Did Celtics vs Bulls PROVE That In-Season Tournament Is a Success?

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Did Celtics vs Bulls PROVE That In-Season Tournament was a Success? The Garden Report discusses after the Celtics 124-97 win on Tuesday night, propelling them into the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament.   SeatGeek! Use code DREAMERSPRO for $20 off your first SeatGeek order! Visit SeatGeek.com when you checkout! With NFL, NBA and NHL seasons in full swing, you don’t want to miss out - SeatGeek has your tickets to every game!   FanDuel Sportsbook, the exclusive wagering partner of the CLNS Media Network. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! So, visit https://FanDuel.com/BOSTON and kick off the NFL season. FanDuel, Official Partner of the NFL. 21+ and present in MA. Hope is here. First online real money wager only. $5 pregame moneyline wager required. First online real money wager only. $10 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire 7 days after receipt. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. GamblingHelpLineMa.org or call (800)-327-5050 for 24/7 support. Play it smart from the start! GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234.  With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/CLNSFREE and use code CLNSFREE for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. That’s free breakfast for life at HelloFresh.com/CLNSFREE with code CLNSFREE!  Ever wished you could navigate the betting field with the confidence of a pro? Enter OddsR. They're not a sportsbook, but they're the sports betting advisor you've always needed. It's like having a playbook for smarter bets right in your pocket. Get a 30-day free trial! Elevate your game day and join the smart betting revolution! Go get it at https://oddsr.com/celtics  Visit https://factormeals.com/NEWSFEED50 to get 50% off your first box! Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit, can help you fuel up fast with ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door.

Transcript

00:00 We're gonna, before, Bobby, stay right there.

00:03 Don't stop, don't say a peep.

00:05 We're gonna get Drew Holiday right now talking about this.

00:10 - Right before the end of--

00:11 - You're so rude.

00:12 - The end of your game, it was only a five.

00:15 - I don't know how, I guess maybe there's some things

00:17 I don't agree with, but also there's rules

00:19 and we also wanna win, we wanna make the tournament

00:23 and have the best seat that we can, so.

00:25 I don't like it, but I understand.

00:27 - What part of it do you not like?

00:30 Just kind of running up the score?

00:31 - Yeah, running up the score.

00:33 I get the point differential, but it just feels weird.

00:36 Kind of like you're kind of disrespecting the game

00:39 and your opponent, especially when,

00:42 I mean, obviously they do what they want.

00:45 They then have their starters in, but, you know,

00:48 it just, like I said, it feels weird,

00:50 but I also understand it.

00:52 - And so do the basketball gods, Drew.

00:55 Don't you worry about it.

00:56 - The basketball gods understand it.

00:57 - Interesting, Drew Holiday with some, I don't know,

01:02 like different sort of take.

01:04 Yeah, different sort of take there on the NCAA tournament.

01:08 We'll bring in.

01:09 - Wow.

01:10 - Wow.

01:11 Just like that.

01:12 - Did he want the first say?

01:14 Maybe that's what it was.

01:15 - I was just going to bring in Bobby very professionally.

01:19 - I was just gonna give you a hard time for yelling at him

01:21 before we went to that clip.

01:22 - Try that again.

01:23 - I don't know what to do now.

01:24 - We're going to bring in Bobby here

01:26 to discuss those comments from Drew.

01:28 Bobby, I think you were there for those, but just,

01:30 why don't we start with,

01:32 well, what's your reaction to those Drew comments

01:34 and then take us through just your overall thoughts

01:36 on the Celtics advancing in this tournament?

01:38 - I understand the comments.

01:41 Obviously a lot of guys in this league are friends,

01:44 have good relationships.

01:45 Even Joe after the game, I think,

01:47 wanted to stay on good terms with both Billy Donovan,

01:50 who we talked to in the hallway after his presser,

01:53 as well as Andre Drummond,

01:54 who we made a pretty concerted effort.

01:56 Bulls PR were trying to set up a meeting

01:59 between Drummond and Missoula right after the presser.

02:01 So a lot of effort on the Celtics side

02:06 to maintain relations with the Bulls there

02:09 because they clearly didn't want to do this.

02:11 And Joe had signaled before the game

02:13 that they weren't going to do it.

02:14 And then of course, as I'm sure you guys hit on,

02:16 that he decided once they were in that range to go for it.

02:20 So I understand all the players' perspectives.

02:22 Jalen just said he's not crazy about it either.

02:25 Derek didn't have a strong opinion on it,

02:29 but I loved it.

02:31 And in fact-

02:32 - Oh, we know.

02:33 We know.

02:35 - I'm sure Joe Sway told you

02:36 just how excited I was sitting there

02:39 going through all the scores.

02:40 - Did you have a couple of monitors going?

02:42 - Yep.

02:43 I was counting up math on the fly.

02:45 - Yeah, Bobby, you had the spectators

02:48 coming over to go get a look at the score.

02:52 - He had half the stadium looking over his shoulder.

02:54 - They're like, "Yo, Bobby's got it, guys.

02:55 Come through."

02:56 - I was talking to Nick at halftime trying to teach him.

03:00 And even I didn't fully grasp it.

03:01 - Trying to teach him.

03:03 - Obviously this is insanely confusing.

03:05 - We're all learning tonight.

03:06 - It was insanely confusing.

03:08 No one could understand it

03:09 other than like one handful of writers.

03:12 So they got to figure out not only how to curb,

03:16 so doing something that the players don't want to do here

03:19 in the running up the scores

03:20 and making fans understand the scenarios more.

03:23 I think the easy solution is just to have more games.

03:25 I mean, there shouldn't be a 50-way tie

03:28 at the end of this thing for the last spot

03:30 like there was pretty much tonight.

03:32 - It's a good point, yeah.

03:33 - I think you should play every team

03:34 in your division twice probably.

03:36 Extend it out a little bit, maybe closer to Christmas.

03:39 I don't know.

03:40 But this was great, sitting here trying to figure it out.

03:43 The fourth quarter of this blowout game

03:45 that we'd all be falling asleep through

03:47 or just going to get a snack

03:49 during being as exhilarating as it was

03:51 is exactly what the NBA was looking for here.

03:53 And it really went right down the wire.

03:56 They won by what, 27 after needing to win by 23.

03:59 Bulls made a couple of runs there.

04:01 They had a hack drumming.

04:02 There was some real strategy going into it

04:04 in this fourth quarter blowout starters

04:07 of running back to the scorers table.

04:08 It was wacky.

04:09 It was fun.

04:10 This is a game that Jimmy, you probably would have skipped

04:13 if there was no stakes here.

04:16 So this is great.

04:18 This is exactly what the NBA was looking for here.

04:21 This, Jimmy-

04:22 - I kind of love this idea.

04:23 Look at this comment.

04:23 The final should be the Christmas day game.

04:25 That would be sick.

04:26 - Right, something like that.

04:27 - That would be cool.

04:28 That would really get players to want to play though.

04:30 'Cause the Lebron wants, well, I'm not sure.

04:32 Do players want to play Christmas?

04:34 Some probably do and some probably don't.

04:35 That might be hard.

04:36 - Well, it's hard because the NBA has to have

04:39 that slate of games.

04:40 You can't predict who's gonna,

04:42 unless you do it on the fly,

04:43 unless you make that schedule weeks before.

04:45 - You could just make one.

04:46 Yeah, that's true.

04:47 - Yeah, maybe have all eight teams

04:50 make sure that their arenas are available, I guess,

04:52 for that.

04:52 - Yeah, that's a good point.

04:53 - Jimmy, let me put it this way.

04:55 - Nevermind, stupid idea.

04:56 Just kidding.

04:57 - This was one of the most fun games I've ever covered.

05:00 - Oh, shit.

05:02 - Here we go.

05:03 Just stop, Bobby, just stop.

05:05 It was.

05:06 It was.

05:08 - Just stop.

05:09 You've been to many playoff games, Bobby.

05:12 - There's some reporter covering the Pistons right now.

05:14 - You've been to Celtics, Lakers.

05:16 - Who hasn't even covered a playoff game in years.

05:19 - Yeah, dude, you need to just...

05:21 You know what?

05:22 I wish I knew how to tango you for that comment, Bobby,

05:27 but I won't.

05:28 - No, that one's fine.

05:29 - Let him cook, let him cook.

05:31 Go ahead, Bobby.

05:32 - Wish you could navigate the betting sheet.

05:35 - All right, all right.

05:36 Bobby.

05:37 (all laughing)

05:39 Bobby, explain yourself.

05:41 Explain why.

05:42 'Cause you were fumbling over the scores

05:44 on the other games?

05:45 - I was watching other games.

05:47 This was like the last day of the regular season

05:49 where you're trying to see if you're getting in the playoffs.

05:51 That's exciting to me.

05:54 There were so many games that had consequence to it.

05:57 You're juggling two scenarios

05:59 and then you're trying to see the sideline, figure it out.

06:01 Like Joe turned to the bench at one point

06:03 and clearly asked someone what was going on.

06:05 And then you saw the players start piling back

06:08 into the game there.

06:09 And honestly, Jimmy, we didn't know coming in

06:11 whether or not they'd go for this.

06:12 So when they did, it was a big surprising moment.

06:15 And I'll say it again,

06:16 that fourth quarter would have just been

06:18 one of the most boring quarters of the season otherwise.

06:21 But instead it just was--

06:22 - They've blown many, Bobby,

06:23 they've blown many fourth quarters the Celtics have.

06:26 Don't just assume that it wouldn't have been interesting

06:29 in some other way.

06:30 - I'm just sad we're never gonna get the whole--

06:32 - In fact, it would have been a closer fourth quarter, Bobby.

06:34 It would have been, in some cases,

06:36 both fans may have been more interested in it.

06:38 - Yeah, I feel like-- - On the other hand--

06:41 - If the Celtics didn't pull this off,

06:42 I feel like Bobby would have been like,

06:43 man, this thing, I don't think it's gonna work.

06:45 - A lot of issues.

06:46 - The NBA's gotta get rid of this thing.

06:48 I mean, I'm sitting there watching four games,

06:50 like, what is this?

06:51 Like, you would have been--

06:52 - No, I mean--

06:53 - You are saying that they need to change it.

06:55 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

06:57 They need to make it more fan friendly

06:58 and of course more player friendly

07:00 'cause obviously there's--

07:01 - More user friendly, geez.

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07:36 - Speaking of player friendly,

07:41 we got a clip here from Jalen Brown,

07:43 who I guess, we'll just let you guys listen to it

07:48 since I don't know what the hell he said anyways.

07:50 - Tough because I mean,

07:51 that's just not how the game is supposed to be played.

07:54 One, you gotta respect your opponents

07:57 and two, it's just weird setup.

08:02 We understand the rules,

08:03 but if I was on the other team,

08:05 I'd be upset as well.

08:07 We were doing the hack of drumming

08:10 in the middle of the fourth quarter,

08:12 but our coaching staff made their decisions

08:16 and we stick with it.

08:18 - How do you feel about the kind of the change in thinking?

08:21 - Personally, I don't really have a comment on it.

08:25 I think that the agenda has been

08:29 to try to increase competition,

08:32 to increase revenue,

08:33 to kind of make it, I guess,

08:35 more exciting during this time of year.

08:40 But I don't have a comment,

08:43 but I will say that honestly,

08:45 if it's a line between increasing excitement,

08:50 revenue, notoriety, whatever,

08:52 and compromising ethics of the game,

08:56 it's a balance.

08:57 This is kind of the first that we've kind of seen this,

09:02 but I'm sure there'll be a lot of conversations

09:05 going around that'll get to some decisions,

09:09 but that's all I'll say about it.

09:12 - It's an interesting point.

09:15 Is it gimmicky, Jimmy?

09:16 - Well, obviously it's gimmicky.

09:19 I mean, it's this whole thing.

09:20 - But everybody's doing it.

09:21 - Here's the thing.

09:22 Here's what I'll say.

09:23 There's a different mentality for these games

09:26 than there are the regular season games,

09:28 and you have to go in there knowing that.

09:30 If you're either side,

09:32 if you're taking it personal

09:34 and you're gonna be pouting and crying and all this stuff,

09:37 then toughen up.

09:40 It's nothing personal.

09:41 This is what needs to be done in order to advance.

09:43 - Especially the coach.

09:44 - Yeah, especially the coaches need to understand

09:46 the situation more than anybody.

09:48 - So Billy Donovan was confused at one point

09:52 in the fourth quarter and Joe him out of talk.

09:55 - Yeah, Joe him out of talk.

09:57 I mean, in my opinion, that's inexcusable.

10:00 Whether you support the tournament or not,

10:03 it's your job to understand it

10:06 and to understand what you're walking into

10:08 on any given night.

10:09 If you're playing a team that has something to play for

10:11 and they need to do a certain amount of,

10:12 certain score up a certain amount of points

10:14 or win or whatever it is,

10:16 you better damn well know that.

10:17 You better relay that information to your players

10:19 so they aren't-

10:19 - And remember Friday, Jimmy?

10:21 I was furious.

10:22 And look, it came into play.

10:24 They gave up an extra basket at the end against the Magic.

10:26 I'm sure they gave up much more than that

10:28 over the flow of the game,

10:29 but they just gave up the final one

10:32 and they only would have had to win this by 25

10:37 or 21 instead of 23

10:39 if they didn't give up that basket to Orlando.

10:41 - See, to me, that's disrespectful to the game.

10:43 It's like giving up and saying, "Oh, this thing's over."

10:45 - Right, so you can-

10:46 - Depends how you look at it.

10:48 - Right.

10:49 - You can argue in multiple ways.

10:50 You can say, "Well, what's ethical about playing 30%

10:55 at the end of the game?"

10:56 Or, "We're taking your foot off the gas."

10:58 I mean, I get it, but these are adult.

11:00 Everyone here is an adult, right?

11:03 - And they know why you're doing it.

11:05 - This isn't fourth grade rec league

11:07 where you can't win by more than 10 points

11:09 or the kids are not allowed.

11:10 - Sub everybody in.

11:11 - Exactly, everyone in, everybody out.

11:13 Six passes before you shoot

11:15 'cause you're up by double digits.

11:16 No, this is the end game.

11:17 - Everybody in, everybody out.

11:19 - The whole post game-

11:20 - I'm almost gonna do a 180 on this whole thing.

11:21 - The whole post game scene was ridiculous.

11:22 - I'm almost gonna do a 180 on this.

11:23 - You're about to go full Xanis right now.

11:26 - I'm almost gonna do a 180 on my stance.

11:27 Now I think I might actually love the tournament

11:29 because it-

11:30 - I love it.

11:31 - Makes you ruthless.

11:33 You have to be ruthless sometimes.

11:34 This is what people wanna see, our best versus your best.

11:39 You don't wanna lose by 30, then be better.

11:41 Don't lose by 30.

11:42 Don't expect, what am I going?

11:45 Oh, I'm in.

11:46 - Tell him, tell him, tell him.

11:47 - Keep going, you're cooking, you're cooking.

11:49 - You don't wanna lose by 30?

11:50 Oh, I'm sorry.

11:51 Then don't lose by 30.

11:53 Go out there and play harder.

11:55 Be better, you're in the NBA.

11:56 Don't expect the opponent to lay off you

11:58 so that you're not embarrassed.

12:00 - That's right.

12:01 - Don't go crying in your cereal

12:02 because, oh boo hoo, they played too hard.

12:06 If you don't like it, then match their intensity.

12:09 You're in the NBA.

12:10 You're supposed to be one of the,

12:12 you're the 0.001% of the world

12:16 at this one particular thing that you do great.

12:19 So go do that thing if you have a problem with it.

12:21 And if you're Billy Donovan, shame on you

12:23 for not knowing what the stakes are

12:24 and not knowing what the situation was.

12:25 If you're Joe Mizzoula, good for you

12:27 for knowing what it was and for listening to your players

12:30 and actually going for it.

12:32 And you know what?

12:33 If you have to apologize to anybody,

12:35 let it be the other team.

12:36 - Right.

12:37 - You don't wanna walk into your own locker room

12:38 and have to apologize to your own guys

12:40 'cause you let them down.

12:41 - No.

12:42 - 'Cause they get it.

12:42 - One time for the people in the back.

12:44 Tell 'em, Jimmy.

12:45 - Exactly.

12:45 And Jaylen Brown and Jew Holiday,

12:47 come off the high horse here for a second, okay?

12:50 - Right.

12:51 - Like, you're ethics and you're, you know,

12:55 oh, like this isn't what the game is all about

12:57 and we're better.

12:58 It's like, this is literally what the game is about tonight.

13:02 Friday night against the Sixers,

13:03 if you wanna go lovey-dovey and all that stuff,

13:08 by all means, go for it.

13:10 I don't know how you can against a team

13:11 that's supposed to be your rivals,

13:13 but be ruthless, be hard-nosed.

13:15 Me and Joe Oswey were talking about earlier.

13:17 If the '07-'08 team had this tournament on the line,

13:20 you think they'd be pouting about it after the game

13:23 that they won by 30?

13:25 You think they'd be crying about the fact

13:26 that they just won by 30 and they embarrassed the other team?

13:28 - I do think-- - Hell no.

13:29 - Doc would've gone on his high horse, as a matter of fact.

13:32 Doc would've been like, what are we doing here?

13:34 Especially that meeting between the head coaches,

13:37 I don't know, was that initiated by Mizzou

13:38 or was that initiated by--

13:39 - Donovan.

13:40 - Not initiated by Donovan?

13:42 All right, but I feel like with all the respect in class,

13:46 I feel like Doc would be like,

13:48 hey, you know this isn't personal, right?

13:50 And I feel like he would relay that to the media.

13:52 - Respect in a game.

13:53 - Jimmy, I'm telling you.

13:54 You respect the game by playing hard

13:56 and by playing the game the way it's supposed to be played.

13:59 - When I was telling Bobby, I was like, you know what?

14:01 This is, they have to destroy,

14:03 they should destroy the Bulls.

14:05 That's just what basketball is about.

14:07 When you think about, again, the situation, the opportunity,

14:11 I mean, this is all about the tournament.

14:14 They're not doing this just to do it.

14:16 I think you had the perfect excuse to run up the score.

14:20 And I like to see the Celtics obviously--

14:23 - I don't think--

14:24 - Do what they had to do tonight.

14:25 And I'm surprised by these comments, to be honest.

14:28 I really am.

14:29 - No, I think the comments, Jimmy,

14:30 I think the comments just were just trying to show

14:33 the sportsmanship and respect to the other side.

14:36 Because when they were out there, Jimmy,

14:38 they weren't holding back.

14:39 I mean, they were unloading on them in that fourth quarter.

14:42 I love the way they played when they got back in the game.

14:44 - It's that competitive fire, man.

14:46 It's gotta take over.

14:47 That's gotta be natural.

14:48 It's gotta be organic.

14:49 - And I was pleasantly surprised

14:50 'cause I didn't expect to see that.

14:52 I mean, they basically, Jimmy, I was so mad on Friday

14:54 because they just shrugged their shoulders,

14:56 walked off the court in Orlando,

14:57 and basically gave up what effectively

15:00 could have been their spot in this.

15:01 And they had to do this tonight because they did that.

15:04 And John was all confused why I was upset about it.

15:06 But this is why.

15:08 Like, you made it tougher on yourself

15:09 to actually be part of this thing

15:10 that actually looks pretty cool now.

15:12 So I'm glad they did what they did tonight.

15:15 I love the intensity they played

15:16 within that fourth quarter.

15:18 Their second half was one of their best halves all year.

15:21 I mean, they just unloaded on the bulls.

15:24 Got turnovers, got on transition, created good shots.

15:28 Horford was excellent in this one.

15:30 I thought Jalen was super aggressive.

15:32 Even Tatum off the jump ball going to the rim there.

15:35 I mean, they just played great together tonight.

15:37 White too.

15:38 And it really brought something out of them,

15:40 I felt like here.

15:40 So they can say, you know, I didn't love doing this.

15:43 I didn't love going back in the game.

15:45 I don't like these rules.

15:46 But when they were out there,

15:47 they didn't hesitate in terms of running up the score

15:49 and doing what they needed to do here.

15:51 And they all knew what it took.

15:53 - You don't need to apologize.

15:56 - I get it, Jimmy.

15:57 - In this situation. - I get it, yeah.

15:58 - This is what, no, I know you get it.

16:00 I'm trying to figure out what Jalen Brown

16:04 and Drew Holiday are crying about.

16:06 This is not something that you need to feel bad about.

16:08 This is literally what you had to do to advance.

16:12 It's not your fault that the bulls suck.

16:13 (laughing)

16:15 And don't apologize for that.

16:17 Like I said, if you're Joe Mazzuola

16:19 and you want to go ahead and do the respectful thing

16:22 and, you know, hey, Billy, you know,

16:23 we have to do what we have to do, fine.

16:25 I would much rather have to do that

16:26 than walking in on a Celtics soccer and say,

16:28 guys, I know you wanted to win this, but-

16:30 - Right, imagine if they blew it tonight.

16:31 - And blah, blah, blah.

16:33 Not even if they blew it, Bobby,

16:34 but imagine if Mazzuola just said-

16:35 - If he pulled his eyes, right.

16:36 - We're not playing for it.

16:38 Yeah, we're not playing for it.

16:39 - That's what he said.

16:39 - What kind of people- - Before the game.

16:40 That's what it seemed like was gonna happen.

16:42 So I was so pleasantly surprised.

16:44 And big credit to Joe for having someone on the score,

16:47 on the bench, you know,

16:49 having the lineups ready to go back in

16:52 and the strategy with the drumming thing.

16:54 I mean, that was impressive, Jimmy.

16:55 Like he managed it perfectly.

16:57 They get up to 35, they lose a little bit,

17:00 they squeak out a few extra baskets at the end.

17:02 Hauser gets that free throw, which helped a little bit too.

17:05 And then they get a stop the other way.

17:06 It was just, and again,

17:09 we wouldn't be talking about any of this

17:11 if this wasn't a thing.

17:12 We'd be saying, "Oh, Celtics won by a million,

17:15 laid off at the end, won by 10 and good night."

17:18 Useless game, we're never gonna remember.

17:20 I'm gonna remember this.

17:21 (upbeat music)

17:23 (upbeat music)

17:26 (upbeat music)

17:29 (upbeat music)

17:31 (upbeat music)

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