Post by Admin on Apr 25, 2023 16:45:46 GMT -5
... could it be that elusive pot of gold at the end of a rainbow (#18) ?
Irish folklore says that “fairies put a pot of gold coins at the end of each rainbow with leprechauns guarding it.” Irish folklore further states that there is one gold coin in the leprechaun's pot for each year he has lived.
Lucky is pretty damn old!
Celtics on verge of dream scenario amid Bucks turmoil against Heat
Getty Images By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com
Getty Images By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com
The Celtics still have important business to attend to on Tuesday night in their Game 5 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. One look around the NBA landscape makes Boston’s situation look more promising than perhaps any team in the league after one week of the NBA Playoffs. A closer look at a multitude of things that appear to be breaking Boston’s way and the potential impact on the road ahead.
Dejounte Murray suspended for Game 5
There was little surprise that the Hawks guard was going to face punishment after making contact with a referee in the closing moments of Boston’s Game 4 win but the league made it official on Monday afternoon. With Murray out, the Hawks will be down their best all-around player for the must-win contest, a huge deal given the lack of guard depth down Atlanta’s bench. Without Murray, all the ball-handling pressure will be on Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic in Game 5 and those are players the Celtics can target relentlessly from a defensive standpoint.
With a heightened sense of urgency in play for Boston to close out the Hawks in five games thanks to a shift forward in the second-round series schedule if close things out on Tuesday night, Murray’s absence should help the Celtics close the door promptly on what had been a surprisingly feisty Atlanta squad.
Joel Embiid won’t be at 100 percent when he returns.
Ramona Shelborne of ESPN.com reported Monday that Joel Embiid is dealing with a sprained LCL in his knee which is the injury that sidelined him for Game 4 against the Nets. The anticipated timeline of Embiid’s recovery is 1-2 weeks which puts that square in the middle of a potential second round opener against the Celtics on April 29, just nine days after Embiid suffered the injury. While the expectation is that the Sixers MVP will be able to take part in the second round at some point, there’s a realistic chance that Embiid won’t be available for the first two games in Boston if they doesn’t recovery enough in time.
Embiid will also reportedly have to wear a knee brace when he does return, opening the door for the Celtics to use their uptempo offense to wear Embiid down as they start small against Philadelphia. The Celtics were always going to be a very tough matchup for the 76ers in the second round even if both teams were at full strength but Embiid’s status (and how he looks when he’s cleared) is certainly putting the Celtics in a ideal position to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals if they dispatch the Hawks as expected.
Celtics just one win away from homecourt advantage during the playoffs despite Giannis returning
Giannis Antetokounmpo was back on the floor on Monday night for the Bucks Game 4 matchup against the Heat but his presence wasn’t enough to overcome 56 points from Jimmy Butler in another Miami upset victory. The Heat now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Bucks as the series shift back to Milwaukee for Game 5 but they will have a chance to close out the Bucks on their home floor in Miami if they don’t win on Wednesday night.
The Heat have been a thorn in the side of the Bucks before (see: 2020 NBA Playoffs) and the Celtics are likely smiling at the fact that they were unable to dodge the more formidable foe than Atlanta thanks to the Hawks upset in the Play-In Tournament.
At the least, the Bucks will need to go through a seven-game grind to even advance past the first round, a proposition that probably won’t be great for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he tries to keep his back healthy. However, only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 series deficit with the last one being the Denver Nuggets in 2020.
In the event the Heat finish off the upset, the Celtics would find themselves holding homecourt advantage for every series during the remainder of the NBA Playoffs and could have a path to the NBA Finals that would be far friendlier than anticipated.
After last year’s heartbreak in the NBA Finals this Celtics group has show an increased sense of urgency after a Game 3 letdown against Atlanta. That mentality combined with a few breaks along the way could open the door for a promising second chance to bring home a crown just one year later.
Ramona Shelborne of ESPN.com reported Monday that Joel Embiid is dealing with a sprained LCL in his knee which is the injury that sidelined him for Game 4 against the Nets. The anticipated timeline of Embiid’s recovery is 1-2 weeks which puts that square in the middle of a potential second round opener against the Celtics on April 29, just nine days after Embiid suffered the injury. While the expectation is that the Sixers MVP will be able to take part in the second round at some point, there’s a realistic chance that Embiid won’t be available for the first two games in Boston if they doesn’t recovery enough in time.
Embiid will also reportedly have to wear a knee brace when he does return, opening the door for the Celtics to use their uptempo offense to wear Embiid down as they start small against Philadelphia. The Celtics were always going to be a very tough matchup for the 76ers in the second round even if both teams were at full strength but Embiid’s status (and how he looks when he’s cleared) is certainly putting the Celtics in a ideal position to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals if they dispatch the Hawks as expected.
Celtics just one win away from homecourt advantage during the playoffs despite Giannis returning
Giannis Antetokounmpo was back on the floor on Monday night for the Bucks Game 4 matchup against the Heat but his presence wasn’t enough to overcome 56 points from Jimmy Butler in another Miami upset victory. The Heat now hold a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Bucks as the series shift back to Milwaukee for Game 5 but they will have a chance to close out the Bucks on their home floor in Miami if they don’t win on Wednesday night.
The Heat have been a thorn in the side of the Bucks before (see: 2020 NBA Playoffs) and the Celtics are likely smiling at the fact that they were unable to dodge the more formidable foe than Atlanta thanks to the Hawks upset in the Play-In Tournament.
At the least, the Bucks will need to go through a seven-game grind to even advance past the first round, a proposition that probably won’t be great for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he tries to keep his back healthy. However, only 13 teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 series deficit with the last one being the Denver Nuggets in 2020.
In the event the Heat finish off the upset, the Celtics would find themselves holding homecourt advantage for every series during the remainder of the NBA Playoffs and could have a path to the NBA Finals that would be far friendlier than anticipated.
After last year’s heartbreak in the NBA Finals this Celtics group has show an increased sense of urgency after a Game 3 letdown against Atlanta. That mentality combined with a few breaks along the way could open the door for a promising second chance to bring home a crown just one year later.
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