Thanks for the memories

Twenty years earlier it was Dominique and Larry going one-on-one in a grueling Game 7. Sunday afternoon's contest mirrored that as Paul Pierce and LeBron James went back and forth in a game for the ages. I'm sure you've heard the comparison 492 times by now; but the fact of the matter is that this game will be remembered for another 20 years, just like its predecessor.

This was a showdown of epic proportions. In one corner were the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland LeBrons. In the other, the most hyped team in recent memory, the Boston Celtics. Luckily for the C's, this game was in the comforts of Boston. Sure the Celtics have gone an atrocious 0-6 on the road so far in the postseason, but that's why they worked so hard in the regular season to get home-court advantage.

LeBron was great, Pierce was better and the sea of green played their part in the stands too. (Brian Babineau / Getty Images)

Home is where the heart is

KG told the media he couldn't sleep before Game 7 of the Hawks series. Meanwhile I couldn't sleep after yesterday's Game 7 vs. the Cavs. Chants of "Lets go Celtics" were still ringing in my head.

Through my weekend-pack of tickets I was able to get playoff priority for one of the rounds. My first choice was the Eastern Conference Finals as I, along with everyone else, expected it to be hard-fought seven-game series between the East's top two seeds, Boston and Detroit. I ended up getting the second round instead (I assume the Conference Finals were in high demand), and after yesterday's game I couldn't be any happier.

The chants started as soon as we (my girlfriend, my best friend and I) stepped foot in the Garden. The first of many "Lets go Celtics" chants broke out on one of the escalators. We all chimed in kicking and banging the surrounding metal -- I knew at that moment the crowd was ready for this game.

We got to our seats about a half-hour before tip-off. That half-hour felt like an eternity as I was anxious for this game to get underway. It's amazing to think of what the players go through before games like these when being a fan seems strenuous enough. They kept flashing to a live feed from the hallway on the JumboTron where all the Celtics gathered for their usual "Ubuntu" pre-game chant. The feeling in the arena was euphoric as they stormed out of the tunnel led by Lucky and his giant Celtics flag.

The introductions were wild, except of course when we were reminded that the coach of the Boston Celtics is none other than Doc "What's a Lineup?" Rivers. The Celtics never trailed, and even when LeBron pulled Cleveland to within one with two minutes remaining, I felt like the Celtics would pull through.

Perhaps the best moment in the game came when Eddie House dove to the floor in the second quarter for a loose ball that ended in a couple of free-throws for James Posey at the other end. Eddie must've slid a good five feet before getting to the ball. The crowd erupted with an "EDD-IE, EDD-IE" chant as Posey ran back to help up his fallen teammate. The amount of energy Eddie brought to the Garden on Sunday was endless.

Thank goodness Doc finally woke up and put Eddie into the lineup. I still can't believe he was able to contribute in Game 6 after playing only garbage time throughout the playoffs. There's no question he's a streaky shooter but his energy coming off the bench is one of those intangibles needed to win a big game. It hurts to say it, but at this point, I'd much rather have Eddie in the game than Ray-Ray.

Final Thoughts

• There were countless contributors to the Celtics' second Game 7 victory of these playoffs. Words can't even describe how unstoppable Pierce was. Eddie made some big-time plays and as mentioned before, brought tons of energy. P.J. Brown played his best game as a Celtic and hit perhaps the biggest bucket of the game, stretching the lead from one to three with a minute-and-a-half remaining. Rondo went for crazy eights as he accumulated eight each in points, rebounds and assists. Scalabrine was high-fiving the heck out of people. Just about everyone (sorry Ray-Ray) played a part and that's why the Celtics advanced.
• Yesterday's game was intense. It's a whole new feeling when you're actually at a Game 7…especially one that will be talked about 20 years later. I definitely recommend trying to get tickets for any playoff game -- you may end up paying three times the ticket price but it's absolutely worth it.
• The Garden was rocking all game long. The lowlight -- elbowing my girlfriend in the back of the head after a ferocious fist-pump towards the end of the game. The highlight -- perhaps the drunk guy, who we nicknamed "Peanuts" because he was all about trying to pass off his bag of them, slurring his chants and spilling beer all over himself. Thanks for the entertainment, Peanuts!
• I grew to hate LeBron in this series because he cries after every call/non-call, no matter what. He won back some of my respect after his post-game press conference in which he gave credit to Pierce, the Celtics, and the history of the game.
• Speaking of fouls -- the refs were despicable and ALL the calls went in favor of the Cavs. Do we have proof that Tommy Heinsohn is still alive after this game?
• I hate how Mike Brown is on the court screaming for pretty much the entire game. Coach from the sidelines please!
• Best case scenario to end the season -- Celtics capture the highly-anticipated 17th championship banner AND fire Doc Rivers.
• Bring on Detroit!