Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Boston Celtics throw away opportunities in game six

By Joshua Bateman

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 25, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 25, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics know how much damage they did by making mistakes in game six

In the end, LeBron James was just too much for the Boston Celtics. After finding someway to claw back into the game in the fourth quarter, James shut things down like only he can do, making sure the series would be extended to a game seven in Boston.

James had a truly magnificent performance, and carried the Cleveland Cavaliers in a special way. On top of that, however, he received tremendous support from the rest of the team. George Hill, Larry Nance Jr. and Jeff Green all brought the kind of support he has not been able to expect, and they overwhelmed the Celtics.

When you look at what the Cavaliers did, it is not a surprise that the Celtics could not win. The Cavaliers had a special performance, but the most interesting part is the Celtics still had a chance. The worst part is then that the Celtics still had that chance despite throwing away countless points and opportunities throughout the game.

Even with the crazy James performance and support from bench players who are usually useless, the Celtics still could have won this game if they did not throw away all these opportunities. The Celtics fed the Cavaliers all kinds of points, and made things far too easy on them for the vast majority of the game.

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This was actually one of the better shooting efforts of the season for the Celtics. When they were not making mistakes and giving the Cavaliers points from unforced errors, they were executing well, with splits of 51 overall and 42.9 percent from three.

When you move over to the free throws, you get an idea of what a disaster it was. The Celtics went a pathetic 11-20 from the free throw line, and those points alone could have changed this game.

Then you can look at the staggering 15 offensive rebounds for the Cavaliers and embarrassing 13 turnovers for the Celtics, and it feels like a miracle that the Celtics even made it close in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics made sure all the easy things fell right through their hands and into the laps of the Cavaliers, who punished a Celtics team who got special performances from Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown.

When you look at what James is capable of, and the support he got around him, it feels like that combination might be insurmountable for this Celtics squad. He dominates in such a special way, and got enough support to push most teams over the edge..

That being said, the Celtics can leave this game knowing they are just as responsible for the results as the Cavaliers, and they can still control their destiny. It is a lot easier said than done, but the Celtics have shown a lot of signs of being able to handle an epic performance from James. The problem is that they need to win all the smaller battles they lost in this one.

The Celtics need to make the rebounding at least respectable, they absolutely have to be hitting all of their free throws, and they really should be dominating the turnover battle. The turnovers are the most frustrating, because that is normally the strength, while shooting holds them back.

The Celtics know what kind of margin or error there is with James in an elimination game, and that means avoiding all the unforced errors that put this game out of reach for them.

Next: Boston Celtics looking to send James packing again

The Celtics will need their most complete and balanced efforts in game seven, and that will start with making fewer mistakes than the Cavaliers, and making sure you never throw away a single point or possession, because you better believe James will punish you every single time.

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