Sheryl Crow said "No one said it would be easy, but no one said it'd be this hard." Allow me to alter that for the Celtics: Everyone said it would be hard, but no one said it'd be this odd.
Expectations are a funny thing. I expected the Magic to roll right over the Sixers, but they had some struggles there. I expected the Celtics to overpower the Bulls in the first round, but it was a whole lot tougher than we thought. I expected to win game one and hold home court advantage, but that didn't happen either.
I also didn't expect Ray and Rondo to combine for 4-24 shooting. I didn't expect to see Boston down 28 points and while I hoped for it, I didn't expect to see them come all the way back to have a chance to win the game. In fact, despite Ray's off night, I still expected to see that three pointer fall at the end. So much for all that.
So what can we expect from game 2? Don't ask me. I have no idea.
I think we'll see Ray Allen figure out how to get the better of JJ Redick, but I don't know that. I think we'll see Rondo give a more consistent effort, but I can't bank on it. I think it is safe to say that we won't be as bad as we were in the first half and they won't be as bad as they were in the 2nd half. What I can't say is if that will mean a Celtics victory or a Magic win.
I wish I could speak with more confidence, but I just don't know how the rest of the series will play out. I think we're the better team, but I don't know that. I'll stick with my prediction of Celtics in 6, but that and $3.50 will buy you a cup of coffee and that's about it.