Game 7 Mindset (merged threads)

[jay_jay54]

 I am worried to a degree,on most teams their usually is 1 player who is mentally focused to lead his team to victory,especially when the game is close.The history of this series shows the opposite,no 1 player appears to be the go to guy or focused mentally ready to take the game over.I hope it is a blow out game in favor of the Celtics,but if its a close one,that would worry me.

[wiley]

He is?  That's not like him.  Ahaaa ha haa haaa

(get it, Who's worried?)

If I had a nickel for every "WHO" pun I've had to fight myself to the core to resist playing!  (I'd have about 70 cents I guess)

I'd also been holding out awhile!

as for being worried.....I only worry about the Celtics not playing their best and not taking advantage of all their assets......I'm not worried about getting a win on Sunday, however.  Probably not so brave a prediction, but I think it will be either their biggest home victory margin yet, or under 10 points.......

[Kuberski33]

All the pressure going in is on the Celtics.  The Hawks are playing with house money, which is the perfect spot for an underdog.  Doc is staring up at a noose.  KG and Pierce could be forever tainted by a loss -- KG for never being able to win in the playoffs, Pierce for becoming unglued under pressure.  Ray Allen will be fighting whispers that he's on a slippery slope now on the downside of a career where he also never won anything.  And there's all the hype of 'greatest upset in NBA history'.  Greatest upset BTW assumes the team getting upset is a champion, and keep in mind this group hasn't won anything save for best regular season record and anyone who follows the NBA knows that's crap because the regular season and playoffs are two completely different animals.

So they've got all that perfect storm type baggage heading in. 

The only thing that can alter the equation is the Garden fans.  We need a throwback crowd and by that I mean one that isn't there to dance so they can get on the jumbo tron and one that isn't looking for free T-Shirts -- we need a good old fashioned nasty Boston crowd with an edge to it -- see Bruins v. Canadiens a couple of weeks ago or Bird vs. Magic 20+ years ago -- one that can lift the team on its back,  make them forget about the pressure, and maybe influence a call or two down the stretch.

[bigtyc55]

How could you not be worried here? This should not have gone this far and from what we've seen from this team this series, I am completely worried and afraid to death of what might happen on Sunday. Who knows what will happen? Maybe we come out too tight and unable to do anything at all, while the hawks continue to play out of their minds like they have done at Hotlanta. They have nothing to lose, and we have everything to lose. So much success during the regular season, but, with success comes heartbreak eventually.

[Riles335]

Not one bit. This team will punish the Hawks tomorrow in front of a great crowd.

[BillfromBoston]

As surprising as this series has been, ATL has had to fight hard for 2 out of 3 of their home wins and Boston has won by 22 points per game on their home court...the FT descrepency in the last game was rough, first time in the series I thought it was skewed because of poor officiating...

Bottom line for me is this: ATL needs their home crowd to maintain the tempo/energy throughout the game...Boston feeds off their home crowd's energy as well-and the Garden is going to be rocking...

ATL won't get a +20 in points from the FT line on the road and Boston's defense will get the halfcourt stops they need to subdue ATL...

No matter what ATL thinks or says, they have not shown anything close to effective execution on the road, and I don't expect a young Hawks team to find it now in a game 7 situation...

...Celtics play their game, they win...

[rutzan]

we need someone to step up and take over game 7...i think it is obviously pierce...we need to catch up in the FT dept and also slow them down...agree or disagree...also...who needs to step up in a supporting role...posey has been hitting some huge 3's...he needs to get more PT...rondo needs to finish near the basket...and i think we're due for a huge game from big baby like he had against Det earlier in the year...

[Green Pride]

Who's not worried about Sunday?

[SShoreFan]

I used the Cornbread quote earlier today as well ---


The pathetic thing is -- Maxwell made that statement in game 7 of the championship series -- we are looking for someone to do that in a game 7 at home against an 8 seed in the first round.

[ma11l]

Celts are a great home team.  Hawks are a bad road team.  The crowds have been great, no doubt tomorrow will be too.  I'm a little worried, but still confident at the same time.  Believe in Boston.

[Chris]

Agree with all of this.  I also think Allen needs more rest.  Whether it is by playing Cassell and Rondo together, or Posey even more, they need Allen to have fresh legs in crunchtime.  He had nothing left at the end last night.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Who's not worried about Sunday?

Not worried about Sunday at all. I'm worried about after Sunday. LeBron has the killer instinct that everyone on this team lacked last night. Who on the Celtics can match it? Pierce is immature, KG is still MIA after last night, and Doc just plain sucks with the decision making. Maybe if they win Sunday Posey will give everyone a solid yelling at.

[libermaniac]

All the pressure going in is on the Celtics.

I don't agree with that anymore.  Now, the Hawks too have something to lose.  I think back to how I felt during the '04 series vs. the Yanks.  When down 3-0, I had lost all hope.  Then, I wasn't stressed at all during games 4-6 since I still figured the series was over.  Then, for game 7 - I was a bundle of nerves ... cause it was real, we had a game 7 chance!

The Hawks too now have something to lose, and could be tight for this game.

I wish the Garden fans would be more like ATL fans (in that they should be ignorantly blissful and just pull for the team.  Ignore how disgraceful it would be to lose and just root, root, root).  My biggest concern is if the C's got down early, we might here boos ... or deafening silence.  The Hawks have proven in this series that they don't play well going against a hostile crowd. The Garden fans just need to keep it hostile and we should pull this out!

[SShoreFan]

believe it or not --- I swear that I am almost totally indifferent about it.

I am literally not going to watch the game tomorrow. 

I have bled green since grade school (70's) and have stuck with them through the worst of times -- but right now I am on the verge of not caring. 

Hard to believe, but it's true.

[Redz]

I thought Pierce sorta did this in Game 5.  He pounded it to the hoop time and again.  Last night not so much.  Maybe it was the foul trouble.