Certified

 

“It all started in Rome,” is what most Celtic players will tell say, when asked where this jubilant journey began. But really, it all started once Garnett finally got the call to become a player for one of the most historically successful organizations in the world of sports. From that moment on, the city of Boston had a new face when it came to basketball. Danny Ainge finally decided to pick up the gun to aim fire at the NBA glory that this city once captivated. After the acquisition of Ray Allen, it was eminent that he wasn’t shooting for tomorrow, but for today. Giving away a young, promising future for the Celtics, with a prolific, 22 year-old Al Jefferson down low, along with a premature deadly Delonte West, to accompany a fifth overall pick exposed Ainge’s obvious impatient gameplan. The Toronto Raptors then got their first lick of the new Celtics in their first preseason game. The result was a promising sign of the beginning for what was to be memorable season for the Boston Celtics. Garnett netted 19 points along with 16 boards to completely shred Andrea Bargnani’s homecoming game in Italy. Once the regular season kicked off, the Celtics bloomed victoriously, going 8-0 before losing by two points to the Orlando Magic. The rare amounts of losses only spawned winning streaks throughout the season for the Celtics. Garnett, Pierce and Allen surpassed all the expectations put in front of them by the time the season came into a close. The Celtics closed the season by taking the division title with a conquering 66-16 record, while being the number one ranked defensive team in the league. Kevin Garnett then was finally awarded the Defensive Player of the Year Award after making the All-Defensive team for seven years straight.

Once the 2008 Playoffs rolled in, the substantial amount of pressure kicked in for Boston. While being the number one seed, the Celtics faced their first test against an explosive Atlanta Hawks squad with adrenaline oozing off of their underdog status. The fact that the Celtics were put up against the wall in a series that went to seven, most counted the Celtics out of the Finals. In the Semifinals, it didn’t get any easier. LeBron James and Co. also pushed the Celtics to seven games. The series boiled down to Pierce’s late game heroics to overcome LBJ’s late surge that had Boston fans nearly biting off their fingers. The C’s gained respected recognition in the post season once they beat the Detroit Pistons 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals to send them to the big stage.

While all this was taking place, the Los Angeles Lakers were squashing western heavyweights one-by-one behind the combination of the 2008 MVP, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. After sweeping the Nuggets, sliding past Deron’s Jazz and busting the previous Champs Spurs 4-1, the Lakers appeared to be physically and mentally untouchable by any team in the League. That is, until Boston walked into the same court.

The sight of the NBA Finals seemed too picture perfect, as though some may fall into theories that this league rigged to snag more attention. Anyhow, it all worked out for David Stern. The rivalry was renewed. The TV ratings soared, surpassing last years disgusting playoffs match-up between LeBron and the Spurs. Kind of disappointing that San Antonio and Detroit receive the lowest, due to the failure to have sexy, one or two man teams that rely on isolated destruction. Back to what relates though, Impossible is nothing is Garnett’s headline, and tonight it shined.

 

 

 

In a Finals fueled by emotional and unexplainable comebacks, the Boston Celtics slapped all the critics in the face and took home the glory they promised each other to have since day 1. Many rooted for Bryant’s dispatch from Shaquille O’Neal’s victorious shadow, but Bryant ran into a suffocating defense that left people like me baffled. This is a guy that has staggered teams with 50-point nights, a player that appeared to have full control of any game. This wasn’t on Bryant’s shoulders though, Lamar Odom helped put the lid on the Lakers missing offense in Game 6 before getting eliminated. Odom’s tendencies of recklessly taking the ball down and popping cross overs before getting cleanly robbed twice by Rondo did nothing but pour salt on the open wound. The Lakers defense once again didn’t show up and the Celtics expansion of their offense help break the Celtics lead to 30 during the third quarter. Rondo was slicing through defenders for layups, Allen was raining treys, Garnett was Garnett and Pierce played better than any other player in the series.

Going back to how this all began, KB24 began Game 6 with three 3-pointers to temporarily settle down the crowd before the rampage commenced. Then, just like most games in the series, Bryant disappeared. The C’s continued to run their constant and effective offense, quickly opening the lead before their fans. Once the lead broke pass twenty, it became too late. The crowd felt the championship confetti already flourishing against their heads. The chants for “MVP!” came roaring through the TD Banknorth Garden every time the original star, Paul Pierce grasped on to the ball. It’s hard to deny the satisfaction towards Pierce and Garnett after countless seasons of banging the ball into the bank of the rim nightly for their weak team.

Garnett’s kissing of the Celtics logo on the hardwood is the perfect picture for the Boston Celtics conclusion of their 2007-2008 season. Allen’s barrage of three-pointers while having a pink eye expressed their desire to play hard until the final buzzer. Lastly, Paul Pierce’s raising of the NBA Finals MVP Trophy capped off his well-earned respect after staying loyal to Boston. The Celtics completed one of the most successful and perfect seasons of the NBA.

Dragging Conclusion

The amount of high screens set by Garnett to Pierce on Sunday night added another page to chapter of absence by certain Celtics. Significantly Ray Allen, who shot 4/13 for 16 points before fouling out of Game 5. Ray Allen’s performance hasn’t been horrendous, like it was in the Detroit series but considering Danny Ainge shipped out a young guard with potential (Delonte West), a disappointing shooter (Szczerbiak) and the fifth overall pick in a deep draft, Boston wouldn’t mind a little sharper shooting from Allen for at least one more night to take home the hardware.

Even though the win wasn’t too encouraging, the Lakers did what they had to do by napping a win at home. There future tasks are tougher than anyone can imagine, trying to defeat a team that has is currently 48-7 at home this season isn’t short of being impossible. Kobe Bryant’s legacy carries heavily on the next game(s) he plays. It won’t put a horrific stain in his purple and most importantly Gold career, but it will remain a feat he could never capture. One day when we look back KB24’s illustrious career in retrospect, the storyline of the Lakers and himself overcoming the odds against Boston would be one that would standout as one of the finest moments of his NBA career. It’s not all on Kobe Bryant for the rest of this series, as for veterans such as Fisher, Gasol and Odom need to punch in their desire stamps also.

The final moments of Game 5 were gripping of course, but both teams grew desperate to finish on a good note. The fact that Boston’s offense was narrowed down to high screens when taking the ball down court became nauseating. Not due it’s case of overwhelming repetitiveness, but the fact that the Lakers defense couldn’t bare to stop it, nor slow it down. But of course, the game came into its pivotal climax when Kobe Bryant stuck his hand out for his fifth steal, off Paul Pierce, as he tried to come off his 22nd high screen of the night. That key defensive play by Bryant sealed the win needed by a desperate Los Angeles. Though many believe Bryant needs to pass the 30-point milestone for him to be considered to of taken part in the victory, filling the stat sheet with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists is all Los Angeles needs to bring home wins on the offensive side. The defensive side of the Lakers is what is keeping California hopefuls to believe the comeback is there. Boston’s simple onslaught of the Lakers defense can be seen in many different scenarios when watching this series. Whether, it’s Garnett’s 20-foot jumper, Pierce’s penetrationg, Posey’s unexpected treys, or Ray Allen’s distant jumpers, the Lakers can’t do nothing but hide their face when watching film.

Many would believe the Lakers would’ve learned their lesson after losing the 24-point lead against Boston, but it feels like that game never surfaced into Phil Jackson’s defensive gameplan. Though, we must believe it has, the Lakers were nearly slapped again with a comeback victory to give the spoiled area of Boston another parade. We must not never forget, these are two heavyweight organizations that carry individuals on each side that have seen it all when it comes to the game of basketball. Los Angeles’ method of taking it one game at a time isn’t anything new to their players. Boston’s position in the drivers seat couldn’t be any more frustrating for the organization. The series has boiled down to two hungrier players from Boston, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

The “Boston Three Party” is only a past nickname that has completely vanished. Pierce’s 38-point night helped magnify Paul’s desire to just get this thing over with. Garnett’s control over the boards for Boston have helped them tremendously, Kevin hasn’t had less than 11 rebounds this series. One of the main reasons this series is still alive is because of Garnett’s foul trouble in Game 5, which limited him to only 11 shots on Sunday, after averaging 19 shots a game this series. Unfortunately for Kobe Bryant, solid performances from both Garnett and Pierce is enough to end this season tonight. This is the script Bryant needs, the lights are on, the legacy relies on his shoulders. On the other side of the ball, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have the biggest opportunity of their career in front of them, this game can be the final conclusion to the aspirational season Boston has given its fans

“It Ain’t Over.”

Promising and powerful words that KB24 flushed to the press Saturday afternoon, and there’s no doubt in my head that these NBA Finals are anywhere close to being over. Blowing a 24-point lead and letting the Boston Celtics take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Lakers isn’t nothing to crack jokes about while being a Laker fan, but with the League’s best player on your side, feel free to smash on Kobe’s comical “A lot of wine, beer and ‘couple of shots” response to his solution to bouncing back from the Game 4 loss. The loss is definitely a punch in the gut for Laker lovers across the world, but the degree of pressure on Los Angeles’ side isn’t frightening yet. I found myself slowing losing interest in Game 4 after slowing watching the Lakers league expand throughout the game. Even then, when Boston quietly began to cut the lead down to 10 points in the fourth quarter, the amount of excitement wasn’t there. This isn’t because I’m not a fan of either of the teams, but it’s because when you watch the Los Angeles Lakers play, Bryant seems to have an everlasting grip on the game. This whole bias paragraph may seem too ridiculous to swallow in one gulp, but a “couple of shots” aren’t any easier

I had no hesitation in allowing this blog to have a train wreck beginning with these assumptions. Only because we’re dealing with a future Hall of Famer that draws abundant comparisons to MJ every time he dominates in a series of games. In Game 4, Kobe drew even with his scorers with just 17 points. He decided to spread the stat sheet by adding 4 rebounds, 10 assits and 4 steals. His will to score wasn’t expressed until it was too late, which has been the scenario for the Lakers in this series (without counting Game 3, where he scored 36 for a W). The Lakers seem to be on cruise control throughout the first three quarters of each game, while the Celtics penetrate their star-studded offense to an unexplainable lead. In the fourth quarter, it basically the same story line, until it’s under 4 minutes and the gun is put to K24’s neck to take over. So far, when being in those situations, Bryant has failed to squeeze them out zero times out of the three.

This opportunity for Los Angeles has become something they’re losing control over, Boston has seized their chance at gold in these Finals. In an extensively dramatic playoff journey for Boston, orchestrated by story lines from Ray Allen’s slumps, Pierce’s toughness, to Garnett’s leadership. Boston has become the cover art for a book about devotion, desire and heart. These qualities are absent to many teams around in the League, so when it comes to which team is more deserving, Boston leads the line. This storybook ending could only be spoiled by Kobe Bryant, but thankfully for Boston, it hasn’t been anywhere close. All of those raging potentials carried by the Lakers have been tamed with organized defense and showing up for when it counts in the fourth quarter.

With Boston’s confidence flaring, expect Game 5 tonight to be something to savor. Of course, I’ll be at work, absent to the greatest case for must-watch basketball in years. Thankfully, I’ll be able to catch the game during the 3rd quarter, unless I die in a freak accident on the way. Expect this game to be everything you expected, but with more extras than you could ever imagine. Emotions will become more apparent, dunks, shot selections, passes will become more enthused, and K24 will not disappoint.