After snapping their franchise-record 19-game win streak on Christmas, and blowing a double-digit lead in a loss to the Warriors, Boston responded by bludgeoning the Sacramento Kings by 45 points.

The Celtics' tight loss to the Lakers was foreseeable, but the loss to the Warriors sent them careening back to earth, which is right where we like them. The key is that after they got punched in the face, they bounced back.

The tune-up in Sacramento should leave the C's with fresh legs (no starter played more than 24 minutes) for Tuesday night's showdown with Portland. Good thing. The Blazers will be looking to avenge the embarrassing loss to the Celtics earlier this month.

To commemorate the longest winning streak in franchise history, I give you the 19-bullet point salute. That's right, 19 lines of random randomness. You're welcome.

• PERK IS A BEAST! I freely admit that now. The big man's game has turned a corner this season. Everyone knows what he can do on the defensive end, but it's Perk's offense that has made the difference to me this season. He is shooting 60 percent from the field again this season and is taking two more shots per game. Perk is patient and under control around the basket. His hook has gotten some arc, he hits the elbow jumper when he is left alone, and has added a little fade away that seems to fall every time. Put it this way, if Perk played against the Warriors, the Celtics are 29-3. And if you thought for one second that this was going to be the longest bullet point paragraph, you'd be right.
• I have nothing bad to say about Brian Scalabrine's contributions off the bench. That's the best you are going to get out of me. Ever.
• Contrary to most, I think the C's need a backup point guard more than another big man, but I don't think Stephon Marbury is the answer. Boston already has an offense-first "point guard" in Eddie House. We need a point guard who can push the ball like Rajon Rondo, get in the lane, and distribute and keep the offense moving. Watching the bench run an offensive set is like running into an ex-girlfriend. It's uncomfortable, awkward, and there's no chance of scoring.
• Speaking of Marbury, what is the deal with that tattoo on his head? My theory is that he got really drunk one night and passed out and one of his buddies had the logo of his ugly shoes tattooed on his head as a prank.
• The Pistons sent four players to the All-Star game in 2006, tying a record. The Celtics could arguably send their entire starting five this season. My prediction is only two, Pierce and Garnett, make the team, with Ray Allen staying home even as the leading scorer on the Celtics.
• The two best wins of the season, in my mind, are both games against the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics, with the losing streak aside, have made closing out games offensively an art form during the early part of this season. It's a beautiful thing to watch, and just another large improvement from last year, when Boston relied on getting stops on the other end to finish games. Good stuff. I hate the Hawks.
• If Rondo doesn't make the All-Star game it will be the biggest travesty since Brett Favre made the Pro Bowl last week.
• I still can't get over the fact that Kobe Bryant is celebrated as a national hero.
• Pau Gasol is the ugliest human being alive. If you watch the end of the game on Christmas Day in slow motion, Gasol doesn't block Ray Allen's shot, the ball just refuses to come close to his horribly ugly face and changes directions in mid air. I can't believe the C's lost at the hands of Gasol's homeliness!
• Seriously, look at this thing. Yikes!
• When people talk about Michael Jordan being the most competitive athlete of all time, they often reference the dust ups with teammates in practices, and I agree that is intense. But did he ever berate a second-year player so badly that the player went to the end of the bench and cried for the remainder of the fourth quarter on national television?
• Oh yeah, it was a 10-point Celtics lead in the fourth quarter at the time.
• After the big game against the Lakers, we only have to wait until Jan. 9 for the next hyped match up, when Boston visits the Cavaliers. So while 1/9/09 may not have the commercial appeal of Christmas, it is former Red Sox legend Otis Nixon's 50th birthday.
• The Celtics have dropped to #2 in Marc Stein's power rankings for the first time this season, but they don't give out hardware for topping the power rankings. If they did, I think John Hollinger's trophy should be a bronze-dipped graphing calculator.
• Sam I am ... never going to play, apparently. Do you think Sam Cassell has his uniform on under those warm ups? Is he still wearing his dress socks? My guess: He is wearing his street clothes under his warm ups. Seriously, is he ever going to play?
• Al Jefferson dropped 38 and 16 in an overtime victory over the Grizzlies. I love Big Al. I'm still OK with the trade, I'm just saying he's good.
• So the Warriors' victory must have felt good for the fans of Golden State. They watched their depleted team with only one good player beat a championship caliber squad against all odds. Sounds a lot like that victory over the Spurs in 2006, which still is one of the most enjoyable Celtics victories this decade.
• It looks like the Celtics won't be signing Dikembe Mutumbo. Doc Rivers continues to tell the media that he believes Mutumbo will return to the Rockets. At least Houston won't hold off until the last minute, swoop in and land Mutumbo for $180 million for 8 years just when we all thought he was coming to Boston. I mean, what kind of jerks would do a thing like that?
• I wish there was something to commemorate the Celtics winning the 19 straight games without a loss. I was going to make t-shirts that said 19-0 on them but someone else already had the rights. What can you do?

At some point we knew that Kevin Garnett’s style of play was going to get him in trouble. If you’ve watched all of the chest pounding, teeth-gritting, curse spewing, floor slapping, and baying at the moon that KG does during the game, you know that his energy level is ratcheted up at all times. Do you remember him screaming during the interview after he won the championship? This guy is clearly a loose cannon.

We knew it would come to this one day. So when I heard that the NBA had handed KG a one-game suspension for an incident involving Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, I wasn’t shocked. I just always thought that when his on-court psychosis finally caught up to him there would be a bit more bloodshed. I mean, this was a “Manny Ramirez vs. Kevin Youkilis” backhand. Garnett didn’t even follow it up with the “Manny Ramirez vs. Jack McCormick” shove down. In my opinion the suspension was not deserved, but I’m certainly not surprised by it. I’m more shocked that the first time Garnett was suspended there were no hostages involved.

It looks like KG has been taking karate classes with Manny Ramirez. (AP Photo)

Bogut was certainly the instigator in this situation when he brought each hand down in an aggressive manor, landing a blow to the face on KG before catching a no-look swipe from Garnett and acting like Mr. Innocent after receiving his second technical foul and an ejection. It would be one thing if KG was looking at Bogut when he took a swing at him. If you take a look back at the game, Bogut was getting chippy with the Celtics front liners all night. He is a dirty player, just like every other Australian center who looks like he is Amish. Typical.

I have a feeling this is the Association’s way of punishing Kevin Garnett for all of his ferocious antics over the years. You never know. Maybe before Tuesday night’s game David Stern will present Garnett with the “Lifetime Insanity Award.”

There is no question that the suspension will hurt the C’s when they take on Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks at the Garden Tuesday night. The Knicks are scoring a ton of points and Boston couldn’t have picked a worse team to lose their defensive MVP. Even though it may have cost the C’s this time around, I certainly don’t want Kevin Garnett changing his demeanor whatsoever in light of this suspension. As Garnett goes, defensively, the Celtics go as well. I’d rather have the Big Ticket tiptoeing on the edge of insanity every game and being suspended once a year, than have him lumbering sedately up and down the floor with his mouth half open and drooling like the chief in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” If the Celtics wanted a big man to do that they would have traded Al Jefferson for Eddy Curry.

The bottom line is, I don’t care if the Celtics lose by 40 against the Knicks with KG on the bench, they need to keep that chip on their shoulder if they want to play the kind of physical brand of basketball that led them to a championship last year. I hope when KG returns on Thursday he gets a technical in the first quarter to reset the tone for the team. It's not that I think KG will be a completely different player after a one-game suspension, but you never know. KG losing his edge is a bit far fetched, but remember, ANYTHING THING IS POSSIBLLLLLLEEEE!!!!!!!!!(sorry, I had to).

Three things that matter...I swear...

Local Ingrate finally plays, whines about fans.

Marc Stein has been cheating on the Lakers with your Celtics early this season…I’m thoroughly surprised.

The Bucks showed that they can play with Celtics in the two games they’ve had so far. In Both contests the Bucks were without their best player, Michael Redd. Even though the Celtics won both games, I think Celtics fans learned a little something about Milwaukee on Saturday night. Kind of like these guys…

I have been saying Paul Pierce is the best player in the NBA for years now.

When I’ve told people my opinion in the past, they stop arguing and get this look on their face. The kind of look you give a kid who is just a little too old to still believe that Superman is real or that Santa Claus brought them all of those presents. The person would then give me a few condescending nods, offer me some milk and rub my back, and change the subject.

Funny thing happened when I brought this point up after Paul Pierce did his best superhero act again last night, nailing down a second consecutive victory in the fourth quarter with a last-second jumper. My friends and I got in a heated argument on the topic that started as back-and-forth banter and ended with an all-out, online, career-comparing debate of the best players in the NBA.

The difference now is that he is in the conversation. Paul Pierce has shot his way into the “Who are the top 5 players in the league?” conversation.

The fact that Pierce had to consistently work for years to be in the conversation makes his arrival into the group of the league’s elite players even more remarkable. If you compare Pierce to the rest of the upper-echelon players in the NBA, physically, Pierce isn’t equipped with the same natural gifts that the others have. He doesn’t have the explosive leaping ability of LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. He doesn’t have the blazing speed of Chris Paul. I would say that no other top player in the league has less extraordinary athletic ability than Pierce with the exception of Tim Duncan. And he is 6-feet-11-inches with a 40-foot wingspan (approximately).

The point is that because of these physical gifts, mixed with the hype surrounding each of these players receives coming into the NBA, the “best in the league” status became a kind of country club of sorts. Hype and highlights early on got you in, but if you weren’t dunking on people or dropping 40 points a night (no matter how many shots it took to get there) the club wasn’t accepting any members. The only exception to this rule I can think of is Steve Nash. Nash wasn’t hyped coming out of college and had to play his way into the national spotlight, and eventually won back-to-back MVP awards. However, Nash is such an absolute liability on the defensive end of floor I don’t believe he should be in the discussion of the league’s best players.

During last year’s championship run, a lot was made about how Pierce has matured and grown as a man, but I have always believed that the stories about his “problems” in the past were grossly overexaggerated by a media that largely didn’t pay attention to him until something went wrong. For example, after the 2002 World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis and then the infamous incident in the playoffs against the Pacers, Pierce was painted as a selfish player by the mainstream media. I just think he hates the state of Indiana. I mean, who doesn’t?

In all seriousness, the stories didn’t match the facts. Check out the Celtics all-time stats. In Celtics history Pierce is seventh in scoring, second in scoring average, 10th in assists and field goals made, and ninth in minutes. However, he doesn’t crack the top 10 in field goals attempted or games played. If he has been a selfish player his whole career, how is it he has more assists and minutes than Celtics greats, but in fewer games?

I agree Paul Pierce has had his off-the-floor issues -- the stabbing, the partying, rumblings that he may have wanted to be traded. I do not agree with the media’s propensity to bleed these issues onto the court and make Pierce out to be a selfish player and a bad teammate. No players or coaches, past or present, to my knowledge have come out on record or even anonymously, to question him as a teammate. Did Pierce’s body language and demeanor improve with the addition of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and championship hopes? Sure. But it wasn’t exactly the huge turnaround that some media outlets made it out to be.

Pierce’s attitude may have improved some, but it his game that has really matured. This was no coincidence. Pierce worked painstakingly on the flaws in his game and got better, on a team that got consistently worse. He improved his shot selection, free-throw shooting, post-up game, and ball handling. Always an underrated defender, he increased his commitment, and made himself into a lock-down perimeter defender, taking on the likes of James and Bryant when one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, James Posey, wasn’t getting the job done.

(Don’t believe me? Watch the tapes. See who covered LeBron in Game 7 and Kobe in the Finals when it mattered. Posey was in the game to stop LeBron late in the fourth quarter of Game 6 and LeBron blew by him and delivered the “no regard for human life” dunk that forced Game 7. Posey and Tony Allen took turns on the big scorers when Pierce needed a rest. Pierce covered Kobe and the King when it counted.)

He put up Kobe-like numbers on awful teams. Bryant’s career averages are 25 points, 4.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game. Pierce’s career averages are 23.1 points, 3.9 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game. They are even in steals, and Pierce shoots a better percentage from behind the arc. And beyond stats, I believe that what he showed in the playoffs last year and what he has shown early this season, Pierce has to be the first guy you would pick to take the last shot of a big game in the NBA today.

The bottom line is that Paul Pierce wasn’t let into the country club of the elite players in the NBA, and without the hype and high-flying histrionics maybe he never will be an official member. But with his own hard work, newly acquired hardware, and reputation as Captain Clutch, he has forced himself into the conversation.

So now people won’t give you that look when you talk about Pierce being one of the NBA’s best. And if they do, tell them that Santa Claus might not be coming to town, but Superman is real. And he just stepped out of the phone booth. Again.

Before the NBA’s opening week was in the books, the Eastern Conference had a shakeup at the top after Allen Iverson was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess. For Iverson, it’s a move back to the Eastern Conference, where he started his career with the Sixers. For Billups, a Denver native and former Nugget, it is a move home. And for McDyess, it is a move back to the team that drafted him sometime in the 1900s.

I won’t bore you with my opinion on who won in the deal and whether I do or don’t like the trade. There is a laundry list of real sportswriters across the web to do that. I will, however, say this: If you are a Celtics fan, you have to love this trade.

After hurting himself in last year’s playoffs, the Pistons and Billups split after just two games. (NBA.com Photo)

The Pistons are the C’s perennial rival and no player embodied their hard-nosed, team oriented, cool-in-the-clutch mentality more than their gritty point guard. While Rip Hamilton was the most consistent scorer, Rasheed Wallace was the most talented, and Tashaun Prince was their best defender, nobody could argue who their MVP was. It was Mr. Big Shot, hands down. This point was magnified in last year’s playoffs. After Billups was injured doing a split that would make Michael Jackson blush, the veteran point guard wasn’t the same in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. It took a breakout performance from backup point guard Rodney Stuckey for the series to even extend to six games before the Celtics clinched.

One player who undoubtedly is excited about the deal has to be Rajon Rondo. During matchups between the Celtics and Pistons last season, Billups exposed Rondo by using his superior size and experience to frustrate the C’s young guard. Rondo was clearly a different player when playing Billups. Even on the rare occasion that he got the best of Billups during a game, it was clear that he was caught up in the one-on-one matchup between the point guards.

While Iverson is a superior scorer, and even in his advancing age, no slouch, his style of play is an easier matchup for Rondo. Speed vs. speed is better than speed vs. power. Stay tuned kids. Next we’re learning long division.

Now, when the C’s play Detroit, Rondo will be the most experienced point guard on the floor. What a difference a ring makes. No word on whether Rondo did any breakdancing upon hearing the news of the trade.

Another benefit for Boston is that the addition of Iverson leaves the Pistons, well, point-less. Right now the starting five looks like Iverson, Hamilton, Wallace, Prince, and Amir Johnson. While that is certainly a formidable squad, there isn’t a true point guard in the lineup. NBA fans know the “Iverson at point guard” thing has been done before and the results were so-so at best. How does the shot distribution for Detroit change now that there isn’t a facilitator on the team? Even if the team goes super small, with Stuckey, Rip, Prince, Johnson, and Sheed, there still isn’t a true passing point guard to run the show.

Here are few more bullet points on the blockbuster trade:

• The best passer for Detroit is now Rasheed Wallace.
• The Pistons bench takes a hit with the loss of ageless cyborg Antonio McDyess, who also hurt the C’s on a regular basis.
• The Pistons still have their best low post scorer, reserve Jason Maxiell ... coming off the bench ... for 23 minutes a game ... for some reason.
• After the trade Brian Scalabrine is still making $3,206,897 this season. That didn’t change ...
• Chauncey Billups may not have been able to drop 30 points a game like Iverson can, but no one puts a dagger in a team better than Mr. Big Shot himself. I’m not going to miss those.
• Expect boos from die hard Pistons fans that are in an uproar of the inclusion of rising phenom center Cheikh Samb in the Iverson deal. The Pistons will turn to Walter Sharpe to replace Samb’s 7 point-per-year contribution.
• With a new team and a new coach, it may take the Pistons some time to gel as a unit. It makes one wonder why this deal wasn’t made before the preseason to give this time to work together. It may take a few workouts before the offense flows like it did previously. Then again, we all know how Iverson feels about practice. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

Predictions:

• Kendrick Perkins will foul out of a game on six offensive fouls while attempting to set screens.
• Rajon Rondo will get knocked to the ground 800 times.
• Tony Allen will complete an unprecedented six-game stretch without passing the ball once.
• Brian Scalabrine will play in more than 10 games in which he does not record a stat.
• Leon Powe will dunk and then proceed to tear his shirt off, a la Hulk Hogan, after throwing down a thunderous dunk in a game.
• After two straight games in which the Celtics give up over 100 points, assistant coach Tom Thibodeau will ditch the Just For Men and go gray again, sparking a nine-game winning streak.
• Regular season record: 59-23, first place in the Eastern Conference.

Sometimes I forget what an amazing ride we just went on with the 2008 Boston Celtics. It's the little things that remind you though; whether it's seeing one of "The Big Three" (they proved they are worthy of the nickname) on TV, spending a little more than you should for a Paul Pierce bobble-head doll holding the Finals Trophy because it's just too cool to pass up, or seeing another Bill Walker preseason facial (he's in line for a ton of Tommy Points). I've come across all those instances and I was reminded again when my annual weekend-pack of tickets arrived in the mail. The only downside was being reminded that I was forced into buying a preseason ticket for the same $70 price. But hey, with the economy doing so well, who cares!

Did you hear? We're world champs! (AP Photo)

I attended the preseason bore this past Sunday and while only there for the second half, it wasn't all that bad. After going to the balcony last year for the bigger weekend pack, my friends and I are back in the loge this year with aisle seats that are located directly next to the bathroom AND Mike the bartender (section 19/20) -- clutch for timeouts/halftime. On top of that, the "Scal-a-bri-ne" chants were back in full effect at the TD Banknorth Home of No ATM Fees and Free Checking Garden, Gabe Pruitt put up a Rondo-esque stat line (11 points, 12 boards and 7 assists) and I caught Lucky teaching some little kid to do handstands on the thick metal stair handrails. Come to think of it, the kid's parents probably didn't appreciate it as much as I did. Either way, it was a nice prelude for this season's games. Still, most of the time I was there I couldn't help but think back to last season.

It's almost too hard to believe that the new season is less than a week away. Let's not forget about what we went through just yet. When your team is fortunate enough to win a championship you make sure you never forget it. This year has been by far the greatest sports-related year I've ever had in my 26 years of existence. I hate to admit this here, but I'm also a New York Giants fan. I swear I'm sorry, but being raised in Connecticut puts you in a tough spot, unless of course you enjoy making your eyes bleed with the WNBA -- how about those Connecticut Sun?!

(Side note: What was with all those WNBA, "Expect Great" commercials? That doesn't even make sense ... shouldn't it have been "Expect Greatness"? The WNBA - Expect Illiterate Advertisements.)

I feel a little better getting that off my chest. Please try not to hate me and place full blame on the self-proclaimed New England's Rising Star -- Hartford. If we had some professional sports teams (the Whalers don't count because they played hockey, in a mall no less), I wouldn't be left picking and choosing between two completely different sports cities. I swear, Boston is my second home and I have way more connections to it than New York, but when I was a kid I rooted for the Giants in football and I can't stop now. Bringing that up here makes me feel like I'm dating the ugly girl or something, let's move on.

Thinking back
I'm already anticipating this season but it's hard to forget what we went through last year. It all started with the lottery disaster. At the time, not getting the one or two pick was devastating, as exuded by the look of Tommy Heinsohn that night. Looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to our organization. We were able to package our pick with the rest of the 2007 Celtics and acquire Ray-Ray and KG. After a near perfect regular season, we experienced the heart-wrenching 1st, 2nd and 3rd round playoff series. Then it all culminated in the first ever six-game-sweep (let's face it; we owned that series for all but two or three quarters) against the longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers. Here are seven things that will stick with me forever:

1) Rondo becoming the player I knew he could be. Like I said last year, other than Chris Paul and Deron Williams, there is no other point guard I'd rather have for the future. On top of that, I don't think even Deron or CP3 himself would've meshed so well with The Big Three.

2) KG and Pierce becoming almost like brothers on and off the court. Ray-Ray and the others were involved in the camaraderie as well (such as the trip to Rome) but it was KG and Pierce greeting the media as teammates after every game. Not only does it take talent, but chemistry has to be there in order to win a championship. Just look at how the Cowboys are doing with TO, Pacman Jones, and Tank Johnson. On top of that, Nick Folk only managed to get me two points this week in fantasy football and quite possibly ruined my entire season! Speaking of which, let me know through the comments if there's a good fantasy basketball league I can join. I've done it once or twice but never really got into it. I'm giving it one last try this year.

3) The Texas Triangle sweep at Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Not only did we sweep but we broke Houston's 22-game winning streak in the process. This was the first time that I legitimately thought winning the NBA Finals wouldn't be a stretch. It was also the time Sam I Am hit a huge three-pointer to beat the Spurs. That seems like such a distant memory now. He's still on the bench just taunting us in the preseason too. Something tells me I'm not going to have any lack of motivation rooting for Pruitt this year. In fact I'm borderline petrified to think what will happen in the playoffs if he makes even one little mistake.

4) Attending the epic Pierce/LeBron showdown of Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. I'll never forget the atmosphere of that game. That's the kind of story I'll be telling my kids (right after I have Lucky teach them how to get a concussion at the Garden).

5) All of the Finals games but mainly "The Comeback" in Game 4. That was by far one of the most emotional games I've ever seen. I went from suicidal rage to uncontested joy in all of two hours. Even thinking about it right now makes me a little nauseous.

6) Paul Pierce taking home the Finals MVP after 10 LONG years in Boston. If I had to pick one favorite moment from the entire season, it might be Pierce running out of the tunnel after what looked like a Tony Allen knee injury that surely would've turned the tide of the Finals. Not only did he return but he made some of the biggest shots of the Finals in the third quarter of that game. You just can't make this stuff up.

7) KG's interview minutes after capturing his first, long sought after championship. There were plenty of awkward interviews throughout the playoffs, most notably Doc Rivers hitting on Michelle Tafoya in between quarters, but this one took the cake for me. "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLLLLLLLLLLE!"

Green 18?
It still rhymes, so why not? Sure we lost James Posey (which feels like losing a best friend) but we also gained some great pieces. I'm already through the roof on Bill Walker and Pruitt (who both could probably join the And One Tour). I like what Patrick O'Bryant has shown us so far (awkward tallness) and there's always hope that Doc Rivers and Sam Cassell will tie in an all-decisive battle to the death to determine who I hate more. Actually, I take that back, Sam I Am is a landslide favorite for that.

Who needs socks and high-tops when you've got style? (Getty Images)

I am usually too nervous to make any kind of prediction (especially at the start of the season) but here goes nothing -- Celtics win the Atlantic Division easily after finishing a bit off last year's pace at 57-25. They slide into the Finals after a grueling series with Miami only to be unseated by the New Orleans Hornets in six games. At least this is the pick I've talked myself into after I realized taking the Celtics over Cleveland and the Lakers again is just too easy.

One last prediction: After years of struggles, Scalabrine finally makes good on his $15 million contract by not only entering but winning the slam dunk contest with a between-the-legs, 360-degree windmill over Rondo while teaching children how to read.

Wow.

What can you say?

I won't even go into where this team has come from, and where they are now. It's almost inconceivable. But it's been well documented. Just read the archives of the past few years of this blog.

Beautiful. (Globe Staff Photo / Stan Grossfeld)

No, this is about this current team, whose wire-to-wire dominance required a bit of tight-rope walking along the way, but ended without a second question about who the best team in the NBA is.

Who are the idiots who were worried about the outcome of this game, or this series?

Even the Best Player in the Universe (trademark, ABC Television) couldn't stop the collective will of the 17-time NBA champion Boston Celtics.

The C's fought for their right to party in the second quarter and didn't let up until the final horn sounded. The mind-boggling final score of 131-92 was irrelevant. This one was over at halftime (on a related note, I set an over/under of 40 for the game at half. Looks like the Lakers just squeaked that one out).

The celebration started early. It's been a long wait, so this one's going to go on for awhile. So raise your glasses and salute your men in Green.

Here's to Rajon Rondo, who played one of the best defensive games I've ever seen from a point guard in Game 6, who never let his confidence in his offense waver, even when it seemed foolish to even think about shooting. For fighting through an ankle injury to be the most active guy on the court when it was needed. For exceeding even the lofty expectations all year.

To Ray Allen, who overcame so much … an up-and-down season that included a scoreless game, a horrible start to the postseason where he couldn't hit an open 10-footer, numerous personal issues involving his mother and stepfather and more recently his son … and finishing it off with a Finals MVP runner-up performance punctuated by an NBA-tying record 7 three-pointers in the clincher. An amazing story even Steven Spielberg would be proud of.

To Paul Pierce, who has long been an NBA superstar before anyone gave him credit for it, who put up incredible performance after incredible performance on bad teams and only got noticed when he didn't come through or did something stupid. Getting the Finals MVP over The Best Player in the Universe (trademark, ABC) was an fitting punctuation on a fantastic ascension to the NBA elite.

To KG, who stepped up in the final game of the season to put any doubts to rest about his ability to come through in the clutch. The Dream Shake, the defense, the nothing-but-net 18-footers, the incalculable insanity on the court that intimidated opponents and infected teammates. It's been said before, but it can't be understated: he changed the culture of this team. Somewhere, A-Rod sits alone, weeping.

To Perk, who put up with a lot of doubters all year -- and his whole career for that matter -- to become an irreplaceable defensive force, always making the right decision on help defense and guarding the rim like his life depended on it. His transformation from borderline NBA starting center to an anchor on the best defensive team this league has seen in years was remarkable. And when he was needed most, dealing with what had to be a painful injury, he sucked it up and brought the same intensity to Game 6 to help the C's set the tone for a blowout close-out win.

To James Posey, who brought so many things to this team that you can't count on a stat sheet, For pretty much making the stat sheet irrelevant, even when he was stuffing it with three-pointers.

To Leon Powe, possibly the nicest guy ing the NBA, for working hard to be ready when his number was called, even after losing minutes to Brian Scalabrine and Glen Davis early in the season. For his great screens and even greater rolls. For his incredible Game 2 effort, without which the Celtics may not be celebrating right now.

To Eddie House, for doing much of the same as Leon… staying ready and coming through when called upon. For having the quickest release in the NBA, and for the cold-blooded threes he can rain in a heartbeat. For his much-improved defense through the season and playoffs. For his hilarious son on the sidelines.

To Big Baby, for throwing his bulk around on ballerina's feet, all while keeping his intensity as heavy as his girth and his personality as light as his toes. For letting the crowd know it's the fourth quarter and it's time to STAND UP!! For helping foster intense competition in practice for the back-up power forward minutes.

To Scal, for enduring years of booing and taunting -- to getting his name chanted in the NBA Finals, even while dressed in a suit. For waving a mean towel.

To P.J. Brown, for hitting maybe the biggest shot of the playoffs versus Cleveland, for picking up the slack in the middle whenever needed, for not backing down from any opponent big or small, for not being afraid to throw a forearm shiver when needed.

To Tony Allen, who had the toughest time returning from his knee injury -- who always seemed to almost be on the brink of breaking out of the mental slump -- for play meaningful minutes in a Game 5 loss that were not only unexpected, much needed at the time. For overcoming physical and mental obstacles to be able to help hoist a trophy.

To Scott Pollard, for bringing the comedy. He now has a ring to go around his planet.

To Gabe Pruitt, for that infectious smile, and the glimmer in his eye of future three-pointers raining down in the Garden.

To, yes, even Sam Cassell, who, despite not getting as much playing time as he probably anticipated after coming to the C's, didn't become a clubhouse cancer. And for hitting a few shots along the way. And especially for throwing Sasha Vujacic to the floor in Game 5 after fighting gor a loose ball.

To Doc Rivers, for ignoring all the doubters and going with his instincts, even when he was the only one with many of those instincts. For sticking to his guns and guiding what could have been a powered into a united force. For making these guys become champions.

To Danny, the owners, all the Celtics greats of yesteryear who were there for the ride, for Tommy who had to endure the embarrassment of sitting at the lottery last year as it all went down the tubes, for Gino dancing his dance long after his time had passed,

To Red, who probably had about 30,000 people lighting his cigar halfway through the fourth quarter. For beating Phil Jackson on Red Auerbach court … it doesn't get any better than that.

And, most of all, to you Celtics fans. To the fans who sat through all the disappointment but never gave up hope. To the fans who went to the Garden during an 18-game losing streak. To the fans who decided to come back after seeing how special this year's team was. To the fans who never much cared for basketball but now have the itch. To everyone in Green.

Enjoy it. It sure tastes sweet.

I've been hard pressed to find a Celtics fan that's even remotely worried about this series. The C's will win this in 6, they all say. It's not even in question. Get the duck boats ready, disinfect the Larry O'Brien trophy because a lot of sweaty lips will be smacking it on Tuesday night. This one's in the bag.

Am I the only one who's even a little bit concerned here?

I agree that the Celtics are the better team. And I know that the Lakers were less than impressive in their first do-or-die game of the 2008 playoffs. The Celtics let them off the hook in Game 5, and the series now will continue back in the friendly confines of the TD Banknorth Garden.

But even though home teams have dominated during the playoffs, and the C's are 12-1 at home in the postseason, I still don't think this series is a slam dunk.

Maybe the hesitation is due to spending many of my formative years watching in horror as the every possible bad break befell the men in Green, starting with Magic's sky hook in Game 4 of the '87 series in Boston (I remember that much more than the championship season of '86) and going through Len Bias, Reggie Lewis, ML Carr/Tim Duncan, Rick Pitino, the early Ainge years of ineptitude, and last year's devastation that started with Red passing away and ended with the lottery debacle. It has not been a good 21 years.

So forgive me if I don't have that cigar lit just yet.

But much more to the point here: The Celts are dealing with a rash of injuries and other off-the-court issues that are much too important to ignore. Let's look at the list:

Kendrick Perkins -- The man has a history of shoulder injuries, and does not bounce back from them quickly. If he's ready to play on Tuesday, I'll be surprised. But even if he is, how effective can he be if he's not 100 percent? Perk is very active with his arms around the hoop, even when he hedges screens. If he can't move his left arm, how effective can he be? And if he can't be an effective player, or can't play at all, we've seen in Game 5 how much that changes the C's defense. And it's not good.

Rajon Rondo -- You can tell he's not full strength since he turned his ankle in Game 4. And for a guy whose game depends on his quickness, that's not a good thing. We saw how ineffective he was in Game 5, and if he continues to play the same way the rest of the series, that's trouble for the C's.

Paul Pierce -- You know the knee has to still be bothering him, and luckily it doesn't seem to have affected his game too much (his 38-point performance in Game 5 was heroic). However, the injury does seem to have affected his conditioning. In Game 5, I was surprised Paul was even able to stand after the final buzzer -- he looked so tired in the last half of the fourth quarter, and it has an obvious effect his game. He blew an uncontested layup after getting fouled, got stripped by Kobe twice, got into late foul trouble, and then missed another layup and tip that he'd normally make with fresh legs. Sure, he played 48 minutes, but if the Celts want to pull out another win, they'll likely need almost as much of Pierce on the floor, considering all the other issues with the team. Will he have enough left in him to get it done in crunch time?

Ray Allen -- Nothing physically wrong here, but you have to be deeply concerned about just how serious the medical issue is with one of his children. Ray is a creature of habit, routine, and he sticks to it like glue. And when something happens that hits home as much to a medical issue with a child, well, that has a way of superseding basketball issues. Ray's mind may not be 100 percent on preparing for Game 6, and for good reason. How much will it affect his game? And did he know about the issue during Game 5? Did such knowledge affect him when he missed a couple wide-open corner threes late in the game (ones that he normally makes when given that much time)? It's impossible to know. But this can't be a positive for his game, that I'm sure of.

The travel debacle -- First of all, how stupid is it for the NBA to have two off days between Games 1 and 2 in Boston and Games 4 and 5 in LA, and then only 1 day off between Games 5 and 6 when they travel coast to coast and lose 3 hours in the process? It makes no sense. But then, even dealing with such a ridiculous schedule, the Celts get delayed for "mechanical difficulties" on their plane, and don't get off the ground in LA until 5:30 p.m.. By my count, that leaves them less than 22 hours from landing in Boston and playing Game 6. For a tired, injured team, that's a really tough thing to deal with.

The deck seems to be stacked against the Celts in Game 6. Add to that the fact that Kobe hasn't really gone off in the series and taken over a game like you know he's capable of doing, that KG seems to have re-stoked the "can't win in the clutch" fire (somewhat unfairly), and on the whole it seems a lot less like a foregone conclusion that the Celtics have this thing wrapped up. And if it goes to a Game 7 -- well, anything can happen in a Game 7. Just ask Bill Russell and the '69 Celtics, who pulled off the most unexpected of Game 7 victories in LA that year.

Sure, maybe I'm being paranoid (as history has taught me to be), but let's hold off on the celebration until, you know, the C's actually win.

And if they do, there will be no doubt that they earned it. Because what they're going up against will not be easy to overcome.

I still don't really believe what just happened. Before I even start let me just inform you I'm going on about four hours sleep and it feels like somebody is continuously gut-punching me.

I was around when the Celtics did this to New Jersey in 2002. Down 21 points in the fourth quarter, they found a way to come back and win what was dubbed the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history. I actually missed the entire first three quarters of that game because of work. I remember my dad picking me up and informing me we were down by about 20. I kept saying, "It's not over ... we can do this". The same thing happened last night, and the Celtics did it again. Now when you google "greatest comeback NBA playoff history", not only does the 2002 game come up but a certain game from June 12, 2008 appears as well. I'm still in shock.

It's almost time to celebrate a championship, old friend. (Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin)

Last night there were so many opportunities to give up on this game. At one point I thought about turning it off and writing what would've been one of the angriest posts the Internet has ever seen. It was going to be Lewis Black sans the comedy. Somehow, I stuck with it. The first half was brutal and almost too much to take. I sent out texts saying I wanted to stab my eyes out because it would be less painful than watching this; my friend told me he wanted to drive into a tree. Everything was in the depths of despair. I kept trying to stay positive; saying we could do this. Eventually - it happened. Let's break it down quarter by quarter.

First Quarter

The Celts started off slow, only if slow meant absolutely atrocious. It didn't take long for the game to get out of hand, all while Kobe hadn't even made a field goal. Guys like Radmonovic were burying threes while I was burying my fists in the wall. I tried so hard to get into the game but every time the Celtics managed a basket, the Lakers would storm back and score six unanswered. KG picked up two quick fouls and I continued my internal monologue questioning whether or not he will ever lead us to a win in this series. I was thinking poorly of him and really of the entire team at that point as the quarter drew to a close. As ABC went to commercial, the graphic emerged letting us know this was the largest Finals deficit EVER after one quarter. That one hurt, luckily my co-worker just informed me they probably did this on purpose just so they could make the comeback. Too bad she wasn't around to tell me that last night as I shattered everything within reach from my couch.

Second Quarter

The first quarter was bad but this was almost harder to take. The Celtics found a rhythm at one point and went on a 12-0 run. Still, the Lakers kept making shots. Kobe wasn't scoring but he was doing a great job facilitating the offense. I kept trying to talk myself into this game. I love the NBA; one of the main reasons is because I know no lead is safe. I won't lie though; when Farmer hit that three-pointer as the half expired I felt like that might be it. An 18-point deficit at halftime is tough to swallow, much like throw-up in my mouth after watching the Celtics' despicable performance.

Third Quarter

This was our quarter. It had been all series, and all season for that matter. I told my friend we needed to cut the lead in half by the fourth quarter. They got it down to 12 (seriously though, DOWN to 12, is that an oxymoron?) and I started believing. The Lakers called an immediate timeout and came back strong pushing it back to 20. The Celtics wouldn't quit though; not on this night. Pierce hit a three, then made a layup. House hit a three; Posey got a layup. Ray Allen hit a couple of free throws and a layup and all of a sudden it was an 11-point game with three minutes remaining in the third. At this point I think my ears started bleeding - but maybe it was the 14 tomatoes I just devoured (have you heard they've been linked to salmonella - yeah, me neither). I would've been comfortable with anything in single digits, but when P.J. ended the quarter with an emphatic dunk to cut the lead to two I almost clapped my hands into stubs. I like to pretend I'm Scalabrine and cheering on the sidelines from time to time. My hands still hurt.

Fourth Quarter

With everything on the line for both teams, they came out sluggish in the first two minutes. Soon thereafter Kobe and Pierce started battling. I can't say enough about Pierce's defense on Kobe in the second half, and specifically the fourth quarter. He was playing lockdown defense. Of course Kobe still scored but he wasn't carving out the defense and creating offense for his teammates like the first half.

E-House hit some big shots and brought some very necessary energy on the road. Pierce, KG, and Allen all added some offense in the final minutes and James Posey hit some HUGE threes, including one fade-away with a minute to go to stretch the lead from two to five. Ray Allen's layup was big, but that Posey off-balance three was the definition of clutch and why we signed the proven winner.

15 Down; 1 To Go

It's not entirely over yet. The Lakers are still a good team and I'm not counting them out; I'm way too superstitious for that. The popular split-screen NBA commercial ends with "there's only one," and now that holds true for the Celtics. One more win from this season's destiny. After everything Paul Pierce and the fans have gone through the past 10 years; the Celtics have three chances to end it. I don't want to jinx anything but I think it's pretty safe to say we're the better team and we've been down the longest road. The Celtics will tie an NBA record for most games played in a season on Sunday with 107. They've been counted out by almost everybody in the national media for the past two series, but they have three big opportunities to prove all of them wrong and add a necessary exclamation point to this season.

Bullet Point Mania

• I know I do more badmouthing of Doc than most, but big ups to him for coaching an incredible series up to this point. Besides the whole Sam Cassell debauchery, he has out-coached one of the greats in Phil Jackson. If the Celtics can pull off one more victory in this more-than-memorable season then maybe I'll pass on all the "fire Doc" chants at the Garden next year. Unless he doesn't play Scalabrine 35 minutes a game in which case I'll be calling for his head on a platter.
• The NBA debuted the newest split-screen commercial full of this year's playoff stars. Truly impressive commercial. If my body wasn't frozen I would've been rewinding that bad-boy on the DVR. Why was my body frozen you ask? Well, when my team makes a big run I don't move a muscle. If I do I will ruin everything. I've convinced myself of this. I have problems. Help.
• I'm pretty sure Vujacic killed somebody trying to console him on the bench during the timeout after Ray Allen burned him for the game's last field goal. That's a three-game suspension, right?
• I still can't get over the emotional rollercoaster we were taken on last night. I need about 30 valiums right now just to get back to normal. Anybody have Rasheed Wallace's number?
• A lot of people are saying Ray-Ray should be the Finals MVP up until this point. I'm still going with Pierce. He has done it all this series; even providing the breath-taking moment in the Garden when he ran out of the tunnel after we thought his season and our lives were over. His defense on Kobe in the second half last night was second-to-none. He's been the leader of this team throughout the playoffs.
• Can we stop all the Kobe/Jordan comparisons now please? You think MJ would ever go out and tell the media his team "wet the bed" after a big loss. For that matter, would MJ ever let his team fail and not take all the blame for it? Kobe is not MJ. Kobe is Kobe - an incredible player and an even more incredible jerk.

I don't really know what to make of Game 3.

It was a frustrating loss but not a devastating one … you felt like the C's were on the verge of stealing the game in the fourth quarter, rather than letting a winnable game slip away. The Lakers didn't seem to play as well as you would expect from a team desperately needing a win. And the Celtics certainly didn't seem to play as if they thought this was a pivotal game in the series. Maybe they were nervous with all those famous people in the house. (Hey, did you know L.A. has celebrities?)

Yet even though the Lakers won the game, you don't get the feeling that they will be carrying an incredible amount of confidence into Game 4, as the Celtics carried theirs from the Game 1 win into Game 2.

And the playoffs are all about momentum. You can lose two in a row, and turn the series in your favor in one game, if you dominate. I don't feel the Lakers did that.

Game 3 felt like no one had control of the game for any reasonable amount of time, and more guys wilted than stepped up.

The C's were awful on offense, great on defense. KG and Pierce couldn't hit the ocean. Gasol and Odom played like the 11th and 12th guys off the bench. Ray Allen shot as good as he has all season, before missing two late threes that may have allowed the C's to steal the game. Kobe got to the line at will, and then proceeded to miss 7 of his 18 free throws.

In the end, the C's suffered some untimely turnovers and missed quite a few "bunnies," as Kobe would call them. The Celts didn't deserve to win the game in the end.

So, it's one game to the Lakers. But the Celtics have to feel they won't duplicate their Game 3 showing in Game 4. If they do, it will be a huge surprise.

More quick thoughts on Game 3:

• Paul Pierce looked like he was either half asleep or his knee was finally starting to bother him, but he was a half-step slow the entire game. Maybe he was lacking the adrenaline that carried him through the first two games, or maybe mom's home cooking was weighing a little to heavily in his belly, who knows. But I'm sure he'll be the first to admit that his game was awful. And aside from the horrible shooting (2-14 shooting, 0-4 on three-pointers), he had 3 pretty bad turnovers and committed 5 fouls. The Celts can't win with game like that from the Captain.
• Is there a reason that Vladimir Radmanovic starts over Shasha Vujacic for the Lakers? If there is, I haven't seen evidence of it.
• Despite the fact that Kobe got to the line about 430 times in the first quarter, I thought the C's defense was fantastic early on. They were contesting every shot, getting some blocks, and not allowing the Lakers any easy looks. Unfortunately, Kobe is a tough guy not to foul when he gets to the rim, and he took advantage. But the C's really took Odom and Gasol out of the game early, and it allowed them to hang in the game longer than perhaps they should have, given how bad they were on offense all game long.
• Biggest play of the game: Eddie House missing an open 15-footer that would have tied it with 2 minutes left. He did a nice job faking the three to get an open closer look, and I'm sure it's one that falls 19 out of 20 times in practice. But the shot doesn't go down, Vujacic hits an open three-pointer on the next possession, and that's that.
• P.J. Brown has been a fantastic presence off the bench the entire playoffs, but he put up a stinker in Game 3. After getting into a little face-to-face confrontation with Jordan Farmar early in the second quarter, P.J. had two turnovers on consecutive possessions that helped contribute to the Lakers building a big lead. He also had only 2 rebounds in 17 minutes.
• Either Sly Stallone is angling for the leading role in the next Hulk movie, or he left his shirts in the dryer for about 4 hours too long.
• Another under-the-radar great game from James Posey. Is there ever a loose ball he doesn't get his hands on? He has the quickest pounce I think I've ever seen. I bet that in his free time he just wanders around whatever city he's in, waiting to jump from the sidewalk and save unsuspecting pedestrians from speeding cars. In his Celtics uniform, of course.
• I agree with Van Gundy and Mark Jackson … there's no reason for the Celts not to foul down 6 with 21 seconds left. I mean, what else to you have to lose? Was Doc afraid of losing by 8 instead of 6? I hate that. Unless you're down double digits with less than 10 seconds left, you play every moment with the goal of trying to win the game. Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Eddie House, and Posey can all hit quick threes. The Lakers were missing free throws all game. Why not foul and see what happens?
• On a related note, how stupid was it of Odom to try and dunk with 7 second left, leading to an offensive foul and giving the C's the ball back? If he just dribbles it out, it's over. Again, what's the different between winning by 8 instead of 6? Overall points scored don't matter, just the final result. This isn't Euro 2008.

Yes, Paul Pierce played another big-time game and his two free-throws at the end put a halt to the Lakers' all-too-realistic comeback, but there were some other Celtics making noise in last night's battle at the Garden.

I'm not taking anything away from Pierce ... I could go on for hours about him and how great he's been this postseason. He is the biggest reason the Celtics are only two wins away from glory and he's well on his way to being the Finals MVP. But Leon Powe (or Pow, according to Phil Jackson) and Rajon Rondo came up huge last night. You know your key guys are going to leave it all out on the court, but it's the role players that end up being just as significant in victory.

Powe the Show ... or Pow the Wow

It was more than fitting for Leon to play the game of his life last night. He put up 21 big points in just 15 minutes of playing time while a halftime piece on ABC was dedicated to his childhood struggles. It was a great story and people got to see how genuine of a guy Powe is. I know I'm a sucker for these kinds of stories, but this one couldn't have been planned for a better night. Much like the Celtics in the middle quarters of last night's game, ABC put on a clinic with their halftime segment. It was a touching look in on a life of a brilliant man. All Celtics fans know Leon Powe, but the world (and apparently Phil Jackson) met him last night.

Raj Mahal

Rajon started this play with a block of Radmonovic and after a beautiful pass from KG he slammed it home. (Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis)

Powe wasn't the only one making a name for himself in Game 2. Sure, most people know Rondo by now, but not many knew he was capable of producing the most assists in an NBA Finals game in 17 years. The last person to have 16 or more assists in a Finals game was Magic back in 1991 in a losing effort. Most importantly, Rondo's team didn't lose this night. He pushed the tempo all game and when Doc realized Sam Cassell makes me want to vomit (and he coincidentally sprained his wrist, which is payback for the sprain he's put on my heart throughout the playoffs), he let Rondo play a game-high 42 minutes.

How many first-year starters are leading their teams to Finals victories while dishing out 16 assists? Only one. Not Chris Paul, not Deron Williams -- just Rondo. He's on the biggest stage of his life and he's showing why Pierce, KG and Ray-Ray shouldn't be considered the only stars on this stacked Celtics squad.

Don't get me wrong, I love players that wear their emotions on their sleeves (like when KG eats his jersey or Perk nearly knocks out an official with his fist-pump) but this kid is one cool cucumber. He doesn't argue with refs nonstop, he's always willing to listen to advice (except Sam's -- as soon as you get the ball, shoot!) and learn from his mistakes. He doesn't get too down on himself when Doc benches him for one little "oops" play. Even after a big shot he doesn't take a second off to celebrate -- he's right back on defense.

He's shown some struggles on the road in the playoffs but name me a second-year player that doesn't have some off-games. He fills up the stat sheet, he pushes the tempo in favor of the Celtics and he even mixes in some street-ball moves like last night's fake behind-the-back alley-oop to Powe. I may be biased but there is nobody else I'd rather have running this team right now. His biggest test will be performing in the rowdy and star-studded Staples Center this week. Call me an optimist, but I think we're in good hands with Rondo at the helm.

Bullet-point mania

• I've seen some comedy in my day, but perhaps nothing greater than the NBA Cares promo last night showing Brian Scalabrine (or as I like to call him, B-Scals) competing against three children in a riveting game of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Regardless of who won that game (obviously Scal took them to town), I'm sure Scal was giving out encouraging high-fives afterwards. Apparently the NBA cares to provide an unapproachable comedic moment.
• Here's a home-call -- Rondo got an assist on that play where he passed to Powe (around half court) and Leon ran down the court and slammed it as the Lakers defenders looked on in awe. So maybe he really only had 15 and a half assists ... either way I'll take it.
• How do you think Antoine is feeling during all of this? Judging by his courtside demeanor, I'm going with not too well. Is there a way we can get him in on a celebrity edition of the Foxwoods Take-A-Shot to see him brick one more three at the Garden?
• We're supposed to believe Phil Jackson is the second-greatest coach ever (Red being the first) when he doesn't even know the name of an opposing player? It's the Finals, he's had a week to prepare, yet he couldn't get the correct pronunciation of the 12 players the Celtics suit up? No wonder why the Lakers didn't have an answer for Powe, their coach doesn't even know who he is.
• Some outgoing txt message highlights during Games 1 and 2: "Surprised it wasn't an offensive" (after Pierce's ACTUAL four-point-play), "I can't feel my heart, seriously I'm so scared my whole body is numb" (after Pierce was spotted in a wheel chair), "holy charge" (after the horrible blocking foul on PJ at the end of Game 1), "I jumped higher than him after that" (KG's last minute put-back), "I'm geeked" (after Game 1), "big way to close the half", "man I love this team", "bleepin' Powe, yah dude Powe is MVP".
• The Celtics' won AND Sam I Am got injured!!!! If we win Game 3 and Doc gets fired in the postgame press conference I may or may not implode from excitement.
• Two to go -- BEAT L.A.!

This sure wasn't the Celtics-related story I expected to be reading following Game 1 of the Finals. Our favorite mustachioed, long-armed, smooth operator on the dance floor was discovered to have passed away in 1990, in a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Frankly, the timing of this whole thing is a little suspicious. It reminds me of the eventually-proven-to-be-false report that the Patriots had taped the Rams' 2002 Super Bowl walkthrough, which surfaced in the week before the Pats lost their perfect season to the Giants.

Is someone from California trying to create the same distraction for these Celtics? Well, there is no first-hand sourcing to the Journal piece, so perhaps it's just a ploy.

R.I.P, Gino.

You want to talk conspiracy theories and contrived Hollywood-style comebacks, as Phil Jackson seems so content on pursuing with the Pierce return from injury?

Well, then, imagine this scenario: A saddened Celtics fan base watches silently as Game 2 goes south and the men in Green seem to be lacking that something, when, during a critical juncture in the game, who's that spotted on the camera? Wait, is that who I think it is? It can't be … It is!! That's the real-life Gino! He's alive! Sitting there behind the bench! And he's … dancing!

The crowd erupts, the Lakers deflate, and the Celtics soar to a come-from-behind victory.

Thank you, Oral Roberts.

Seriously, though, it is a sad story, the whole Gino thing. However, I'll be honest: I think Gino had kind of jumped the shark this year. It used to be that seeing Gino was a rare, special treat, designed to reward to Celtics diehards 3 or 4 times a year. They never used to play a Gino clip after the game was won. If it was a close win, no Gino. Only the blowouts were Gino-worthy.

Then this year, Gino started showing up at every game. He became a cult-of-personality. There used to be a day when you had to hunt the Internet for hours to find a Gino shirt. Now they were being sold outside the Garden. They started breaking the Gino rules and showing the clip after the final buzzer. People expected to see Gino every game, like it was their right. The team even made their own Gino shirts to sell inside the arena (I'll tell the truth, I bought one).

There was something a little off in the whole thing. Gino isn't a right. Gino is earned. And even thought the C's had the best record in the NBA this year, it didn't seem like the fans were properly earning their dose of Gino.

Is that just me spouting sour grapes for years of rare Gino sightings? Probably. I'm also the type of guy who loses passion for a great unknown band once they hit it big. So clearly, I have issues.

Still, I hope that learning the fate of the real Gino doesn't take any of the gusto away from the whole phenomenon. I know, he doesn't affect games, is a fun novelty act that probably got more attention than it deserves, but it is still a little depressing. I agree with KG, that maybe it was better not knowing the fate of the Human Victory Cigar:

The Celtics organization initially tried to search for the man several months ago and hoped to bring him to the TD Banknorth Garden for a game, but Mr. Gotham says superstar forward Kevin Garnett told him that might detract from the magic of the ritual. "That would ruin it," he recalls Mr. Garnett telling him. "He could be old and bald and fat now."

Well, we (seem to) know now, Mr. Garnett. Hopefully you can recover for Game 2.

Then again, maybe the team and fans can rally around this. Sure, it's sad to learn the fate of Gino. But think about it: the guy has been given a second life on the big HDTV screens at the Garden. He makes people dance. He makes people smile. That's something to celebrate. All of us could only wish for such a tribute after our days are done.

So, let's hope Gino keeps on keepin' on during these Finals. Because if he doesn't show on the big screen again during the Finals, well that will be the most disappointing development of all.

I thought it was over.

I had flashbacks to January 2007, Tony Allen writhing on the floor of the Garden, after the ligaments in his knee had pretty much exploded after he came down awkwardly after a failed dunk attempt.

In the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, I saw Paul Pierce clutching his knee in much the same way, that same grimace that Tony wore almost a year and a half ago on his face.

Much like Tony Allen in January 2007, Paul Pierce seemed to suffer a serious knee injury. (Top: AP Photo, Bottom: Getty Images Photo)

It was over. Pierce was done for the season … possibly next season as well, if Tony's recovery was any gauge. In fact, if Tony's injury was a benchmark, then maybe Pierce would never even be the same player.

The cruelest twist of all. It was over. Seeing Paul being carried off the court and wheeled through the tunnel in the wheelchair, I was convinced of it.

All over.

So, naturally, what subsequently happened was pretty much like winning the lottery. First, finding out that Pierce was headed back to the court … he can walk! Then, seeing him rush to check into the game as soon as he got to the bench … he can play! Finally, getting set up beautifully twice consecutively by Rajon Rondo on the break for momentum-changing threes … he can still take over!!

It was the greatest swing in emotions in an emotionally draining 21 playoff games thus far. And the greatest moment.

Sure, everyone in Lakerland is trying to downplay the emotional lift the C's benefited, convinced it was all a big act and basically calling him a charlatan. Whatever, they can say what they want. I have no doubt that when Paul went down, he, like everyone in the arena, was convinced it was the worst-case scenario. Paul saw Tony blow his knee last year. He saw how bad of an injury it can be for a career. He knew that if it was the same thing, he'd be done for the playoffs. You can't blame the guy for getting lucky, for not having sustained a career-threatening injury. Gimme a break.

At the same time, it's not like he was being heroic by coming back into the game. He was doing what he had to do once he found out he could actually put weight on his leg. Once he found out it was likely only a sprain and not a torn ligament, as was feared, he laced 'em back up and played basketball.

Still, those images of Paul Pierce coming back from the locker room after what – minutes earlier -- looked like it may be the end, the sound of the Garden crowd erupting when he checked in, and the game-changing fast-break threes he hit in the ensuing minutes … those were special. You knew, as soon as he came out of the locker room that something unique was happening. You knew when hit that second three and the Garden urupted, that those images will be played again and again with all of the great Celtic moments of the past 50 years.

Whenever such a series of clips is called for, Pierce's return will be in there, sandwiched between Larry Bird stealing the ball underneath to DJ who lays it in, and Cowens crawling, scratching and diving on an impossible-to-get loose ball.

It was a great moment in Celtics history, and considering what we all felt when Pierce went down, and considering it was against Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson and the Lakers, it made it all the more special.

Let's hope that more of them are coming.

More Game 1 thoughts:

FULL ENTRY

OK kids, it's time to dress up your little brother in a gold sweatsuit and horn-rimmed glasses and get your clothesline arm ready … it's Lakers vs. Celtics! No, this isn't the late '80s and you're not sitting in front of your TV playing Sega Genesis. Have you heard? This is the real thing. In 2008.

Yes, we're just hours away from the start of what will be an insane couple of weeks. But before we get started, I want to run down a quick list of things I'm looking forward to in what is sure to be an epic series. Let's Go!

I want to see…

• Sam Cassell with his warm-ups on all game, every game.
• At least 5 close-ups on ABC of Angry Perk Face.
• Competent refereeing.
• Paul Pierce hit his fourth-quarter free-throws.
• A Tony Allen appearance in the series. If Tony can move on his ankle, he will have to play some one-on-one D against Kobe. At least to see what he's got. He's had success before, although the stage may be too big for him to get his confidence back … but if he can harness it and play that instinctual on-the-ball D, he could be the X factor that no one's talking about. At the very least, put him in for 2 minutes, see if he can be effective, and if not, pull the plug. All I'm asking for is a chance.
• Leon Powe manhandle Ronnie Turiaf. I'll be honest, I'm almost as excited for that potential matchup than Pierce-Kobe or KG-Gasol.
• Kobe Bryant get the Peyton Manning treatment from the Celtics faithful. Come on, C's fans … as Ian pointed out, there's not a single thing to like about this guy. Let him hear it. Hell, I'll even take a "Cut that meat" chant. He's the most unlikable person since Billy Mitchell in King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
• KG take more than half of his shots in the paint.
• A Gino appearance before the final whistle of the first two games.
• Ray Allen spot-up three-pointers on the fast break.
• Derek Fisher get "Rondo'd." I also want to see Rajon hit about four open jumpers a game.
• A cessation to the playing of horrible "Everybody clap your hands. clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap." STOP IT. JUST STOP IT! This is not Miami or Atlanta or every other sterile NBA home arena! Please, stop playing this horrible 2008 version of what is essentially the Macarena. It's embarrassing. Especially the people who actually clap to this thing. Come on. We're better than that. Sorry, had to get that off my chest.
• Luke Walton intentionally sabotage the Lakers. Come on, Bill, get in your son's ear and have him do the honorable thing. It's for your Celtics legacy.
• James Posey with at least three slide-20-feet-on-his-back-while-diving-after-a-loose-ball plays.
• Tommy and Kareem get into a shouting match on the Comcast SportsNet postgame.
• Larry Bird in attendance at the Garden. Sure, it probably won't happen, as he's still the GM of the Pacers and weeks away from probably his biggest draft as head of that franchise, but come on, Larry, this transcends whatever you think your current role is in the NBA. Remember in the early-2000 playoff home games, when the "parade of heroes" would commence before each game … Red leading the way with Russell, Havlicek, Cousy, Walton, JoJo, Tommy, and the rest of the legends of Celtics past made their appearances on the big board?

  There was always one glaring omission ... you, Larry. The closest we got was some older guy who kind of looked like you waving a towel up on the 300 sections. Don’t get me wrong, that guy ruled. But that's not going to be good enough for this series. Seriously, Larry, you need to be here. We know that Paul Gaston pushed you away from the franchise in the '90s, we know you have no connection to the current building or the current players, and we know you feel uncomfortable in the limelight.

  But it's Celtics-Lakers! We don't have Red anymore to lead the charge from the stands. We still have Russell, Hondo, and the others, but adding you will take it to another level. Do the right thing!

• Banner No. 17. They don’t put up banners for second place, boys. Time to make your own legacy.

The front page of ESPN.com this morning was littered with stories on Kobe Bryant. I realize that the Lakers are the flashier team in this series, they probably always have been in this rivalry, but the media's love affair with Kobe has always been something that bothered me, and this is the perfect time for me to let it all out. So, forgive me while I rant on why I can't stand Kobe Bryant.

First of all, there is a difference between hating a player and a team, and hating the coverage of that player or team. It is rarely the fault of the player or team that the national media falls in love (or hate, see your Patriots) with them, and writes countless stories, essentially shoving the player down the throat of America. Some fans confuse this difference, and end up hating the player or the team just because they are forced to hear and read about them 24 hours a day. Bill Belichick is all anyone wants to talk or write about, and it is quite obvious that he doesn't love the camera; at least not when it's being trained on him (I had to). I do not hate Kobe because he is on TV a lot.

Other times, fans hate players or teams because they "kill" their team or favorite player on a consistent basis. This sort of hate is what was behind the old "Yankees Suck" chant. You know, the one Sox fans used to chant when the Bombers were dominating. (Now if we chant it, Yanks fans don't have much of a beef.) Fans, and I'm very guilty of this as well, we'll often say "I BLEEPING hate that guy" during a game in which their nemesis is, once again, lighting their favorite team up. So please, let me preface this post by saying, I do not hate Kobe because he is really good, or because he plays for the Lakers.

Now that we've got that happy junk out of the way, let me tell you why I do hate Kobe Bryant.

Most of these love letters from the national media touch on Kobe's great turnaround this year. People talk about how Kobe learned to trust his teammates, and be a leader and a better teammate this year. This is a good thing? Really?

Why should we be applauding a man who decided to grow up when he was 29 years old? That's a normal basketball progression? If you got invited to a Bah Mitzvah for a 30-year-old, that would be completely OK? These are the same writers that will rip a player for demanding a trade, chastise a star player for ball-hogging (ask Pierce), and condemn an athlete with off-the-court issues. Why not Kobe? Why does he get a pass?

This is a guy whose own team's fans should be ripping him. He single-handedly crippled a dynasty. This one man ran one of the top three big men ever and one of the top two coaches ever out of town. The national media plays it like a star who was facing down times, decided to play through them, the team "finally" gave him a supporting cast, and now he is thriving once again. The Lakers (and their blindly loyal fans) allowed this brat to tear a dynasty to shreds, play king of the hill for four years, cry about the team he has left to play with, and then reward him by mugging the Grizzlies for an All-Star big man. Jerry Buss let his future son-in-law hit the bricks for this smug brat. He shipped the best big of his generation to Miami, who let's not forget got a ring WITHOUT Bryant, for this brat. All this, and Lakers fans chant "M-V-P" for him on a nightly basis? This guy was the Least Valuable Player of the franchise for the better part of this decade.

This guy is not a star who struggled through thin years, to be rewarded with a chance at the Finals. This guy is not Paul Pierce.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith brings up the Jordan comparison in the conversation he had with Bryant last week. I feel like I don't have to break into this "argument", but I'd like to note an instance that should have ended this years ago. After being criticized by his coach in April 2004 for shooting too much, Kobe refused to shoot against the Kings to prove a point to his coach. In a Game 7 during the first round of the 2006 playoffs against the Suns, down 15 at halftime, Kobe took only 3 shots in the final half. The next Jordan? Please. Michael would have fired more than three shots in the second half if he thought it could help his team win.

Bryant's basketball sins alone should draw the unending ire of fans and media alike. Someone needs to explain to me why he is the chosen one.

What about what happened in Colorado? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot we no longer are allowed to speak about that. That's tucked under the rug.

Was Bryant remorseful? Sure, don't you remember he bought his wife a trillion dollar diamond ring and dragged her to the press conference? This guy makes Bill Clinton look like Ward Cleaver in the husband department. Yet, when he was coming back from the trial to play in the games that night, announcers and members of the media acted like he was a hero! That's unforgivable. Why does nobody talk about this? Never mind. You don't have to answer that one, it probably won't make it past my editor.

Maybe the most aggravating thing about Kobe, and in a sense, the thing that I hate the most, is how fake he is. I'm tired of the charade. That Sunday Conversation made me want to vomit. Kobe said on ESPN's Sunday Conversation that his teammates were "like my brothers." Brothers? Really? Apparently, in Kobe's World, you could cry about how crappy your brothers are, demand a trade from the family, causing your parents to ship off four of your brothers for one really good brother. You can't trade your brothers in real life. Ask Tito Jackson. How about the rest of his "brothers" that he wanted to be traded from that still are on the team? Now they are one big happy family? And the way he keeps force-feeding us this "I love these guys, I swear" routine makes it that much easier to see right through. For example, how they all showed up to his MVP press conference. What a sham. Brothers. Give me a break. Can you picture Sasha Vujacic borrowing Kobe's Bentley for a beer run? Brothers? So like, Jordan Farmar walks up to Kobe every day, punches him in the arm and gives him a noogie? I'm not buying it. You can hear the other players forcing it for the cameras. When they were pushing for Bryant to be the MVP to the media, they all sounded like frightened witnesses pleading the 5th in a mafia trial. This isn't the first time Kobe has talked about his "brothers." Remember, Shaq was his big brother too. How's that working out for him?

I don't think anyone "likes" this guy. He just has never fit in so he fakes it. He was a rich boy who grew up in Europe and went to the best high schools and came back for the States for his senior year. He used to say he was "from Philly", back before they booed him at the All-Star game. Bottom line, he has never fit in anywhere. But the little brat ran off his "big brother", and now he's the big man on campus, and the rest of the team has to play in his shadow. The brat became a bully. Bullies tend to have lots of "friends".

I can understand why his teammates pretend to love him. They want the ball, and their jobs. I guess I can forgive LA fans for cheering him on. He's the guy on their team. What can they do? I just can't fathom why the national media, and even fans across the country, even in Boston, still love this man. I guess I never will.

OK, hate is a strong word. It isn't like I hate him in the true sense of the word; I don't even know him. I don't wish anything bad on him, except a Finals loss. But in sports, fans can use harsh words like that in the context of the game. If I were GM of the Boston Celtics, and Mitch Kupchak wanted to trade Kobe Bryant for Paul Pierce straight up, I'd shoot it down in a second. I wouldn't take Bryant for anyone in a Celtics uniform. Not for Pierce. Not for Allen. No for Powe. I'd get skewered in the media. I'd get fired. I wouldn't get a job in the league. I'd sleep like a baby.

Three things I thought while ... hey ... did I mention I hate Kobe Bryant?..

Another annoying comparison this week is the Phil Jackson vs. Red Auerbach debate. I wasn't around for Red and can't really speak on the subject, but I have heard people use the fact that Red had more Hall of Famers on his squad. This is a ridiculous argument considering that Red scouted, drafted, and coached these players. Also, there were like 8 teams in the league back then and there are 30 teams now. Every team was packed with Hall of Famers; what was he supposed to do, draft bums?

As far as the over-hyped Lakers referenced above, you know the Celtics are loving this. This is the second time this season Boston has been widely viewed as underdogs, the first being against Detroit. They played their best basketball in that situation, as well as their shortest series. I'm just sayin' ...

Finally, my series prediction. I'm a homer, so, the Celtics in six. I believe that this series will play out a lot like the Detroit series, with the Celtics winning a game (or in this case two) on the road in the fourth quarter. Paul Pierce is the MVP as he continues to close out games, ultimately outshining Bryant in fourth quarters throughout the series.

It's the Finals' countdown - Da-na-naa-n. Da-na-neh-neh-neh.

It's the song the Pistons' used during their home-court introductions. It's the last song played directly after the intros at the Garden. It's the song I've used countless times during a run to get pumped up. Now it's the song summing up the near week-long wait before the 2008 NBA Finals get underway. We seriously have to wait until Thursday? The every-other-day wait was bad enough; this is just unreasonable. Now I have the entire week to think about how intimidating of a team the Lakers have. Awesome.

Questions

After Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals I found myself asking plenty of questions. Did that really just happen? Did the Celtics, previously 1-6 on the road in the playoffs, come back from 10 down in the fourth quarter? Did a veteran NBA official really make that "offensive foul" call and negate a four-point-play from Paul Pierce? Is Rasheed Wallace the biggest jerk in the NBA? Does Stuart Scott really think he's cool? Have the Pistons officially turned into the Atlanta Braves of the NBA? I think we can safely answer yes to every single question.

The Moment of Truth

Pierce, the longtime Celtic, was so eager to celebrate his first Eastern Conference Title he did it with the fans in Detroit. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Remember how Pierce took over Game 7 against the Cavs to lead the C's to the Eastern Conference Finals? Well he did it again in Game 6 against the Pistons, this time taking the Celtics to their final destination -- the NBA Finals. He didn't go off for 40 this time, but he only missed on 4 of 12 shots while scoring 12 points in the final eight minutes of the game. His composure down the stretch (minus the two missed free throws in the final 30 seconds) is what helped the Celtics battle back.

I touched on it during the Atlanta series, but he has matured so much during this season. After the worst call in playoff history late in the third quarter, he put the team on his back and brought them to the promised land. You can say all you want about KG not being clutch at the end of games, but as far as I'm concerned, Pierce is this team's closer. He's no Kobe when it comes to scoring, but I'll take KG and Ray-Ray as teammates over Gasol and Odom all day.

Let's also not forget how well Pierce does against L.A. Throughout his career he has thrived when playing against his hometown team. He's shown he can step it up in big moments in the last two series and if he does it once more, he'll mark his own place in history and solidify his spot in the Hall of Fame.

Random bullet-point-worthy thoughts:

FULL ENTRY

The Boston Celtics overcame all of the obstacles and setbacks that sprouted in the playoffs to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. Let's take a look at a few of the demons, large and small, that were excrcized in tonight's 89-81 victory over the Detroit Pistons...

The Celtics unseat the reigning Eastern Conference Champs in the Cleveland Caveliers and Lebron James in an epic Game 7 in the semis.

The Celtics win a Game on the road after going 0-6 to start the playoffs away from Boston.

Ray Allen shoots his way out of a dismal slump with back to solid offensive outputs, scoring 46 points in two games to close out Detroit.

Rajon Rondo couldn't finish games. Rondo may have hit the jumper of the night with his deep bucket with the shot clock running down.

The Celtics struggled to close out close games all postseason. The Celtics outscore the Pistons 29-13 in the final frame to close out the series and head to the NBA Finals.

Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Keving Garnett could never win the big games to get themselves past the Conference finals, and now the three of them have made it together.

My final comment: What a difference a year makes. In the coming weeks you'll hear that line attached to Kobe Bryant. Let's not forget the Lakers were in the playoffs last year, the Celtics were in the cellar.

I don't have any more to say tonight...let us know how you feel about your team being in the Finals in the comments below. I want to see the most comments that have ever been on this blog below. BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!

Well the Celtics are going to need a big fourth-quarter comeback if they want to make their first appearance in the NBA Finals in 21 years tonight. It's win or go home ... and play a Game 7.

Just a few things ... Tayshaun Prince came alive and really shot the ball well in the third, I guess I shouldn't have mentioned how bad he was shooting. He really had a great quarter. That should do nicely.

Referee Bennett Salvatore called the first offensive block in NBA history on Pierce's would-be four-point play. That wasn't a huge call or anything.

KG and and Rondo spent a good amount of time on the bench in the third. Let's see if the C's can make a run at full strength to try and steal this one and head to Finals. Let's go C's!

Welcome to the Green Room at the half...

The Celtics cling to a 40-37 halftime lead after an ugly second quarter by both teams. What started out as a fast-paced game with both teams trading baskets turned into the ball-trapping, hand-checking hackfest we are accustomed to seeing from these two teams. Yay!

There was a Leon Powe sighting. His stat line: 3 minutes, 4 points, 2 fouls and a rebound. Why has this guy not played? Did he hit on Doc's wife? Did he pants Wyc Grousbeck at a charity dinner? What possibly could he have done to get a regular spot on the DNP list?

Ready for me to try some analyst talk? "If I'm the Celtics, I'm happy right now, I'm on the road, we've got a small halftime lead and I've got a hot shooter in Ray Allen."

Paul Pierce is 4 for 5 but he needs to get more looks at the basket. Rondo needs to be more of a distrubutor than a shooter if the C's are going to pull this out. I'll take the four rebounds from the point guard, though.

Stuart Scott just said that the game got bogged down with "penalties" late in the first half. Where's Charles Barkley when you need him? Oh yeah, gambling. Forget I asked.

KG is in no offensive groove whatsoever. I'd love to see him get closer to the basket on the offensive end. A 5-foot fadeaway is easier to hit than a 18-foot fadeaway. It will also get him to the line more, and get him near the cup for offensive rebounds, which so far, have been there for the taking.

This game is there for the taking! Rip and Billups combine for 33 in the first half the and Pistons are still down. The role players haven't shown up for Detroit, the Celtics need to capitalize. We are halfway there! ...

Some thoughts from the first quarter...

I love the way the Celtics have come out so far. It seems like every road game they go down by ten points and can't buy a bucket. Ray Allen has hit two three-pointers and another deep jumper, but he isn't settling. He also had a strong left handed finish in the lane.

Rajon Rondo is absolutely getting destroyed on the defensive end of the floor by Chauncey Billups. If that keeps up, the C's will over shift and there will be wide open shooters. Hopefully, it's Pierce coming to help, because Tayshuan Prince couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at this point. There was even a brief Cassell sighting. Yikes! Rondo needs to get it together.

Kendrick Perkins 0 points 2 rebounds in the first quarter? He may be feeling some ill affects from his season high 39 minutes in a monster Game 5.

On the other hand, Rip Hamilton is on fire and the elbow looks healthy. Another good thing for Pistons fans, it doesn't look like he is showing any ill affects from that broken nose he suffered five years ago...

I'll see you at half time.

I can't even begin to describe the emotional roller coaster that was Celtics' thrilling 106-102 win in Game 5. In fact, I'm surprised I can even type right now. Feels like trying to play whack-a-mole with wet noodles. Regardless, here's a slew of what will most likely be incoherent thoughts.

• I will never say anything bad about Kendrick Perkins again. Well, at least until he starts getting 3 fouls in the first quarter again on offensive boards and moving screens. Seriously though, you can tell how a game is called by officials really affects a players' effectiveness. In Game 5, you pretty much had to cripple a guy to get called for a foul on the boards.

  That style of play is perfect for Perk, who used his size and aggressiveness under the boards to send away all challengers for the rebounds. It was great to watch … he was going to do anything to make sure the man closest to him would not steal a rebound from him. If that were a regular season game against the Heat, he would have probably been called for 5 fouls on rebounding alone.

  But I like how they called it in this game. That's how basketball should be played … barring any egregiously heinous acts, the guys under the boards should be able to battle it out for those rebounds. And Perk put on a clinic in the first half.

• Is there anything that's as simultaneously exciting and terrifying as Perk dribbling the ball the length of the court on a fast break. And can it even be called a fast break when it's Perk dribbling?
• I really want a T-shirt with a picture of a brow-furrowing Kendrick surrounded by the words "Perk Angry!" in crumbling letters.
• Can the Celtics win the championship, let alone this series, with Rondo playing 46 minutes a game? I don't think so. He was gassed in the fourth. I think it's obvious that Sam's time on the court has been a disaster, and Eddie cannot bring the ball up under moderate pressure, let alone the furious on-the-ball defense and trapping that the Pistons employ, but can't there be another way? Late in the Cleveland series, Pierce took the responsibility of bringing the ball up court when House was struggling with the pressure. Can't they do the same against the Pistons to give Rajon a little more rest?
• Losing that 18-point third-quarter lead slowly over the rest of the game felt like watching a parachutist slowly glide into the middle of an active volcano. It took forever, there was an impending sense of doom, and the worst-case scenario seemed inevitable. Then, just as they were about to drop into the crater, a gust of wind blew them within arms length of the side, and they grabbed and held on. That's the best way I can describe the utter relief of winning that game. They came close to certain death. I can't believe they survived.
FULL ENTRY