@Tschmack posted:If not for Brown’s 1Q the Bucks are right in this. It’s a 15 point lead but crazier things have happened. Maybe Milwaukee can make a run.
Other than Brown, the other Celtics players are 22 for 51.
The talking heads just sain Middleton will not play in this series. That sucks.
Giannis' FTs have been ugly tonight too. 9 for 18 in the series.
@MNPackman posted:The talking heads just sain Middleton will not play in this series. That sucks.
It's more likely Middleton will not play until the time of the NBA Finals than he'll play in this series.
Is the idea now just to keep calling fouls on the Bucks?
Horford just slapped Portis' forearm on that shot with no call. How is that not a foul?
So that was a foul on Lopez, yet boston is allowed to beat the shit out of the Bucks?
@Tschmack posted:Is the idea now just to keep calling fouls on the Bucks?
I think Bud should pick up a T to send a message.
@Pikes Peak posted:Sure they have
To be fair, I think the NBA has also decided that Holiday/Matthews are allowed to be very physical with Tatum. At least that part is consistent.
For all the other noise we will hear from the talking heads, the game really comes down to Boston going 17 for 35 from three so far and the Bucks going 3 for 15 from there.
This finish is "lost cause" like. A lot of energy to lose by 10-14 instead of 20-25. Maybe they are working through some offensive approaches that will pay off for the next game?
@MichiganPacker posted:To be fair, I think the NBA has also decided that Holiday/Matthews are allowed to be very physical with Tatum. At least that part is consistent.
Where and when was this decided and by whom?
Tatum is happy. He's getting his garbage points.
Time to get Giannis and the regulars out.
Put in the bench guys. Let's beat these guys in Milwaukee on Saturday.
@Pikes Peak posted:Where and when was this decided and by whom?
I think there is definitely discussion at the league level on how they are going to officiate specific series. I don't think it's to favor one team or another, but officiating someone like Giannis or Shaq is difficult and you need to try to be consistent.
@Pikes Peak posted:Where and when was this decided and by whom?
I know Donaghy is a questionable source so take whatever he says with a grain of salt, but it was interesting to read his comments on things. Here's one example. If Giannis (or Shaq in his prime) was officiated the way some other guys are, he'd average 30 FTs a game.
https://deadspin.com/tim-donag...ences-a-seri-5567321
When I was in the league, the memos — hot off the desks of the likes of Stu Jackson, Ed T. Rush, or Ronnie Nunn — would usually detail what kinds of fouls needed to be better addressed. The message would be something like, Team X is getting away with an enormous amount of handchecking, or Shawn Bradley is hanging out under the basket, not really defending anybody. He's committing a defensive three-second violation. The goal was to set the tone for that night's game and, even more broadly, for the series. An extreme example: the 2005 Dallas-Houston matchup. I was the alternate for Game 3 and sat in on the meeting with the group supervisor. We were told explicitly to start calling moving screens and traveling violations on Yao Ming. (Jeff Van Gundy would later complain publicly that referees were targeting Yao; he got fined for it.) Houston was up 2-0 at that point. Dallas wound up winning in seven games.
Bucks were 3 for 18 from three.
I'm just not sure where they are going to consistently generate enough offense to win this series without Middleton.
They couldn't get off clean looks from three tonight.
I’d like to think we can chalk this game up to simply “one of those nights” where Boston shot the lights out. I mean, Grant Williams was 6-9 from 3 and he’s a career 36% shooter. Tatum and Brown were a combined 11-20.
What concerns me a little bit is Giannis hasn’t played particularly well in terms of his offense in these first two games. Yes, he facilitated a rebounded well in game 1, but he needs to be a little more assertive early in games and finish better. Granted, some of that has to do with how Boston defends, but it was clear to me that the Celtics came out with a lot more effort and intensity in game 2.
In the end, the reality is win or lose we will all tend to overreact because despite how well Milwaukee played in game 1 or Boston in game 2 they only count as one game in the W/L column. The teams that counter and adjust best will advance.
I’d like to think Milwaukee and Giannis are due for at least a couple of monster type games in this series as that’s been his history. The good news is it’s 1-1 and Giannis and Lopez haven’t been their normal selves offensively. After a decent game 1 Jrue Holiday wasn’t good in game 2 either.
Hopefully they get back home and do what they should which is win the next 2 and then put Boston back on their heels.
The Celtics are highly unlikely to shoot that well in three more games. It may happen again, but that was an outlier performance last night. Look at this chart from last night.
As we've both said the concern is Giannis is not shooting well and has struggled finishing inside the paint. That may continue with the type of defense they are playing.
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By the way, any time the media overreacts about one game, I think of this. 
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I would also include Trey Young in game 1 ATL v MKE and the first 2 games against the Suns.
Charles Barkley was right about last evening. He said that Boston had a historic night shooting the ball and it’s hard to argue that statement. It’s also not like Milwaukee didn’t contest or challenge some of those 3s.
If I had to guess, the odds of Giannis playing this poorly and/or Boston shooting that well again aren’t very good.
Is there an over/under for the amount of official reviews?
@Tschmack posted:I would also include Trey Young in game 1 ATL v MKE and the first 2 games against the Suns.
Charles Barkley was right about last evening. He said that Boston had a historic night shooting the ball and it’s hard to argue that statement. It’s also not like Milwaukee didn’t contest or challenge some of those 3s.
If I had to guess, the odds of Giannis playing this poorly and/or Boston shooting that well again aren’t very good.
Yes. The other thing is that role players tend to play better at home. Jaylon Brown is a borderline all-star level player and he may have more games like he did last night. Getting a game like that (home or road) from Tatum or him has to be expected. Grant Williams replicating last night is much more unlikely
I just thought the 1st few minutes of that game set the tone in a bad way. The offense was very stagnant, little ball or player movement in the half court. Giannis in particular started pretty poorly offensively and really set the tone for the team.
Give the Celtics credit, they played much harder defensively than in game 1 and the Bucks just seemed almost content to get out of Boston 1-1 in the series.
The Bucks need to come up with a better plan offensively the next couple games to take momentum back in the series.
Best thing about this game is it only counts as 1 loss. They got the split on the road. Now go home and play better in front of your minority owner. 
it's always good to "steal" one on the road.