The Lakers Broke Our Window
by Jeff Clark on Jun 18, 2010 6:33 AM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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As if we needed any more reasons to hate the Lakers.
I'm still bleary-eyed from last night, but I woke up with a pit in my stomach that derives itself from the realization that our window might just be closed and 2 out of the 3 years the Lakers were the ones that got to hoist the trophy. That stings.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not forgetting about 2008. Nobody can take that glorious year away from us. And I'm not even slamming the door on next year (yet). I am not optimistic about this currently constructed team's chances of making it through another regular season like the one we just played and getting back to the Finals, but this year's team taught us never to say never.
With that said, change is coming. Maybe the starting five will remain in tact (not sure what Perk's recovery schedule is looking like), but there will be roster moves this offseason. I'm not sure what else Doc has to prove in Boston and I'm not sure he would want to go through another year like this one (all reports are that it has been very hard on him). You have to imagine that Danny Ainge is going into the offseason with a mind toward building around Rajon Rondo, and that means getting younger, more athletic guys that can run with him on the break.
But I'll get to that more in the next few days (there's this thing called an NBA Draft coming up in case you missed it - I'd largely forgotten about it to be honest).
Today is about looking back and reflecting. It was a tremendous postseason run that came up just short of the goal. Moral victories aren't worth many banners, but on days like today we'll take what we can get.
Three years, one Championship. If you had given me those numbers 4 years ago, I'd take them in a heartbeat. But if you told me 2 of them would go to the Lakers, I'd probably lose my lunch.
I can't help but think that there were opportunities lost. Injuries happen, age creeps up, that's life. But still, the Celtics were up 3 games to 2 on the Magic last year and couldn't close out. They were up 3 games to 2 this year in the Finals and couldn't close out.
The 2008 Championship means that we'll never think of this team as a failure, but it's just a shame they couldn't have done more.
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Watching the post game interviews...
…absolutely killed me. All those guys were so dejected, so upset.
I just hope that whatever Danny decides in the off season doesn’t beak my heart too much.
Aussie Girl, Celtics Fan.
Well said Jeff.
Here’s hoping we can keep the core together and have one last deep run.
Perhaps the offseason changes will do us kindly.
Thanks for the great writeups Jeff.
"Uhh... Wife makes chicken..." - Brian Scalabrine 2007
It was a great run....
This year, I mean. Incredible if you think about it. I enjoyed the ride.
As far as the team’s future goes, that’s a mystery/. Rondo is really the only untouchable. In an ideal world Ainge gathers cheap athletic players who can catch Rondo’s passes on the break as the team eases minutes away from the Big Three.
Does this line up have another run in them? Sure, If Ainge can put together a solid bench of able bodied vets. Given this summer’s free agent shopping spree, that might not be possible.
Just don't make me wait another 22 years, Danny.
This was terrible to witness. But they exceeded expectations so we can’t be too upset. It is what it is. The Lakers were the better team these last two years. As this article stated, it’s time to rebuild.
We've been through it
Rebuilding is a process and takes more than just time, it also requires good fortune. Pieces need to fall your way that are unexpected — i.e., Garnett, Gasol.
The Lakers dismantled a championship-caliber team in 2004, coach and all. It took four years to get back to the Finals, and that required the return of Jackson and Fisher, plus the addition of Gasol. Without Pau and Phil, they wouldn’t have won the past two years.
I don’t think it will take you 22 years to get back. While another couple of decades without another banner in Boston would be a great gift for Lakers fans, it would be a shame if we all had to wait that long for another Finals rematch.
I really don’t know what you do with your aging three stars. None are likely to accept role player status, nor a lot less money when contract time comes up, and all are capable of big games — but probably can no longer perform at a high level over an extended period. You just can’t ink them again with some major concessions on role or money. I don’t see it.
Ray is probably gone. Garnett would have been, but now both Perkins’ uncertainty likely keeps him in Boston for another year. Pierce will almost certainly retire as a Celtic. Wallace, maybe another year or two as his role seems to be established.
You need to bring in a big off free agency, a shooter to replace Ray, and then get what you can from the draft. Ainge will probably create a surprise or two, but the Cs are going to go through a down period.
The Lakers’ core group is signed through 2014, so we feel there are at least a couple more Finals trips before that window closes. While OKC is a threat and others will rise to challenge us, the Lakers have the pieces in place for more trophies.
That said, we have to solve the PG issue and strengthen the bench. I think you’ll see a speedy PG in L.A. next year; one who can defend and hit an occasional shot. Otherwise, we have the best set of starters in the league. Jackson should be back for one more.
Congratulations on a great season and outstanding playoff run.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
They did more then break our window
I had to turn the TV off, I couldn’t watch any celebration.
THIS WAS WORSE THEN THE BRUINS LOSING 4 STRAIGHT GAMES
This hurts more than anything
No, if you don’t win it all, then the season is a failure. Scary, but Danny needs to overhaul this team now.
I’m not sure I have anything left in the tank as a fan at the moment
it would've been different with perkins in there.
- too bad bynum hammered him in his back, no call –
- also, too bad gasol traveled on a key bucket down the stretch, no call -
-
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk
Actually, that Bynum one was called an over-the-back...
And Bynum’s been at less than 50% for most of the series.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
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by Saurav A. Das on Jun 18, 2010 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions
there were 20 calls and 100 no-calls each game that we all can point to
Ray could been whistled for 20 fouls yesterday. We all have something to say on which plays didn’t go our way.
It balanced out in the end and the better team won.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:14 AM EDT up reply actions
you're on crack
163-116 in favor of LA. yeah they balanced out alright
by angryguy77 on Jun 18, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The foul call disparity is real...
Since it reflects the general Celtics strategy of hard-nosed defense, body-ing-up as a defender to the ball handler, our guys are going to get more fouls called against them. This entire series we made Kobe work for his baskets by playing more physical D. The strategy is to win by attrition; to wear the Lakers down, to tire them out, to break their will (unfortunately, it didn’t work here as it did with the Cavs and the Magic). But our strategy of physical defense is reflected in the number of foul calls against us. The Celtics are #9 in fouls commtited (1816). The Lakers are #27 in fouls committed (1592), which matches their finesse, non-physical approach. We really can’t have it both ways. We can’t tout ourselves as being the more physical, tougher defending team… call the Lakers soft, then complain about disparity in foul calls, or worse insinuate some David Stern led conspiracy. Plain and simple… we lost because we couldn’t score when it counted… NO EXCUSES!
by QED on Jun 18, 2010 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Wow, great post.
That’s as spot-on an explanation of fouls-to-free throws as anybody could provide. There are a lot of homers here who never take off the green glasses and their posts reflect that.
On the other hand, there are some, like you, who aren’t afraid to play it straight.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Well said
I watched the gm 7 replay this morning far more sober than when it was live, and if anything – due to no-calls, the C’s had the officiating advantage.
Great game!
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
After reviewing it, while certainly there were plenty of ‘bad calls’ – they happened both ways.
The real story to me was simply that we were exhausted down the stretch. Sheed could barely move and KG was heaving. We weren’t moving fast and that’s when you cause fouls, either by hacking or because you let someone get past you so your teammate has to hack.
It was a gamble, and man did he give a great effort, but asking Sheed to play 36 minutes at this point was just too much for the old dog.
This is definitely going to go down as a “What if ..?” classic. As in, for years folks will be asking “What if Perk hadn’t got injured in Game 6?” or “What if Ray/Paul make just two of their combined 20 missed shots?” What if Fisher’s hail mary 3 pt shot doesn’t go in? “What if ANYBODY had made just a few shots in Game 3?” “What if …?”
I hear you
Lakers fans have certainly had their share of “what ifs” with regard to Finals vs. Boston…
Four of those series losses in the 60s could have gone either way.
The 1984 series was ours until McHale’s takedown of Rambis.
We’ve been carrying those memories for years.
It’s about time that Celtics fans got a chance to share in that.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 20, 2010 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't forget ...
… Gasol’s (non)block on Garnett. He never even touched the ball. All he did was have his left arm pushing in the back and his right arm hacking KG’s shooting hand.
I’m usually fine with pathetic officiating, if it goes both ways, but last night’s 2nd half was terribly one-sided, in favor of the home team. It’s very hard to beat a championship-quality team like the Lakers when you’re short-handed (Perk) and also handicapped by refs. Bitter about losing? Yes. Inaccurate about the calls? No.
come on, the refs missed lots of calls at critical times that may have cost the lakers at least one game. or don’t you remember the rebound that odom got (with the game on the line) and and rondo fouled him cousing the ball to go out of bounds and it was given to the C’s??? how is that for a bad call?
Not one-sided
Really reflected the way the teams played. Too many PP isos, Ray Allen jumpers, and when they did drive the Lakers’ D was outstanding – as was their rebounding throughout.
Those fts were generally on HARD fouls, not touch fouls.
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Can't argue with the fact that ...
… the Celts offense just bogged down when they needed to be active & playing team ball. Also can’t argue that they weren’t completely killed on the boards in Game 7. But there’s no way I thought the 2nd half officiating was evenly called both ways. The Lakers were playing lazy D also. Either way, it’s over. Aside from the Finals, sometimes I just don’t get where these NBA refs come up with some calls. It’s as if they’re not even trained in what is & isn’t a foul. Give me college refs anyday over this, “one foul for you, one for them” automatic quota mentality.
Don't hang it on the refs
Dude, that’s why you play for homecourt advantage. Every home team gets the calls just like the C’s got in Boston. Just part of the game. Best Finals game I ever watched and although the C’s gave it a great effort, their age showed in the last quarter. Wish all the Finals could be like this one. Rajon is too good a player to keep the older guys around. Sad to say but its true.
stoop whinning about perkins
if you look at the numbers, wallace was significantly better tahn perkins. in the 5 games he played, perkings averaged less than 6 points and less than 6 rebounds. wallace had 11 points and 8 rebounds in game 7. so the c’s were better without perkins in the starting rotation.
It isn't about whether Perkins is better/worse than Sheed.
Mostly, they are a wash. Each brings different things to the game.
The problem caused by not having Perkins was simply rotation minutes. Having Perk means we are rotating 4 bodies (KG, Perk, Sheed, BBD) through the C & PF slots instead of just 3. I don’t think Sheed had played more than 25 minutes in a game all year. He was totally gassed at the end there. And KG was right behind him.
good point
Tough for big guys, that old, to play long minutes against younger opponents.
While I think your offense got a little spark from Wallace, he doesn’t bring the D like Perkins.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, he brings a different kind of D.
Perk is a better rebounder and shot blocker, but Sheed is a great man defender for a big man. He has fantastic footwork and fast hands for a 7 footer. Sheed is harder to post up and creates more steals.
Sheed posted a .99 defensive efficiency rating this year within the Celtic’s system. That was something like #4 in the NBA among players who posted 1500+ minutes. So he’s not really a liability on defense at all. Perk posted a 1.00 defensive efficiency rating himself (in a LOT more minutes), so while they are different, overall it is a wash. Arguably in THIS matchup, Perk’s better rebounding efficiency might have been more valuable. But as I said, the most important and obvious thing missing was mainly the sheer minutes that he would have played.
yeah, tough to add so many minutes at that age,
I’ve heard some people say that Wallace should have been able to handle any amount of extra minutes because — after all — it was just one game.
Maybe for a kid, but at 35 it doesn’t work like that.
I thought he did well. I can’t see him retiring unless his back is wasted and he’s in constant pain.
He’s still got game and can contribute.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 20, 2010 7:18 AM EDT up reply actions
It really hurts because
1) we were up 3 games to 2
2) we had the game for over 3 quarters
3) we had enough D to hold the Lakers at bay, but our offense in the 2nd half was just pathetic
4) this was the last game of the new ‘Big 3’ era.
But
not enough defensive rebounding, which ultimately was their Achilles heel…Also, it’s time to
let Ray Ray move on into free agency, one good half the entire series.
His mother has a tattoo that reads, "Son".
"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
Stay thirsty my friends."
by Great Gatsby on Jun 18, 2010 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm glad he kept shooting - because they needed some offense ...
but I’ve never seen him shoot worse (sans the 1 game). Was so surprised when he hit the three near the end.
Ray did an awesome job defending Kobe, he limited Kobe’s shooting. Come on now!
Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late. - Mike Tyson
by lovingmma25 on Jun 18, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
That`s the killer!
At that point, it was “starting to feel” as though one of the truly great wins in Celtic history had a better than 50-50 chance of happening.
At that point
I was utterly convinced that we were going to put them away. I really was. That makes this all the harder to swallow. I’m miserable right now. Just miserable. I thought we had No. 18 and were going to celebrate this one for a long long time. Instead, just a bitter, bitter defeat.
I have nothing left to say—just numb.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
There was still too much time on the clock, and Celtic fouls were piling up...
But, yeah….it was starting to feel real good.
No doubt about it.
Same here
I tried not to get overconfident, but it really looked like they were going to win. When Rondo (I think it was Rondo) scored the layup to put the C’s up 13, the look on some of the Lakers faces was like, “oh oh, we are in trouble.” Yet, they were able to hang in there and win. I don’t like them, but you have to give the Lakers credit for not quitting. I thought that if the Celts had gotten the lead over 15 it would have been over.
work to do
If Sheed retires we should consider ourselves lucky.although he played great he was so far outta shape that when he tried to turn it on he broke down…disgusting …
3 killed us-3 shots made by Ray & 3 rebs by KG…it’s like KG is out there with no lower body.he needs to be a 28 min guy with no more than 8 mins in a qtr…he might play till he’s 40 then
we gotta find a way to play inside out when times get tough…the tougher things got the more we went perimeter …and WITHOUT Rondo running things
Danny will be busy…good luck with that
prediction-Doc comes back….if not,then Van Gundy will be the coach
woke up this morning and i felt as if i lost someone..i would have preferred really to have lost to the cavs or magic if we would not have ended up with the ring..or would have preferred a lost to any western team except the damned Fakers!
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
by bopna on Jun 18, 2010 7:56 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
they are warriors, but defeted ones at that. the last game was simple—artest outplayed paul. ray missed shots but he had to cover kobe. kg came thru in the end. so did sheed. so did rondo. so did doc. good luck tom thibs. good luck danny and good hunting.
I think they all fought and contributed
but without Perk’s minutes in the post rotation, Sheed and KG just looked gassed at the end.
Broken heart. Peace in soul.
But somehow I have peace in my heart.
For my generation (40 smth) I kooked for this match as a Finall revange for 1987.
I dreamt about Larry 3p attempt in G4 that was just not happend to go in…
I dreamt about celebrating in LA
When Perk was ijured I couldn’t hold my trust anymore. I just knew what will happen and didn’t want to watch the match. I couldn’t sleep either (here in Europe game stared at 3AM), my babygirl cried but I just couldn’t turn the TV on.
What is really killing me is the fact that this is the END for this generation. Doc, Ray, Wallace, and ages on shoulder. And, damn LA Faker can go on and on. Only hope is that LBJ would go West.
We have done a lot but also missed a lot.
It's been eight hours since the clock hit 0:00 and I'm still heartbroken. :-(
A totally surreal feeling.
thanks for a great series.
i have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again in the finals soon enough.
It's been another good run.
And I’ve liked these guys.
Can you imagine having to pretend to yourself that someone like Sasha Vujacic was actually a likable guy?
by no kidding on Jun 18, 2010 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
or Kobe
or Artest?
I.M. Forme
"When you get yourself into trouble is when you feel you have to do something, and then you get yourself in trouble." --Omar Minaya
by itsmetsforme on Jun 18, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
the agony of defeat
Couldn’t watch the post game, coudnt sleep, and can barely drag myself to work on this sunny but ver dark morning. I was utterly convinced that we were going to win last night, and the fact that we didn’t is still sinking in. It was a great playoff run, but we couldn’t put them away and that just sucks. If I feel this miserable then I can only imagine how the players and Doc feel. Thanks to Jeff and everyone at CelticsBlog-really appreciate everything you put into this season. I need a break from any and all coverage-those of us who are a little older realize what a missed opportunity this was and it will take time to recover. Thanks again guys. Peace
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 8:09 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 1 recs
Congrats to the Lakers
They could put the ball in the basket when it most counted
Junk the Team
and start over.
Good luck, Danny.
This Big Three, not really Big
When it comes down to it, all the talk, all the hoopla, Ray, Paul, and Kevin. Are not Larry, Kevin, and Robert. They just are different; different times, different era. Larry dispised the Lakers. Larry wanted nothing more than to bury them every time he played them.
The difference is that Larry, Kevin and Robert were Blue Collar working men, fighting for everything. Ray, Paul and Kevin just seemed like premadonna’s. Like they were owed something. I hate the comparisons every time about the big 3 now and the big 3 then. NOT EVEN CLOSE.
Larry, Kevin, and Robert never laid down when, never stopped working, when things were on the line. Am I angry and upset, YES.
I agree with Charles Barkley about Paul Pierce. He’s not in the top 10 of all time Celtics Great. Paul should do the Celtics a favor and opt out of his contract. It’s time to go Paul and allow Danny to look for other chips to make this a Celtics Team
I’ve realized that it was Doc all along that held this group together. I’ve always admired the man and thought highly of him as a coach even when he had losing teams. He always got the best out of his players.
We just laid an egg and allowed the Lakers to feel superior to us. This isn’t how it should be, this isn’t Celtics Basketball
In my mind
there is and only will be one “Big Three”…even before the resutts were in!
His mother has a tattoo that reads, "Son".
"I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis.
Stay thirsty my friends."
by Great Gatsby on Jun 18, 2010 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not the 80s...different game and different players.
If this version of the Celtics had problems with Bryant and Gasol, what would they have done with Magic, Worthy, and Kareem?
Unfair to compare three guys you had forever, versus three transplants.
Just sayin…
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm sorry....
but this is blasphemy. I grew up with Bird, McHale and Parish, but tell me what they accomplished post 1986? In 87, McHale was 30, Bird 31 and Parish 34 and they lost in the finals. After that year, the team never even won the conference. The team was plagued by injuries, lost their competitive edge to the Pistons. Compare that to the modern day big 3, Pierce 32, Ray Allen 34, Kevin Garnett 34. Much older than the original big 3. Similarly, plagued by injuries. This team played .500 basketball the second half of the season. They were 4 pts from winning the title! They left it ALL on the floor. Pierce not in the top 10 Celtics? Opt out of his contract and leave? BLASPHEMY. I love this team, and I have PRIDE for this team, BEAMING WITH PRIDE. They exceeded my expectations this playoff run, hardly anyone gave them a shot. GO CELTICS.
Anything Is Possible!
by BostonBrotherhood on Jun 18, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
In completely agreement with you!!!
Congratulation Celtics on a great post season run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!! Go Celtics!!!!
I was rooting for the Lakers but only just barely cause this team is so deserving of respect. The C’s current big 3 is deserving of the name. They and the whole team play the best, most consistent defense I have ever seen in the NBA. There has never been a defensive team like 08 and this years Celtics played D just as good in the playoffs.
Absolutely unbelievable that they held the Lakers to 53 points after 3 quarters! They just ran out of gas. This is a championship calibre team… Right now, as is… Perkins was hurt and they just ran out of gas. Gotta give some credit to the Lakers too because they played so hard throughout the game. They never let up and that wore down the C’s in the 4th.
Bring this exact same team back next year with Doc and imo they have a good chance to win it all. This is a great team! If they need anything, it would be a scorer off the bench who can allow Allen to play less minutes. Then his shot would be more consistent
Totally disagree
And I’m very disappointed that a Celtic fan could watch that game last night and actually write the words you wrote.
I said it in the game thread when the outcome was still in doubt and I’ll say it again today….That team out there battled with everything they had. They played as hard as any team I’ve ever witnessed from jump to buzzer. I saw guys clawing and fighting for every rebound and evey loose ball. There were no prima donnas out there. I was very proud of this team when they were winning and nothing in between then and now has deminished that pride.
Totally Disagree
This team gave us everything they had left in the tank and the only reason they really lost is they didn’t quite knock down enough shots. You can’t fault that. Ya, it’s the bleepin’ Lakers, so what. The NBA is set up so that it takes a lot to alter the overall power structure and Lakers have done a great job taking their various advantages and utilizing the system to their advantage. Don’t forget how this C’s team was assembled. It was rock bottom, Danny accumulated enough tradeable chips and pulled the trigger for a short term window for winning it all. 1 for 3 with coming within 6 minutes of a 2nd and having an injury derail a third ain’t bad at all. I’ll gladly take that.
Hopefully the way the NBA operates changes with the new collective bargaining agreement with the length of guaranteed contracts being shortened. That should mitigate whatever advantage the Lakers have built up and make things a little more balanced.
Pierce is one of he all time great Celtics. KG and Ray played like champions and Sheed (the slug) put together a truly remarkable effort in what may be his last game. Appreciate this team for all the fun they gave us. In the end, Kobe still is a douche bag, Jackson’s the most fortunate coach in NBA history, Artest is psychotic and LA is still La La Land, which frankly you can have.
Go Celtics and congrats on making this one of the most memorable seasons ever! Well done!
Overhaul time
This really hurts. Watching LA celebrate is even worse. There were a ton of barometers for this team over the last few years, but one that stood out to me was that “as goes Ray Allen, so goes this team”. Again last night he put in a stinker and Boston lost. All the analysts overlook one simple thing that was the difference in this game. Not offensive rebounds, not defensive lapses, not a single player making big shots. At the end of the day this game came down to the Celtics inability to make open looks, of which they had plenty. You know, the stuff you spend all those hours in an empty gym doing. Allen had his fair share of uncontested threes and again couldn’t drop them, pretty bad for a shooter. If he doesn’t get hot in game 2, we are talking about a fairly horrendous series for Allen shooting wise. Maybe it’s his legs and he’s got no lift left. Maybe it’s mental. Either way with the series Ray Allen put in purely from a shooting perspective, and some real stinkers in the conference and finals, I think Boston’s money would be spent better elsewhere going forward.
It wasn’t just Allen either. Despite that three at the end, Rajon really, really needs a reliable jumper if he’s going to be a leader of this team.
Either way I echo the thoughts of Kuberski33, it was a great ride this year. I still think this team has some great pieces and with the right off-season could be right back in the mix next year.
dear celtic fans
be proud of your team. they are champions. they are a true team. no clear superstar. but the lakers are really, really good. real good at scoring off offensive rebounds. and that is hard to beat but the celts came real close….and by the way, sheed turned out to be worth it.
sincerely …a pistons fan
by andyfrombrooklyn on Jun 18, 2010 9:01 AM EDT reply actions
I am so damn proud I am a Celtic fan!!!
I enjoyed the ride. It’s just.. didn’t have a good ending.
I do think we’ll have a good run next year. We have a guy named Rondo.
And congrats LA.
"Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." - Vince Lombardi
If Ray returns...it will be strictly on Ainge`s terms
Take away Game 2…Ray shot .314% in the series, .133% from 3-point range.
Ray`s bargaining power is over.
When you`re paid to shoot the ball, and you turn in a performance like this, at age 35…Ray very well may have shot himself straight into retirement.
Wouldnt say retirement, but a spot on bench…I think between The Big Three, Ray has a few years to give. May not shoot lights out but can contribute. KG and PP should consider retirement in the next year or two. PP lost a few steps, and not just cause he lost yesterday but he has been inconsistent. KG just look spent quite honestly cant see him lasting a whole year without injuries. If sheed retires, i think he’s doing the right thing. He’s clearly past his prime and body starting to breakdown.
They certainly have some value left.
I agree that Allen is not necessarily done. Yeah, he’s old but he could easily contribute for several more years, even as a terrific 6th man. The Celts being thin on shooters has made him have to log more minutes, thus, having tired legs when it mattered. It is so unlike him to miss so many open looks.
Paul Pierce is NOT done. Had they won, he woulda been the MVP. He is still one of the premier 4th Qtr stretch players in the NBA and he’s the obvious #1 offensive option on this team.
KG, on the other hand, is not the dominator he used to be. He shoulda hammerdunked that layup that Gasol blocked (fouled) him on. He’s gotten to into finesse now. He played his heart out but it really hurt him that Perk was out and he had to play more post defense. The Lakers manhandled him in the rebounding trenches. He’s still an important piece, as long as he has some talented youth around him.
I think KG will be better next year than this. It takes a year to fully recover from knee surgery
Allen played great D on Kobe… Yes he shot bad this series but he was valuable through the playoffs. I don’t think he needs to go to the bench, just play less minutes. He runs so much in the game, constantly running around screens. That is tiring. He is a great player. Keep this team together!
YEah they need a decent back up at shooting guard to reduce his minutes, I think they really caught up with him this series, especially on the offensive side.
I really think he gave this team everything he could (as did all the players), and that is why reading all these comments about Ray losing the series is frustrating. PP shot poorly against Cleveland, guarding LeBron, but the rest of the team picked up the slack. That didn’t happen here, so people are looking for a scapegoat. Kobe shot 6-24, but the rest of the team upped there games to compensate. I think this was an amazing playoff run and so fun to watch, yeah it didn’t end well, but I really don’t like playing this blame game as if the players don’t feel bad enough about losing.
Sickening
to watch one of the great shooters in NBA history clang wide open looks throughout the series. If Ray even shot decently, we win this series.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
WOW!
This is crazy, i understand people trying to rationalize the lost. But come on, yes it was a tough lost, yes they were up 3-2 on Lakers and Magic but it wasnt like they were Dominating Magic and Lakers when they held series lead. There wasnt a time where Cs dominating LA or Magic (09) even when they won.Both teams were flat out better than Cs. Cs just played with pride and heart against talented teams. Yesterday showed they have HEART AND PRIDE but they also have MILES on them. You seen that they were dead tired, they had nothing left. I have nothing but respect for them, KG, RAY, PP AND SHEED had great careers, gave it theyre all. They showed if your gonna lose, go down swinging. Lakers had the size, quickness, and talented to beat them. But Cs fought hard. Cant ask for anything more. Congrats to Lakers you’ve EARNED my respect! Well deserved!
No... this team was a farce
This team had no identity as far as I’m concerned. They wanted to crown themselves champions, before actually getting the work done.
What bothers me even more was in-house bickering between this team. Talk about Team Chemistry and the way some of these players acted on the court to one another was a disgrace. I’m going back to the Rondo – Pierce incident in Game 6 for one.
It was all about me, me being the superstar. Even Doc in the time out called his team to stop, that they had to trust one another and play like a team.
Rondo has to learn to distribute the ball better. Many times he had open men on the wings and didn’t pass the ball, instead passing it in traffic to Perkins (of all people) who can’t handle a pass.
I can go on and on…..Just plain Frustrating
by Ancient Red on Jun 18, 2010 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
A farce?
Really? Are you that bitter and frustrated? Sure, they had problems—that’s normal when you have older vets who are no longer superstars and a young stud who is taking over the mantle—but to call this team a farce? That’s really low Ancient Red.
They put it all out there and came up short—we can analyze all the angles, and we already are—Ray’s shooting, rebounding, etc. etc. but you can’t question their heart and courage. And to call them a farce is so cynical as to be beyond the pale, especially for an old time fan (which I’m assuming you are).
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Farce?! Dude, be positive.
I’m a life-long Celtics fan since back when Larry Legend was drafted but, being a Dallas resident, a title for the Mavs is now just as important. Try swallowing losing a 2-0 Finals lead, DWade becoming Superman, and some horrific officiating to make you bitter. Count your blessings! The Celts won in ‘08 with a brutal & priceless smackdown of the hated lakers, then got w/in a blown knee, a few missed shots, and some poor officiating of taking the title again. Things just didn’t work out this time. It still doesn’t take away from how great this group of players has been. There are 28 other sets of fans that can only wish they were in the Finals this year.
bitter, much?
Jeeze, Ancient Red. You need to lighten up.
Wow… what a crappy fan… I’m more a Laker fan but I have so much respect for this Celtics team… What a pleasure to watch them play great team basketball!! By the end of this series I was almost rooting for the Celtics.
The Boston D is a thing of ferocious beauty… In 08 and through this playoffs, the Celtics played the best defense in NBA history.
The Celtics destroyed Cleveland and Orlando… took both those teams and broke them in half, made LeBron a non factor.
3 straight series against top calibre teams without home court advantage! The Celtics faced the toughest competition through the playoffs and just wore out a bit at the end. Game 7 on their home court would have been a different outcome. Even so, the C’s looked like the better team through 3 quarters.
If I had one criticism, it would be of Doc… I think he should have played the bench a bit more. The Lakers bench played 58 minutes and the C’s bench played 30 minutes. I think that made the Lakers a bit fresher in the 4th…
Tough loss and I really feel for the Celtic players. I hope this team comes back intact next year. They are a true championship team!!
Nice comments, jidoo.
And I tend to concur with most of them.
I do think Doc wanted to play his bench more, but the tempo of this game didn’t lend itself well to that. The lead was never big enough to put Scal or Shelden in for any long minutes to help rest the bigs and when he tried to bring Tony in to rest Ray & Paul, the Lakers chewed up the lead quickly (9 pts in 5 minutes!).
I absolutely agree, Kelly.
This season has been one of the most interesting that I can remember, and I have been a fan of the Celtics for 50 years. It was up and down, a real roller coaster ride, fraught with injuries and drama. The team never stopped believing and trying to get ready for the ultimate challenge. The Playoffs were hard fought, but with glitches brought on, I believe, by the lack of playing “together” as a team time…UBUNTU seemed to come and go. They played with heart and determination, and then….the killer….Perk went down just when the goal was in sight! No one can say with certainty that we would have won with Perkins on the floor last night, but given the closeness of the game, no one can say that the results would not have been different. I know that the injury was not self inflicted, and I hope that Perk heals well and doesn’t blame himself for the loss. Sheed certainly did everything he could to fill the void.
The Lakers know how lucky they were, and we know how unlucky we were, that we lost our starting center and best interior defender in the sixth game of the series.
No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but what ever it is I will be cheering and hollering for the best franchise of any sport, the Boston Celtics, and I can’t wait to get started on the next leg of the journey.
by thirstyboots18 on Jun 18, 2010 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions
The only thing I think I can say with certainty about the Perkins thing is
that if he was healthy, KG and Sheed would not have been as gassed at the end.
And if that were the case, maybe they don’t commit so many tired fouls in the 4th …
Thanks for the epic series!
I wont say anything more about the Finals because enough has been said. Ill still come around and chop it up with yall during the offseason.
Take care dudes!
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Jun 18, 2010 9:24 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Thanks KWK
I hate to say it, but congrats to you and lakers fans—you made the shots and executed during crunch time and we didn’t. Ballgame, series, and ring.
Thanks for being a classy visitor—I am sick over this loss but it would be worse if I had to read inflammatory postings from trolls this a.m.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions
I'd give it a couple of days
Take a breath, then give it another look. People are going to be anxious to rebuild, get rid of this guy or that guy. We’ve been there.
The FA fun starts up soon, then the draft. I’m sure you’re in store for some surprises.
You’re still the second best team in BB. It didn’t look like that would be the case a couple of months ago.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Good morning Kobe won,
I remember I say I’d congratulate you if they won.
Congratulations.
I’d like to be more gracious, but I’m still a little unhappy at the moment. Still, the Lakers played great.
by eastie Rich on Jun 18, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Lakers broke our 3-year window...absolutely 100% true!
The 2008 championship was a necessity. That drought from 1986 needed to come to an end.
However, the cost was enormous! We saw the Lakers win 2 crowns in those 3 years.
The one bragging right in the entire history of Boston sports is the Celtics having the most championships in NBA history.
At the start of the 3-year window, Boston held a slim 16-14 edge over the Lakers. Three years later, that edge has melted down to one {17-16}.
It`s very close….but, the 3-year experiment was slightly more bitter than sweet.
That's the one record every Lakers fan has his/her eyes on
With our core signed through 2014, we smell it and want it, badly.
We think this team, with some obvious needed adjustments, will see the Finals at least a couple more times.
How cool would it be for the Lakers to threepeat, tie you at 17-all, and then these two teams meet again to see who gets their 18th?
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Disagree with the bitter part
One championship is one more than we’d have had if we kept on the path of the 2007 team. Honestly, if KG didn’t get hurt last year, we’d probably have won it too (based on our performance when he was healthy int he first half of the year)
This was a great three year run, and it doesnt have to be over if Ainge plays his cards right. We gotta stop LA getting number 17.
by eeeeeceltic on Jun 18, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Ya never know what's going to happen.
In the ’80s, the Lakers drafted Worthy and the Celtics drafted Bias. Both picks were made to strengthen already-great teams but the outcome worked out entirely different for each franchise. Maybe fate is on our side this time and something overwhelming positive will happen for the Celts in the coming couple of years.
It all started with Bias 24 years ago...
Except for one brief shining moment {2008}, the dark clouds keep hanging around.
The Celtics have been incredibly unlucky.
When Rondo hit that 3 with like :30 second left ...
… all I could think of was “Celtic Magic!” & shades of Bird’s steal on Isaiah, Henderson’s steal off Worthy, & Havlicek’s steal. Then, Rondo couldn’t quite get that next steal on the sideline … and I knew it was over. So close.
In 20 years ...
… I won’t remember Perkins’ injury, the massive rebounding failure, or the officiating … but I’ll remember how close Rondo & whoever hit that next 3 were to pulling out the next miracle.
Rondo left it all on the court
He gave it everything right until the end. Never gave up. He is incredibly tough and resilient and we’re lucky to have him in Green.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
You just get the feeling that when Rondo's on the court ...
… everything’s gonna go your way. Just need some youth around him mixed in w/ veterans.
Right on KELLY811 - Can't believe how quickly some "fans" can turn on a team
I’ve watched the Celtics pull out series like this since the days of Bill Russell, but i have seen them lose some, too. Magic Johnson’s series-clinching sky hook over Kevin McHale comes to mind.
This team absolutely fits in with those great Celtic teams. They put all their heart and soul into winning this and they damn near pulled it off when nobody gave them a chance of getting out of the second round.
I think the people who are demeaning these fine men now that they are down are pathetic and shallow frontrunners.
Lakers are Superior to Celtics
I am so depressed beyond expression that I don’t think my face is recognizable anymore. Disfigured by the anguish, the heartbreak, I cry in lonely quarters with no solace to be found. I don’t know for how long I will cry myself to sleep at night; forever I am haunted by the royal purple and gold. Thanks to these Lakers forever will I cringe at the sight of golden flowers, macaroni and cheese, butter, or purple mountains.
As much as we Boston fans take pride in our passion, in our grit, in our intensity, and our confidence, I think we all know in the back of our minds that the Lakers are the greater team – and always have been. We know Pierce went Broadway on us in Game 1 of 2008 en route to his first Oscar award, we know we got lucky with Leon Powe for us in Game 4, and it was merely Laker overconfidence that won us the game. 2010 has showed us that Pierce is nowhere close to his self-proclaimed “best player in the NBA” title, Allen is not one of the premier shooters in the league (atleast when it matters most), and KG only has a loud bark with a teethless bite. We never had this series. The ghost of Leon Powe willed Shrek and Donkey to one victory, but can a championship team actually rely on guys like Drooling Baby Davis and Nate? I don’t feel great in that team’s chances.
Gasol is truly the best big man in the league, Bynum a potential superstar, Lamar another all-star caliber player, Paul Pierce needs Artest insurance, Farmar and Brown are destined for greatness, Fisher will go down in history as Mr. Clutch, and of course, Kobe is the greatest player on earth.
As a Celtics fan, I humbly admit these things on behalf of Celtics fans everywhere.
Larry Bird would piss on you right now, Celtzer.
Besides your man-crush inaccuracies with all things Laker, don’t be ashamed of who you are. Just move to LA & join up with your own kind.
Gasol … was a steal & that is why he’s so valuable to them. Perkins woulda controlled him, had he been there.
Bynum … is a walking injury report.
Lamar … has never been an all-star and regularly disappears in games.
Farmar & Brown … are destined to be bench players for the rest of their careers.
Pierce … is 10x the player that Artest is, whatever you meant by that.
But, I gotta give it to you for the last 2. Fisher (& his ugly shot) is phenomenal in the clutch. That 3 was ridiculous. And, Kobe has been all-planet for a decade. Even when he’s pathetic (last night), he’s still the MVP.
talking about gasol being a steal, how did you guys get KG??? oh, that’s right it was a gift from one leprechaun to another.
That's really a bad comparison.
The Celtics actually gave up a very good player along with others for KG. The Lakers got Gasol as one last gift by West before he retired.
Seriously, that’s such a tired comparison.
mark turned out to be a pretty good player as well, it’s just that no one knew it at the time. let’s see the wolves won how many games? that would be a whopping 15 with the pretty good player. the grizz won how many? that would be 40. exactly, the logo and the leprechaun gave their old teams a gift.
C'mon, tha't ridiculous...
Al Jefferson(!?!), Ryan Gomes, Boston’s 2009 first-round draft pick… That trade was tough. Go back and check out this forum from around that time — there were lots of naysayers. You really can’t compare the two trades, although I know it’s tempting to do so.
Pathetic
Celtzer—your purple prose is matched by your inane commentary. I would pick it apart but it’s not worth my time.
You are a sad and pathetic case.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
yes
Sure, call out a fellow (and classier) C’s fan as pathetic and an imposter. You can’t pick it apart because it’s truth and it’s not worth your time because your time is worth nothing and this argument surely isn’t worth nothing! You are just bitter.
definitely not a Celtic fan
that load of BS could only come from a Laker fan pretending to speak as a C fan. none of the regular posters on this blog will be fooled by that drivel and rest assured, you do not speak for the regulars that post here.
by slamtheking on Jun 18, 2010 12:03 PM EDT up reply actions
thank you Slam
You said it better than I could right now.
by McHaleinthepost on Jun 18, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Nothing you said resembles being a fan of the Celtics.
Even trying to pass it off as ‘objective criticism’ fails as there are so many logical failures in it.
Winning by 4 points in the 7th game of a series, when your opponent is missing their starting Center as of the beginning of game 6, hardly establishes you as ‘the greater team’.
Prior to Perkins getting injured, folks should remember that the Celtics won 3 of 5 and out rebounded LA in 3 of 5. Hardly indicative of LA being dramatically ‘superior’.
3 of 5 were in Boston
The teams were even ONLY due to Bynum’s injury for the WHOLE series
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
sorta a weak argument
One of the 3 Boston wins was in LA.
Overall, they were even the whole series to the very end – without Perkins at all for the last 7 periods.
Roster management (depth of personnel, managing minutes to keep people healthy, etc. etc.) is definitely part of the makeup of a team. LA was in control of how much they used Bynum down the stretch of the regular season – arguably they could have made it to the finals with him in better shape. So I don’t really give much sympathy towards that. The Celtics made that trade off, managing KGs minutes to get him to the playoffs in great shape. They figured that home field advantage wasn’t as important as being healthy and for the most part they were correct. Unfortunately, they did not have the depth to overcome the sudden loss of Perkins at the end.
And one of LA's wins was in Boston
Apparently your point is that missing Perk for 7 quarters was the difference, as opposed to HCA?
Bynum tore the meniscus in game 6 of the first round OF THE PLAYOFFS.
What does that injury have to do with “LA was in control of how much they used Bynum down the stretch of the regular season”?
My point is that with everyone healthy, the Lakers are the superior team – it’s only even with Bynum hurt.
by nba is the worst on Jun 20, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
You are comparing an injury that one guy could continue to play through
with one that removed a player from the board?
Lets put it this way – with the players that played, playing injured or completely removed from the game – the series came down to 4 pts in game 7.
Your point is silly.
Such a Celtic fan
That you signed up on this blog today only to sing the praises of the Lakers. Give me a break.
On behalf of all Lakers fans, I humbly accept this.
I will also frame this post as it’s not just eloquent…
it’s the undisputed truth. :)
You sir, have exhibited wisdom not ordinarily found on sports forums.
Lakerdom salutes you.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 18, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Can't agree with the Bynum part tho....
LA has basically won two titles without Bynum at key stretches. Certainyl a good player, but he’s a long way from being on the verge of superstardom, more of a passenger than driver IMO.
by eeeeeceltic on Jun 18, 2010 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
True,
I think Bynum just has the potential. Still just 22 and he’s dominating against many matchups. He’s already been plagued by the injury bug as is common with many big guys (Oden, Ming). It’s still scary to imagine Bynum’s development when 100% healthy…….
If healthy, Bynum would evolve into the best big in basketball.
But that’s the biggest ’if" in the NBA.
Much as I hate to say it, I don’t think we’ll see Andrew average much more than 60 games a year, and I fully expect that we’ll have to make some playoff runs without him or where he’s injured.
He’s now shown that he has the heart of a warrior. If he only had a solid body.
If.
by LakersForDeuce on Jun 19, 2010 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I am a Celtics fan
and you certainly do NOT speak for me!
by thirstyboots18 on Jun 18, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Boston fans getting their own medicine from the 60's
Feels good to finally shut up the terrible Boston fans who screamed, "SWEEP!" and then, "BOSTON IN 5!" then in 6 and then in 7. Especially Pierce who said he wasn’t coming back to L.A. My favorite part was how loudly the worst Celtic fans screamed about how physical and tough their team was – especially compared to the Lakers – but then when the games became chippy, everyone from Boston started screaming about the officiating. You can’t have it both ways, and the better team won.
And don’t give me anything about Perkins being out: You Boston fans conveniently cast aside the fact that OUR starting center was gone for all of the 2008 series (not just one game), and Bynum played on one leg this whole time.
You’ve run out excuses, and you’ve run out of time. Goodbye, Celtics. Try to buy another team.
Riiiiiight...
We know Pierce went Broadway on us in Game 1 of 2008 en route to his first Oscar award,
The ghost of Leon Powe willed Shrek and Donkey to one victory, but can a championship team actually rely on guys like Drooling Baby Davis and Nate?
Spoken like a true fan. And you wonder why no one’s buying this? Surprised you didn’t mention Pierce’s stabbing. Now THAT would’ve been classy.
right
Come on. Don’t sell yourself out just because you’re a Celts fan. I respect the game too much to let your any team get away with dirt, even my own. If I were a Lakers fan, I could not force myself to like Fisher or Gasol for all the flopping they do. Stop all the acting and just play some hard, good basketball. KG is in the club, Artest and Bynum are in the club.
Pierce goes down on Perkin’s ankle, has to be carried out by 5 guys and then wheeled into the locker room on a wheelchair, and he comes out perfectly fine? REALLY????
Both Lakers and C’s do considerable amounts of acting, but this charade just tops it all.
Celtzer
you’re not a Celtics fan and don’t have anyone fooled, but B- for effort.
Anything Is Possible!
by BostonBrotherhood on Jun 18, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Giving yourself away again
Pierce goes down on Perkin’s ankle, has to be carried out by 5 guys and then wheeled into the locker room on a wheelchair, and he comes out perfectly fine? REALLY????
Real Celtics fans know that he wasn’t “perfectly fine”. But thanks for playing.
Its time to add yonger blood to the team.....
We have a young core with Rondo – Perk and Robinson (yes Robinson) to build around.
Keep in mind these players have a window also before they pass their prime and we must start building around them before they past it.
Been a celtics fan during lean times and salad days
and I’ll be hanging in there with the Green as long as I have the strength to take a breath. I have faith that Wyc and the ownership want to win again, and that Danny has the sense to find new pieces and put this team in a position to do that. Folks, we’re a far cry from the end of the original big three years. There is continuity of leadership, even if Doc retires, and that top-down winning attitude will remain even if the pieces change. That window, the window of the will to win, is still wide open, even if the Big 3’s window is closing.
Thanks to the C’s for a great playoff run, thanks to CB writers and fellow bloggers for making the experience so much richer with your ideas and discussions, and I’ll see you all back here in the “Rumors” section real soon…
Have a great summer, guys and gals!
UBUNTU!
-Hal
Oh, and apologies
to the mods for the angry post that got me a warning today — you guys are absolutely right, and I was out of line. Just one of those mornings, I guess…
The rebuild was coming either way
If the C’s had won last night, on a night where they were massively outrebounded and couldn’t convert open looks, it would have been seen as a gutty win from the aging core, but one that made you think that Ainge needed to do something to get younger and more athletic.
The fact that they lost sucks, but I don’t think Ainge’s job would be any different if we were hoisting banner 18.
This team needs to get younger. Ray Allen is a player we simply don’t need any more, his cap space is better spent elsewhere.
The problem Danny has is we haven’t been able to break in a young player other than Rondo who can contribute. For all his draft skills (Jefferson, Davis, Rondo, etc.) he’s put up some clunkers in the past few years (Giddens, Pruitt, Walker). We need another shooting guard and an eventual successor to Pierce – a versatile SF.
I kind of dislike being this guy...
But hey, if you are allowed to camp in the lane for over 3 seconds and go over the back, you’ll get all the offensive rebounds and the game and the championship.
And if someone could answer me this; I actually don’t know the letter of the NBA law on this one:
Does the three seconds in the offensive lane reset when the ball hits the rim? Therefore the offensive rebounder has multiple chances on the glass without having to get out of the lane for violation?
Because if that 3 seconds doesn’t reset… the Lakers were in there for a much more egregious 9-12 seconds on many instances more than just their usual 4-6.
Yes, the 3-second count resets when the ball hits the rim or, more loosely, when the shot goes up.
The Lakers definitely wanted the ball more on the rebounding end – and this was a huge Game 7 focus for them because of Perkins being out – but, yes, I’ve never seen so many over-the-backs in a single game ever. So many piss-poor calls. Gasol jumping on top of Rondo and slinging him to the ground with his right hand … and no call. Horrific one-sided officiating in the 2nd half.
Thanks for the rule
But my point still remains… less instances of 9-12 seconds doesn’t excuse the many, MANY instances of 4-6 seconds in the key prior to resets.
Either it’s a rule or it’s not.
Totally sour grapes. Quit whining about the refs
Lakers were the better team in the end.
Correct
Watched the replay on NBA TV this morning.
It wasn’t one sided officiating – it was one-sided offensive styles for the two teams.
As QED said, “The Celtics are #9 in fouls commtited (1816). The Lakers are #27 in fouls committed (1592), which matches their finesse, non-physical approach. We really can’t have it both ways. We can’t tout ourselves as being the more physical, tougher defending team… call the Lakers soft, then complain about disparity in foul calls, or worse insinuate some David Stern led conspiracy. Plain and simple… we lost because we couldn’t score when it counted… NO EXCUSES!”
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
both teams got away with fouls thru out the series. that’s why it’s a 7 game series, so that the calls even out and the best team wins in the end.
Exactly, we're still waiting for the fouls to even out.
Maybe next year?
Boston simply CANNOT escape the "playoff injury jinx"...2008 was the one aberration
Perkins—-2010 Playoffs
KG & Powe—-2009 Playoffs
McHale & Walton—-1987 Playoffs
get over it, if bynum is not injured in 2008 you don’t get that one either. perkins is you 6 or 7 best player so don’t act like he’s the best player on the team. just accept you guys lost and move on.
sorry, this is just frustrating to get so close
losing by only 4 points, you know. Its hard not to look at little things like missing your starting Center. I’m sure you understand and and empathize, after 2008.
Oh wait – what was the score differential in 2008?
Nevermind.
the only score that that matters is the final score. 1 is just as good as 100. you get no extra points for blow outs like game 6 in this series.
you brought up Bynum in 2008.
Saying Perkins is our 6th or 7th player misses the point of his value. He is our starting Center and normally consumes around 25 minutes in our big man rotation. Without him, especially against LAs 7-footers, our other bigs played too many minutes and ran out of gas. That was the plain and simple reason why we lost.
that’s why you have to make adjustments and play thru it if you want the ring!!! Bynum played this whole playoff series on one leg, getting his knee drainned twice, playing limited minutes and putting lots of pressure on gasol and odom to step up and pick up the slack. which they did and they have a ring to show for it.
but Perk didn't have the option of playing on one leg.
That makes no sense. There was no adjustment that could be made. He simply was gone.
Bynum was definitely a big positive factor for LA, even gimped.
both teams had the same number of players right? you bring in your bencj players to pick up the slack. that’s the adjustment that has to be made and that should have been planed on since he was so close to being suspended because of tech’s anyway.
That's fair - i agree that part of being a team is how your roster depth holds up.
In fact, that is largely why Doc eased up his minutes for KG & Pierce down the stretch in the regular season – to manage his roster so it was healthy for the playoffs.
But it doesn’t change the equation. Once Perk was out – there was no adjustment that could be made for that.
Getting a Tech on Perk was indeed always a possibility. But it was in theory within Perk’s control to avoid it. Once injured like this, though – no options left.
It is fair to call it a ‘weakness’ of the Celts for not having more depth at C — but it is still a fact – the series was decided in the first quarter of Game 6 when Perk’s knee buckled under the weight of Andrew Bynum landing on his back.
Perk’s knee buckled under the weight of Andrew Bynum landing on his back?
Not what I saw. Perk was bumped, Kobe was underneath – Bynum never landed on his back.
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, he's not literally 'on' his back.
I’ve seen it a zillion times and just watched it again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EHyCYIp1lI
Sure Bynum’s not 100% directly on top of him, but he’s definitely over the back and his arm slams down over the top, bringing a portion of his weight down on Perk’s head and shoulder. It definitely contributes to how hard Perk landed. If you watch it continuously across 0:05-0:10 in the vid, you can see that the hit causes a downward acceleration of Perk’s body.
It was a totally clean foul – nothing dirty at all. It was just a hell of a lot of force added on to Perk’s own size as he landed on that knee. The real problem that causes the injury is just that his right leg is turned in a bit and not at all in a good way to handle such a hard landing.
Which is why you dismissing '08 without Bynum is wrong
No option there either, for every game, not two
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Was I dismissing Bynum's absence in 2008?
My only point about 2008 was that series was not even close. THIS series was.
I think it is a lot more supportable that Perk might have made a 4 pt difference in this Game 7 than it is to argue that Bynum alone could have made up for how the 2008 series went. Maybe he could have.
My head is trying to tell me it was a good season, be proud of them, blah, blah, blah
But my heart is still broken. Maybe someday I’ll get to that point, but I’ve been crying off and on all morning. Some sleep would probably help. It’s not just that they lost. It’s how they lost. They didn’t play the way they were capable of playing, not in Game 6 either (obviously). It’s also all the uncertainty of Doc possibly leaving, Thibs leaving for sure, not knowing who will be back next year. And it’s also that they provided an escape from real life (which ain’t exactly grand right now) for me for awhile, and now it’s all over. I could go on and on, but maybe I’ll go try to get some sleep. I can’t imagine being Paul Pierce and going home to LA now. Perhaps he should consider spending the off-season elsewhere this time.
I can't believe the Celtics lost...
This Laker fan picked the Celtics in 6. I took a trip to Yosemite M-W partially because I was sure that Boston was going to win game 6 and the chip (and I wanted to hike Half Dome).
So sorry that Perk went down, we would have lost for sure if he had played.
IMHO you should dump Ray, he was the real reason the Lakers stayed in the game.
no
it wasnt ray’s fault. sure, hes part of the blame; his shooting has just been awful, and it’s not just the Laker D – he had some great open looks.
the reasons we lost:
1. Laker D and length. completely outrebounded. even in Game 5 when we won they were enjoying a rebound advantage. This time it had a greater consequence. Too many second chance points for LA.
2. Abandoned ball movement (Doc Rivers is the master of flash cut plays, weak side plays) in favor of KG and Pierce ISO. Pierce ISO against Artest is just NOT a smart strategy, especially when the refs are calling the game at staples. KG can’t ISO with his fatigue – he’s been reduced to a 25 min player. They went back to pick and pop for Allen a couple times but by then the game was iced.
3. No Perkins. Somewhat mitigated by Bynum’s bum knee and limited minutes, but he’s still our biggest body to put on Gasoft and Bynum. Some people say it worked out since Perkins is hardly an offensive threat, but his defense and presence is huge.
4. Not enough transition play. The pace was still in Laker favor, especially when they seemed to have hungrier spirits to dive after loose balls.
5. continued to give Artest space. With artest struggling this series, C’s took a SERIOUS gamble by allowing him open space. Artest’s assignment usually left him room while helping on a double or triple against Kobe or the paint. It worked before when Artest was struggling to hit shots, but it hurt us in the end as Artest found his stroke. For those unfamiliar with Phil’s “triangle offense”, the corner is an essential piece of the play, and giving the cornerman space opens up thousands of possible plays for the Lakes. With a talented passing big man in Gasol, you just can’t afford to leave players in the extended wing and corner.
6. Home-court advantage.
7. Free throw disparity. I think refs called this game OK. The disparity is simply a result of aggressiveness. Not enough attacking in the paint (which the Lakers did).
8. The Lakers meditiate.
FT
Free throw disparity. I think refs called this game OK. The disparity is simply a result of aggressiveness. Not enough attacking in the paint (which the Lakers did).
The Celtics had 36 points in the paint to the Lakers 38. How did that result in +20 in FT’s? And please don’t play the immeasurable “aggressiveness” card. Not using this as an excuse, but your a Laker fan looking to justify the calls. That’s “OK” with me, just don’t pretend to be a Boston fan. It’s pathetic.
Anything Is Possible!
by BostonBrotherhood on Jun 18, 2010 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I believe the Lakers had close to 20 FTAs in the fourth quarter
because Boston was fouling HARD at every opportunity and they got into the penalty early. It wasn’t bad officiating really. It was just one team doing whatever they could to get a look at the bucket and another team doing whatever they could to stop them.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO READ THIS
(since it’s buried all the way in the comments)
But why is points in the paint supposed to correlate with free throw disparity?
If you’re fouled on the way to the basket, those points don’t go towards points in the paint.
If you’re fouled, you’re less likely to score (so no points in the paint).
If you’re fouled as hard as the Celtics foul, you’re less likely to score.
Watch the game again and keep track of how many times the Lakers took a shot in the paint versus how many times the Celtics did. Tally that up. Keep track of how many times the Lakers and Celtics made shots as well as how many times they got to the line on shots in the paint. If the Lakers shot the ball just as many times in the paint as the Celtics did (especially in the 4th quarter), then you might have an argument.
But saying “points in the paint is the same but free throw attempts isn’t, therefore refs blew it” doesn’t fly with me.
by mildclubsauce on Jun 18, 2010 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
C's fouled more. WAY more.
Surprisingly, there’s a proven relationship between committing fouls and your opponent shooting fts…
by nba is the worst on Jun 19, 2010 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Ha, you forgot number 101.
The lakers coach is Phil Jackson.
Here is the problem I have with this season.
The team admitted that they mailed in some of the games in the second half of the regular season because they were going to win the the whole thing. So, all the fans suffered through the season expecting to win the good fight at the end..
But that did not happen, Perk injury or not.. Lost the regular season. Lost the playoffs.
Next year we will watch growth, which I enjoy.I need progress towards a goal, not trying to maintain to reach a goal.
Yea its really a shame...
IF this team got together with they were younger they would tear everyone a new one, I think They’d seriously rival Michael Jordans team in the 90’s as far as over all talent, they’d be unstoppable. They had everything they wanted yesterday except for a younger body, AND still they could have won it, what a shame.
come on, what IF kobe and shaq would have gotten along better, what IF jordan doesn’t take those years off to play baseball, what IF the moon was made out of cheese
LOL
Should have taken it as a HINT. That’s why I put the BIG >>>>IF <<< because I know the definition of >>>>> IF <<<< I don’t need you pointing out the obvious, Jackass. I’m a Lakers fan too BTW.
Sad day, But thank you Boston!
I have no specific NBA team I’m committed to, but in 2008, The Boston Celtics hooked me in. And the rivalry I vaguely remember as a kid became real to me! I watched a team for this last 3 years play with heart and determination while keeping their eyes fixed on the vaunted nemesis, the Lakers. I’ve never been more excited about an NBA team before. So today is a sad day, but I thank the Celtics for giving me a team to follow and share in the thrills and pains along the way. I hope they can keep the core group around but if not, I’ll try my best to follow them for years to come. It’s been fun, and heartbreaking, but for the first time in my 35 years, I believe I can say, I’m a fan of an NBA team!
Huge Congrats and Thanks to the Celtics!
It was a very frustrating season at times but we stuck with them. Even made it to our first Finals game (Game #3 in Boston). Sure it was loss but it was still awesome being there.
IMO, the officiating was horrendous during the entire playoffs. If I operated at their efficiency in any of my past jobs, I would have been fired over and over again. With that said, the team still has to play through the rough spots. Just not enough left in the tank last night.
I’m still very proud to be a Celtics fan. We are not the NY Yankees of basketball. This team fought its way to the finals amongst the oppressive onslaught of all the Howard, LeBron and Kobe nonsense. This was a team, not some labeled superstar and a bunch of role players. I’ll take that any day.
I checked basketball-reference for a breakdown of the game by quarters but didn’t find anything. I want stats on everything; scoring, rebounds, assists, fouls on down to who called the fouls. If anyone can point me in the direction, I would appreciate it.
Shop Smart! Shop S-Mart!
I hate the Lakers, but...
this was the Pierce-led Celtics Swan Song. What they managed to do in the playoffs was worthy of applause: beating the Magic and the Cavs, and taking the Lakers to a 7th game… but now it’s over.
Next season they will NOT be the fourth seed in the East, and they wont be able to repeat this playoff performance.
Someone needs to step up in the Western Conference and do something against the Lakers too… they say they are the “stronger” conference, but they are going to be completely dominated by the Lakers for years to come, now that the Spurs are out of contention. Denver and Dallas are wimps. The Suns, well, they did great this year, but it’s unlikely to happen again… all the hope now goes to OKC.
no team in the west has the heart to win a playoff game at the staples center
pau and kobe aint going anywhere for a few years
brutal
by CELTICZ4LIFE on Jun 18, 2010 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
well,
you can always hope that kobe doesn’t take well to being a lesser player and tries too hard. sooner or later, he’s going to have to pass the best player to pau, and im not sure how good kobe will do with that.
(laker fan btw)
by Nightwing184 on Jun 19, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Interesting point
for all the comments about how strong the West is, no other team has stepped up recently.
Shop Smart! Shop S-Mart!
all this team will be remembered for is they lost the series
after being up 3-2. Ray Allen will be remembered as the guy who choked in the finals. No one is going to remember his 32 points in game 2 or his NBA record . I know a lot of people are happy we got this far and yes it was a great run by a team that sleep walked through the regular season but GD it if you get to games 6 and 7 of the finals you have to close the deal. Did we want it? Hell yeah but man oh man how getting a freaking rebound? how about making a basket? How about Doc subbing so Pierce and Ray would have something left. How about our “stars” coming up small in the 2 biggest games of the year? In the end all that matters and all that is remembered is whether you won or lost and we lost. there are no moral victories here. There is only one champ and we let it slip away. F IT.
disagree.
I will remember it as it really happened. Lots of people will remember. The fight to get there was an awesome story. Well worth remembering.
Regarding your criticisms: Doc tried briefly to sub in Tony Allen to get rest for Ray and Paul, but he promptly sucked and the Lakers ate into the lead drammatically. In the 5 minutes that Tony played, LA chewed 9 points off the lead!
The game was lost because we got gassed (especially our big men) and started fouling and sent LA to the free throw line a ton in the 4th. And the series was lost when Perkins went down in Game 6 because without him, we could not keep our bigs rested.
Agreed
Tony Allen is a liability while he did a good job defending Kobe he is mistake prone and seems to score by default. He turns the ball over too much and makes bad decisions, I hope he does not come back next season
To be fair, Tony played great in many stretches during this playoff run.
Including some good defense on Kobe earlier in this series.
He just looked lost and overwhelmed when he came in for Game 7.
I would not be surprised to see him back in Green next year.
Thanks for the amazing series!
Truly, a Laker-Celtic battle for the ages.
Queensbridge. Littlerock. 16.
Lakers 2010 Champs.
ray allen
give the guy a break. He is OLD, covering the best offensive player on the planet, playing way too many minutes, and expending way too much energy. no way he can be an effective offensive player. Also part of the reason there are a million fouls called in the 4th quarter against the Celts is they are old and exhausted —when you are old and exhausted you cannot play the same level of defensive and you end up fouling. Blaming the refs is always weak sauce .
as far as the west vs the east — the best team is in the west, the west is DEEP, but the west has the #1 team, the east has the #2-4 teams and the west probably has the 5-12/13 teams.
Oh, and no way I pay ray allen 8M per year
not after that performance. I could see paying him 6M for 2 years. He is a great guy, a true gentleman and a professional. He keeps himself in great shape and I think he could play for 2-3 more years but when we needed him he let us down. I can’t reward that with a big contract so if it means he walks then so be it.
Oh, and no way I pay ray allen 8M per year
You seem fixated on laying all the blame on Ray Allen. He let you down? Did Paul Pierce and his 5-for-15 shooting let you down? Or is that sooooo much better than 3-for-14? While not having to chase the best player on the planet around all game. What about your 7-foot power forward snatching a total of 3 rebounds. Did he let you down? What about the bench contributing next to nothing?
They lost a winnable game. There’s plenty of “blame” if you want to call it that, to go around but to single out one guy out is just wrong. He played his heart out — shots didn’t fall. It happens. Seems to have happed to other players on the team — not that you’ve noticed.
Broken Hearted
As I watched the final moments of yet another dream season tick away I tried my best to keep a stiff upper lip and quickly the whole season flashed before me. I could visualize each televised game during the regular seasons ups and down along with key injuries,yet here were my Boston Celtics playing the Lakers in game 7 with a chance to once again make history. Afterall we were supposed to have problems beating Miami, we eliminated LeBron then Dwight Howard and had a 13 point lead in the 3rd quarter amongst all the LA glitter and stars, No Perk an aged Sheed and KG huffing and puffing and a cold Kobe. It was like we could not put the pedal to the medal for 48 minutes due to old age and injuries.
The just like that it was over, the Lakers were celebrating and I was getting text messages from my brother and other Laker fans, I could not fall asleep last night and felt sick this morning, I don’t think this feeling will ever go away,I could only recall 2008 and the other great Celtic victories over the Lakers, I still hope the core of the team remains in tact, its like when Bird, McHale and Parrish parted ways.
Man, Good Run Guys
Truly I never will doubt another veteran Celtics squad, I would have lost my shirt many times over, for how many times I thought they were dead. I sat thinking when they were up 13 after Rondo layup, these crazy SOB’s are going to actually do it.
Thanks for making the Finals interesting for this dejected fan whose Teams season also ended in shambles, although it was worse because we got dominated…But you guys know that.
Good Season guys and as always Classy People.
Only 7 different teams have won a title since David Stern has been the commissioner
Still heartbroken over this loss….I did not think I would take it this badly. I think I’m more sad for the players than the loss itself, watching the locker room interviews afterwards was brutal. It’s depressing to think that this was the last time we saw the core 5 + Doc on the floor together. Even though they’ve only been intact for 3 years it’s felt like 10…all I can say is thank god for 2008 or I would a wreck.
Also it pains me to know that the Lakers and Yankees have won 8 championships between them this decade.
Long time celtic and laker fans joined at the hip
I was there from 65’ on as a laker fan. Genuine to the core. Reading your posts reminds me all too well of the deep pain and sense of frustration the celtics wielded over my team.
69’ was soooooo crushing, to lose after a 3-2 lead and still have never beaten the celtics.
than 84’, the ’Steal" by henderson, the game 4 melt down at the forum and yes another celitc win.
Pain? I know celtic pain. these past thirty years we have been able to gain a measure of respect alongside the only other team that ever matters in the nba.
Yep, the celtics. And so for the first time in out history, we played like the celtics in game 7. I am euphoric. And it really needs no explaining you guys have a tradition of not just winning but winning in the clutch.
No one cares if we beat Orlando, or the 76’ers or detroit for that matter. There is only one measurement for the nba, are you celtic tough?
and after 60 plus years in the league we can now say we are approaching your standard.
I understand your pain, truly. But do not hang your heads celtic fans, your team is valiant and a true celtic team for the ages, we just joined the club finally last night.
God bless, be proud, nothing but deepest respect for your team these past 45 years, and none of that shine was lost in this series.
we are twin brothers of different mothers we are all that matters in nba lore after 60 years.
by Dan Wilvers on Jun 18, 2010 4:26 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
great piece jeff
that last line is deflating though… oh boy!
"Take it to the hoop, there's a dance involved." - DJ Tommy
Not so sad, not so happy, but very very angree
Aside from the fact that the lakers took home the trophy and they will be saying for years that they win it in a back to back. and that Kobe maybe the greates Laker of all times(Even Magic lost to us). I went home sad. And sad not becuse we lost but by the way it happen . As a fan i understand that this game is won with points, and you have to score in order to win. But for 3 key plays that were baddly ruled, and that MAY had change the outcome.
- A “block” by Gaul Gasol, the pay is a foul as he went not to the ball but to the hand (wrist) of Kevin. and was not ruled
- The two points that did not count when he(kevin) shout to the basket as it was ruled on the floor and not in motion
- The walking violation of Pau on the 4th and palced the Lakers with a 4 point lead
Those are the things that made me agree and very very agre. Never the less this is won with points and one must made them in order to win. And this is what made me sad.
But also im not so sad becuse they have to fight to get the trophy. they still behind us, and that we have a team and a base for a new era.
I just hope Rondo get to train on the free line, and behind the arc so the next year. we can get banner 18.
I was also sad becuse Ray was unable to get more 3´s but in the time that mater the most you converted. Teach rondo to Shoot please.
Guys you are great and a great team. Plase return next next year. And Doc please don´t go.
And not so happy becuase the Lakers will find a way to said to us they won.
Kendrik get better soon and more hader, quiker, and rough than ever.
No chance at 18
Just try to focus on 08’, because title 18 is now a fantasy that only a true madman would entertain. Doc Rivers and his mary band of crazy talkers even know thats true. He told them they couldn’t be beaten, but the only thing they couldn’t do was rebound. He’s still talking about his starting 5 never being beaten, it’s rediculous, they were the lesser team from the get go, and he knows it. That’s because KG is a phony who can only talk a big game, but folds like a house of cards with the game on the line. They wilted under the pressure, even with Kobe having the worst game of his career. KG and PP acted like clowns in 08’, no class, and now everytime they see Kobe they will know he got the best of them, and that’s forever. They deserve everything they get, and I’m gonna have a smile on my face all summer.
by Laker4life88 on Jun 19, 2010 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions
LAKERS WHAT!?!?!
CHEAAAAA BOY!!!!!!! LAKERS!!!!!!!! awww booo hooo celtics lost…awwwwwww hahahhaha
Lakers/Celtics rivalry
The Lakers and Celtics need each other. I was rooting for Celtics to make it to the finals, and I’m hoping they keep this starting 5 together so they can make another run to the finals. I hope Doc Rivers comes back, because they’re going to need him. I hope Rondo works on his jump shot, because if he gets one, he’ll be great. I hope boston makes it back to the finals, because we need our archrivals. We finally got you back for 84’. That absolutely ruined my summer and I hope this ruins yours. I have all respect in the world for Celtic fans that are heart broken, because I know your pain. This rivalry is awesome, I was so nervous during last night’s game that I’m physically exhausted, crazy! Lets do it again next year, have a terrible summer. P.S. the lakers starting 5 have never been beaten!!!!!
Was your summer so ruined by the loss in 1984
that you fell into a coma through 1985 and missed the parade that year??
Just messing with you. :-)
Good ownership ~ good management ~ winning tradition across the decades. If the first remains intact, we’ll see the Celtics challenging for the asymmetrical winner’s trophy again within a decade, dismantling now or not, if Rondo becomes who he’s shown signs he can be (a la the Lakers bookend title runs this decade with Kobe).
This one's as sweet as 85'
I am truly enjoying this one. The celtics r done son!!!! Next year we tie it at 17, and you guys are in the lottery!! Dump your veterans and start rebuilding and pray, and I mean pray that Rondo gets a jump shot, but honestly I think we all know he is a bricklayer, born and bred. He’s the short Dwight Howard, your screwed. See ya in another 20, peace out!!! P.S. the lakers starting 5 have never been beaten!!!!!
by Laker4life88 on Jun 19, 2010 12:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm a Lakers fan
That’s why I was wondering why you didn’t originally mention ’85.
Rondo’s instincts on the way to and around the basket are pretty amazing. He has a long time to develop an outside game (it took Magic Johnson awhile to get his to the point people consistently respected it), and if/when he does, that will make him an even more potent threat: recipe for a lot of triple-doubles.
I hope the Lakers can adequately reload by the middle of the decade to keep him, Lebron James and Kevin Durant from leading the next dynasty. The threat of this should drive the Lakers front office to stay aggressive and creative. It’s worked since the late ’70s, and time will tell.
Look on the bright side Celtics fans
Isn’t the rollercoaster ride, euphoria and anguish of winning only one out of the three CHAMPIONSHIPS (not conferences, divisions or other lesser stuff lesser teams hang banners for) better than the numbness you endured for over two decades?
Isn’t it better to be wallowing in frustration now than simply saying, in May (not June), “now that that’s over, better luck to the Red Sox” this time of year season after season?
Lakers and Celtics fans from the ‘80s know what you’re feeling (and some of them old enough to be president see you when they look in the mirror) because the teams took turns beating up on each other back then too.
Enjoy the pain today, tomorrow and next week, and for another 22 years if that’s how fate will have it. In L.A. we sometimes share the building with this species called “Clipper fans.”
Boston Pride!!!
Fellas, I am seriously hurt concerning the Celtics loss to the nefarious Lakers….I have deep roots in Boston’s Northend….a Bostonian I am to the heart.. I am most certain that any Bostonian whom follows Boston sports was quite tearful of the tragic defeat to our beloved dynasty. I was distraught with the Patriots loss….but why did it have to be the Celtics losing to the Lakers?! I blame no single Celtic player for the loss…but why…as a team…did you let us fans down? You had the lead…and let it slip away. It may only be a game to you…but to us fans…true fans…it is part of our cultural pride. Bostonians at one point defeated the most powerful empire in the world…why couldn’t you? We defend your name when haters talk trash…and sometimes resulting in an all out brawl….Yes…I know some of you reading this may opine that I’m being slightly melodramatic…but I don’t care. I am a Bostonian….and will always love everything that comes positive with its name!!!
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