Downplaying A Win

I know, it's really out of character for Shank to do such a thing:

It’s only one game, but the Celtics responded emphatically in Game 2 against the Heat

MIAMI — Let’s not go overboard. It’s only one game. I remember mocking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the mighty Lakers when the Larry Bird Celtics beat LA, 148-114, in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals. Those proud Lakers wound up winning that series in six, dancing on the fabled parquet while New England wept.

But here in the Hub of Hoop, there’ll be a temptation to get carried away after what we watched at FTX Arena Thursday night. Some of you no doubt are already dreaming of that Boston-Golden State matchup in the NBA Finals.

The 2021-22 Celtics vaporized the Miami Heat, 127-102, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals. Two days after a disheartening, shorthanded, 11-point loss, the Celtics (almost) got their whole team back and demolished a tough, worthy Miami team.

More realistic folks would say 'we won one in their building; so far, so good.' I suppose Shank's citing the 1985 series to tamper expectations, which is fine. I also suppose, as far as team personnel and matchups are concerned, the two sides in the aforementioned 1985 series were a lot closer than the current edition of the Celtics and Miami Heat. You could make the argument (successfully) that the 1985 Lakers team was amongst the top teams of all time - Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Michael Cooper Byron Scott, Bob McAdoo - that's a solid group. After Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, I don't know who belongs in that echelon of great players; I'll say Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown and Marcus Smart (the Michael Cooper lockdown defender counterpart) give them the edge in this series.

I think, as always, Shank's column is some sort of setup in the case the Celtics barf up this series.