Green shuts down critics who say the Celtics had an easy path to the NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celts are heading to the NBA finals for the second time in three years, but critics continue to find ways to diminish the team’s achievements.
The most common criticism of the Celtics’ run to the Finals is that their competition in the Eastern Conference was weak.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics played the No. 8 Miami Heat, who did not have Jimmy Butler. After splitting the first two games, the Celtics found their groove and won the next three by a combined 68 points. The C’s defense shut down the Heat over the last three games, holding them under 90 points each time.
The trend continued in the next round, where the Celtics faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. This time, the Cavaliers were without Jarrett Allen for the entire series and without their star point guard Donovan Mitchell for the final two games. Once again splitting the first two games of the series, the Celtics adjusted and won the next three games in a row to finish the series at five games.
Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics were prepared to face a completely healthy Indiana Pacers team. Unfortunately, Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton He re-injured his hamstring in Game 2.leaving it sidelined for the rest of the series. The Celtics showed great poise in the series, coming back from big deficits in the last two games to sweep.
What does all this show? Opponents aside, the Celtics continually found ways to adapt as the series progressed: They tightened up defensively against the Heat, placed more emphasis on rebounding against the Cavaliers and showed they can play through adversity against the Pacers.
To top, They did it without their starting center Kristaps Porzingis, leaning on Al Horford, 37, as the main paint protector.
Often seen as a villain in the NBA, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green weighed in with Boston critics during a recent episode of his podcast: Draymond’s Green Show.
“The Celtics go into the Finals with only two losses and everyone says, ‘Their path isn’t hard enough,'” Green said. “If I’m honest, I never thought the East was that difficult, but I also made it to an NBA Finals and didn’t lose a game along the way, and no one would say our road wasn’t tough enough.” , so don’t tell me ‘The Boston Celtics’ road isn’t hard enough.'”
Green and the Golden State Warriors nearly swept the entire playoffs in 2017. After sweeping their opponents in the first three rounds, the Warriors lost a game in the Finals and still closed it out in just five games. No matter the opponent, Green knows how difficult it is to achieve what the Celtics have throughout these playoffs.
“(Critics say) they haven’t been battle-tested and all that,” Green added. “Whether they get to these NBA Finals and win or lose won’t be because they haven’t been battle-tested, let me tell you that. You don’t make it to the NBA Finals and at some point in the year you haven’t been battle-tested: it’s not going to happen. , it won’t happen, it won’t happen this time.”
The Celtics dominated throughout the regular season, finishing 14 games ahead of the second seed, the New York Knicks. No team came close to the Celtics in terms of regular season dominance, and they can’t control who they play in the playoffs.
“Congratulate them on their career,” Green said. “Whoever you put in front of them, they’ve beaten them. They let a couple of games slip away that I really don’t think they should have let slip away; yet they’re in the NBA Finals with two losses.”
The Celtics will look to get the last laugh on their critics when the Finals begin on June 6. Boston will face the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Dallas Mavericks series, with Dallas currently holding a 3-1 lead.