With Rob out, I assume Grant starts. Opens up the floor a bit and causes lopez to guard on the perimeter. If Al or Grant get in early foul trouble, we've got problems.
yep, I am not worried about having to play Grant more.... I am worried about the minutes that we need someone other than Grant to fill in, and the chances this crew responds to the "they let everything go" night from the last crew by putting everybody in foul trouble in the first halfWith Rob out, I assume Grant starts. Opens up the floor a bit and causes lopez to guard on the perimeter. If Al or Grant get in early foul trouble, we've got problems.
White was the underrated star of the night. Fantastic on both ends of the floor.Derrick White +18 tonight. It's amazing watching him on the defensive end. If a ball is in the air, he gets to it. He draws charges. He gets stripped. And he hardly ever gives up easy baskets. At some point, people just have to understand that whether or not he scores, he's super valuable to have on the court.
Hey, he was 4 for 6 tonite from the floor (1 for 3 from beyond the arc). Every Celtic should have shot so terribly.White is really good. I know his shooting is iffy to begin with and just bad in the playoffs, but he's really good at everything else, and that does matter for this team.
The difference between needing 30 minutes from him---and him being in the right place and making the right pass and contesting shots and rebounds---and Dennis Schroder looking for his next shot/contact is enormous. Even if White is shooting 30% all playoffs (which I hope changes) he's still a playable guy even in the biggest, toughest games. That's really valuable
Only 5 fouls in about 17 minutes this series for Theis.Theis -10 tonight. Only negative player. Those 3’s he took were poor choices but he got kinda jobbed on some calls which is par for the course.
Props to Ime for forcing the small ball lineup with White and Pritchard and keeping Grant and Theis on the bench. Forced Bud to keep Portis off the court and made Bud react rather than reacting to Bud.
Grant was at -17 for the night.Theis -10 tonight. Only negative player. Those 3’s he took were poor choices but he got kinda jobbed on some calls which is par for the course.
Props to Ime for forcing the small ball lineup with White and Pritchard and keeping Grant and Theis on the bench. Forced Bud to keep Portis off the court and made Bud react rather than reacting to Bud.
Check again. Grant was -17.Theis -10 tonight. Only negative player. Those 3’s he took were poor choices but he got kinda jobbed on some calls which is par for the course.
Props to Ime for forcing the small ball lineup with White and Pritchard and keeping Grant and Theis on the bench. Forced Bud to keep Portis off the court and made Bud react rather than reacting to Bud.
Grant was at -17 for the night.
Good catch. I’d blocked out everything about Grant’s horrific night from my consciousness.Check again. Grant was -17.
The difference to me was that Theis was much more instrumental in his -10 than Grant was in his -17.Grant was at -17 for the night.
That's really all you should make of it.I think the most amazing minor stat of G4 is that GA was +1 after scoring 34 points. I have no idea what to make of that (other than +/- in any given game means nothing). Weird.
I was getting nervous in the 3rd when he was seemingly scoring on every possession and drawing free throws at an alarming rate. He ended up going 5-8 in the 3rd and I thought he would continue to dominate in the 4th. He definitely slowed down in the 4th where he went 3-7 with 2 turnovers.The takeaway is if the Cs can make Giannis work hard while not getting anyone fouled out, fatigue is going to continue to be an ally. As soon as Giannis stopped going inside, the game changed.
I laughed.The difference to me was that Theis was much more instrumental in his -10 than Grant was in his -17.
Yeah. For all of the griping in the other thread, they got this one right. Great take by Marcus.Oh yeah, let's memorialize this too. It also is glorious.
View: https://twitter.com/Alex__Monaco/status/1523843830520467457?t=MrqPiBojvccB0esScuuOyA&s=19
Couldn't agree more. Basically had this conversation with my brother over the phone right as the game ended, even with the example that you used (Tatum himself was the fourth guy on the floor...he basically even took himself out in that collision). Great, great basketball. Execution plus chess-match. Mad physicality, but the refs (and to their credit, the players) not letting it go too far.I know some people can't get over the officiating, but this is really, really fantastic stuff. Two excellent teams; well coached and disciplined and understanding how to play both sides of the ball. Both teams have to continually problem-solve, and attempt to surprise their opponent with different looks while adjusting to the moves the other team is making. The physicality and intensity is just so extreme; the play in the fourth quarter when Tatum took to the hoop, and crashed into some guys as he was landing and eventually four different players hit the deck, was incredible.
This is really basketball at it's best; a series determined by a combination of athleticism, intelligence and mental fortitude with a ton of momentum swings.
Please use the ref thread for your complaints. That is a safe space for those who want to feel aggrieved after a huge road playoff win against the best player on the planet and the defending champs. We want to discuss the game, the teams, strategy etc.I know some people can't get over the complaining about the officiating, but this is really, really frustrating stuff. Two excellent teams, well coached and disciplined and having no idea how to anticipate the play of the referees. The physicality and intensity is just so extreme, the most gifted player on the planet being gifted advantages and benefits that a) he doesn't need and b) is not afforded the opposition; the three plays where he made contact with the face/head of the opposition with nary a call against him.
This is really basketball at it's worst, when the series is unduly influenced by the referees, causing talented players to be on the bench for things they haven't done or have done (but their opponents routinely do to them with impunity). It is fantastic when a team is able to win in spite of those disadvantages - it would be an even better product if the referees were more consistent about their whistles and the series could be truly be determined by the players on the floor, competing with their opponents without wondering if the next play is the one where they will be screwed.
It's almost like I watched a different game.I know some people can't get over the complaining about the officiating, but this is really, really frustrating stuff. Two excellent teams, well coached and disciplined and having no idea how to anticipate the play of the referees. The physicality and intensity is just so extreme, the most gifted player on the planet being gifted advantages and benefits that a) he doesn't need and b) is not afforded the opposition; the three plays where he made contact with the face/head of the opposition with nary a call against him.
This is really basketball at it's worst, when the series is unduly influenced by the referees, causing talented players to be on the bench for things they haven't done or have done (but their opponents routinely do to them with impunity). It is fantastic when a team is able to win in spite of those disadvantages - it would be an even better product if the referees were more consistent about their whistles and the series could be truly be determined by the players on the floor, competing with their opponents without wondering if the next play is the one where they will be screwed.
I think you missed something.Please use the ref thread for your complaints. That is a safe space for those who want to feel aggrieved after a huge road playoff win against the best player on the planet and the defending champs. We want to discuss the game, the teams, strategy etc.
Fair. I am just over the officiating tears clogging up this thread. Its at epidemic levels of late.I think you missed something.
Yeah; I felt particularly well-brushed up on the X's and O's of this series heading into it, probably thanks to the long-wait following the Celtics sweep, but each game has brought something new to the table. The Celtics have adapted to the Bucks defense and forced them to pivot away from just bombing threes. Tonight, the Bucks did a good job identifying that the double teams on Giannis/Jrue were coming from the Celtics interior defenders, which left Lopez open near the basket for easy buckets. Ime will probably have to adjust because that was just too easy of an outlet for Milwaukee. The gap between the intensity and the tactics between this series and the Nets series is really night and day. It's crazy to think Brooklyn was considered a series contender after watching this WAR.Couldn't agree more. Basically had this conversation with my brother over the phone right as the game ended, even with the example that you used (Tatum himself was the fourth guy on the floor...he basically even took himself out in that collision). Great, great basketball. Execution plus chess-match. Mad physicality, but the refs (and to their credit, the players) not letting it go too far.
It’s because we’re playing a star who plays a crazy physical style of play and the refs allow him to. It’s no different than the Jordan Rules but it can be frustrating to watch at times. I get it – my head was going to explode during the 3Q.Fair. I am just over the officiating tears clogging up this thread. Its at epidemic levels of late.
Agreed. I can’t wait for 3 more games of this!!! Whoever escapes isn’t going to have much left for G1 of the EC Finals.I know some people can't get over the officiating, but this is really, really fantastic stuff. Two excellent teams; well coached and disciplined and understanding how to play both sides of the ball. Both teams have to continually problem-solve, and attempt to surprise their opponent with different looks while adjusting to the moves the other team is making. The physicality and intensity is just so extreme; the play in the fourth quarter when Tatum took to the hoop, and crashed into some guys as he was landing and eventually four different players hit the deck, was incredible.
This is really basketball at it's best; a series determined by a combination of athleticism, intelligence and mental fortitude with a ton of momentum swings.
wordI know some people can't get over the officiating, but this is really, really fantastic stuff. Two excellent teams; well coached and disciplined and understanding how to play both sides of the ball. Both teams have to continually problem-solve, and attempt to surprise their opponent with different looks while adjusting to the moves the other team is making. The physicality and intensity is just so extreme; the play in the fourth quarter when Tatum took to the hoop, and crashed into some guys as he was landing and eventually four different players hit the deck, was incredible.
This is really basketball at it's best; a series determined by a combination of athleticism, intelligence and mental fortitude with a ton of momentum swings.
That’s a fuckin’ cheap shot and looks to me like a flagrant. Extends the forearm unnaturally to push his around the hip midair with the game in hand. No play on the ball. Jaylen has every right to tell him to f off, and I’m glad Al Rambis’d him and murdered his soul on live TV.This I like. A little animosity between the teams. Our Celtics are of the same opinion that Giannis is dirty.
View: https://streamable.com/6g6ss1
He needs to be on the floor more, somehow. Numbers aren't necessarily there but the Celtics better at both ends when he is on the floor. (By 'more', I mean his minutes should be closer to the 24 he played tonight than to the 22 he averaged in game 1 to 3.Derrick White +18 tonight. It's amazing watching him on the defensive end. If a ball is in the air, he gets to it. He draws charges. He gets stripped. And he hardly ever gives up easy baskets. At some point, people just have to understand that whether or not he scores, he's super valuable to have on the court.
This series has been weird. In games 3 and 4 it has been the Celtics who played better in the 4th quarter, with Milwaukee looking gassed. I think Milwaukee's problem is that the style they play to beat the Celtics is one they cannot susatin for 4 quarters. Giannis was gassed in the 4th and settled for a lot of jumpers even though that's obviously not his game.OK, a question in an attempt to contribute/draw out strategy discussion.
How do folks feel about the timing of rotations that Ime is using? I'm not speaking to using different players, or anything there. Simply, I think the Cs have been caught on the floor gassed at times (I know playoffs means lots of minutes). I am watching the chess between coaches and I see MIL subbing in players at the 6-7 minute of the 1st quarter for example - and I don't think it was because MIL needed a personnel change - rather I see him managing minutes. Those players didn't stay off the court long, but it was a short break that I assume allowed them to be a some small amount fresher.
I know THIS game Ime was dealing with foul troubles with Jaylen especially, but does Ime tend to leave his players on the court too long?