1. Full disclosure: this model of the Takeaways goes to be a bit of rambling, a bit of little bit of a rant and doubtless overly adverse. This house isn’t written from the first-person perspective, which means you don’t get a number of “I believe…” or “I would like…”. It’s by no means been the intention of the Takeaways.
That stated…I simply can’t in the present day.
When Sport 1 of the Boston Celtics second collection towards the Philadelphia 76ers ended, I used to be pissed off, dissatisfied and indignant. I had hoped that sleeping on it and rewatching with less-emotional eyes within the morning, that issues would come into focus.
Nope. Frustration, disappointment and anger will nonetheless rule the day.
I discovered myself beginning, deleting, re-starting and re-deleting the Takeaways a number of occasions over. Analyzing what went proper and what went incorrect felt hole and was solely serving to amp up the general emotions of discontent.
So, as a substitute you get this. The angsty, upset, and ranty (that’s not even an actual phrase!) model of the Takeaways that we attempt to solely write a few occasions a yr. Apologies and no exhausting emotions in case you skip proper on by and transfer to Sport 2. I want I may.
For me, I’m pissed off with the Celtics. I’m dissatisfied within the Celtics. However I’m indignant with myself.
I’m a middle-aged grown man with a household. I shouldn’t enable a sports activities group to personal and management my demeanor this manner. As an alternative, I’m performing like every part I inform our daughter to not be after she loses a sport. Even worse, she’s upset a couple of sport she really performed in with a gaggle of teammates she loves and that love her. She has actual causes to be in her emotions.
I’m upset a couple of group I comply with from about 1300 miles away. I shouldn’t be this upset, however right here I set in a cranky, bitter temper on an exquisite sunny spring morning. Such is life as a sports activities fan, I assume. We join this as kids and it in all probability by no means ends till the ultimate buzzer on life sounds.
On the precise Celtics level of this, I assume I simply have just a few questions:
What was that?
How did you retain doing the very same issues on the finish of shut video games?
Why? Simply…why?
I’ve watched this play at the very least 50 occasions now. I’m trying to find readability that can by no means come:
Even when the shot-clock violation ought to have been known as, it doesn’t matter. If this was reversed, we’d all need the Celtics to have gotten the run-out layup too.
I’m not even mad that nobody from Boston chased after Maxey. Nobody was catching him anyway.
I’m principally confused as to why any one of many a number of Celtics who turned down pictures on this possession turned down these pictures. And what on this planet was Malcolm Brogdon considering? Even when he misplaced monitor of the clock, no matter. That occurs, even when it was a foul time for that to occur. However what the heck was that move? Maxey’s protection on the play was so unhealthy that he was guarding a ghost that had lengthy since glided away. But, Brogdon threw it proper to him.
What’s already been forgotten is the Boston got here proper again and Jayson Tatum earned and made two free throws to regain the lead. Then this occurred:
I like Al Horford. He’s been one among my favourite gamers within the league earlier than, after and second Celtics tenure included. However James Harden and Tyrese Maxey had been looking for Horford on switches all sport lengthy, similar to Trae Younger and Dejounte Murray had been doing within the first spherical.
It’s not on Al Horford that he can’t swap out to guards anymore and deal with them simply as simply as he can deal with an enormous. He’s virtually 37 years outdated. These days are gone, minus right here and there.
To be truthful to Joe Mazzulla, he tried to pre-switch and to let Horford bounce swap (he mainly stayed residence on the baseline and others switched round him) for giant parts of the second half. However late within the sport, groups fall again into their consolation stage. There’s not even actually a cause for Marcus Good and Al Horford to even swap that motion above. They did it as a result of that’s what they’ve all the time executed.
And that’s not ok. Horford’s protection wasn’t even that unhealthy. He was proper on the shot, as a lot as you will be with out blocking it or fouling. However Good may need hounded Harden into capturing one thing extra off-balanced and rushed later within the clock.
Or, Good may have fought via the display screen, whereas Horford hedged, they usually may have compelled Harden to offer it up. Another person may have run as much as present a second physique to Harden. There have been various issues that would have been executed that didn’t contain the Sixers finest participant delivering a dagger.
Transferring on…
The Celtics nonetheless had an opportunity. They had been solely down two with 8.4 seconds on the clock, so they’d a number of choices. That is what they did:
It’s exhausting to fault Marcus Good for making an attempt to put it off to Jayson Tatum for the simple one. But it surely’s fairly clear that this both isn’t what was known as or somebody missed what was known as. Both means, Jayson Tatum wasn’t on the identical web page as Good was and it was one other unhealthy turnover.
Right here’s the opposite killer. That was the Celtics fourth turnover after a break in motion. Three got here on ATO performs and one got here on a quarter-opening play. That’s extremely sloppy and simply can’t occur in a playoff sport.
So, my frustration is available in with all of that sloppiness. It’s all largely unforced and simply messy.
My disappointment comes with the Celtics brazenly admitting that they relaxed once they discovered Joel Embiid was out for the 76ers.
I’m dissatisfied that Jaylen Brown noticed precisely three pictures after an enormous first quarter, together with solely two within the fourth quarter. And, sure, he had some unhealthy turnovers, however these got here within the third quarter. Brown wanted to see the ball extra late. That’s on him, his teammates and Mazzulla.
I’m dissatisfied that Boston discovered a technique to lose a sport the place they shot 58.7% from the sector and outrebounding their opponent by 10.
I’m dissatisfied that the Celtics turned it over 16 occasions and let the Sixers shoot 50.6% from the ground.
I’m dissatisfied that Boston once more crapped their pants late within the fourth quarter with the identical stuff we’ve hated for at the very least 4 years working, underneath three totally different head coaches.
I’m additionally indignant. However I’m not indignant with the Celtics.
I’m indignant with myself.
As I stated, I’m indignant for letting this impression me as a lot because it does. However principally, I’m indignant for anticipating it to alter and to be totally different. I’m Charlie Brown and the Celtics are Lucy with the soccer. I maintain hoping I’ll get to kick it, however simply after I imagine it essentially the most, the Celtics yank it away and find yourself on my again questioning why I ever trusted them within the first place.