I've referred to big Celtics runs as the times when they "form Voltron", because when they are able to ratchet up their defensive intensity, they form a five headed force that is completely unstoppable. At their best, they play team defense better than anyone in the league, and it tends to lead to easy buckets on the other end. Most recently, they were able to do this in the final half of the fourth quarter in game 5. When they are in the zone like this, there is nobody that can beat them, with or without KG (although they seem to be far less in control of when and for how long it happens with him gone). There is no point in talking about who is better or who should win tonight. The one thing I will say is that I'm really glad the there was an extra day of rest leading up to this matchup. We all just need to sit back, give ourselves up to it, and hope it happens.
In case you're unfamiliar, here's what it looks like:
important note: when I talk about the Celtics "forming Voltron", I am never ever ever referring to Vehicle Voltron.
Jesus, it's about time. Who does this guy think he is? Arthur Digby Sellers? His kid got the experience of a lifetime at this game, and probably wasn't embarrassed (as the dad claimed) until his dad made him sound like an ungrateful snot and released his full name in the process. Is this the way we're raising the future of this country? To complain and look for sympathy for being able to get an up close experience at an NBA playoff game? If so, then I'm moving to the Caribbean.
Look, honestly, I'm glad the dad has finally come to his senses. All that really matters here is that nobody got hurt, because it really would have been a shame if that little bastard had injured Big Baby. And, I have a feeling KG would have retaliated from the bench during game 6 in Orlando.
We're here, man. This thing is all tied up, and two of the remaining three games are being played in the Garden. It's incredible. I don't mean to say that this is going to be easy. In fact, the Celtics may not advance. But, right now, they are going home and they are knocking on the doors of the EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS. If you can't appreciate what this team is doing, then there's no way you've been a sports fan for very long. You haven't seen countless talented and healthy teams underperform when it finally mattered, and you obviously haven't had to make injury excuses for your team very much. What this team has put together during this postseason has been special, even if they don't make it as far as we hoped when the year began.
Let's think about this situation:
First and foremost, I will not accept any comparisons of the injury situations between these teams. I know Jameer Nelson was an all-star this year, and I know that point guard is "a key spot" (although I hate hearing that, because I think it applies more to football. Aren't all spots key in a 5 man game?). But, the Magic traded for a guy who had been a very productive starting point guard for a contender in the West. So, the loss is minimal. Even if they hadn't made the move, the impact of Nelson comes nowhere near the impact of KG.
Before the game tonight, Ian Thomsen said that the Boston defense was impacted by KG's absence in the same way that the Lakers would be impacted all around if they were without Kobe. I really believe that. We're talking about the best player on the team, the 2008 defensive player of the year, one of the league's top rebounders, the best pick and roll defender in the league, and a guy who would have matched up particularly well with Rashard Lewis. You simply should not be able to lose a guy like that and win a playoff series. But, we're here.
After Leon Powe went down, the Celtics really should have been in trouble. There is no way they should be able to match up with Orlando. They don't have enough front line depth to handle Dwight Howard. There aren't enough bodies to take the fouls. But, we're here.
The Celtics had 2 points from the bench tonight. 2. It's virtually nothing. It's pathetic. But, it's about par for the course during this postseason. Eddie House had a bit of a hot streak going over the past 3 games or so, but over the course of these playoffs, the bench production has been virtually nonexistent. The problem, of course, being that the bench guys we were looking to are either hurt or playing a starter's role. You should not be able to win a series against a good team when you're this thin, and you certainly shouldn't make the conference finals. But, we're here, and we could be there soon.
In order to win in these circumstances, your superstars have to turn in great performances every night. That hasn't really happened. In fact, both Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have turned in some pretty heinous performances throughout these playoffs. Both guys had to play more minutes at a higher level throughout the last quarter of the season to lift their team to the 2 seed in the East, and the adverse effects of that have been particularly evident in Pierce's game. When your bench gives you nothing and your starters are inconsistent, you shouldn't win a single playoff series, but we're here.
Look, these things just don't happen. It takes something more than talent to overcome the kind of breaks that this team has caught. Young guys like Glen Davis don't just step up some day and start hitting huge shots. The effect that Kevin Garnett has had on him has been evident throughout this entire series. It takes something special, something you don't see in every team, from both the coaching staff and the players. I have felt privileged to watch this team ever since they tipped off last season. My appreciation for them has continued to grow ever since that moment, and this postseason has not changed that in any way. In fact, it's hard to imagine me appreciating them more than I do now.
I have no idea what will happen over the next three games. But, I do know that there are only eight teams still playing, and the Celtics are one of them. Soon, there will only be four teams playing. With two of the three remaining games being played in Boston, there is a great chance that the Celtics will be one of those four. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way, when I consider everything that has happened, there is no way that I will exit this season feeling like this team let me down.
Good night everyone, and remember, let a stranger drive you home:
I got a text from LaRocque today that simply said, "It's a perfect day to take down a D'angelo's number nine for lunch." Three thoughts:
1. He's right.
2. The expression "take down" doesn't get enough play. Yes I'm the same guy that tried to get people to transition away from "spread like wildfire" to "spread like herpes". But in this case there really is a ton of untapped potential with "take down".
3. The text motivated me to write the following post, which has been in the back of my mind for a week or so.
Last Wednesday I walked out my front door to make the short walk to work and it hit me - it was nice outside. I should preface this by saying I live in New Hampshire and the last couple of winters have been abysmal. Maybe it's because I don't like outdoor winter sports. Maybe I'm just getting older. Whatever the reason San Diego or any other place that's warm and has reliable water is looking more and more appealing. However, back to last week. For the first time it was warm and there was not a doubt in my mind what I would be doing that night - grilling steak. It was noticeably more upbeat at work, the day went quicker and I can't adequately describe how awesome it was to break out the grill for the first time all season.
Not to go all Hallmark here but the coming of spring made me think about the Boston Celtics. Stay with me on this one. I loved everything about the 2008 Celtics squad and a lot of other people did too. Yet I'd argue that banner 17 meant a lot more to people who watched large chunks of the 2007 Celtics, got excited by the 1998 season opener and have opinions on Orien Greene, or anybody else who walked through the door since Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish stopped doing so. I beg you to look at those previous two links. The former is downright comical at this point. The latter sums up the Orien Greene era better than I ever could. Regardless I'm convinced that people who stopped watching the C's sometime in the early 90s simply didn't enjoy last season as much as I did.
And that brings me to the point of this post. I don't care what happens from this point forward. Even if Kevin Garnett is forced to retire and the Celtics fall into mediocrity I will never say a bad thing about the KG trade. It was fantastic to watch Paul Pierce change his entire legacy with a Finals MVP performance. It's impossible to judge how much playing for a winning, defensive juggernaut did for Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, and to a lesser extent Glen Davis and Leon Powe. Bottom line Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, and whoever else was not winning a title.
"Glen Davis had his Flagrant 2 penalty from Friday’s win over Cleveland reduced to a Flagrant 1 foul by the league. He was ejected with nine minutes left in the third quarter for his hard hit on Anderson Varejao."
"I thought it was a nice hard play,” said Davis. “I’m not intentionally trying to hurt (anybody). It was kind of an awkward situation because I got there late and I thought I had my hand on the ball. It was kind of weird, but the refs called their call and I thought I did the right play. So I’ve got to live with it. Everybody knows I’m a nice guy. (I’m not) trying to hurt nobody.”
It should be noted here that Kendrick Perkins has also had two of his technical fouls taken back by the league. He now has 8 fewer techs than the league leader (Sheed) this season, and is also behind Stephen Jackson, James Posey, Melo, Amar'e and NBA posterboys Dwight Howard and Chauncey Billups. At 9, Perk is tied with (among others) Chris Bosh, Nate Robinson, Shaq, and........wait for it........Dwayne Wade. Not exactly tough company.
The message is clear. The officials need to keep themselves more in check and not allow their view to be biased by the reputation of the big, bad, dirty Celtics. This would be a MUCH bigger deal if the Cavs had won on Friday night.
Cheap Trick: Dream Police. Sick.
UPDATE:
For the record, and just so people don't think I'm overly-biased, I just want to state that I also don't think Trevor Ariza's foul on Rudy Fernandez last night was a dirty play. It was a flagrant foul for sure because he got him on the head area, but like Big Baby I think he was just trying to play the ball. Ariza is a high energy player, and this was a big matchup against another conference power. If he had made a clean block from behind, or if he had even just fouled him normally and prevented the field goal, we'd be praising his hustle. He was trying to do those things (in order of preference). It's a thin line.......
However, I am still a little slanted in my perspective, so I'm calling for Lamar Odom to be suspended for coming off the bench. If he's not, fans in Phoenix should be outraged.
