Came across this one and thought it was quite funny and wanted to share it. It is a youtube spoof from WZLX's Karlson and McKenzie of the Durant commercial where we see Kevin taking off several of his jersey's. In this one we see some bearded dude takes off dozens of shirts. It goes on and on which adds to the humor. It starts with the bearded guy (sorry dont know who he is). rounding the corner by North Station wearing a Rugby style C's shirt. Then he pulls it off to reveal a Tommy Point shirt. Followed by one of the more funnier scenes where he looks around nervously in a backwards Ron Mercer # 5 jersey, which he promptly takes off. A few more shirts later and its #11 for BBD. This is then followed by a shirt reading "Playoff Beard" with an arrow pointing up. Hehe. They also add a few of their own bits towards the end. One of them being a shirt that says "Kiss Me I'm a Celtics Fan" as a girl comes up and kisses him, followed by a man, but he pushes him off. He then takes off a few more shirts including a Rondo #9, a Red Auerbach #2, a "Beat LA" shirt before entering North Station below the Garden with an 80's looking old school C's shirt with "Boston Celtics Champs" on it. Anyway, enjoy...
So much is being made of Pierce's return after the injury. Phil Jackson's classless remarks reminded me why I really don't like the guy. He had this to say:
Paul got carried off and was back on his feet in a minute," Jackson said. "I don't know if the angels visited him in that time-out period or what, but he didn't even limp when he came back out on the floor. I don't know what was going on back there. Was (US preacher) Oral Roberts in their locker room?
Perk landed on Pierce's leg and Pierce heard a pop and the knee was hurting. The doctor came over and didn't want to take a chance with the injury and so had him carried off so he wouldn't put weight on it in case it was serious. They didn't know at that point. The wheel chair was so that the guys didn't have to carry him all the way to the locker room. When he got back to the locker room, the knee started to feel a little better and after the Docs looked at the knee, let him try standing. If he could have taken that much time on the court, the same thing would have happened without him being carried off.
Pierce has a very hig tolerance for pain. In 2000, he was stabbed 11 times and 3 weeks later was at training camp and didn't miss a game. He had several teeth knocked out by Amare Stoudamire and spent 7 hours in a dentist's chair the next day having them repaired. That night he played against the Blazers and hit the game winner. A couple of years ago, he played most of the season with an elbow that was so bad that it had to be drained on a daily basis. Pierce is a warrior and anyone who knows him knows that he can be really hurt and still play.
Hopefully the knee will be healed well enough for Pierce to be 100% in game 2. It does worry me that he isn't getting an MRI till after the season. It still may be something serious. He was still limping at the media availability. Hopefully he won't do any more damage to the knee and he will have his mobility on Sunday. Just playing won't be enough, he has to play well. Also, Perk has a high ankle sprain and was limping at media day. These usually take longer than a few days to heal. The Celtics really need his toughness inside and so hopefully he also will be able to play well.
They aired the "There can be only one" commercial with Bird and Magic during game 1 and it was enough to give any long time fan goosebumps. I can see these two in the old folks home playing checkers and clawing and fighting for every move. Here is the spot in case you missed it.
With just over 11 minutes left in the 3rd quarter of game 1, Pierce hit a 3 and got Radmanovic in the air to draw the foul. He hit the free throw for a 4 point play. This play was virtually identical to the one in the Pistons' game where Pierce was called for an offensive foul. This time they got the call right and in the other game, Bennett Salvatore made one of the worst calls ever in the history of the playoffs.
It is amazing to me while reading both the Lakers and Celtics boards how both sides can see a game so differently. During game 1, both sides were complaining about the refs. From the Celtics' Board:
We can't get a call on a charge/blocking call tonight. Can we please get at least one in our favor? PJ does all that hard work and the Ref robs him. That charge was so obvious, Stevie Wonder could see it.
From the Lakers' Board:
Wow, this was one of the worst officiated games ever. The referees stole this game away from us. I hate to go to the old "eight on five" routine. BUT. It got to the point where PJ Brown could set moving picks, throw elbows, grab people, etc and the refs refused to call it.
The truth is that the refs missed some very obvious calls on both sides. Fans tend to see the ones against their team more than they see the ones against the opponent. In reality, the refs in this game were pretty decent. They missed some calls, but were pretty consistent and didn't call it for one side or the other. The Celtics had a slight edge in free throws, but they also had more points in the paint and so should have gotten more calls.
It was good to see Doc playing Powe again. He always does good things when Doc gives him the minutes. Leon missed a defensive assignment and ended up on the bench for a whole series. Sam misses defensive assignments, completely ignores the offensive sets and still plays. That being said, Doc did a good job in game 1. He out coached Phil Jackson and that made me feel really good since I really, really don't like the guy. Hopefully Doc can keep it up and counter any adjustments by Jackson.
Game 2 is very important. With the awful 2-3-2 format for the Finals, it really hurts the team with home court advantage. In the ECF, the Celtics lost game 2 but then they just had 2 games on the road and came back home for game 5. But in this series, if the Celtics lose game 2, they then have 3 games on in LA. The Celtics have to treat this like a game 7. Game 2 is very, very important.
The Tonight Show had Chris Bosh reporting from the Finals. He is really funny. I loved his All Star commercials but he is even funnier than that. Then again, Scal is pretty funny talking about being the token white guy and KG rubbing his chest for luck. And Big Baby is funny talking about which Sex and the City character he would be. Some good stuff! Enjoy!
Here are comments found around the Lakers' boards during their game 1 with the Celtics. It is amazing that as I read the Lakers boards, they thought the game was one sided against the Lakers but as I read the Celtics boards, there are plenty of posts picking out the bad calls against them. It would seem that there were bad calls on both sides, but I didn't see an outright bias on one side or the other. It is also amazing that the Lakers fans mostly believed that Pierce faked the injury but when Kobe went out with back spasms and then valiantly came back to play, he was a warrior. Really funny to see how very biased most fans (including the Celtics' fans, myself included) can be. Great game, going to be an epic series. I just hope Perk and Pierce are good to go in game 2. Losing either of them would be a huge blow. Contrary to what many Lakers' fans believed, Pierce was really hurt and I don't think the injury will really hit him till after the game.
To some degree I think it's better that the team is on the road.......mainly because I'm sure all the hype in Boston is wearing on the Little 3.
This is the moment Kobe has been waiting for all his life.......he looks very calm and relaxed......although I still think he won't have a great game.
I'm hoping it gets a little violent, just to restore some of that old rivalry flavor.
I would love that too But with todays game everyone gets thrown out
Against the Celtics, Radman will get killed by any Boston starter not named Rondo. They are ALL very aggressive.
Celtic fans think he's going to fly all over the court and cause a lot of problems But wasn't Tony parker supposed to do the same thing, I think fisher should be able to do a good job on rondo
Celtics fans also think that the Lakers have no one to stop Perkins. Hell if you ask them, every position is a mismatch in their favour, except Kobe being slightly better than Allen (stress - slightly).
The only thing that impresses me about Rondo is his hard nosed D and that's it. He is like a chicken without a head in crunch time and completely forgets how to pass the ball and from what I've seen from can't hit the J with consistency. I'd go out on a limb and say that Fisher is happy that he finally won't have to worry about guarding a good PG (after being paired against Iverson, Williams and Parker who are all inifinitely better players than a second year nobody).
IF Perkins guards odom, odom should take him out on the wing and drive to the basket every time.
I think the Celtics are going to be in a kind of "wow we're in the finals mode" early, and the lakers are going to take advantage of that(Kobe and fish probably)
I just have to say LOL for Boston fans thinking they are the underdog.
They have no one to blame but themselves for being the so called "underdog". Celtics have lost their composure several times in the playoffs. Where as the Lakers have been playing good ball even in loses.
Oh yeah I think we are one of the most well equipped teams to ever come into a game 1on the road in the finals. I say we take game one.
Nothing a bunch of whining from Bostonians with inferiority complexes.
Boston's strategy to defending Kobe is to have Ray Allen shoot a lot. The Celts are being a little secretive aren't they? I recall one writer stating that the Celts may put the 6'1" Rondo on Kobe.
Pierce will have a good series regardless...he'll find away to get 10-12 ft a game..get 6-8 buckets and get his 22-25 pts..its gonna be a tough series...and a long one
All these articles about Kobe and the Lakers are setting us up for a big disappointment. There is way to much confidence and Kobe love before anything has been done. Not enough respect for the Celtics. They are the best defensive team in the league, just like Detroit was when they beat the Lakers in 2004.
That defense hasn't faced an offense like these Lakers all season. The playoff teams they faced aren't close to the Bryant and the triangle. Detroit beat an old slow team thatwasn't playing together. Gasol/Odom inside is better than anything Boston has faced and Rad will keep the floor spaced. Gasol/Odom won't be showing KG the same love Rasheed Wallace did. They'll also better his 4 points in game 6. If anything I think it's the Lakers defense that's not getting enough respect.
It's difficult to fear the Playoff-Celtics defense when it's been clearly worked over by the Hawks, Cavs, and Pistons.
Their defense was NOT worked over. They had a hard time scoring. Now, Ray Allen was worked over multiple times by Atlanta but their team defense was very good. Good enough for #1 in the playoffs.
I kind of miss the old Garden where the ball bounces sideways and there's no air conditioner. The new Garden looks so ... New.
Anyway, we've got nothing to lose and everything to gain in these first two games, while the pressure is all on Boston to deliver. I hope they come out with fire and punch them straight in the face.
I hope ray Allen crumbles under pressure
I can't stand the idea of Allen winning a ring, I think he is my least favorite player after Bowen, damn big mouthed chump. Kobe better annihilate him.
Don’t get me wrong guys, as I am a huge Lakers fan, but I just don’t see this Lakers team beating the Celtics...yet.
Our team is still jellying, young and learning. The Celts have a team full of experienced vets. Three of whom have at one time or the other carried NBA teams on their backs...albeit not too successfully..the point is they are hardened vets at the peak of their game (maybe not Allen). Maybe am not having enough faith in my Lakers or maybe of scared of being disappointed but I think this could really be a one-sided affairs. At best I see the Lakers taking one or two games.
I just finished watching the two regular season games (recorded on dvd) and the Celts just killed us. Basketball is about matchups and we just don’t match up with the Celts well. I think Pierce and Perkins are going to kill us. I don’t think we can keep Perkins and KG off the offensive boards and we have no one that can match up with Pierce.
KG has done exactly squat in his career in Minny, outside of that one WCF appearance and neither have Allen nor Pierce. Posey is the only one with NBA Finals experience if you don't count Cassell who really is more of a warm body that can give you 6 fouls than anything else at this point of his career
If you look at the C's frontline, particulerly PJ & Perkins they love to bang and get on the offensive boards. We can not afford to give them second chance points - I think this will be the deciding factor.
KG on Odom worries me for the simple reason that Odom is easily intimidated and KG's yelling and screaming will probably affect him.
Kobe looks a little rusty to start here.
This ain't Bowen on him anymore, he should just blow by Allen
Ray Allen won't make high degree of difficulty 3s like that often....
Ray seems to be heating up........but he'll choke when it counts.
Wow what a flop by pierce ...
Posey trying to disclocate kobes shoulder
KG woulda finished if he hadn't decided to get all flashy and hang on the rim
Early Lamar.. Uhhh.. Blows a gimme layup. Perkins must intimidate him then fumbles the ball outta bounds.. Trying to get an Offensive rebound and fumbles another ball away..
Damn, Boston fans are ugly. Officials screw up the backcourt call
I'll be expecting the NBA League Office to issue an apology tomorrow for this travesty!!!
That fat **** posey needs be careful
I think that should have been a flagrant on Posey, the play was over, yet he still fouled Kobe.
World B. Bryant...........is on he lose. Thank God for his teammates.
The 3rd quarter will be interesting.......because both teams normally play their best then......and Boston's defense normally picks up.........although the Lakers have been a better second half defensive team in the playoffs.
Officiating has sucked thus far.
Fouls are even 10-10, including pierce sitting on the bench with 3. Refs aren't really an issue
I cannot believe Cassell, who has blown all playoffs, suddenly comes alive cmon guys please don't let the alien go off
OMFG Bawstans old decrepit bench is out there and we go down by 5. Ridiculous.
We haven't won a game in the playoffs that Rush officiated.....
Celtics getting away with murder out there
I am surprised they have not tried to go to Perkins in the post when guarded by lamar
Lakers double hard on Perkins and make him pass out of it which he doesn't appear to do very well.
This Celtics team is better than I thought. They play really good defense and they're smart too. They came to play. Their defense is a cross between Utah's and San Antonio's. They can rebound like no team we've faced. This will be a tough series ladies and gents.
Finished strong, now comes the dreaded 3rd. Watch out for Boston in the 3rd quarter.....
Boston messed up by going away from kg
Bet some Boston fans are thinking: The Lakers aren't this good and can't keep shooting like this. They will cool off.
Bet some Lakers fans are thinking: Meh...we played an OK first half.
Pierce really not a factor with the three fouls He will be rested and baring and early 4th foul should play almost the entire second half and be well rested
The Keltics defense looks exposed. We're getting dunks, layups, and open shots. The only thing that can prevent a Lakers game 1 victory is execution. The Keltics have no answer for the stuff we run, as long as we run it properly.
The difference in Pierce having a bad half and Kobe is that the lakers are making a effort to double Pierce everytime he gets the ball. Kobe is just missing shots. I expect the same level of play from the Lakers on Pierce and I expect Kobe to start knocking down shots.
We must keep our composure. This is game ours for the taking.
KG's really bringing it tonight....there's no stopping that jumper.
Uhoh Pierce is down. Anyone see what happened? They sure are muting the audio a lot
Dammit. Hope he's ok. Excuses would completely suck.
Pierce is so injury prone its not even funny.
Perkins is a lot of weight for anybody's knee to take.
I think Pierce will return.....so the Lakers better get a good lead now.
Wow, the Celtics really look shook up with this injury. Oh sh*t, now Perkins just got hurt!
I totally expect Boston to rebound from this with force.
Boston is the softest team we've played in the playoffs, outside of their big two they suck.
Here comes Pierce....can someone say inspiration? Heh...
Sprained Knee but back in the game....interesting
Pierce is a drama queen.
Injury was exaggerated. The Lakers are better than the Celtics. Pierce knows it and is trying to inspire his team.
Oh wow how inspiring.... Perkins is back. Sorry buddy, nobody cares.
Lets see if Boston can defend the superstars scorers down the stretch.
I think dick bavetta is secretly a Boston fan.. he's calling everythign against lakers.. Thank god for the young ref who is the only one making the right calls (Scott?)... Damn seniority crap allowing bavetta to overrule a lot of the calls..
Looks like Kobe won the who wants to have a worse 4th quarter competition against kg.
Rondo 10 free throws. Kobe 4. Need I say more?
Kobe has been out of control since opening tip. His Jordan impersonation is hurting the Lakers. When will Kobe ever learn that team ball wins.
Pierce is selling it every time somebody touches him. What a pathetic display.
This is the only game the Lakers will lose this series. Not worried at all.
Defense wins tonight.
Can someone please just explain to me how Rajon Rondo gets more respect than Kobe from the refs?
I hate Boston! I hope someone tells everyone but fish that this is the finals.
The Celtics beat them to loose balls, tips on rebounds and they didn't quit on plays. I can't believe they let Pierce pull a Willis Reed moment on them. They had a chance to run them and slash their throats and let up because they thought he was finished.
How do you not walk and then 5 minutes later play all star quality basketball??????? And then pierce got scratched but acted like he got stabbed in the chest
Wow you guys don't sound too worried at all... Are we really this confident about this Lakers team?? I mean.. We just LOST THE GAME. Are you guys THAT confident or just in denial that Boston is the better team? Just wondering..
We'll win Game 2. That officiating was a flat out joke.
I knew we were gonna lose when KG saved that ball in the backcourt that just said the Celtics are playihng alittle harder than us.
I thought Phil performance tonight was subpar at best. Doc Rivers outcoached him greatly. It was almost embarrassing.
The Celtics are a great team, has been all year, and I think 80% of the media/pundits/fans sold them drastically short coming into this series. I thought they were the better team coming in, and I didn't see anything tonight that would make me rethink my opinion. It's going to be a monumental task to beat them.
Wow, this was one of the worst officiated games ever. The referees stole this game away from us. Come on lets win game 2 guys.
The refs had nothing to do with this loss that's a cop out. This is the Finals if you want to win it all you gotta play tough. To say the refs took it Is not the answer. If they did what is your argument ? Was Kobe or Pau in foul trouble ? No they weren't, last I look the refs don't grab rebounds or miss shots. The Lakers lost because they got out hustled, out rebounded and out played in the second half. Don't blame the ref unless you can point directly to how they impacted the game.
The team that wins the rebounding battle will win this series. Hear that, Gasol? It's called rebounding. No rebounds, no rings. Heard of boxing out when a shot goes up instead of standing still ball-watching while KG goes up uncontestedly to rebound and dunk the win home in your face? It's the NBA Finals. You're in it.
Boston looks hungrier for the c'ship than we do. Come on Lakers you're better than that! I want more efficiency from Kobe. I want Phil to play Walton less and Ariza more. Athleticism is what we need more of. As far as I'm concerned game 2 is the one to win otherwise I see us in the deepest of holes. A hole that I'm not certain we can get out of.
No excuses just play ball. When Paul went out for those couple of minutes, we had the chance to kick them while they were down, but we didn't. And Kobe just didn't play up to expectations in the fourth quarter.
Kobe was cringe-worthy today.
Our rims were rigged. Seriously, how many ****ing shots clanked out?
Our jump shots went ice cold in the 4th Celtics fan will say its their defense I think it was us missing.
Coming to a theater near you... THE KENDRICK AND PAUL SHOW Drama and acting at its best
Why does KG scream at every play he needs to calm the **** down
They only thing that annoyed me tonight was the dramatic exit and reappearance of Paul. Almost as good as wrestling. Good acting.
If Kobe takes 25 or more shots every game this series we'll be in trouble. The Celtics defense unlike the Spurs is about swarming and collapsing at the rim. Kobe shooting a lot is counter productive to the methods to beating the Celtics which is ball movement and making the open jumper.
I hate to go to the old "eight on five" routine. BUT. It got to the point where PJ Brown could set moving picks, throw elbows, grab people, etc and the refs refused to call it.
Credit to Boston though, they made their shots when it counted. They made their free throws. And when they saw that the Refs weren't going to let them lose, they took advantage.
Paul leaving on a ****ing wheelchair, then miraculously heal two minutes later made me absolutely sick. That was the biggest crock of **** I have ever seen. **** the Celtics, **** the officiating from last night(horrible), and **** pretty much anything to do with game 1. I'm sorry, but we are a better team. ****ing bring it.
That's another thing I hate about the Celtics. KG's so called intensity. Always screaming and acting like he's some kind of transcendental figure. The truth is, he plays the exact same game every night. He won't come out an dominate a game, especially when his team needs him. When he started going off early on in game 1, I turned to my friends and guaranteed he would go ice cold. He has a mental block that says, "slow down, you are elevating your performance KG!" Even superfan Bill Simmons said, he plays the same at all times. That's why he sucks in the clutch, because he doesn't play any different. And when he actually does do something, he runs around like a maniac pounding his chest and screaming obscenities. Just shut the **** up, you're not impressing the fan who thinks(which excludes quite a few I do admit). Again, Paul Pierce is a ****ing retard. That is the weakest attempt at being a hero I have ever seen. A cortizone shot doesn't even kick in near that fast.
I think that when Paul Pierce is intruduced and is at the foul lines that the Laker fans at the game need to chant Drama Queen. Make it clear that we know what type of person that Paul Pierce is. So if you have any friends that are going to the Laker game when Celtics come to town be sure to tell them to chant Drama Queen.
by So today I was in a taxi and 4 Australians got in the cab and the first thing they said was "You've got a Celtics hat. We're going to the game tonight." I sensed an accent and being naturally nosy asked "Are you from Ireland". I figured maybe the Irish would have a natural liking of the Celtics. The family replied "No. We're the Scots from Australia". Now I know what you're thinking. Isn't an Australian family named Scot kind of like a Scottish family named Australia? Well yes, but that would be interesting if it happened. The point is that fate determined that a man who has written 4000 posts on Celtics Green alone would meet THE people who clearly had the longest commute to the game. Not only did they fly half way round the world to watch the game at the Garden, but they were in the Cape Cod area and still had a good two hour trip to Boston. Unless someone came from Mars or another dimension the Scots (or possibly Scotts, I'm not sure) of Geelong just outside Melbourne came further than anyone. Not only that but they needed the Celts to win in the playoffs in exactly 7 games, 7 games, and 6 games AND have home court advantage AND be able to get seats to be able to go the first playoff game while they were in the States. Why God wanted the Scots of Geelong to be able to go to the game and not me I'll never know, but clearly this is the case.
Now you may ask "But how do you know they were reeaaally Australian?" Well I looked for the typical things. Admittedly they were not drinking Fosters or eating vegamite and they made no reference to Prince William's public desire to become Governor General of Australia, nor to Nicole Kidman, nor Mel Gibson
BUT
They had a natural interest in Andrew Bogut and were happy for Luc Longley.
So then I asked if they ever heard of Australian Celtics draft pick Ben Pepper and they said exactly what 9 out of 10 Celts fans would have said ..."who?"
Scots. If you're out there please tell us how the game was and if I spelled your name and the name of your town right.
This game was a battle from the beginning. The first quarter was rather tentative by both teams as they were trying to get a feel for each others' games. At the end of the first quarter, the Celtics held a 23-21 lead with the Celtics shooting 47% and the Lakers shooting 48%. Kobe was 2-8 in the first quarter and the Lakers were down just 2 so they had to feel good going into the second quarter.
Doc started the second with Sam Cassell, PJ Brown, Ray Allen, Leon Powe and James Posey. The quarter started with Ray driving to the hoop and missing but getting his own rebound and passing to Leon for a layup. From there, the teams traded baskets until the Celtics went up 42-37 with 5:20 to go in the half. Pierce went to the bench with his 3rd foul with 5:14 to go in the quarter and the Lakers went on a 14-4 run to end the quarter and take a 51-46 lead into the half.
The Celtics came out of the half with an aggressive mindset. Pierce scored 8 points in the first 1:20 of the third quarter and the Celtics went up 56-53 after 2 minutes. With 6:33 left in the third, the entire Celtics Nation held their collective breath as Perk came down on Pierce's leg and he was carried off the court and then taken to the locker room in a wheel chair. On the next play, Perk came down on his ankle and limped off the court. It didn't look good for the Celtics.
The turning point of the game came with 5:10 left in the third as the Celtics Captain came running out of the tunnel. The report was that he had sprained his knee and was wearing a sleeve over it as he came back onto the court to a standing ovation from the crowd. The game was tied at 62 when Pierce returned. Perk later returned to the bench but didn't come back into the game which may have been because PJ Brown was playing very well in his absence.
The Lakers kept it close as the score went back and forth with the Lakers taking the lead at 71-69 with 2:54 left in the third. The game turned around when PJ got a block and Pierce hit a 3 with 1:24 to put the Celtics up 72-71. On the next possession, he pulled up and hit another 3 to put the Celtics up 75-71 with 1:01 left in the third and the Celtics never looked back. They led 77-73 at the end of 3. Pierce scored 15 points in the third quarter to give the Celtics the momentum going into the 4th.
The Celtics led the entire 4th quarter although the Lakers cut the lead to 3 a couple of times. KG came up big with a couple of incredible moves in the quarter. With 10:04 left and the Celtics up 3, KG leaped into the back court and saved the ball to Ray Allen who got the ball to Sam for a jumper. The second huge play came with 1:30 left in the 4th and the Celtics up 92-88. Posey missed a 3 from the corner and KG flew in from nowhere to slam the rebound in over Gasol to give the Celtics a 6 point cushion. He also hit 2 clutch free throws with 1 minute to go and give the Celtics an 8 point lead. The final score was 98-88 but the game was close throughout with 13 lead changes and 12 ties.
KG was the Celtics high scorer with 24 points to go with 13 rebounds and 3 assists, but he took too many jumpers and didn't go into the paint nearly enough. Pierce was the hero as his return to the court after what looked to be a game ending injury sparked the Celtics to the win. Pierce finished with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Hopefully in the 3 days before game 2, Pierce can get treatment and will be ready to go for the next game.
Ray Allen had a solid game and he picked up his game when Pierce went out finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Rondo played Fisher fairly even, finishing with 15 points (4-10), 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Fisher finished with 15 points (4-9), 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Perk played just 23 minutes as he was in foul trouble and then sprained the ankle and didn't return. He finished with 1 point, 4 rebounds, and 1 block.
The Celtics bench (17 points, 12 rebounds) had a slight edge on the Lakers bench (15 points, 7 rebounds). PJ Brown came in when Perk went out with the injury and did a great job on defense and finished with 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in 21 minutes. Posey also gave the Celtics a lift off the bench with 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and some very good defense. Sam hit his first 3 shots but then went 1-6 the rest of the game. He had 8 points and 1 assist in 13 minutes. Leon Powe got the call off the bench in the second quarter and finished with 4 points and 4 rebunds in 9 minutes.
The Celtics and Lakers both shot 42%. The Celtics were all over the Lakers on the boards with a 46-33 edge. The Celtics had 13 turnovers to just 8 for the Lakers. They had 11 at the end of 3 quarters and took good care of the ball in the 4th, adding just 2 more the rest of the way. In spite of all the hype about Phil Jackson's experience over Doc, it was Doc who did the better job of coaching in this one. The Celtics held Kobe to 24 points on 9-26 shooting. Defense won out in game 1, but the Celtics need to be ready for the Lakers to come back with a vengeance in game 2. Phil Jackson will make adjustments. Kobe will hit some of the shots he was missing. The Celtics won't have a miraculous come back from Pierce in game 2. So, the Celtics will need to tighten up their defense, especially on the pick and roll. But for now, The Celtics are up in the series and Celtics fans can feel good as Phil Jackson is 41-0 in series that he wins game 1 and the Celtics took that edge away with a gutsy performance in this one.
Game Time is almost here and I am excited and nervous at the same time. There are two Celtics teams: One is focused and plays incredible defense and rebounds and can beat anyone anywhere. They move the ball and find the open man. They take the ball to the hoop and are aggressive. This is the team that showed up against Detroit in games 3 and 6 and all the home games. Then, there is the team that is not focused and forgets how to play defense. They spend a lot of time going one on one and forget the passing game. They don't fight for rebounds and settle for quick jumpers, not willing to go to the hoop. This is the team that showed up for the road games in the first two series. Granted, that team wasn't around much in the ECF, but it is still a concern that they may show up again at the worst time.
Rajon Rondo has launched his website and it is one of the best I have seen for a player. Great stuff. He also has his blog on Yardbarker. He has a car named after him: the Kia Rondo (well, I don't think it really is named after him, but it sure fits him - experience giddyupedness). And don't forget, he has 3 of his very own commercials where to Rondo has now become a verb. Here are the Rondo commercials:
Rondo has been doubted from the beginning. The Celtics couldn't win with a 2nd year point guard. A second year point guard couldn't run the team with 3 stars. A second year point guard couldn't win in the playoffs, etc, etc. Rondo has answered every challenge and silenced critics. This kid is for real and the best part about it is that he is only 23 years old and is only going to get better. He will be a perennial All Star before his career is over.
Perk has also grown up in these playoffs. He was really incredible in the Pistons series. His defense was superb and he did every thing a championship team could ask of their starting center. I have said from the beginning that Perk was going to be a very, very good player and he is proving me right in these playoffs. I love this kid.
I am pretty sick of the articles that suggest that there was some kind of conspiracy involved in the Kevin Garnett trade. The Celtics gave up one of the best young power forwards in the league in Al Jefferson. He is going to be a star. They gave up several good role players, the 5th pick in the draft, a couple other picks, and an expiring contract for cap room. Seven players for one. That isn't a steal. Now, if you want to talk conspiracies, let's look into how the Lakers got Pau Gasol for a bag of potato chips and some dip. There had to be some funny stuff going on there. Chris Wallace is bad, but I don't think he is that bad. Jerry West must have had something on him to force that trade. No other explanation.
Hopefully the Celtics won't concentrate too much on Kobe. The key will be to stop everyone else. Kobe can get his and the Celtics still win. Remember Michael Jordan scoring 49 and then 63 against the Celtics in the '86 playoffs? The Celtics won those games. One player can't win a game. If the Celtics can stop everyone else, Kobe can't beat the Celtics by himself. On that note, I am very sick of all the Kobe hype. In my opinion, he is still the jerk he has always been. I want the Celtics to win this so I won't have to see his phony grin all over the media for the next year. I also want them to win this for Red. I don't like Phil Jackson either and it wouldn't be right for him to pass Red by beating the Celtics. And, I want them to win this for all the loyal Celtics fans who have stuck by this team for all these years and loving them in spite of the down times.
I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I have waited 21 long years for the Celtics to be back in the Finals. They have gotten stronger the farther they have gone in the playoffs. They may have gone to 7 games against the Hawks and the Cavs and many point to that and say that is why the Lakers are the favorites. But, both of those teams played good basketball and more importantly, they played good defense. The Celtics played their best against the Pistons who arguably have the second best defense in the league (second only to the Celtics). I believe that the Celtics got stronger by their early struggles. They won 2 games on the road against the Pistons. They closed the series out in 6 games. In watching the Western playoffs, I didn't see any defense that the Lakers faced that was anywhere near what the Celtics faced in the East. I still feel Defense is going to be the difference in this series and if the Celtics play their game, they will win it.
