Game One musings.
Here we go again. Same script, different decade.
Back in the eighties the Celtics/Lakers finals had a running theme of Showtime vs. “Blood, Guts, and Courage”. It was always spun that an uptempo and more athletic Laker team would have an edge over those suberb, yet not as gifted athletes from Boston that always appeared to have some sort of adversity to overcome. Boston was pretty gifted on the court, and playing the victim card off of it as well.
Then down goes Pierce midway through the third quarter, hobbling from some mysterious knee injury of god knows what sort and sooooo devastating that he had to wheeled off in a bleepin’ wheelchair. And I too was buying into the whole scene(heart and soul leader down with big injury, wtf is Boston gonna do now?).
Except Pierce shows up a scant few minutes later and lights up the Lake Show with a couple of threes late in the third to open up a lead which they would never reliquinsh on the way to a 98-88 win. Yea, he was certainly banged up. Somewhat.
Celts fans may call it a great moment in Finals lore reminiscent of Larry Legend coming onto the court after getting his face smashed on the parquet floor back in ‘91. I call it theater. Plain and simple. I don’t doubt that he was injured, just don’t tell me he needed a wheelchair and such to get off the floor.
The Celtics won thanks to solid D in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles was just 5 for 20 from the field in that quarter. I hafta believe that there was a leprechaun at work here as several of those shots were in and out’s. Just sayin’.
Also the C’s bench was critical and none moreso than old man PJ Brown as the 16 year vet replaced starter Kendrick Perkins due to injury and got a basket and six boards and provided plenty of hustle and spark in the second half.
Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 24, and KG sealed the deal with a monster dunk on a rebound with about a minute and a half to go to put Boston up by eight.
Other stuff of note:
Celtics pre game presentation: D-….they dragged out the same intro that they’ve used the entire postseason, same clips, Garnett in Zsa Zsa’s face…blah. C’mon, this is the team with sixteen freaking NBA titles and they can’t put together a major goosebump video montage for their first Finals game in nearly a generation. Staples Center, I got you on notice.
Bill Russell and Dr. J were sitting side by side. Bill has aged well, the Doctor hasn’t(or at least as well as Bill). I mean, they almost looked the same age considering Russell was retired when Erving was still in college.
I LOVED that split screen promo that the NBA did with Magic and Bird. Fan-tas-tic.
If you’re a diehard, true flag waving patriotic citizen of the USA, then the Celtics are definitely the team for you. The Celtics are attempting to become only the second NBA Champion in the last eight years without a single foreign based player. U! S! A!
