Boston Celtics: Making Sense of the Game 2 Loss

For the majority of Game 2, I was on my feet cheering on the Celtics and, at times, yelling at the TV. I always get into Celtics games, but I was especially into this game. The Celtics needed to win, and they were doing everything in their power to make sure they won. 

It wasn't until around a minute left in overtime when I found myself, for the first time in a while, sitting as the thought "we are going to lose this" floated through my head. In the end, the Cs did lose 115-111 to the Heat while I stared blankly at the screen in disbelief for a couple of minutes. 

I was upset that the Celtics lost, sure, but for the most part I didn't even know what to feel. For that reason, I decided not to write right after the game and went to bed. I should have known that my attempts to sleep would be thwarted by my inability to stop thinking about the game.

As I tried to doze off, similar thoughts just kept going through my mind, such as: Why did they not call a foul when Wade hit Rondo in the face? How did KG miss that easy eight-foot bank shot in overtime? How did Ray miss the wide open three to put the Celtics up by eight at the end of the fourth? And most importantly, are the Celtics done now?

For the first four questions, I do not have a clear answer besides players miss shots and refs miss calls. It's frustrating, but it's just the way it is. As for the answer to the final question, it is hard to tell whether the Cs are headed for elimination now, but they are certainly facing an uphill battle to win the series now.

This is why the Game 2 loss was so frustrating, because it was virtually a must-win for the Celtics, and they knew it. They did everything they could to win the game. jumping on the ground for loose balls, hustling at all times, playing huge minutes and Rajon Rondo playing the best game the NBA playoffs have seen in a long time. Unfortunately, it was all in a losing effort.

The Celtics played about as well as they could have, only, so did the Heat, and the Celtics lost. Now the question remains: Can the Celtics replicate that effort again—or better yet, four more times—to beat the Heat?

Quite simply, they can't do it four more times. Rondo will not have another 44-point, 10-assist and eight-rebound game. However, that doesn't mean the Celtics still can't beat the Heat. As I mentioned before, the Heat also played about as well as they could have. They too will not be able to do that every game.

In any case, though, Game 2 decided the momentum in this series. Had the Celtics won, they would have gained all the momentum in this series. Instead, the Heat won, and now they have it. 

Now the Celtics need to win both games in Boston to make it a series again, which is certainly not impossible, but a much harder task with no momentum and tired players.

If the Celtics lose this series, this Game 2 loss will no doubt be the biggest reason for it. However, that is no reason to get down on the Celtics for. 

I mentioned before that I wanted to wait at least until I concluded on my feelings about the loss before I wrote about it. Well, now, I know exactly how I feel about it. I'm no longer upset, disappointed or even frustrated.

I'm proud.

Regardless of the final score of the game or the score in the series, I'm proud that the Celtics, with their backs against the wall, came out and fought against this Heat team. Rondo and the rest of the team gave all us fans could ever ask of them—everything they have. And that is not something that we can be upset about.

As for the rest of the series, the Heat definitely are on the fast track to winning it, but I can guarantee that the Celtics are still going to do everything in their power to win this series.

Whether they succeed or fail, we will never give up on them because we know that they are never going to give up on each other, the fans or on the quest for Banner 18.