I have to admit to being a little giddy this morning. Like every once in a while, when no one is looking, I break into a mini Walker Wiggle just for fun. Am I over-reacting to a first round game? Maybe, but it just feels so good.
This win lifted a huge weight off my shoulders in a way that I didn't really even expect. There was so much doom and gloom after the first two games. So many questions. So much doubt. I knew that the Celtics were the better team but they weren't playing much like it till last night.
I liken it to a round of golf. I'm only a casual, once-in-a-while player, so I'm not all that great at it. I'll hit a beautiful tee shot and then shank the approach shot into the trees. I'll get on the green in 2 shots and then 4 putt my way into oblivion. Or somehow after it took me 4 shots to get on the green, I'll sink a 7 foot putt that had no business going in. It is so frustrating because I know that if I ever just put all the good shots together on a single hole, I'd get that illusive birddie. If I could ever string together a few holes like that, I'd be walking on air. Last night the Celtics were Tiger Woods wearing red on a Sunday.
Pierce was a monster. Rondo was unstoppable. Ray was bombing away. Baby played out of his mind. Perkins was surly (in the best possible way). We even got a fantastic game out of Stephon Marbury. Doc made all the right adjustments. The defense stifled any run the Bulls made. We dictated the tempo. We just crushed them.
Just as important was the fact that the Bulls could do no right. Here's a sampling of quotes from the Bulls:
"We got picked apart tonight," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I thought we lost a lot of confidence, especially our younger guys."
"They completely outplayed us from the start to finish," Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said. "It was as if one team was in the playoffs, the other team was in preseason."
"We started out poor, we were tentative, very nervous," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.
"We had a big learning curve tonight," Del Negro said. "You are still dealing with young guys who have not been through it."
"We have to come out knowing that they're still the champions," Salmons said. "I think we might have took that for granted."
I hate to kick a team when they are down, but some of the players make it easy to enjoy watching them get humbled.
They start over again on Sunday 0-0. We can expect the Bulls to play with passion. They won't take for granted their opponent again. They might even grab another win before the series is over. But I'm as confident as ever that the Celtics will advance to the 2nd round.
What else can I say? This was just a fun, fun win.
