That was the shakiest end to a winning basketball game I’ve ever seen. The Celtics held on by the skin of their teeth. Perkins, Garnett, Ray Allen, and at times Rondo carried the team through 3 quarters. But in the fourth, nobody stepped up until Ray Allen hit that long jumper.
This game That one bad turnover (edited for accuracy) will do nothing to help Garnett’s reputation of not stepping up in the clutch. The Pistons upped the pressure and the Celtics couldn’t handle it. The Pistons closed in and the Celtics flat out played scared-to-lose. If it wasn’t for the big lead they built in the 3rd quarter, we would have lost this one.
With that said, they won the game, and that’s all that really matters. There’s no points for style. The Celtics have the 3-2 advantage with two chances to win the series and head to the Finals. Survive and advance, that’s all that matters. There's a name for teams that win ugly, and that name is "winners."
Game 6 is going to be very, very tough. The Pistons will never let up, never back down, never panic. They proved as much tonight. Headed back to the Palace they’re facing elimination and will throw the kitchen sink at us. Now the Celtics have the opportunity to do what they haven’t been able to do all post season long, finish out a series.