All athletes are confident. The Sixers are confident (and young and athletic). But there's just a little something about veterans who've been there and done that before. At the end of the day these are just words and the actions will do all the talking we need, but for the time being, I like the way these guys sound.

Green Street " Paul Pierce on Game 7: ‘I like our chances’

"I like challenges," Pierce said Friday. "I like being in pressure situations. It’s Game 7. I’ve been there before. I understand what it takes and I’m ready for it.

Green Street " Ray Allen: Game 7 ‘just another opportunity to go out and be who we are’

"I think I’ve in that situation many times before where that question has been posed to me so many times. We’ve been so fortunate to do what we’ve done here. It seems like we’ve been ruled out so many times before, so many years before. This is just another opportunity to go out and be who we are. We’re not worried about what’s beyond today. We’re more worried about what we have present day."

Also, it is good to see Ray still has his sense of humor.

More hilarity. "Ray, what's it like playing on basically one leg?" Ray: "I have two legs."

— Paul Flannery (@Pflanns) May 25, 2012

Zing!

Brian Windhorst, covers the Heat for ESPN, thinks that the Heat are probably rooting against the Celtics in game 7. (via PBT)

Why Heat are rooting for Sixers in Game 7 - Heat Index Blog - ESPN

But honestly, the Heat will not be rooting for the Celtics on Saturday. It may have less poetry and glamour, but the Heat most likely would much rather see the 76ers pull the upset. It is true that the 76ers are younger, more athletic, deeper and healthier than the Celtics at this point. But the Heat have dominated Philadelphia like no other team in the East over the past two seasons; the two teams have played 12 times, including the first round of last year’s playoffs. Eleven times the Heat have won, including sweeping this season's series 4-0. The Heat haven’t beaten Boston since the first week of the season back in late December in their home opener.

I don't blame them really. I wouldn't want to have to play the Celtics either. And frankly, I was more concerned about the Pacers than the Heat. If we advance we might still yet lose to the Heat, but call me a fanboy if you like, but I like our chances.

Anybody else tired of hearing that the Celtics can't close on the road? How many times did they have to put up that stat during Game 6 on Wednesday? Well, here's a new one: after failing to close out a team away from the Garden, the Celtics are 6-0 in The Big Three era when Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo play on the parquet. Their only blemish under similar circumstances was against the Orlando Magic in 2009 without Garnett in the lineup for the entire post-season. 6-0. There's something about playing in front of the home fans. Maybe they can explain it:

The Big 3 on the Garden Crowd (via bostonceltics)

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Although Avery Bradley’s playoff run has abruptly come to an end, how far this young man has come in the past five months will not go unnoticed.

As the second year guard struggled mightily during the beginning of the season, many were calling for him to be benched, myself included. E’Twaun Moore’s surprisingly good start didn’t help Avery’s cause as the two were head-to-head competing for playing time at both guard positions. Twelve games in during a 97-89 loss at home to the Thunder, Bradley was given a "DNP-Coaches Decision" by Doc in favor of Moore and the newly signed Mickael Pietrus. Rightfully so, as it seemed at the time, Doc was beginning to realize that Avery was not ready to make an impact on this year’s team. It took some time, but as the season wore on, Avery made that notion an absolute joke.

In the very next game hosting Toronto after Avery didn’t play a single minute against the Thunder, Rajon Rondo went down with a sore wrist due to a Linas Klieza flagrant foul. Avery filled in nicely at point guard scoring eight points in that 96-73 blowout. While Rondo was absent for the next eight games, Avery started at point guard helping the team to a 6-2 record during that span after winning only one of the previous six. While offensively he showed limitations with his lack of shooting touch and indecisiveness, Bradley made life extremely difficult for opposing point guards picking them up before half court and smothering them all game defensively. While still not turning too many heads, by the time Rondo would come back, Avery had proven that he was ready to play a role for this team.

With Rondo back in the lineup, Avery’s playing time dwindled as the backup point guard. While he did his job well as a stopper, it still seemed as if his game had a ways to go. In the games leading up to the All Star break, two of which he started in place of Rondo due to a suspension, Bradley’s jump shot began to fall. He went 11-20 from the field with 24 points in these final two games. This was only a sign of more to come.

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Doc says Avery Bradley will have shoulder surgery today and is done for the playoffs. "It's disappointing. He's been terrific this year."

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 25, 2012

Doc says Keyon Dooling will miss today's practice today, he's out sick.

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 25, 2012

The sooner AB gets the work done on his shoulder, the quicker he gets back for next season. The recovery time is estimated to be around four months and that should put him on schedule for the start of training camp. Boston is participating in both the Orlando and Vegas summer leagues and it would have been great to see Avery get some time with what is projected to be a very young team next season with all the draft picks and the current crop of young Celtics, but his development this season already puts him in the driver's seat as next year's starting SG. Get well, kid.

D-Wade gets sent back by Bradley! (via NBA)

It's funny. Watching Avery Bradley gut it out this season and still be so tenacious despite the pain, I'm betting he comes out of surgery today, wakes up, and asks the surgeon what are his chances of suiting up on Monday. I can watch that block on Wade all day; the stuff is great, but what I love about it is how disappointed he is that Battier got the loose ball and hit a three.

I love the community of this blog. Love it. In fact, one of the most important goals I have every day is to initiate conversation. I know I'm not the best writer ever, so I never set out to recite poetry to you or preach at you. I just want to get you all started on a topic and let you enjoy the conversation. So it makes me happy to see that this community is so rich with dynamic and respectful conversation.

But there are a lot (a whole lot) of you that are just passively reading. That's fine, that's your choice and I'm happy to have you here. But I just wish I could hear more from you because I'll bet you have more to offer than you might think. So I'm calling out the lurkers (a term that refers to someone who reads a blog or forum regularly without commenting much at all). I want to hear your voice.

Even if it is just to say "hi" or introduce yourself and tell us how long you've been a fan or what you are doing for the game on Saturday, I'd like to hear from you. Don't be shy. Even if the only thing you say is "Go Celtics!" that would be pretty cool.

If you don't have an account yet, then by all means sign up for one! Come on! Do it, do it, do it.

Also, a note from Roy: If you're willing to make two leaps in one day, sign up for our forums!

As Steve Bulpett notes, some credit goes to the Sixers for playing good defense in the paint, but at some point the Celtics simply have to force the issue and get their hands dirty in there anyway.

Celtics know thy enemy well - BostonHerald.com

The numbers bear repeating, people. The same team that scored 50 points in the paint and brutalized the 76ers with precision in Game 3 produced just 16 interior points in the Game 6 loss — just four of them in the second half. The Celtics took 23 shots in the lane and 55 from beyond that border. Garnett, who had been a revelation with his willingness to play inside in this postseason, didn’t take a single shot from the paint. He was fouled once while trying and hit both free throws.

As I mentioned earlier this morning, it has to start with Rajon Rondo. He has to attack the basket himself. He has to look to get the ball to KG on the block. He has to call the right plays and execute the right options within those plays without being careless with the ball.

But it goes on everyone's shoulders. Garnett has to fight for position. Bass has to stay aggressive (despite getting turned away with blocks on a couple of occasions in game 6). Pierce has to keep forcing the Sixers to put him on the line. The Celtics shooters can't hesitate on their jumpers, but they can't look for them on every trip down the court either.

I expect they will too. With a little rest and their backs against the wall, they have the Sixers right where they want them. They just have to get off to a good start and establish themselves as owners of the paint.

The Celtics have been terrible at closing teams out when they have an advantage. However, for the most part they've had success finishing things off in Boston.

Celtics feel better at home closing out series - BostonHerald.com

Though Wednesday night’s Game 6 loss to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals dropped their record to 2-11 in the last five years in close out playoff games on the road, their home closeout number is very different. The Celts are 8-2 when given that opportunity at the Garden.

With that said, the last two game 7's the Celtics have had (one of which was on the road) didn't go so well. Read on if you can stomach it.

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