Tag: Eastern Conference Semifinals

Kelly O Who?!

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

celtics-oust-wizards-nba-2017

Do or Die. Sink or Swim. Win or Go Home. I’m runnin’ out of expressions for Game 7 here……..

Tensions were running high Monday night in TD Garden as the Boston Celtics played host to the Washington Wizards for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The nerves were visible right from tip-off, as the first 5 field goal attempts came up empty. Players from both sides quickly settled in, and the points began to pile up. Despite looking like the better team throughout the 1st half, the Celtics trailed 55-53 at halftime. The Celtics were carving up the Wizards defense one backdoor cut at a time, but the Wizards had 4 players in double figures by halftime.

And that was the Wizards’ biggest problem. They ended the game with only those 4 players in double figures. Now, Bradley Beal did all he could, absolutely lighting it up in the 2nd half, finishing with a game-high 38 points. It’s hard to beat the Celtics 1-on-5 though.

Enter John Wall: John Wall did his best James Harden impersonation (minus the ridiculous beard) Monday night. When the game mattered most, Wall was nowhere to be found. Wall went scoreless in the final 19 minutes of the game, missing all 11 of his shots. He also added a turnover and a goaltending violation in there for good measure. Nice work John!

And then there’s Kelly Olynyk. Who?! Yes, Kelly Olynyk, the unlikely hero of Game 7. While Isaiah Thomas played an outstanding Game 7 (29 points and 12 assists), it was Olynyk who put the nail in the coffin. Oh, you want the score?? It’s coming don’t worry. How else can I get you to read this far down on the page?? Olynyk hit one timely shot after another, providing 26 points off the bench. And now, the Celtics have the great pleasure of hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. I guess we’ll finally get to prove the rest vs. play for the #1 seed theory……..

That, or the Cavaliers will win in 6 games. Either way. Either way is fine.

Oh by the way, the Celtics won last night 115-105. Thanks for reading all the way down here!

AND NOW, I’M GOING TO GO OFF ON A DON LAGRECA STYLE RANT:

I always wanted to black-out from rage. Anyway, here goes nothing:

I personally hope Lebron loses in Boston in Game 7 so everyone can blame the Cavaliers resting during the regular season. I CAN’T STAND NBA players resting throughout the regular season!! I understand the season is long, and grueling, and players deal with injuries, but NEWSFLASH: That’s why the league builds rest days into your schedule. Do NBA players ever think about anything other than themselves?? Do they think about the parents who saved up enough money to take their kid to see Lebron James for the first time?? Only to find out Lebron needs to “rest”. “Oh no, Lebron’s not hurt son. He just had a tough week. You know his butler was off this week, so he personally had to carry his millions to the bank. He must be tired from all that heavy lifting.” GIVE ME A BREAK!! NBA players are multi-millionaires because of fans like that. We, the fans, ARE the demand that put millions of dollars in NBA players’ bank accounts. So when your healthy, play. When your team is on the schedule, play. And when you step onto that hardwood every night, remember, there’s a kid in the stands watching you play for the very first time.

Man, I’ve never rooted for Boston before. This is awkward.

Do the Celtics have a chance in the Eastern Conference Finals? How do you feel about the resting epidemic in the NBA? Let me know in the comment section below.

Also, tune into ESPN tonight @ 8:00 P.M. to watch the NBA Draft Lottery show. Let’s see if the Knicks’ luck can get any worse. Immediately following the lottery, you can see Game 2 of the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Golden State Warriors. Should be an ugly one with no Kawhi Leonard. Expect an angry Gregg Popovich..again.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Isaiah Thomas Wills Celtics To Victory On Sister’s Birthday

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 4 Comments

isaiah thomas

Just 18 days ago, Isaiah Thomas’ world was flipped upside down. On April 15th, Thomas lost his younger sister, Chyna, to a fatal car accident. Stricken with heartache and grief, Thomas has continued to do the thing his sister would have implored him to do; play basketball. While basketball is a game, it has never been just a game for Thomas. He has always referred to basketball as his ‘sanctuary’. And Tuesday night, on what would have been his sister’s 23rd birthday, that was never more evident.

Thomas honored his sister by putting his team on his back and willing them to victory in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Thomas scored a career-high 53 points in a 129-119 overtime win over the Washington Wizards. Thomas and the Celtics now hold a 2-0 lead over the Wizards. John Wall did all he could to keep the Wizards in the game, scoring 40 points and adding 13 assists, however Thomas’ barrage of big shots was too much to handle.

To put Thomas’ performance into NBA perspective, his 53 points were the most in a postseason game since Allen Iverson scored 55 in 2003. Thomas also came up just 1-point shy of the Celtics’ postseason scoring record (held by John Havlicek – 54 points). Thomas, however, did become the only player in Celtics’ history to score at least 50 points in the regular season and postseason in the same year. After the game, Thomas spoke of what it means to join great players such as Havlicek in Celtics’ history: “It’s nice to be in Celtics history with all the great players, but until you win a championship, you can’t consider yourself a great player. That’s what it’s all about.”

While Thomas is clearly dealing with emotional pain, he has also had his fair share of physical pain thrown into the mix. Thomas took an elbow from Otto Porter Jr. during Game 1 that caused the loss of a tooth. This resulted in a combined 11 hours of work by an oral surgeon and dentist to repair and replace the tooth. And despite barely being able to talk, Thomas once again showed his resolve: “There was no way I was sitting out. My sister wouldn’t want me to stop. When I’m in this arena, I know I can lock in and everything I do is for her.”

Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics will take on the Wizards in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Friday. You can catch all the action on ESPN @ 8:00 P.M. EST. Will Thomas and the Celtics continue their run toward the Eastern Conference Finals? Let me know in the comment section below.

Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!