Jesus Christ, they did it again.
That’s what I said to myself out loud last night in my apartment as I watched the Celtics hang on to close out the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
Let me say that again… The Boston Celtics are going BACK to the Eastern Conference Finals. I can’t even say these Boston Celtics because only 4 players on the current roster were there for that series just last year.
This organization is absolutely unbelievable.
One Play at a Time
Although the Celtics were up 3-1 heading into last night’s game it felt like a Game 7 to me. I naturally worry about pretty much everything to the N’th degree and this game was no different.
I kept thinking that the Celtics needed to close it out last night or it was going to Game 7 guaranteed. The C’s wanted no part of having to go back to Philly on a two-game losing streak and their butt cheeks clenched worse than you having to poop the first time you visit a new girlfriend’s apartment.
The Celtics did what they normally do last night. They took the game one play at a time. Never too high, never too low. You know who we have to thank for that?
Future President of the Universe: Brad Stevens
Brad is known for his composure but it can’t be said enough how important that is for a young team. He’s never rattled and in turn, the players are never rattled. The Celtics had their spurts of offensive explosions but never became absent in the moment.
They knew a Philly run would be coming. They weathered multiple storms. That’s the sign of a great basketball team. You have to budget in a team’s best punch and then adjust accordingly.
Nobody does that better the Stevens and this particular cast of Celtics players. They don’t back down, they never will.
A Quick Nod To The Process
Look I’ll give a personal anecdote here. I get a sick feeling in my stomach when it comes to Boston sports facing off against Philadelphia sports. The Super Bowl was a personal hell for me that I hope to never go through again. I can deal with the Patriots losing Super Bowls, I would have just traded a previous one for the one this past February.
I’ve got a lot of good people in my life who are diehard Philly fans and that adds to the sickness. I know when the chirping gets going it just opens up the avenue for having to see the posts or read the texts of defeat.
Mainly, it’s a respect for The Process and this basketball team as a whole.
This is going to be one hell of a basketball team for years to come and you’re outside your mind if you think this is the last time these teams will see each other in the playoffs.
The Game & The Game Alone
If you’ve watched this team all season, you recognized early that it had the makeup of the prototypical Celtics basketball game.
Grind it out opening minutes. Both teams traded a few jabs. The Celtics put the clamps on defensively WHILE STILL GIVING UP A STUPIDLY HIGH SHOOTING PERCENTAGE. The Celtics force a few turnovers and go on a mini-run to end the half and ignite the crowd.
Fun, right? Where’s the lack of fun in that….?
In the God damn third quarter, Jesus Christ. I knew once the third started and Al Horford rushed a mid-range jumper followed by a frustration foul on a three-point shot that the 3rd quarter was right on brand.
A one-point lead heading into the 4th is fine for anybody… I still just know that the Celtics had opportunities to make this one less of a heart attack and the third quarter ensured that I was going to have one.
The 4th quarter, though? Right on brand as well.
I’ll spare you a ridiculously worded narrative re-describing what we all saw last night. The Celtics did what they usually do which was clamp down defensively, move the ball, and demonstrate their mental toughness.
Plain and simple. Brad Stevens coached CIRCLES around Brett Brown AGAIN. Want to know how easy it was to tell last night?
Brett Brown burned so many timeouts last night that he had two remaining with 5 minutes to go IN THE THIRD QUARTER… If you aren’t big into the X’s and O’s that is ACTUALLY BAD when you have a gigantic moose in Joel Embiid who needs breathers in order to stay alive on the court. He’s not used to the constant run.
Not only did Brett Brown shoot his team in the foot last night and in this entire series, he pretty much shot them in the chest and ran them over with the same horse that Eagles fans were eating the shit of after the Super Bowl on Broad Street. He essentially only had one true rest timeout left for the entire game since he had to save one for an end of game scenario for a draw-up if they were down… which they were.
The Celtics took advantage at the right time. The officials were inconsistent throughout the night and even I’ll put my hand up and say that I really thought Embiid was going to get the call in the paint at the end of the game when Baynes reached over him… I guess he’s a year away from that call as well.
The Kids
Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum
Part 4,304,455
18-28 Combined Shooting
49 points
It’s now safe to say that they are ready to handle any moment that presents itself to them. I have never seen such poise out of young players like these guys it’s borderline unbelievable. Maybe it has to do with them not feeling the pressure since expectations are already so low without Kyrie and Gordon.
Or maybe these guys are just generational studs in the making. I would love to go with the latter. It’s an odd thing to witness when a team is realizing their potential WHILE they go on a deep playoff run. Most of the time potential is realized through heartbreak but for this team they just keep steamrolling their way through the East.
The Smart
Typical Marcus Smart stat line.
3-8 shooting
14 points – 6 rebounds – 6 assists – 3 steals – +10 on the floor
Smart’s impact will never be determined via the box score. He defies analytics and statistics. The only certain thing about Smart is that when the game needs somebody to step up and own the moment, he will be there to do just that.
Whether it was the follow-up basket on Tatum’s missed layup or forcing the turnover down the stretch while trying to draw a charge… Marcus Smart just flat out makes plays.
For every frustrating thing he does, he comes back with twice as many hustle plays that impact the game more than anything.
The Terry & The Al
Rozier and Horford had similar games. They were quiet throughout the night with a couple of AWFUL showings at times…
Yet, when winning time came around they were fired up and ready to go. Timely plays are the calling card of this Celtics team. Terry & Al keep that card in their pocket at all times.
Horford’s sequence of two straight baskets followed by a steal was vintage Al Horford. Rozier on the break and sinking free throws on a night where the Celtics missed 10 of them was huge down the stretch. These two find ways to make plays when it counts.
It doesn’t matter if they struggle for three quarters when the fourth hits… They are going to produce.
The King…
If you had told me at the beginning of this playoff run that the Celtics would be squaring off with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight year in the Eastern Conference Finals I would have laughed in your face.
I believe in this team so much and even I thought that was a stretch given the injuries. I always felt like the C’s were playing with house money this run. The luck hasn’t run out yet.
LeBron awaits and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m more confident in the Celtics chances this year than I was last year. It’s absurd considering everything that has happened this season & LeBron playing out of his freaking mind.
The Celtics can challenge this team. They have the coach and the length to make this a competitive series and even win it if they get the bounces that come with every playoff basketball game.
LeBron is the best player on the planet and even as someone who has despised him for years you have to marvel at his ability…
He’s about to run into his toughest test yet. These Celtics are not Charmin soft like the Raptors. The C’s are more put together than the Pacers.
The Celtics are not afraid of LeBron James and these guys…
Game 1 is Sunday afternoon. It’s Mother’s Day so I promise to be a good son… but the Celtics are going to be ready to boogie.
You should be too.
Let’s go.
