[tonybologna]

Just another tough loss tonight coming out of the All-Star break. Losing by 1 @ Milwaukee(97-98) who is right now the best team in the East shows we're capable of beating the top teams in the East. The refs I feel gave this one away because on the in bounds play at the end of the game Kyrie was absolutely mugged before the ball was passed in bound by Smart to Kyrie.

Kyrie was forced to take a tough runner in the lane with The Greek Freak & Lopez both trying to block his shot. If the refs would have done their jobs & called the foul that was committed on Kyrie before the ball was passed in then it would have been one FT & then the ball. We would have at least been looking @ OT if not a win in regulation.

Refs just don't like to make those foul calls at any point in a game before the ball is inbounded. However, it has to be called when a player is absolutely mugged trying to get open to get the ball. Refs can't let that stuff go. It's a foul period! Touchy stuff should be allowed but when a player is literally knocked off total balance or falls to the court from contact a foul must be called in those situations.

Milwaukee got some home cooking with the win tonight. We played the best defensive game that I've seen in a while. We didn't shoot the ball well but I am encouraged by the defense I saw plus we did this without Hayward playing tonight because of a sore ankle. We're now back to 5th place in the East. 1 GB of the 76ers. We're only 2 GB of the Pacers though for 3rd place.

The 76ers with the trade deadline deals might have just provided them the ability to beat us out for that 3rd spot in the East. I don't think the Pacers with Oladipo out for the rest of the season will end up being a factor for the top 4 spots in the East. I see them end up finishing either 5th or 6th. We really need to be no lower than 4th place by seasons end so we can have home court advantage for at least the 1st Round of the playoffs.

I would like to get up to that 3rd spot though because if we were to finish 4th & advance in the 1st Round of the playoffs then we're going to probably be looking at the Bucks with no home court advantage which will be really tough. We have just got to continue grinding but after 59 games now we just haven't clicked as a team. We certainly can still go on one of those hot streaks though & build/give us some confidence towards the postseason. GO CELTICS!