The Game 7 Exhibition
By: Matt Burke
If nothing else, the Celtics passed the “lovable team” test Sunday afternoon.
How else do you explain a raucous Garden crowd that stuck around well past the point when P.J. Brown was doing his best … well, mid-90s P.J. Brown immitation?
The House That Gaston Built was electric and in any other year, with any other team, there would have, or even should have been a sense of “damn, these guys are a bunch of dogs that lie down when facing any type of adversity.”
But there was certainly none of that. In a span of a couple hours, the Celtics went from being regular season heroes and the NBA’s version of (take me now God) the New England Patriots, to being once again the front-runners to win the Eastern Conference.
Prior to Game 7 (feels strange even typing that), the critics and myself panned the Celtics chances at No. 17. Afterall, a team that couldn’t contain the Joe Johnsons of the world would get clobbered by the likes of Senor James and Bryant.
I’m still very curious as to how all this will play out. However, with all the bad signs the Celtics showed in the Hawks series, there were also some good/great signs, starting with the fact that it’s going to take a Hurculean effort or the revived corpse of Tim Donaghy to have the C’s lose at home in the next few weeks.
Plain and simple, if the Celtics win all of their home games from now until mid-June, No. 17 is secured.
But to many, the C’s have truly become the Jeckle and Hyde of said NBA Playoffs. At home, we see the second coming of the ‘92 Dream Team.
On the road, we see the second coming of the M.L. Carr and Pervis Ellison captained C’s of the mid-90s.
(Well, maybe that’s a tad harsh).
In the end, I guess this is all just part of it. I guess I just wasn’t ready for the ups-and-downs. Afterall, it’s been a while.
A year ago, I would’ve sold my entire DVD collection, save for the “Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior and Disc 4 of the Celtics Dynasty collection, for just one Celtics playoff win.
Therefore, I shouldn’t be picky.
Especially with this “suddenly lovable” team we have on our hands here.
The Live Feed “Star of the Game”: Paul Pierce
Just when we were having visions of 2005 and the “trade Paul Pierce” rumors were in the most infant stages of being resurrected after his unfortunate “head-band” incident in Game 6, he bounces back and plays the perfect Paul Pierce game.
The man simply should not throw up an outside shot until the third quarter of each game, for there aren’t many better players going to the basket, which is a must in playoff basketball.
Sunday, Pierce attacked, attacked and attacked the rim again, which was vital in giving the C’s the early cushion. Then, he capped off the pretty performance with an even prettier behind-the-back pass that led to a dunk.
Kudos to the Captain.
The Live Feed “Guy We’re Most Glad To See Go”: Dominique Wilkins
Geez. Nique.
Keep in ya pants will ya? We all know ya like the youth and athleticism of Josh Smith and all but c’mon.
By the way, where’s your loyalty at? Didn’t you used to be the Captain of the Celtics?
Oh yeah that’s right, the NBA ordered those tapes to be burned years ago.