Big 3 era: Your most disappointing playoff exit? (excluding Finals loss)

[celts10]

What was your most disappointing playoff exit loss of the KG, PP, RA and Rondo era? I excluded the Finals loss in 2010 because that tops the list, but let's just focus on the other years which we had to exit early.

2009 -- No KG. Wild and crazy series against the Bulls only to blow a 3-2 lead against the Magic. I give Doc a ton of credit for keeping the guys together. They were gassed and I imagine it would have looked a bit ugly against the Cavs had we advanced.

2011 -- Swept the Knicks and faced off against the new Miami Big 3. Lost 4-1 but it was tough as we still in a bit of transition without Perkins and Shaq. That was going to be tough to overcome and on top of it, Jermaine was hurt and Rondo's elbow was dislocated by Wade. Odds were against us even though we should have been the favorites.

2012 -- Get by the Hawks, squeak by the Sixers, and then blow the 3-2 lead against the Heat. Signaled the last of Ray Allen in Boston. Had Avery been healthy for the entire postseason, I'm convinced things would have looked different. We really missed him that series. Our last real chance at heading back to the Finals.

2013 -- Lost 4-2 to Knicks. I'm throwing this in even though Allen was no longer with us. Almost made a historical comeback in Game 6 but it was not to be. No Rondo really hurt us going down the stretch that year. Signaled the end of an era.

I would say the 2012 ECF against the Heat is my biggest disappointment. I think we would have beaten OKC in the Finals of that year. Also it would have been nice seeing against Perk again.

What do you guys think?

[chambers]

2010 was the most disappointing.
To see KG on one leg and to then lose Perk in that way. We were just so close. KG could barely get off the ground but was still killing it. Rondo really stepped up that year.

I actually went to Miami for the 2012 ECF series (brag: sat in 3rd row for every game !) and watched the home games vs Philly in the 2nd round from close up too. That was really disappointing to lose and literally be the only Celtics fans in a sea of 50 Heat fans. Their fans were just so weak. It was the Eastern Conference finals and they'd show up late for the opening tip, come back late from half time. Just way too many posers who were all on corporate credit cards with clients and not enough true fans. Was an awesome experience to watch them get so close. I just about had a heart attack when Ray Allen hit the 3 to put us into overtime, and when Rondo went HAM and drained all those threes. Something I'll never forgot.

[TheFlex]

2012. To hear Stephen A. Smith lambaste the Heat and glorify the older Celts would have been sweeter if it lasted for a few months longer.

[LatterDayCelticsfan]

The 2013 one on account that hate the Knicks, and we had been promised so much with KG reupping, Jason Terry, Coutney Lee and all the preseason chatter that seasongiving me such high hopes that we had a formula to beat the Heat, and take back our title.

Even making  the 2012 ECF was more a relief for me given how slowly we started that season and how banged up we were going into the playoffs. Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox heart issues, Paul Pierce's knee issues, Ray Allen's bone spurs, Avery (the Dwade stoppers) Bradley's bum shoulders, Jermaine O'Neal being... himself. Even the legendary Greg Stiemsma was playing through injuries to be on the floor in that playoff run. We had Ryan Hollins and Sean Williams  getting minuets of  the bench for god's sake!

Anyway rant aside the loss to the Knicks was quite a damp squib

[Donoghus]

2012.  That really was the last true hurrah, IMO.  Beating the vaunted Heat would've been great.  Although, I have my doubts about what would've happened against OKC in the Finals but would've loved the opportunity to have found out. 

2009 is the season that still irks me because I have almost no doubt they would've repeated had KG stayed healthy.  However, the actual playoff exit doesn't necessity eat away at me because I still  think that team would've got steamrolled by the Cavs in the ECF.  The funny thing is that ORL beating the Celtics probably cost Lebron a ring.  Celtics would've been a much better matchup for them in the ECF.

2011 & 2013 were just off years to me.  Neither team was that great.

[BballTim]

  Getting swept by the Bucks sucked.

[MJohnnyboy]

  Getting swept by the Bucks sucked.

wrong era.

[Denis998]

2012 hurt, unbelievable performance by lebron, that dwarfed the amazing play of rondo. And then running out of gas in game 7.

[BudweiserCeltic]

All of them?

[BballTim]

  Getting swept by the Bucks sucked.

wrong era.

  Right era for the Big Three.

[mr. dee]

All meltdown by Doc Rivers. LOL

Look how they lead with one win away from advancing, only to lose the series.

[MJohnnyboy]

  Getting swept by the Bucks sucked.

wrong era.

  Right era for the Big Three.

Not the era the OP was asking for.

[CelticSince83]

Oddly enough for me it might actually be 2011 because we were the 1 seed  up until the Shaq injury and Uncle Jeff trade.  Should have never lost that game 4 and might have been a different series at 2-2. 

[jpotter33]

2012 by far. That was my favorite Celtics team, though this year's team is challenging that. That was KG's resurgent year and when Rondo was usually the best player on the floor. If we wouldn't have lost AB in the playoffs, we would've won the championship that year. People forget that we were down FOUR good rotation players against the Heat - Green, O'Neal, Wilcox, and Bradley.

2009 also sucked, because I think we most definitely would've repeated if it wasn't for KG's injury. And most likely we would've three-peated if KG never got injured. Uggh, 2010 sucked, too. I still remember watching that Game 7 with two Lakers fans. Horrible game.

[guava_wrench]

2008-2009 because I was still a season ticket holder. The rest didn't have the same level of disappointment. Honestly though, 2007-2008 was so great that I'm still riding that wave in 2015.