Celtics on the Brink of Something Amazing!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

They are just one win away from banner 18! Hard to believe for a team that finished 4^th in the Eastern Conference and played .500 basketball after Christmas to the end of the regular season. After a 23-5 start to the regular season, Boston went 27-27 in their final 54 games leading everyone to believe that they would be a non-factor in the NBA playoffs. I guess everyone was wrong.

That the Celtics are now just a single win away from yet another NBA title is a testament to not only the talent, but to the determination of this veteran team.

It’s no secret that the Big 3 is past its prime which is why we shouldn’t be surprised that, collectively, they have not yet had a great game together in these NBA Finals. Game 5 was the closest thing to that happening with Paul Pierce scoring 27, Kevin Garnett 18 and Ray Allen 12.

But it doesn’t matter with this team. They have proven to be much more than just the Big 3. The emergence of Rajon Rondo as one of the NBA’s best point guards has made it the Big 4. While Kendrick Perkins has been a relative non-factor on the offensive end, his rebounding has been important in this series. For the team that has won the battle of the boards has won each of the five games in this series.

But it’s more than that. Boston’s bench has played a major role in their success this postseason. In game 4 at the Garden, Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Nate Robinson were the keys to Boston’s victory. They, along with Tony Allen and Rasheed Wallace turned a game that was hanging in the balance to a Boston win with an incredible fourth quarter performance.

And let’s not forget coaching. Doc Rivers has seemingly pushed all of the right buttons so far this postseason. Along with soon-to-be Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, they have out-coached their counterpart Phil Jackson who has won more NBA titles than anyone in league history.

It’s worth mentioning that the Celtics have also benefited from the injury to Lakers big man Andrew Bynum. His injured knee forced him to essentially miss game 4 and he was not a big factor in game 5. His length to block or alter shots and to rebound is an asset to the Lakers when healthy. And he also makes life more difficult for the Celtics on the other end of the floor. A healthy Bynum would command all of Kendrick Perkins attention defensively putting the aging Kevin Garnett solely on Pau Gasol. Bynum at much less than 100% has hurt Los Angeles immeasurably.

One final factor in this series is officiating. When the men in striped shirts “let them play,” the more aggressive Celtics seem to benefit. How game 6 tonight and, if it comes down to it, game 7 on Thursday are officiated could be a factor in the outcome of this series.

If Boston does go on to win the title, it would be far more impressive than their 2008 championship which also came at the expense of these Lakers. Boston was dominant in 2008 and the Big 3 was healthy and still in their prime. And, if they win it tonight or Thursday, they will have gone through the NBA’s three best teams (Cleveland, Orlando, Los Angeles) to win it. Now that would be impressive!