I was at the Garden for game 5 last night, and there is simply no way to sum that game up in words. There are no words than can do it justice (I've read just about everything that has been put out today on the subject). And, there's really no way to break it down analytically. It's simple: The Celtics played 3 horrible quarters, Stephon Marbury played 6 great minutes and held even while the studs rested, then the C's played 6 outstanding minutes. That was it. 6 outstanding minutes of basketball, and it was enough to beat the Magic. The outcome of last night's contest was not about strategy (although there was plenty of it: thank you Ben Gordon for burning us in game 4 last round and finally convincing Doc that you need to foul when you're up 3). It was all about teams with completely different mindsets. The Celtics never, ever believe they can lose. I've heard Paul Pierce say this time and time again, but I didn't know if I believed it. I've also heard Pierce say "we're the champs, and we're not going to quit until someone knocks us off", I've always taken it with a grain of salt. But, I realize now that I didn't believe him because I didn't believe they could do it without KG. Pierce did. So did Ray Allen. So do Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis, Doc Rivers, and everyone else on the team. It's a great and rare thing to see a situation where the players hold themselves to a higher standard than the fans. Losing in round 2 would have been acceptable to me given the circumstances. I'd understand it. These players simply won't accept it, and I'm starting to believe they have the potential to do some great things moving forward.
So, that being said, without sounding too crazy, let's really think about it:
- PP is getting healthier every game. This shouldn't be happening, but I know what I see.
- Perk is channeling the Chief. This is the toughest matchup he could possibly see, and he is owning Howard's shit.
- Stephon Marbury has been great, and I felt that way even before last night. He has played tremendous defense, and last night might give him the confidence he needs to start providing a big scoring spark from the bench. He and Eddie could be a real problem coming off the bench.
- Assuming Pierce is able to keep LeBron at least partially contained, who could Cleveland put out there that is more of a matchup problem for the Celtics than Rashard Lewis? Nobody. But, this series has turned out well so far.
- Big Baby can no longer be left open, and he is turning into a real weapon.
The list goes on and on. All I'm saying is that Orlando is dead. All along I've said that it would be a great accomplishment just to get to Cleveland. The Celtics showed me last night that they will fight tooth and nail to win every game. When I think about that, what they've done so far, and how things are shaping up, I begin to think maybe this whole thing isn't so crazy. The NBA finals could be returning to Boston.
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