[SBR Lou]

How soft is Boston now?

lol.

I'm clearly on record, before the playoffs, calling the Celtics soft. Not many saw it then. So not about to change my tune about Boston now.

[Dark Horse]

They're still soft. But so are the Pistons.

See my comment in other thread.

[SBR Lou]

OK well, I guess the softies will be advancing..

[Dark Horse]

Fair enough. Some Celtics may have discovered their d*cks today.

[Dark Horse]

Just don't expect me to cheer. Because this type of performance (by the Pistons) doesn't belong in the playoffs. And I haven't seen it so widespread as this season.

[polishkielbasa10]

are you joking me...you just said the Celtics are soft? You don't win 61 and dominate the league by being soft...and then piss all over the Pistons tonight, showing everyone that when they want to, they can...The pistons aren't soft douche, it's just the C's are that good

[Dark Horse]

Sure kiddo. The regular season and playoffs are two entirely different animals. The Celtics win one single playoff road game and now they're 'that good'. Please.

Billups is obviously limited by his hamstring injury, but the Pistons should still have played MUCH harder.

[hi-rez]

shoulda woulda coulda

[SBR Lou]

Dark Horse is typically very knowledgeable on these things. However, I think there's somewhat of a bias there, and I'm not quite sure why. I saw the Suns series the exact same way you did, but I think you're undervaluing Boston and that could prove to be a costly mistake if you're fading them. This team, as up and down as they've been, just went into Detroit and mauled them.

They're going to finish this one out, we both know that, and hate to say it but my boy King Kobe is going to get that ass worked.

[Dark Horse]

If six straight road losses in the playoffs didn't prove my point, made before the playoffs, that the Celtics are soft, then I don't know what will. There is no bias there.

Was I surprised by the Celtics showing up today? Not really. The thing that surprised me was that the Pistons didn't show up. Then again, they've taken days off before these playoffs, so it might have been expected. To me this was much more a case of the Pistons taking the day off then the Celtics suddenly transcending their limitations. Celtics are still the Celtics. Still soft. It takes more than one game to change that. But they are taking steps towards it, so who knows.

[adriano]

bla...bla...bla

Who the f*ck you think you are!?

[LT Profits]

Dark Horse,

I may sound like a broken record here, but you don't seem to be getting it. The Celtics played with no sense of urgency on the road in the first two rounds because they KNEW they would not lose to those teams at home. Now they are facing a team they respect, and yes they did prove tonight that they are capable of flipping the switch when they have to.

Everyone seems to forget that this team went 31-10 on the road during the regular season, and if they would have somehow lost a home game in the first two rounds, you would have seen tonight's road performance much sooner.

[rjt721]

The Celtics played with no sense of urgency on the road in the first two rounds because they KNEW they would not lose to those teams at home.

Atlanta? Maybe. Cleveland? No chance. The last thing the Celtics wanted was a Game 7 against Lebron (and rightfully so the way the game played out, with the Cavs having the ball down 1 and less than 2 min. on the clock), regardless of whether it was a home game or not.

[LT Profits]

rjt,

I think you are underestimating the Celtics' arrogance factor.

The point is they EXPECTED to beat the Cleveland one-trick ponies, and as for the fact that the pony almost single-handedly beat them in Game 7, well the Celts would only have themselves to blame if the Cavs had pulled that off.

[MyKickerHurts]

Can't beleive I'm backing this prick Dark Horse, not matter what Boston did in the regular season it means squat in the Playoffs. Ok whoopee they one a road game. Why you may ask, a combination of the Pistons head blowing up after a huge road win themselves, and a memo sent to all the refs to make sure Boston wins 1road game.
This is how I feel it pans out Pistons win the next game to even it up then off to game 5, now the winner of that game wins the series. If it's Boston so be it, that would make a nice victim for my lakers, or if it's Detroit, so be it an even bigger and better victin for my lakers, cna you say pay back,
And to finish this reply I too also Backed Bosten yesterday before th egame, CHeck this post in IS BOSTON DONE FOR thread and this is what you'll see. It payed off big for me and if the lakers win today even Bigger.

Found something amusing about the Piston Celtics game tonight. This little article gave me a little something to make a side bet on. ::oh by the way DARK Horse i think you have finally lost it bro!I'll take team D all of the Above.) anyway check this out....

Detroit is 2-12 ATS last 3 years in the Conference Finals. Boston is allowing only 89.7 points per game overall this year. Boston is 4-1 ATS at Detroit the past 3 years. Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog of 5.0-10.5. Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as a road underdog of 5.0-10.5. Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Celtics are 39-13 ATS in their last 52 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Celtics are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 Saturday games. Celtics are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 games as an underdog. Celtics are 40-17 ATS in their last 57 games as a road underdog. Underdog is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings. Road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.

[polishkielbasa10]

If you honestly think the refs had anything to do with that game...then you need to start betting and commenting on something different.that's pretty pathetic...There were no bad calls last night, or any that had a single effect on that game....the celtics are the better team and showed it again last night

[Dark Horse]

Dark Horse,

I may sound like a broken record here, but you don't seem to be getting it. The Celtics played with no sense of urgency on the road in the first two rounds because they KNEW they would not lose to those teams at home. Now they are facing a team they respect, and yes they did prove tonight that they are capable of flipping the switch when they have to.

rjt,

I think you are underestimating the Celtics' arrogance factor.

I get that. And I have no problem with the 'arrogance factor' of championship caliber teams. But please, if you're going to come in with that arrogance, be able to back it up! The Celtics could not, six road games in a row. A true champion is far too arrogant to go seven games against the lowest seed. So the arrogance is misplaced.

I said the whole time that the Celtics were overrated during the regular season, because of the lack of deep playoff experience among the big three. The Houdini act by Ray Allen illustrates precisely that point.

I also mentioned, in an earlier thread, that the Pistons success relies on Billups being healthy. So I find it somewhat funny that, when Billups hobbles around like a third stringer, we are now suddenly seeing the 'true Celtics'. Isn't that a little too easy?

The mistake I made was to think that Billups, after the game 2 win in Boston, was over his hamstring injury. I didn't expect a setback there. And it was a pretty bad oversight.

Last but not least, the arrogance factor you refer to typically manifests as a lack of effort (one could even make a case that the Pistons fell prey to it last night). There is no way that Boston wasn't trying for all the marbles in those game sixes on the road against Atlanta and Cleveland. They came up short, and the players afterwards were devastated. It wasn't arrogance. It was doubt. And while they may be flying high now, it isn't all that hard to push a team that is vulnerable to self-doubt right back into that hole.

Interesting series.

[unde0087]

If you ask me I think both these teams are a bit overrated. Yes, when these teams are on they are definitely good, I am not trying to argue that but look at the conference they play in. If the West and East were combined and you took the top teams to the playoffs the East would have only taken 3 teams to the playoffs. All division winners, thats it. The last spot in the West was 50 wins by Denver and they would have been in 4th in the East. That is hard to ignore.

Point being the East is a JV league. I mean when you have a conference with teams getting into the playoffs with losing records, isn't that alittle embarrassing? And then we see Celtics get taken to 7 games against a team that had only half the wins and Detroit haven't problems with a team that didn't even finish the year with a winning record, and some are calling them a great team?

I like both of these teams, I really do but if they bring this weak ass game to the finals Lakers/Spurs are going to destroy them. I hear this talk about the "arrogance factor", why would either of these teams think they are in a position to be arrogant. I mean yes you made it this far but most the teams they beat (and struggled with) wouldn't have even been close to making the playoffs if they weren't in the East. To me both these teams should have come into the playoffs thinking they had to prove something and instead both came in acting like they were teams that deserved to go straight to the finals. This is the vary reason I believe the Lakers will win the championship because they are the better team and they play like it every night. They don't take nights off or act like their will be a next season they are hungry for it now. Then you have the only two good teams in the East acting like they can just show up and it is going to be handed to them, and I guess you can't blame them when that is how the regular season is for them playing in the East.

That is why I say, who really gives a shit who wins the East. The approach both these teams have come in with the trophy is going to the West anyways unless both these teams get off themselves and realizes that they aren't that great and they aren't even going to be the favorites when they get there.

I mean do you see Kobe and the Lakers half assing games and taking weak ass opponents to a game 7, no. They are up 2-0 on a team that has won more championships in recent years then all the East teams combined.

[ryanXL977]

celts aint soft. never were
the pistons suck ass

celts lakers

[greek]

celtics will beat the lakers!!!!!!!!

[ryanXL977]

the refs kept the pistons in this series
should be 3-0 i think

[greek]

yeap