This is not a must win game for this series.
If they lose, game 5 is a must win game for this series.
But it is getting real close to a must win for the playoffs future. Celtics need to show they can win on the road. They need a good showing on the road. They are feeding their opponents and they are feeding their own doubts.
I don't like the Celtics chances if every series goes 7 games. They are going to get picked off at home sooner or later.
Thanks, wdleehi, for the post of the thread - you nailed it.
If the goal is to win this series, then I don't see how one could view this as a must win. Lose tonight and the C's are still favored and are more likely than the Cav's to win the sereis. The fact that the C's would still be in the drivers seat even with a loss would make this not a must-win for this series.
However, the goal is not to win this series, but rather, to win a championship. Given that backdrop, I could easily be talked into this being a must-win in the sense that another road loss will leave me highly dubious of them having any chance against Detroit, LA, NO, Utah or SA. I would bet my left arm that we will lose a home game against any of those opponents and if we are incapabe of beating Atlanta or Cleveland in their home courts, we stand no chance against the others.
Why is game 4 so important to the big picture? Well, simply put, there are no more excuses left. They either can ramp up their game on the road or they can't, and if they can't do it tonight, I will lose all faith in their ability to win on the road. Of course, I may well be saying the same thing before Game 6, but this is a chance to avoid 0-5 on the road and to put the doubts to rest for a while. Another road loss tonight just seems unsurmountable from a big picture standpoint (though I still think they'd be likely to win this series).