the Utah Jazz — who, like Dallas, have 39 losses — they can boost their odds of a top-four pick to 20.3%. They’d have a 4.5% chance at nabbing No. 1. No, those odds are not particularly great — which is why it’s so telling that they represent the Mavericks’ best chance.
www.foxsports.com/stories/nba/the-kyrie-irving-experiment-failed-the-mavericks-best-path-forward-is-to-tank
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Post by elvissurfs on Mar 28, 2023 20:30:04 GMT -5
I don't like our chances in the playoffs with this coach of a person. I just don't. Well, yeah, I would say we are toast... and then it is all about trading Brown's dumb ass out of here while telling him he is still the/a man... future not so bright as Fierce thinks... As much as I harshed on Ime, Mazzula is worse...
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