Get Ready for Game 5 Wednesday Night

Coming into the playoffs, most media pundits would agree that the Boston Celtics were an overrated #1 seed.

They do not have a ton of talent, and were by no means, a dominant team in the NBA in the regular season.

After losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to the #8 seeded Chicago Bulls, the Celtics were proving these Pundits right.

Although the series is now tied 2-2 after four games, the Celtics did not come into the series ready to play.

In the first game, the problem was rebounding.  

The Celtics got outrebounded by 20 boards, and the Celtics big men were struggling to contain Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez.

In the second game, the problem was outside shooting. 

The C’s shot just 10-33 from beyond the arc, which is not ideal for a team that relies on the 3-point shot.

The top team in the east lost both games on their home court, and everyone started to question them.

Fans and media members were saying, “This team is a fake No. 1 seed,” or “They can’t shoot,” or “They can’t rebound.”

Not only did the media start to abandon this team and call the series a lost one, but the players started to show some doubt as well.

When the team was down in Game 2, the players did not appear to show any fight, and almost looked as if they had given up.

In addition, as often happens during difficult times, some of the Celtics players started to yell at each other on the court.

The team even started to get into it with its own fans when Celtics guard Marcus Smart gave a heckling fan the middle finger.

But after a couple days of rest, and sorting things out, the Celtics came out like the team we were expecting from the beginning of the series, and won the next two games handily.

Finally, the Celtics started to rebound a little better.

Brad Stevens removed Center Amir Johnson from the starting lineup, giving Al Horford the matchup of boxing out Lopez, and Horford did a decent job.

With Johnson out of the lineup, who did Brad Stevens insert into it?

Gerald Green.

A player who has been known more in his career for his high leaping and dunking abilities than his actual basketball play got the start for the Celtics the next two games.

Green provided an unexpected spark, making key 3-pointers in the beginning of the games and helping out on the boards.

Isaiah Thomas continued to make big shots for the team as well, scoring 33 points in Game 4, and simply taking over the game in the second half.

However, although the Celtics played exceptional basketball the past two games, it is important to not forget about the loss of point guard Rajon Rondo for the Bulls.

Rondo did not play in the last two games and is out the rest of the series with a broken thumb.

This is a huge loss for the Bulls, and as well as the Celtics played, the Bulls looked like a different team without Rondo on the court.

Rondo had played excellent basketball for the Bulls the first two games of the series. He was key in running the offense, setting up his teammates for points, and grabbing rebounds.

The loss of Rondo was evident with the lack of point guard production from the Bulls in games 3 and 4.

After four games, the series is now tied 2-2, and it is heading back to Boston for a crucial game 5 on Wednesday night.

If this series has told us anything so far, it is hard to predict. But with how the Celtics are playing right now and with Rondo hurt, it would be hard to think that the Celtics will lose this series.

We will see Wednesday night.