Game 4: Celtics@Philly
- Thread starter RorschachsMask
- Start date
Scrambled defense? A middle school team could have got to their man with the amount of time Smart standing still at the top of the key
That wasn’t much of a contest. Should never have let them get a three off, even a contested three. If Embiid scores there you’re still tied with the last shot.
He was 2 inches away in regulation and .5 seconds away in OT from assisting on the game winner. Tatum’s defense in the 3rd and 4th was the main reason the Celtics even got back in this game. They were down 16 at one point.
Because if Jaylen doesn’t double, Harden doesn’t touch the ball. It’s not like Harden can not make a contested three. Why give him a chance to even shoot?
See that’s what I don’t get? Why aren’t Smart / Tatum calling a timeout other than hubris?
This is where the game 1 cheesedick really hurts. Just opens up space for bad shit and single game variance swinging things.
Watch the game on mute or with music in the background, your blood pressure will thank you.
Because he never should have left him. Cover the three and the worst that happens is you get the last shot in a tie game.
Completely disagree. As he shot that, my reaction was “damn, Jaylen really got back to him fast after that double”. Harden made the shot
Cool. How’d that play work out for us? Grant played Embiid perfectly. He backed off so if he goes up, it’s likely a tie game. Leaving Harden created one of the few scenarios that could have burned us. An Embiid and one is always possible but make him force the issue. They made it easy on the Sixers to give a hit shooter a good look.
They lost games exactly like this in the regular season, Joe said he should have called time out then, but he froze. Again. He's just terrible.
He shouldn’t have been able to get the ball, man. You’re up 2, let Embiid try to tie it.
Marcus Smart should not be the man shooting the game-winning shot...TWICE in one game. Love that he has the mindset that he wants the ball, wish Tatum had that.
He shouldn’t have even been able to get it off. Brown should have stayed glued to him and let Tatum take Embiid down low.
Well this was a cheesedick by the Sixers. Only difference is Philly ended up winning anyway and Celtics didn’t.
jaylen should have bluffed a double and dropped back - really bad decision. No way to know whether that was him or the defensive call but suspect it was Jaylen
Exactly. Harden had time to get his feet set and get his eyes on the rim before Jaylen leaped at him.
Give up the fucking two there. Anything but a 3-pointer.
Well that was frustrating.
I’m not sure what was more infuriating at the end. I’m torn amongst the lack of a timeout, that giving up a 3 to protect against an off balance 2, or the “I’m not gonna start making my move until under 5 seconds.”
I think it’s 1.3.2 for me right now.
I’m not sure what was more infuriating at the end. I’m torn amongst the lack of a timeout, that giving up a 3 to protect against an off balance 2, or the “I’m not gonna start making my move until under 5 seconds.”
I think it’s 1.3.2 for me right now.
If the Celts lose this series, or exit these playoffs before the finals… and it happens because we keep blowing close-and-late situations… and Mazzulla keeps doing what he’s doing (pocketing timeouts)…
… there’s a non-zero chance that someone else (Nick Nurse?) is our Head Coach next year.
… there’s a non-zero chance that someone else (Nick Nurse?) is our Head Coach next year.
Or Embiid scores over Tatum and gets fouled. I'm still confused how Tatum and not Horford was on him on that last possession
It’s a results league and they have puked on themselves time and again in endgame scenarios that is why it is perfectly fair to shit on both the players and coach when it keeps happening. How many times can one team need points and not get a shot off at all? Because it seems like we are really good at doing just that.
I can't believe anyone is defending Jaylen there. The number one rule is "never leave the strongside corner" the number one rule when up 2 is... "better a 2 than a 3", he committed the worst mistake you can make on both fronts
Most talented team in the league and they can’t get out of their own way. Not sure how you fix it.
The announcer had spoken earlier about his Ivy League/Harvard basketball iq which struck me
THIS.
He’s ADMITTED that he should call timeouts.
But he didn’t. Again. It’s absurd.
He really isn’t. Smart guy off the court. On the court he tries to be the main character and makes terrible decisions.
Precisely. Stuff like “you need to start the play by X seconds to have time to dish it out when they crash on you.”
Actually did that for most of the 3rd and 4th and it was just weird. Radio broadcast was about 45 seconds ahead of the TV so that wouldn’t work either.
Basketball 101. Even in and and one situation, the guy still has to hit the FT. But it likely wasn’t going to be one because Grant had it defended perfectly.
Jaylen totally blew it.
There are 3 people you can blame end of game.
Brown…doubling Embiid and letting Harden take a shot (which everyone agrees was contested)
Tatum…for apparently not knowing how clocks work and throwing Smart a grenade
Mazzulla…for not recognizing that the players on the floor clearly didn’t have an idea of what they wanted to do and pocketing two timeouts.
To me, one of these three is completely unforgivable. Two of them are in the midst of competition where you have to make a quick decision. One of them is literally just passing the buck and doing nothing
Brown…doubling Embiid and letting Harden take a shot (which everyone agrees was contested)
Tatum…for apparently not knowing how clocks work and throwing Smart a grenade
Mazzulla…for not recognizing that the players on the floor clearly didn’t have an idea of what they wanted to do and pocketing two timeouts.
To me, one of these three is completely unforgivable. Two of them are in the midst of competition where you have to make a quick decision. One of them is literally just passing the buck and doing nothing
If you don't help on Embiid, you don't even allow the space for Harden to be open to receive a pass, so the only option is Embiid taking the shot - which he quite possibly would make, but at least you can win it at the end. Jaylen's recovery wasn't bad, but his help allowed Harden the shot anyway. That's why people aren't happy with it.
Terrible clock management on the last play. With 15 secs left why walk the ball up the court and wait until just a couple of seconds left to go to the basket.
I'm still confused about how Tatum ended up on Embiid and Horford on Tucker. I can't find the whole replay.
Also, confused why they let Harden get on MB repeatedly at the end of regulation after not letting that happen in the second half. Maybe one ray of sunshine here is that Mazzula- not by his own coaching choice- can see that White > Brogdon on defense in close out situations and should be subbed in defensively.
Also, confused why they let Harden get on MB repeatedly at the end of regulation after not letting that happen in the second half. Maybe one ray of sunshine here is that Mazzula- not by his own coaching choice- can see that White > Brogdon on defense in close out situations and should be subbed in defensively.
Three out of their four losses on 3-balls to the other team’s best shooter. The team doesn’t believe in “make someone else beat you.” Anti-BB philosophy.
It’s kind of sad that up two under 20 seconds on defense that I am kind of secretly hoping that the team commits a non shooting foul.
