5- Friday, March 20th, 2009: What a great night, and a great all around sports weekend. It was the first day of spring in 2009, and the concluding night of the first round of March Madness, a night in which previously top ranked Wake Forest was upset by thirteenth seeded Cleveland State. It was an evening of new beginnings, a chance for all of us to put the trials and hardships of winter behind us as we forged ahead to happier times. Nowhere in America was this feeling more palpable than in the city of Boston, where Celtics fans watched (on television) their savior return to action after missing 13 games to help give his team a lift in a tough road matchup with the Spurs.
Despite the 2055 miles that separate the cities of Boston and San Antonio, you could sense the energy that Garnett's return brought to the hardwood on this night. He logged less than 15 minutes of actual playing time, but you could see the impact of his presence manifest itself in the swagger that each and every Celtics player carried onto the floor with them. This was most evident in Kendrick Perkins, who played tremendous physical defense on Tim Duncan. The player of the night, hands down, was Tony Parker, who seemed to be in control of the game all night long. Parker finished with an impressive 25 points, 8 assists, and 7 boards. Ironically, Parker's very uncharacteristic four straight missed free throws in the final minutes cost his team a victory.
And so it was, for one night, that all seemed right with the world. Spring was here, and with it came a reawakening of the senses, the spirit, and the ability of the Celtics to defend the pick and roll. Kevin Garnett had not been able to contribute much. But, his 15 minutes at 75% and the emotion he injected into his teammates allowed the Celtics to beat one of the league's best teams on the road. How would any team be able to stop them once he worked his way back near 100%? The drive for banner 18 was back on schedule.
Of course, we all know how this turned out. That's why you have to stop to enjoy all of these moments.
4- Tuesday, May 12, 2009: Eastern Conference Playoffs, Round 2, Game 5. I'd like to think that the Orlando Magic were forged into a championship caliber team during their series with the Celtics. Sure, they were always talented. Sure, they could always create mismatches. But, they lacked a certain something. They couldn't finish. They seemed incapable of stringing together 48 solid minutes, and they couldn't hold a lead. They learned a series of tough lessons against the Celtics. Game 5 was the final lesson, and it is the moment I will look back on as the turning point if the Magic do end up hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in June (similar to the Giants close loss to the Patriots in week 17 of the 07-08 NFL season).
Orlando led by 14 at one point in the second half. They led by ten with five and a half minutes remaining in the fourth. And yet, the outcome seemed completely predictable, because this Magic team could not finish. The Celtics played 5 good minutes of basketball on this evening, and it was enough. I will always remember Stephon Marbury fondly for his performance in the fourth quarter of this game. With Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins resting on the bench, Marbury scored 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the fourth, ensuring that the Celtics would not fall behind further before their defensive stars returned. The fact that Doc Rivers felt comfortable with this strategy speaks volumes to what kind of team the Magic were.
This game totally altered the course of the 2009 playoffs, because the Orlando Magic that we all knew died that night at the Garden. The team that always folded in the face of adversity and seemed to acquiese to the will of their opponents ceased to exist. What grew in their place was a team that finally understood what it needed to do to to be a championship contender. This change was most evident in Dwight Howard. Previously criticized for his happy-go-lucky demeanor, Howard suddenly appeared frustrated before the media, calling out his coach and demanding more touches. In Game 6, the Magic overcame a horrendous shooting night and a ten-point second half Celtics lead to force a game 7. Orlando then came out in game 7 with the look of a team on a mission. They were determined to TAKE the game, rather than simply hoping it would fall their way. They played with a high intensity for the entire night, and they finally showed the ability to play with a lead, as they matched every Celtics run by tightening up on defense and knocking down big shots.
Coming back from a 15 point halftime deficit to take game 1 in Cleveland; Being down 23 in the second quarter at Cleveland and forcing LeBron to beat you with a miracle heave; grinding out a tough OT victory in game 4: none of this happens without game 5, the night on which the Magic turned the corner.
Of course, I knew none of this as I exited the TD Banknorth Garden on May 12th. I felt, for the first time of the postseason, like the Celtics actually had the stuff to make a run at the finals. Again, this is why you have to enjoy the moment while you're in it.
3- Sunday, May 10, 2009: We always hear coaches talk about the importance of role players stepping up in key spots, and how it is virtually impossible to win a championship if this doesn't happen. This was perhaps never more evident than in game 4 against the Magic. Glen Davis went through many ups and downs during the final minute of this game, but in the end, he stepped up to give his team the win. Davis scored a big bucket with just over 30 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a one point lead. Back on the defensive end, he was once again abused by Rashard Lewis (a perpetual occurence in this series), sending lewis to the free throw line to put the Magic up 1. Earlier this season, something like that might have shaken Davis. Maybe it was the influence of Kevin Garnett, maybe it was the fact that he was completely desensitized to Rashard Lewis making him look like a fool. Whatever it was, Davis took the floor on the offensive end, and sunk a game winning jumper as time expired (see above video). In doing so, he gave the Celtics new life.
Note: It was in this joyous moment that we all got acquainted with Ernest Provetti, who demanded an apology after Davis accidentily bumped his son Nicholas after the shot. Provetti would later rescind his request, essentially admitting that he had completely failed as a father and as a man.
2- Monday, April 20, 2009 It was Patriot's Day. The day of the Boston Marathon. We were just getting acquainted with these new Bulls at this point. This Bulls series felt like it lasted for months, and it seemed to have 4 distinct phases for Celtics fans. Games 1 and 2 were the "they had key guys turn in huge performances, and we were way off. this series won't be close" phase. Game 3 was the "See, we knew these guys sucked" phase. Games 4,5, and 6 were the "oh shit, wait a second, these guys are actually pretty good. im a little bit worried" phase. And, finally game 7 was the "cut the bullshit and win this game" phase.
In game 1, it was Derrick Rose who turned in a monumental performance for the Bulls. In game 2, it was Ben Gordon, who finished with 42 points. His final two came with 12 seconds left, and tied the game up at 115. Heading into the final Celtics possession, there was no question who was getting the ball. Ray Allen, who at that point had put to rest any worries about him being in a shooting slump by scoring 25 second half points, was the hot hand (and, not to mention, one of the best clutch shooters of all time). With Paul Pierce struggling, everyone watching knew that Ray would get the last shot. The Bulls knew it too. And yet, somehow, as he always does, Ray got open and knocked down a game winning 3 (see above video). There were 2 seconds left on the clock, which ordinarily would have made me nervous given the way Gordon had played. But, luckily Vinny Del Negro was out of timeouts, and a Tyrus Thomas desperation heave was all his team could muster. I don't know what's better: the fact that this happened, or the fact that this was not the only time in this series Del Negro found himself out of timeouts in a key spot.
Going down 2-0 to this Chicago team, who I still didn't think was for real at this point, would have been disasterous. Now they had new life, and Ray had found his shooting touch again. We shuffled across the street to the Four's in search of some celebratory beer and nachos. I will never forget what happened next. Suddenly, I look over, and Tommy Heinsohn was taking a seat in the booth right next to ours. As he sat down, he exclaimed "it's time to wet the whistle!" I observed him carefully, and kept in close contact with the waiter about what he was ordering. 1 shrimp cocktail, and several bloody marys. Very tomato heavy (lycopene: good for the prostate). Heinsohn won 8 rings as a player and 2 more as a coach. He was a six time all star and coach of the year. He's the face of the franchise as an announcer. Really, there is no question that this was more significant than drinking ten feet away from Larry Bird. In fact, the only member of the Celtics organization that may have been more significant is Red Auerbach, who is no longer with us.
I reported my encounter, among other things, to the basketball jones that night. I called and e-mailed many times. I had been out of town all day, and had not seen the show. I think I was having withdrawals. Anyways, in a moment that made me very proud, and made my friends and family hang their heads in shame, here is the episode:
Ep. 424: Season In Balance from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.
1- Tuesday, November 28, 2008: It's strange to think that the top moment of a season could take place before a single minute of regular season basketball has even been played. But, I don't think that anybody could take me to task for choosing this as moment #1. Certainly, in a season in which I saw many memorable moments in the Garden, this is the one that will stick with me the longest. The lights were turned down, and suddenly there was a spotlight on Paul Pierce at center court. We then saw John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Jo Jo White, M.L. Carr and Cedric Maxwell, carry out the Larry O'Brien out to Paul Pierce, who was already in tears as he took it from them and lifted it in the air to the roar of the packed house.
Even now, it's hard for me to get past the emotion of this scene and the uniqueness of Pierce's situation. This championship meant the world to Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who had worked tirelessly for their entire careers to get it. But, it meant more to Pierce, if that's even possible, because of the circumstances. When, in this era, do you ever see a player spend ten years as the leader of a franchise that sees such dark times? You don't. Despite all the changes that have gone on around him, Pierce has remained the face of this franchise for a decade. This team was as far as they could go in the rebuilding process: lots of young talent, expiring contracts, and Paul Pierce. Things were not always smooth, and both sides have acknowledged that. In fact, in his speech on this very night, he talked about being frustrated and asking to be traded. Earlier that day, Danny Ainge had gone on WEEI and stated categorically that going into the 2007 draft they were determined to either trade their pick or trade Paul Pierce. The relationship between Pierce and the fans of Boston has been much rockier than has been the case with previous Celtics superstars. But, there were two men who always believed in Paul Pierce: Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge. That will get you pretty far in Boston.
And, I have to believe that even the Pierce detractors that wanted him gone (and I sit next to two of them at the games) had to appreciate what he has done on this night. He has grown up as a player in this city. We've seen him at his highest and his lowest. At times, we've both said things we wish he could have back. He's like family. He's ingrained in this city, and it would have been terrible to see him in another uniform. Players always thank the fans after they win championships, but I don't think anybody in history has ever meant it as much as Paul Pierce meant it, and I don't think any fanbase has ever appreciated a player's individual moment as much as the fans of Boston appreciated this one. This, in my mind, is a top ten moment in the history of this great franchise. And, there is no question it was the highlight of the season.
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