The national narrative of this series reads as follows: "The Celtics are wasting valuable rest time in this series. They're going to win it, but they really blew an opportunity by not finishing it up in four or five games." Tonight is the chance for the Sixers to flip that flawed narrative on its head.
Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett may have the heart of a champion and the eye of the tiger and veternabilityness oozing out of their pours, but they have the legs of old men. Attack them early, often and relentlessly. No matter what the scoreboard says, keep attacking, don't take your foot off the gas, and when the game is being decided, they'll be running on fumes. That's the script, follow it.
There's another wrinkle to throw in here, and it should be a point of emphasis throughout the game. Avery Bradley is the Celtics only legitimate on-the-ball defender. He's also nursing a painful shoulder injury. If you dribble against him in space, he can be very effective on the defensive end using his feet and quickness. I say make that shoulder a focal point. Don't just dribble the ball against him, take him down on the blocks, run him through multiple picks. Bradley can only guard one guy at a time. The Sixers have four capable ballhandlers who can initiate the offense. Whoever Bradley is guarding immediately moves off the ball and starts running through a series of screens, every time down the floor. Bradley either has to fight through contact to stay with his man, taking hits on that shoulder, or he has to avoid the contact, which means the cutter is going to be open. I'm not calling for cheap shots on his shoulder, that's uncalled for, and unnecessary. Set legal screens, make him defend Turner or Iguodala on the block, and if he's guarding Turner, make him box out. Send Turner to the offensive glass and rotate back the other two perimeter players to keep the floor balanced. If Bradley can't go, or you can negate his defensive skills, then Boston doesn't have a single perimeter defender who can stop penetration, and penetration is the key.
Interesting stat through the first four games: The team leading after the first quarter has lost every game. That being said, please come out strong tonight. I can't handle another instant double-digit deficit.
The tip is at 7pm on TNT. This is your game thread. I'll be right here suffering the insufferable fools in TNT's studio, join me if you dig swing games.
Prediction: Starts with a "w" and rhymes with shin.
The Celtics Big defenders are KG, Brandon Bass, and Hollins. They do not play stesma (sp) anymore. Again i repeat: KG, Bass and Hollins. KG does not want to get in foul trouble and Bass is a younger version of Elton Brand!
For every hundered artlcles i read about Bradley and Allen paying through pain i hear nothing about Brand.
I hope he can turn back the time, use those 2 days of rest and put up 10 points. via free throw line or rebounding.
I think Allen will have a target on his back once he comes in. Just have to play strong and force contested jumpers.
I can't wait to get booed sitting up at the Garden!!!
You don't think Rondo is a good on the ball defender? Just a steals guy?
Yeah, he's a gambler, to me. Doesn't really stop penetration, plays passing lanes and reaches for tips.
On the key drive that Turner beat him and Pierce for the layup, he gave up a path to the hoop (and a good foul) for a swipe.
Everybody here (Mass) thinks he plays great D cuz he blocks a shot every once in a while in spectacular fashion & gets steals. He does seem to swipe a lot.
Boston radio is F'ing hilarious today. The banter rages from "it's the refs..." to complete arrogance as if the Sixers don't even belong on the same court! I hope the Six just runs them to death tonight. Start it with tough play on the defensive end and ignite the transition.
Dan Lebatard from Miami was talking about how Miami will need Chris Bosh "for Boston." I'm getting the idea that people think Friday night was a fluke. The Sixers won with defense, rebounding (52 - 38!) and stamina. And a much better bench.
They're wearing out Boston and people don't see it.
And the sixers got creamed just two days earlier.
People can't criticize the media if they act in exactly the same way.
It's a best of 3 series, and the celtics have home court advantage...each team has won a close game and a blow out.
Playoff experience tends to win out in the NBA (because the refs are on their side maybe that's up to you). I see nothing wrong with people thinking the Celtics are going to win this series, I think they're going to win the series
I was talking about what has happened so far, not what's going to happen. My point being that people are interpreting the results according to their expectations, not what happened on the court.
Picking a team to win is fine. I would never argue a person's opinion who says "I think the Celtics win the series". But the arrogance of the boston media and fans is unwarranted. This is not the same team that we saw in the finals a few years back.
Boston Media and fans support their team, I get that it's a novel concept for Philadelphia sports fans, to have a media on your teams side, but that's how it works in most cities.
Who cares what another cities fans think? Really the collective 'fan insecurity' of Philadelphia is downright sad
All that should matter to you is what YOU believe, what others believe is irrelevant (unless of course you're a psychotic or sociopath, then what you believe is frightening and scary). As long as you are strong in your belief in whatever, what other people think shouldn't matter.
The fact that it would matter just indicates your belief in said issue isn't as strong as your words indicate.
This is getting ridiculous.
You're right, caring what the boston media and fans say is ridiculous...so stop caring
Bradley out, ray allen to start
bradley is out tonight. that's huge.
OK, so they don't need to wear Bradley out after all. Alright, Jrue stick with Allen and attacking just got easier.
only way you'd think Ray gets off is with Jodie chasing him(falling on his face) off curls.
This is going to tip right at 7, according to a couple guys on Twitter. As soon as the Mentalist solves this crime.
do you think they double allen like they did with rip?
Good stuff to read during commercials, a Grantland writer's near-love letter to this team's Game 4 win:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7954471/the-philadelphia-76ers-hang-tough-boston-celtics
Yeah, I stopped reading after
The least talented team in the NBA playoffs is making an unlikely run
Alright, let's get it done, fellas.
Aaaaand we're off....Hawes wins the tip.
Allen on Turner.
Hawes turns it over on the first possession.
TNT is in such a rush their graphic said the 2nd game is OKC vs Clippers.
Oh good, GoSixers is in prime form tonight. Should be at least double digit fights on the thread tonight.
eb
And a missed sissy J.
Brand gets Pierce on him, converts. More of that, please.
ET can't hang w/ Rondo off the dribble. Think he got poked in the eye.
Was wondering why he got pulled so fast :)
anyone see KG slip? grimacing
Yeah, saw that. Groin problem, maybe.
EB hits a jumper. I've seen enough of Spencer Hawes already.
Rondo swiped ET in the face, no call.
Jrue off the mark. Not a great shot there.
Meeks in for ET. Immediately loses Ray Allen for a 3. Damn it.
Get in the paint, guys. ET had to come out.
Jodie loses Ray Allen. Ugh.
Sam Young couldn't be any worse defensively?
good job jrue
Good work, Jrue.
Nice board by Jrue there. That's too good rebounding plays by him already.
two*
TNT doesn't waste any seconds with these 7 o'clock starts.
ET back in. jumper. ugh.
Bleh, Turner brick city. Garnett hurt his arm there?
Great play, AI9. Then he turns it back.
Keep running. Wear them out early.
There you go, abuse Ray Allen.
nice flash by eb
Good seal by Turner having Rondo on his back.
Rondo tries to front Turner, Jrue hits Brand who goes high-low for the easy layup for ET.
ET with the breakaway dunk off the rondo TO.
How many inches does Hawes have on Bass? Fucking sissy.
Hawes w/ his typical fade-away hook w/ damn Bass on him. C's convert on other end. ugh
sissy hook. then gets owned by a Rondo-KG pick and dive. get this stiff out of the game.
"but the great pass to brand!"
hawes to eb
Sick pass by Hawes. Like the ball movement early.
Too easy for Pierce/Garnett there.
JRUE!
That weak sh!t by Hawes when he had good deep position makes me long for the days when he's not here. Basically conceded the ground to Garnett.
wow, Jrue with the pretty up and under.
Ew, nifty w/ the left Jrue. good drive
Man, Iguodala is dominating Pierce on the defensive end.
keep fucking attacking
Not sure what to think of the first few minutes. At least not down 9 to 14 points early.
How about a foul there EB on Steimsma?
lavoy
Allen into the game, KG out. And he scores as Jrue finds him on the pretty roll off the P&R. Nice.
Nice pick and roll by Jrue/Lavoy there. More of that.
Steimsma dunk? come the eff on!!!
He's a solid NBA bigman and better than Hawes and Voose
I don't give a flip who or what he is, he shouldn't be standing under the hoop wide the eff open.
eb
EB.
EB with the fuck you bucket on stiffsma
Lavoy again
nice job lavoy
Lavoy w/ the follow amongst 4 C's!!!
LAVOY! Thad attacks the paint, Lavoy cleans up the miss. Nice.
Allen cleans up the Jrue miss. Competent big man!
Steimsma again.... sheesh
Thad cheated way too far off him leaving him open for the baseline J.
I find that one much less troublesome than the other two.
jrue 3!!!
Jrue w/ the garbage into gold 3!!
GREAT MOTHERFUCKING HUSTLE, JRUE!
JRUE43!
JRUE!!!! FOR THREE off the offensive rebound
AI9 on the drive. Keep attacking.
Dre seems to have to try one of those behind the back thingies every game now. Got it back and scored on a funky shot.
Boston hitting some tough shots
Like this lineup a lot. Good balance of defense and offense.
I'm liking the lineup but don't you need to be careful not to overextend Lavoy here? Need him for when they bring KG back
nice pass jrue
Nice play. KEEP RUNNING
Jrue w/ the nice swipe and pick of Rondo, Thad slam!!
F me, Steimsma again, it's like KG never went out with him scoring like this.
Ugh, Lou. That was a really lazy drive.
Shit, Jrue turnover. the play was there too, just flubbed the bounce pass.
Glad they fouled Rondo there and put him on the line. Payoff=he missed both
There's the phantom foul on Lavoy. Fuck me.
Lavoy, you absolutely cannot pick up another one here.
Man, I love a pick-and-roll w/ a big who dunk.
jrue to lavoy, pick and roll
Way to pull the defender w/ you Jrue for the dumpoff to Lavoy.
Loving the Jrue/Lavoy pick and roll. Imagine Jrue running that with an upper tier big man.
Ugh, that was still in Jrue's hands. Not sure if ET was aware of the time left.
Eh, he made the right play there. Jrue was wide open, just didn't get it off quick enough.
agree it was the right play, but didn't seem like he was aware that it was so little time left that he probably should have went up with it, no?
Think that was late.
PHI 27, BOS 23 after one.
Very good offense, and it was from attacking, not hitting jumpers. Three more quarters like that on the offensive end, and no more 4/4 shooting quarters for the stiemer.
I'm nervous. And not used to it.
the shit back court is in
Fucking Russian Roullette starting this lineup at the beginning of the second quarter. Turner/Meeks/Lou. It worked last game, though.
Doug has Doc adjusting, he's got Stiemsma and KG in the game at same time. Wonder if DC will counter or stay the same w/ his rotations.
thad
YES. Love the interior passing.
FUCK, two on Lavoy.
No dribble drives and shots Meeks. none.
KG's shot is off. o-board ugh, damage averted. C's foul.
Brand should've shot taht. Thad coughs it up.
Damn Thad, dribbled off his foot. Peitrus misses from deep.
ET >>>> CLANK!!
Turner brick. That's not a good shot.
Have to attack. Thad just got bitched on the glass.
eb
EB shuts the crowd up.
The day Thad goes to whoever-coach's-box-out-school will be a good one. Just standing there watching Hollins go up and get it, nary a time putting a body into him.
ET in Garnett's face.
Where's the fucking foul there? Jesus.
ET w/ KG on him for a J? Result=swish, go figure.
Ugh, KG +1. So many critical plays happening here in this sequence.
ken mauer really fucked us with that over the back on LAvoy
Yep. And Thad didn't come close to fouling Garnett on this and-one play. He didn't even realize Garnett was going up w/ the shot. I think there was a man between them.
Hawes do something, anything, just don't fuck up.
eb
EB. Need you in the worst way.
It's bullshit the Sixers haven't gone to the line, btw. They've been in the fucking lane every time.
Now two on Iguodala.
Jesus, he fucking grabbed his arm.
Goaltending on KG there? On the Jrue-called foul?
AI943!!!
AI943!
Dre 4 3!
Get with it Lou!! And he pumps himself into a J!!
didn't love the shot, love the result. Cross court feed to Iggy was nice, more weak side passing please
Lou long two.
Stop w/ the jumpers, please. Have to keep getting into the paint even if the whistles aren't coming right now.
Half the quarter gone, now up 5. Big moments here. Keep this thing at a mimimum 5 pts or better yet get some type of a nice cushion going into the half. Big, big point in the game to put your foot down and get some much-needed separation.
Wonder if we see Lavoy again this half. My bet would be no, unless Garnett just starts going off.
I wouldn't play him.
Thought Dre was fortunate not to get called for this 3rd foul on the Pierce missed 3 ball.
Bass's jumper has so many moving parts.
Quick 4-0 run out of the timeout. EB ends it. Nice.
eb
Great D.
Hawes, you blow.
Hawes can't even keep himself inbounds. Happy feet ass!
hawes is useless. jesus christ
Ugh. Need Lavoy in for Hawes.
he's got 2 fouls, i'd sit lavoy as long as they can afford it
Fuck me. HT whistles in a terrible way.
Looked like EB played good D on KG there, appeared Spencer came over and slapped KG in the face/head. Don't know who they called the foul on though?
BDL.
jrue 3!!!
JRUE43!!! In Allen's mug.
Jrue fires away from deep!!!! Bucket!
holiday is so confident w that three its awesome
TOmmy Heinsohn officiating tonights game or something? Foul imbalance - the celtics are hacksters and yet...
JRUE 4 THREE!
Man, Iguodala is terrible at finishing inside.
Jrue w/ a nice laser pass in lane to Dre, he can't finish the under-the-hoop lefty from the right side try.
I guess when you grow up being able to dunk on everyone's head you never really develop that touch?
Sure seems like it with him.
Great hustle, need points out of this possession. Draw something up, Doug. Get Pierce on Brand again.
These TNT announcers are not an A Team.
Hope the Sixers defense steps up, becasue I expect their FG% will drop... but maybe they will eventually get some FT's to help make up the difference.
They really aren't taking bad shots. It's high, but not artificially so because of making long twos. It's a fucking crime they haven't been to the line yet, living in the paint.
Finally, a trip to the line. Hit them, please.
Collins draws up Hawes/Iggy 2 man game- not my favorite.
Dre w/ first FTA of game. Splits them dammit.
Hawes has no chance at stopping Garnett.
Put Battie in on KG.
Bad pass ET. clean that up!!!! arrgghhh
"doc rivers - 54 career playoff wins as head coach - 4th most ALL TIME among ACTIVE coaches"
haha, didn't catch that
Shit, Turner coughs it up.
Hawes w/ two hands on the ball gets called for the foul. Hawes has been completely useless for a while now.
Great job, Turner. That's big.
good job evan
Hawes had some ball there, not sure if he did actually foul or not, but Kenny Mauer is sure quick with the whistle for the hated tonight. His lungs are over-expanded.
ET finish!!
wtf is the free throw difference right now this is bullshit
I guarantee Turner got more contact on his last make than Pierce did on that drive. It's like as soon as he takes on step toward the hoop, the whistle blows.
Ugh, just pass it to somebody else Dre. geez
Terrible offense. Good defense. IGuodala slam in KG's face.
AI9!!!!!!!!
FUCK YEAH AI9
IGUODALA with the classic Iguodala play.
Andre with am emphatic poster!!
Did ET get pushed over or just fall?
feet got tripped up with someone
Pretty sure Garnett has all 10 of those points on Hawes. Maybe he went to the line once on Lavoy.
Classic Stockton: "Iguodala with the field goal" after a colossal slam in traffic.
Garnett is hitting everything right now. And go figure, Lavoy's not in the game. We need to kick this up to 5-6 at the half.
Stealing minutes with Hawes on KG.
Please get this back to 5 pt lead. PLEASE!!
Lou should've made a move earlier. Made them take the foul.
shit
Please Collins, start Allen on Garnett in the second half and keep him matched up with him the second half. Not really sure why he went away from it today. I guess Garnett started slow with Brand on him, but he's not cold anymore.
Foul trouble?
A patented Lou settling for a too deep shot that was contested. Shit.
Gave 2 pts back over the final 6+ min. Not too bad, but so many opportunities to push the lead up that were squandered.
PHI 50, BOS 47 at the half.
Feel like the Sixers really bought time in that second quarter. First w/ the Turner/Meeks/Lou back court, then when Lavoy went out with his second foul. Need a quick start to the third, and then a strong close. No big runs yet in this game.
I get the sense that Boson is exerting a ton to try and counter-punch the Sixers, but the Sixers have maintained the lead. If somehow the Sixers could get some separation then I'm not sure how much Boston has in the tank.
Although on the road the reverse can happen if Boston makes a run and can feed of the crowd's adrenaline.
Totally agree on BOS exerting themselves and still down, that's why I was hollering for them to get a cushion the last half of that 2nd quarter.
On the bright side:
- Pierce and KG both played 20 minutes.
Play that pissed me off was the offensive rebound Ray Allen got. I don't even remember if they wound up scoring on the play, but that ball was right in the middle of four sixers and none of them went after it. Can't have that shit.
Chuck just cracks me up: "Bad play, Jrue!"
You have to assume EB will be incognito in this 2nd half considering the 1st half he put up. Someone is going to have to pick up that slack scoring-wise.
The last two halves we've scored 101 points. Attack, run, attack some more, run, run, run. We're finally scoring at a decent clip, don't give them open jumpers and make your free throws and they're coming home up in this series.
Fuck these bum ass dudes I swear they haters especially Charles no ring barkley
charles is unbelievable man its so crazy how much he hates the sixers i just dont get it
they neglect to mention rondo missed BOTH free throws because its rajon rondo.
Charles & Kenny sound so stupid right now
all 4 clowns on halftime "report" talking at the same time instead of the usual 2 or 3.
Bad play by Jrue when he got the O board and hit the 3 according to Chuck.
Uh, guys, Magic Johnson was a rebounding point guard remember?
Said he should have been getting back on D, even though Rondo his man was right next to him getting boxed out. Pitiful.
I remember the days when studio guys would have intelligent conversation during half time. Forget who used to be on the CBS Sunday game (Musberger?), but it seems such a thing of the past with all of these networks now. Terrible for the game, and the viewer.
Shaq adds nothing, tries to be funny and he's just not any good on tv, cringe worthy
They are cheering for the celtics. When rondo gets offensive boards, it's great.
Of course. Seriously, have you ever heard criticism of Rondo? It's amazing, esp. considering how many holes in his game.
I hope they come out strong this quarter, and that Hawes doesn't start.
13 FTA for Boston, 2 for the Sixers. That's ridiculous after the attempts the Sixers took. Keep attacking.
Both teams aren't going to keep shooting this good. They're getting to the line, sure hope we get some calls. Here's looking at you Kenny Mauer.
OK, let's go. Brand on Garnett, Hawes on Bass.
Good tip to keep that rebound, Jrue.
sissy jumper
Sissy 20-footer.
nice passing et and jure
Good D that possession.
EB to the line!! make em!!
What a fucking pass by Jrue to EB! EB to the line. Splits the fucking pair, if we're lucky. Damnit.
Pretty passing
Great fucking D.
At least Hawes gave a hard foul after Bass blew by him.
I don't want any more Hawes shitty 20-footers. It's a free defensive possession for Boston.
Hawes is cheating way off Bass, staying down toward the lane, that's why he got abused by that fake and take there. He had to sell out to close on Bass.
eb
What the hell got into Brand?
wow, EB over KG.
EB! Nice feed by Jrue.
And what was that foul? 4 on Hawes, blessing in disguise.
EB with a DIFFICULT turnaround over KG.
4 on Spence...
Every time we get a chance to push it to 7 or 8 they just can't get one to fall. Then the hated ends up scoring.
Get Hawes out.
Shot selection fellas
Can't believe he hasn't yanked Hawes w/ his 4 fouls. Wish he'd just pick up his fifth so we don't have to see him again.
Heh, sissy runner.
sissy layup
Hawes with some flailing type layup shit that falls. I'll take it.
Clear path off Dre steal!!!!
whoa, Hawes took it to the rim strong?
That's gotta be clear path!!
That's a clear path, unless you have to be in the front court.
NICE. Hit 'em both.
He misses both smh
Fucking missed 'em both. Come on, guys. Get your shit together.
Come the fuck on. Make a free throw.
Sigh
Missing these free throws is so FUCKING FRUSTRATING> Damn man, DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Ugh with the 2 missed free throws. Jesus.
AI9, what happened to thinking about your son? Might want to go back to that one.
GET HAWES OUT WHAT THE FUCK
Hawes turnover. Brand with his third. GET HAWES OUT OF THIS GAME.
Absolutely wasted that clear path foul. Pathetic.
Offensive!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!
Spence turns it over trying to 'push' his passes through. Gives guys a chance to get a hand on 'em when he does that.
Part of me was hoping that was Hawes' fifth.
And the refs with the "crowd is booing us" call
This is not good.
Pivotal sequence
Why play off KG that far EB? Was he trying to help ET on Rondo's penetration or something? No need to be that far off him spotting up from 20 if so...
Amazing, taking a clear path foul on Iggy turned out to be the smart foul.
I hate this fucking crowd. Bullshit? Hawes didn't touch him. KG didn't foul him either. Officiating is atrocious.
Please, match up Lavoy with Garnett. Please!!
Lavoy in after this break?
Nope. Don't understand it.
Just don't give in. Don't give up the lead. Keep battling, keep attacking. Then you put them away with your run.
Try to catch the ball next time, Thad.
Why Thad and not Lavoy? I don't get it.
Dammit turnover out of a timeout. Thad, coughing it up again.
Bass to the stripe to try and tie it up.
maybe collins wants to play lavoy the entire 4th? cause him not being in now is retarded
Where is Levoy?!?
wow, EB with the killer crossover hahaha
Garnett just kicked him. WTF?
Give Jrue the ball and a look. He's shot well so far!!
GET LAVOY IN THE FUCKING GAME!
So, can we get Lavoy in the game, please?
need a timeout
Well, Jrue coughs it up with the dribble.
Bass 2nd straight dunk. C's up 4. SHIT
This is getting ridiculous. Brandon Bass should not be lighting it up. Lavoy time.
This look eerily like game 1.
Jesus Christ. This is fucking absurd.
Doug is an asshole, stop trying to outsmart everyone you idiot. put lavoy in the fucking game
Another turnover, Dre stands there with his hands out toward the refs. Get the eff back!!!
Getting home cooked a bit but the offense has been stagnant out of break
Sixers crying about clutching and grabbing. Got to attack. They have not consistently gotten in the lane since they sat Lavoy. Maybe having no big who can finish hurts their mentality.
These last 4 or so minutes may be 4 that we look back on begrugdingly.
lou
Did i just see ET crossing himself to end a prayer?
Not being critical, just curious.
Big two hoops out of the timeout. Let's go.
I like Thad against stiemstra
god i love turners rebounding
Lou to the line. Nice. Tie this shit up.
Glad Lou passed up that look from deep. Make em though kid!
I wonder what the score would be if just did the simple thing, match up Allen with Garnett. This is what keeps Collins from being a great coach, he's so stubborn in sticking with things that don't work.
and hit free throws.
Surprised that Webber can talk with Rondo's....I'm not going to say it.
MAKE A FUCKING FREE THROW
Free throws
HERE COMES LAVOY THANK THE LORD
Free throws smh
I'm not sure if they're stepping on their own dicks or shooting themselves in the foot with this shitty work from the stripe.
Lou seems like he splits free throws in these playoffs like Andre.
lavoy is alive
LEVVVVOOOOYYYY!
Jesus, Thad.
Thad...........
How many dunks is Bass going to get this quarter?
Dammit THad!!! you're starting to piss me off like you did in the 1st half of game 4 Friday. Just stupid senseless turnovers from him.
I'm telling u
How can Bass have so much more of a positive impact than Thad right now?
Elgin Bass
Regain your composure, get the lead back before this quarter is over.
Jrue hasn't taken a shot this half. Hasn't had a look called for him. Don't understand that.
he did, just dribbled into rondo's hands
I an so f ing tired of losing games cause dc is in love with Thad young who plays zero defense and is a turnover machine
56% from the field, 38% from the line. Makes sense.
Foul on Turner before Bass even went up for the dunk? Horrible.
Pierce or Pietrus at the two, please drive.
Thad, back rim. ET, back rim. ET BLOCKED! Arrrggghhhhh
Play some fucking defense, for fuck's sake.
what is with all these dunks....
This us getting crazy
lavoy
If the refs aren't going to call fouls when our players get murdered down low, what's the point of going down there.
They're killing us with the baseline cuts for dunks when we help off.
Or a Bass J when we help off. Man.............
cant think of a worse way to end a quarter. great fucking job
Lmaooo bass is taking over the game
Terrible qtr. They did not respond well to the Celtics grabbing at all and it overflowed into terrible defense.
I don't see them snapping out of this. Bad shots, not attacking the rim.....bad defense inside.
The side pick and roll with Rondo and Bass is killing us. Get it together. This is hard to watch.
PHI 66, BOS 75 after three.
Man, that quarter couldn't have gone worse. Down 9 is doable. Let them push it to 15 early and you're done. Show some fucking spine here, you turned to jelly in the third.
Someone put Hawes on a bus back to Seattle. I don't want to see him on the floor again in this series.
Coach Rivers takes Garnett out when Allen Comes in. Such a unbelievably simple tactic.
Damn if Elton wad even half the player he use to be smh
They just got smoked w/KG on the bench.
The absolute worse you could possibly ask for and have happen in third quarter you were leading by 3 at the start.
16 friggin points and gave up 28.
Didn't they double their turnovers that quarter? from 6 to 12?
We losing because a fish is taking kver
Great way to start the fourth.
holy shit, Thad....
Coach collins went completely away from everything that worked in the first half. Why are we going through Hawes and bigs with that bullshit dribble handoff. They blew a great opportunity. They better get it together fast.
And another shitty pass from Thad. Turnover!!! man he's frustrating for the 2nd game in a row
not gonna win if you turn the ball over every other trip down the court
Why is Lou Williams guarding Rondo
Man, you gotta wake up, Jrue.
Wtf are doing?
We not getting nothing from the pf spot
we aren't getting anything from any spot right now.
Thad couldn't have been more soft on that offensive rebound
Just gather yourselves and get one stop at a time. Oh, and a bucket would be nice too.
That was a good look for Jrue from 3. Have to hit that.
What a total meltdown. They look shook right now.
Really just a brutal game by thad
Another bullshit call
Apparently Bass is the greatest PF of all time.
Lavoy looked straight up on that call there.
Yell when you drive = whistle.
Pierce has been doing that forever. Has had more bad calls go in his favor than any player since Jordan.
They have no shot if they call a foul on evvery play...
At next stoppage, anyone have how many points we had at the time Dre missed the freebies on the clear path?
57 points. It happened with 8 minutes left in the third.
Thanks. so we've only scored 9 in 12 damn mintues
It was 57-53. So Boston has scored 30 since then.
refs for sure making up for game 4 tonight all pierce has to do is scream
they're done
Reminds me of that terrible game against the Mavericks earlier this season. Looked great in the first half, then completely wilted in the second half. Teams are just too easily able to make adjustments against us, and Collins or the players are unable to counter.
No foul on that, huh?
Fuck this
Well, it's at 15. Need pretty much perfect play from here on out.
Kenny Mauer doesn't blow on the ET drive? standing right there looking on the baseline.
Had his arm yanked down, no whistle.
ET got mauled on the replay. Free throw differential is telling
need a run here. need good boss right now.
Wonder if they'll score a single point this quarter.
they're not gonna let the Celtics lose this series
Sixers can't buy a bucket or whistle.
The thing that bothers me is this has been a prolonged implosion, not a quick one, but just drawn out. They never could get it together, just kept self-destructing, either by unforced (kind of) turnovers or over-helping on D leading to open interior, extra passes from the C's.
This must be the 14th or 15th time this season where the team just goes stone cold for a quarter+ stretch, including about 4 or 5 times in the playoffs alone. Have to find a way to get through those droughts. Happening at the worst time here.
Need to run after every stop and rebound. If we get any. Have to jumpstart the offense.
Lavoy.
Kind of upset that Lavoy scored there. If we're going to lose, I'd like to make some history by going scoreless for the entire 4th quarter.
How the fuck was that a foul?????? Motherfuck this shit
Yeah, there's no chance at all. Not with calls like that.
refs do not like ET
This is just complete bullshit. Fucking every time the Celtics touch the ball there's a whistle.
EB to the line. The refs will close the FT gap now that it's out of hand, so it doesn't look so bad in the box score.
Get Lou out. He's just chucking.
sixers have rebound ready to run, calls foul
And a late whistle. Surprise surprise
hooray. late whistle.
this is getting kinda obvious now - v e r y late whistle there
Wasting brands effort hurts
I don't despise anything more than when the refs aren't calling things both ways. Like that Lou foul there, the ref waits to see if the layup falls and when it doesn't then he blows the whistle. BS!
calls like that are why so many fans think the NBA is rigged
Sorry, there's no way the Celtics have this lead without 20 bad calls
and 20 non calls on the other end.
but the Sixers have played like shit
Blood in the water.
this is fucking infuriating. pierce gets touched and it's a foul
TNT is trolling the entire Sixers fanbase.
Didn't realize Jrue had 4 turns, remember two, but didn't think he had as many as Thad. Maybe b/c Thad's were so stupid.
The first was on a pass into the lane to Thad that was out of his reach. Then he had two in a row, the second when Pierce grabbed AI9. Then another a couple of minutes ago when he was trying to get the ball into the lane and pietrus jumped the pass.
this sums it up
@sportsguy33: Love the refs tonight! Does anyone know their addresses? I want to send them fruit baskets
I'm sorry I disagree with u guys can't blame the refs for a mofo fish out scoring us smh
It's over
I'm sorry I disagree with u guys can't blame the refs for a mofo fish out scoring us smh
is RYAN FREAKIN HOLLINS going to get superstar calls on the Sixers right now?
I'm sorry I disagree with u guys can't blame the refs for a mofo fish out scoring us smh
We come back and go to war gm 6 don't worry we will be back to td garden
late whistle on ET
Pierce to the line. If I was on the court, I'd get my money's worth if the refs were calling it like this. Someone would be getting planted.
Honestly this has been absurd. We needed a "playoff foul" 20 minutes ago
Why did Doug get the T? Did he let loose on the refs about the disparity?
"Refs trying to take over the fucking game." - Shaq
I'm so fucking pissed right now. A Celtics fan just called me up to gloat.
Never answer the phone during a blowout loss. Turn it off as soon as they go down 15. That's a rookie mistake.
Hell yeah it was. and I'm a 50-year veteran.
Im pretty sure Craig Brackins just fouled your friend. Two FTs
I got a T for answering the phone.
Yep, looks like we'll be back to tear the hearts out of the TD Garden faithful. Game 7 is a'comin'.
After tonight I'm pretty convinced that the Sixers can beat these guys in this series. Yeah, they're running out of time, but, it just seems so evident they're not that much better than us. They can just shoot/execute better. We can nullify some of that if we step our D and be a little more tenacious and focused on the attention to details.
Things is, there are never any consequences when games are officiated like this. They review every game, grade the officials, tell them what they did wrong, but so what? It never gets better.
Heh. They call a phantom foul in complete garbage time.
What were the Celtics fans just chanting?
Just got back from the game!
That was pretty bad! it seemed like the tide turned after Iggy bricked those two free throws. Having said that they started doubling for no reason and the celtics picked them apart with easy baskets.
The Sixers couldn't drive down the lane without getting hit, and the whistle's were silent. Lou got jacked by Steemsa! I wouldn't mind the no calls and the "letting them play" if the other end wasn't so ridiculous!
My Celtic friend felt guilty...but having said that, they lost this game because of bad defense and turnovers. The foul bs sucked, but it wasn't the main reason they lost
Chris Weber likes the Sixers much more than Barkeley.
Still hard to believe how confident I was at the time of that clear path foul. Literally gave it away and started at that point right there. That was a long hill to go down as a fan. Such a long blow-up. Like it was never gonna end.
Agonizing. When Jrue fumbled the ball on the first possession of the 4th I had a really bad feeling. 1st & last possessions of quarters and out of time outs are so important.
PHI 85, BOS 101 Final.
Shake it. Game 6 Weds.
Any word from the locals on why DC got T'd up?
I can guess: keeping his arms folded, he let the official know what a shitty job he did. He looked very calm immediately after, he must not have screamed at him.
I think we need to end the ET on Rondo experiment. He has shredded us all series.
I don't blame the refs for the loss. The refs were incomprehensibly bad, but they didn't turn the ball over. They didn't lose complete focus on defense, from helping off Bass and Hawes to letting Rondo get too deep in the lane, to playing Iso ball in the 2nd Half. It's a bummer that they lost the game that way.
That being said, the difference on defensive contact allowed tonight was a joke. Part of the reason the Sixers got jump shot happy was that hand checks and contact was allowed on one side and not on the other one. I'm so sick of these soft three point plays the Celtics are getting. Turner played like crap, but he'd have been a lot better if he got Pierce's whistle.
He would have played well if he got Pierce's whistle. It's a huge difference.
I agree with you, the refs didn't cost us the game. Costly turnovers and awful 3rd quarter defense did. But it's nauseating to watch one team get the calls like that. I understand why people think the NBA is fucking fixed.
I should clarify, offensively he would have played well. I thought he got fouled at least 3 or 4 times.
Defensively he was garbage. Rondo torches him I really wish they would end that matchup.
In an evenly called bout the 76ers still lose. A smaller margin with a shot down the stretch maybe, but still a loss. It's not on Boston that they played in response to the calls and not despite them.
Sooo.... what I said?
Yes
Sixers started by doubling anyone who had the ball and never made an adjustment after getting repeatedly burned.
unbelievably bad game for Thad and for Collins.
most one-sided officiating in recent memory.
glad to see that the rest did EB good.
Hope the 6ers don't win Q1 on Wednesday night.
I think in general the Sixers showed tonight when they had their head out of their asses that they have adjusted to Boston getting Pierce open looks, refs gave him some joke calls, think they can neutralize him in Philly
A thread back there was an article linked about curbing Evan Turner's minutes, while I would like to see that happen, one thing that definitely needs to happen since he's going to obviously play big minutes is curb his shots. Someone has to get those shots, preferably Jrue. This is the 2nd game in a row where he's taking too many, inefficiently at that. And on another note concerning him, I find myself saying a couple of times a game, I wish the guy could even just shoot a three. If there was a way to hide Jodie on D, I'd rather have him out there if you did curb some of Evan's minutes so the C's can't pack it in so hard and with the small shred of hope he could knock down a couple from deep, however small that chance is.
Basically, since Evan has proven his shot is absent consistently and Jodie has shown this year that his shot is missing in action too, I'd rather trade Evan's rebounding (with the hope Dre, or EB, or Lavoy/Hawes picks it up) for the possibility of Jodie getting hot and making a few threes. While secondarily, opening up the lanes a little more, but all predicated on if he can be hidden on defense. Evan is showing to be a liability on defense in this matchup (can't stay w/ Rondo, supposedly isn't adept at chasing guys off screens), Jodie isn't really that much worse vs these guys, so the tradeoff may be worth it, even if you only cut Evan down 10 minutes or so for around 25/26 for the game and upped Jodie to around 20. Just a thought that's been percolating since last game (4).
I agree with you about cutting back Turner's minutes, he has been a liability in this series far more often than he has been an asset. I don't think he is getting the foul calls on some of his shots near the rim though, much like the rest of our team. It's frustrating. That doesn't excuse the piss poor jumpshot and shot selection though.
Column: Poor third quarter, Bass have Sixers on verge of elimination:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/sports/sixers/third-quarter-bass-have-sixers-in-bad-spot/article_6329dd44-335f-5018-a379-70494e4e599d.html
The dislike of Turner among some posters is startling. Some posters here must just have an emotional agenda. There were at least three or four players worse than Turner tonight: clearly Thad, Hawes, and maybe Lou. I don't think Iggy and Jrue were any better either. But, the breakdown tonight wasn't just an individual effort. The excessive help defense left far too many Celtics uncovered for easy shots.
His numbers have been worse than pretty much every Sixer who has played significant minutes in the playoffs. He has had a few great moments, but mostly bad performances. Thad and Lou have pretty much sucked too. Spencer and Brand have been beyone bad, although Brand played well tonight offensively.
People focus on Turner, Holiday, and Iguodala the most - Turner and Holiday because they're supposed to be the future, and Dre because he has been so polarizing among fans since he got his contract.
The excessive help defense was a problem. Turner letting Rondo run wild didn't help either though.
not blaming the refs for the loss, but they have been god awful in this entire series. just all over the place. it seems like each game they make up for the calls the other team didn't get the game before, and some of them have been absolutely ridiculous.
you would think playoff officiating would be more objective, but it has only gotten worse.
i more blame the loss on hawes, the turnovers, and the head coach. he kept putting out shitty lineups in the third and refused to put lavoy in even when he had a huge first half. i know he had foul trouble, but the game got well out of hand while he was sitting and dc refused to put him back in.