--It was May 19, 1985, and the Philadelphia 76ers had just defeated Boston 115-104 in Philly to cut the Celtics' lead in the best-of-7 series to 3-1. The next game would be in Boston and a sixth game, if necessary, would be played in Philadelphia. As the Celtics left the Spectrum floor in defeat, a Sixers' fan yelled at him: "Hey Larry, we'll see you back here for Game 6." Bird, not missing a step or an opportunity, shot back: "You've got a better chance of seeing God."--
From Larry Bird: An Indiana Legend
I know I said on Sunday night that I felt content, but forget all about that. These are the goddamned Boston Celtics we're talking about and I'll be damned if I'm going to let them go quietly against this bunch of pansies from a fake mickey mouse city where fans buy their spoiled kids (I will now always think of that kid as Spaulding from Caddyshack)front row seats, dress them up in "Beat Boston" shirts, and then complain about being too close to the players.
Bill Simmons said it best: if you want to know why people hate America so much, look no further than Orlando.
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:
Look, I don't feel bad for the Mavs here. Antoine Wright gave a half-assed effort at this intentional foul. There are a lot of things we ask these athletes to do on a regular basis that is incredibly difficult, even for them. Intentionally fouling from that position is not one of them. Why he would reach in, and then throw his hands up is beyond me. He should have wrapped him up, and left no doubt in the official's mind that this was a foul. Had the situation been different, and Dallas had not wanted to foul, then there might have been some debate about calling this at the end of a game.
Furthermore, the whistle didn't blow, so Wright should have never stopped, especially against one of the most dangerous scorers in the game. I understand that the Mavs and their fans still have a tainted view of the officials from 2006. But, in this case, poor execution from Wright is to blame more than anything else.
Also, Mark Cuban pushing a cameraman afterwards, very professional.
The Orlando Magic have made it clear to everybody that they are fairly content to have simply advanced to round 2 of the playoffs. Going further would be nice, but they're not going to beat themselves up over a secound round exit. They didn't seem overly determined to hold off a late game 1 Celtics charge, and they certainly could not have cared less about salvaging any of their dignity as the Celtics wiped the floor with them in game 2. I can't accept losing to a team like this. A loss to the Bulls, who played balls to the wall every minute of the postseason, I would have been able to accept given the absence of KG and Leon. But a loss to this Magic team who, like their city, seem to lack any substance or grit would just be crushing.
Despite their lack of a killer instinct (see Rajon Rondo throwing down on Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis below), they are very talented, and that's why tonight is a must-win game for the Celtics. With Rafer Alston out, the Magic will be extremely vulnerable tonight. In a way, I think this is a bigger blow than when they had to play game 6 of last series without Dwight Howard. Without Howard, they were faster and forced Philly to totally rethink their entire strategy (I'm certainly not suggesting that they'd be better without him long term, but it seemed to actually help in a one game situation). Without Alston, the game plan doesn't change, it just gets more difficult to execute. The Celtics SHOULD be able to win this one easily. And, if they do, the Magic will roll over and die in this series. At least, everything I've seen about them tells me they would. They don't have what it takes to come back from two straight losses.
It sounds simple, and it may seem foolish for me to suggest that a game 3 against a team missing a key player is a must win. But, for as great as the Celtics have been over the past two seasons, there has been one constant frustration. They let teams hang around in the postseason. They don't put series away quickly when they have the chance. This trend, more than anything, makes me worried about tonight. If they're going to have any shot of beating Cleveland, they're going to need to end this thing quick and get as much rest as possible.
So, to be clear, tonight is not a must-win in the sense that a loss would inevitably lead to a series loss. Tonight is a must win in the sense that a win would prevent this from becoming the 7 game barn burner that many expect. Keeping this series short and clean is the only way we can hope to not be Cleveland's sacrificial lamb in round 3.
This was a great dunk by Rondo. But, let's just be clear, it's hard to say he "dunked over Dwight Howard", because that would have implied that Dwight attempted to contest this. As tall as Dwight is, dunking over him when he's standing still can't be that difficult for an NBA star. This is absolutely pathetic, and I'd be really concerned if I were a Magic fan. This team has no fight in them at all. Say what you will about Brad Miller or Joakim Noah, but if Rondo attacked the rim like that against them in a blowout game last series, he'd be on his back. That's the way it should be. Even Perk might put Rondo on his back in practice for this if there was a trip to Ruth's Chris on the line. This Magic team is soft, and I put Dwight Howard atop that list.
(note: we're going old school with that above logo)
It's a strange, strange world we live in when the best show on television isn't even on television. As I always say, I can't recommend the Basketball Jones enough to all of you. It is exactly what you need to get through a work day. These are the discussions I'd like to have with all of my co-workers, but obviously it isn't the appropriate forum. I'm sure these guys get sick of me calling and e-mailing them my rants, but sometimes I still get on.
That makes today a good day, especially since the Cs won last night and I'll be wearing my brand new Marbury jersey T to the Mastodon show tonight at the House Of Blues:
Last year I dedicated a post on my old website to Eddie House's son and his presence at Celtics games. You can find the full version here. However, in honor of Eddie House's offensive explosion last night - (as I wrote earlier) 31 points, 11-14 from the field, 4-4 from deep, 5-6 from the line, and 10 times as many points as the Truth - I wanted to post part of it here. When I wrote it I was a bit more constrained with language than here at the ROOMOFZEN. Yet I decided to leave it as is. This should go without saying, but it's satire. Hopefully you'll enjoy:
The Houses Attend Jalen's First Grade Parent/Teacher Conference
Teacher: "To be honest we are concerned with Jalen's behavior. He frequently runs around the classroom knocking other students down with chest bumps, aggressive high fives, and jump celebrations. Furthermore, he recently held auditions for a dance team. Several of the girls he cut were devastated, prompting complaints from home. At the same time many of the girls who made Jalen's dance squad are completely disinterested in academics, as make up and wardrobe changes dominate their lives. I tried to get Jalen to disband the dance team and asked him how he would feel if his sisters were put through such a stressful experience. Jalen simply said, 'I don't have any sisters motha f#$%a!' I said how about cousins? He replied, 'It's like I tell my uncle blood is thicker than water but Rondo's better.' I don't even know what that means. So I gave up on the dance squad. Meanwhile, every time Jalen answers a question correctly he runs around the classroom beating his chest, staring off into space, and screaming 'motha f#$%a' repeatedly. Of course Jalen maintains that he is not staring off into space. Rather he is looking into the 'motha f#$%in cameras trying to f#$% up the f#$%in 7-second delay.' I'm at a loss here."
Sometimes I hate the East Coast. I don't mean that in the sense that there is some East Coast conspiracy against sports west of the Mississippi. Nor is this a shot at the weather. Rather it's just a lot harder to follow sports out here. For example right now I'm exhausted after staying up for Rockets/Lakers. However, at least I was rewarded. To review:
- Kobe Bryant was sublime, dropping 40 on Houston. He hit some incredibly well defended shots, threw the ball of the backboard to himself at one point and lit the fuse that got Ron Artest ejected. Count me in the long list of people that can't stand Kobe but respect his game. I hate the MJ comparison as much as the next guy but last night Kobe channeled the whole "I'm going to dominate because you said this guy or guys could stop me."
- Speaking of Artest. I've been fascinated with him since his days at St. John's. Based on interviews I've seen and read I'd argue that he's far more complex than people realize. However, when Artest loses it on the court it's downright frightening. At one point he stormed towards Kobe and later made a throat slashing gesture. Throughout the tirade he appeared to be in kill mode. To be fair who wouldn't be upset after earning an offensive foul while the master of smug (Kobe) got a way with an elbow in the vicinity of the throat? And it pains me to give Kobe credit but he played it perfectly. There's nothing worse than a guy refusing to engage in trash talk. That's exactly what Kobe did as he walked away with his arms up and a "This guy is crazy" look on his face. The whole incident made me wish it was a Rucker Park game. Alas. - This hasn't come up before but I'm a big fan of the Argentinians. Granted Derek Fisher should not be able to knock down Luis Scola under any circumstances. But I'm still a big Scola fan. He's one of those international players that Tommy Heinsohn begrudgingly respects. On top of that Scola just looks like a great teammate. However, if he had lost his cool, and at one point I thought it could happen, and gone after Sasha Vujacic NBA fans everywhere would have rejoiced. How the Spurs let Scola go continues to baffle me.
- In a night full of incidents that will definitely keep Stu Jackson busy - Eddie House's elbow (was it inadvertant?), Rafer Alston's slap, Kobe's elbow and Artest's tirade - Fisher's forearm/elbow was by far the most premeditated and malicious of the bunch.
- There are still times where the game is too fast for Yao Ming. And he did get in foul trouble last night. However, Rockets fans must be in the "He's all growns up" stage right now. It's been fascinating to watch the growth in Yao's game and demeanor. Even his fire from the bench was impressive.
I'll close with a few random thoughts on the Celtics:
- It's not out of the realm of possibility that Eddie House could have signed with another team before 2008, bounced around the league a few more years and then left the Association before anyone got to see the best he had to offer. Thankfully that didn't happen. Last night he was on fire - 31 points, 11-14 from the field, 4-4 from deep, 5-6 from the line, and 10 times as many points as the Truth. House is definitely annoying other players and their fans, which only means he's bringing something to the table.
- Mark it down. Anthony Johnson will be involved in some sort of stand off/double technical/flagrant foul situation before this series is over.
- NBA players know the repercussions for any sort of non-basketball related aggression on the court. And yet they continue to lose their cool. It's a testament to how intense these games get.
I don't think there's any question that Rafer Alston will be on the bench in street clothes for game 3 for his little bitch slap on Eddie House. Marv Albert said it should be an automatic ejection and suspension, and I trust Marv Albert (hopefully he wasn't confusing it with the time he slapped and bit a hooker).
In case you missed it,
Here it is live:
Here it is slowed down with music:
And here's Eddie giving some great commentary on it after the game:
This is not streetball buddy. This is the NBA playoffs. Well, I'm sure Orlando will be fine. They've still got Jameer Nel.....wait a second.....shit.....I mean, they still have Anthony Johnson. He can run with Rondo can't he?
Maybe the dream of banner 18 in 2009 is not dead yet.
