No question, the Celtics played tight in the first two rounds. They loosened up considerably against Detroit and LA.
They were expected to at least get to the Conf. Finals. There were no guarantees before the season they would beat Detroit or the Western Conf. Champ.
If they had lost in the 1st two rounds, their season in the eyes of many fans would have been a disappointment, even after winning 66.
So, they were very uptight ... which is understandable.
I still don't think they were ever in danger of losing the Atlanta series. Cleveland was a struggle.
Now I'll say something that I'm sure will provoke a lot of derision.
If the shot clock hadn't gone off for 18 minutes in the 2nd half of game 3 in Atlanta, the Celtics would have won the game and the series in 4 or 5 games; and with the extra rest, they would have beaten Cleveland in 5 or 6 also. That one event had a major impact on both series.
I know the Celtics never make excuses. I know that a great team with poise and experience should be able to play through that. Clearly the Celtics did not exhibit the poise and experience they should have. It was their first playoff trip together, and as I said they played not to lose (and so they lost).
But the shot clock was a major factor in that game. The Celtics were up a few when it went off (at the half), and they were down 8-10 with a few minutes left in the game when it came back on.
The reason it was such a factor relates to the styles of the two teams. On offense, the Hawks strategy was to get the ball up the court and get a shot up in the first 10 seconds. The shot clock for them was irrelevant. On offense, the Celtics strategy was to move the ball, use as much clock as necessary and get the best shot available. They frequently shoot in the last few seconds of a possession. Well, if you don't know the exact time you have left, the tendency is to shoot sooner rather than later (i.e. get into an early shooting, up and down kind of game). On defense, the Hawks would likely break down in the last seconds of a possession. If the Celtics are shooting early, that's playing into the Hawks' hands. It makes their defense better. On defense, the Celtics sustain an effort for 24 seconds. If you don't know where the clock is, it's very difficult to work toward that goal. The Celtics looked completely out of synch during that stretch; and when the clocks came back on, it was too late. That got the Hawks into the series. If the Celtics had won that game, they would have been up 3-0 and won in 4 or at most 5 games. Cleveland won in 5 or 6 (?) and had a few extra days rest. It was all the Celtics could do to hang on at home in games 1 and 2, before being blown out in Cleveland. I thought they were just kind of catching their breath. They probably knew at that point it would be a 7 game series. They didn't really look right until game 5 of the Detroit series. In game 6, they knocked the bully out, and had their swagger back. I knew they were going to beat LA, and pretty handily and said so publicly on numerous other blogs at the time.
Anyway, that's the truth about the Hawks series. Maybe not an excuse, but an explanation. They were uptight, and they didn't deal well with an unexpected change in the game. Momentum shifts and extra rest can have a major impact on a post-season series.
I don't think that distraction (or any other) will throw them off their game this year. They are playing with a lot more confidence.
Topic: I want to dispel this notion before the season starts. (Read 10802 times)