Editorial. Photos by AP News
Before the start of Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals, Stan Van Gundy tried to prep his Orlando Magic by injecting some confidence into his young team.
“We have to win the hustle game,” Van Gundy said in front of ESPN’s locker room camera. “We have to play harder then they do.”
Quite simply Stan, there was no way in hell that was going to happen – and you knew it.And the Magic players knew it too. The fans huddled in Amway Arena in Orlando watching the game knew it, as did the near 20,000 strong dressed in green at the Garden.
The Celtics players knew it, but above all, Doc Rivers knew it – and believed in it.
“This starting five has never lost a [playoff] series before,” Rivers said on the parquet floor amidst tears, confetti and jubilation after Boston’s 96-84 victory Friday night.
There was no denying this one. There was no way the young superstars from the Sunshine State were going to take away this victory from Boston’s defenders of the hardwood.
Like so many Celtics before them, when it mattered most, these Celtics showed up to play. They knew what they needed to do and that was play like a team.
They knew that Bill Russell and K.C. Jones and Larry Bird didn’t get their championships with inflated egos and selfish play. Maybe that works for Kobe sometimes; it certainly didn’t work for LeBron.
In television shots of post-game celebration, a sign in the Celtics locker room seemed to epitomize every victory the team has gotten in its month-long postseason battle.
It read: “Individuals win games, teams win championships.”
Those 17 banners aren’t hanging in the rafters for nothing. They weren’t exactly easy to come by. (Although Red might have made it look that way for a little while.)
This team isn’t about the stars – even though they have four of them.
Rajon Rondo has quickly developed into the best point guard in the league. His vision and ability to set the offense was perhaps the biggest reason behind the Celtics’ 12-5 record this postseason.
Then there’s the best pure shooter in the NBA right now, Sweet Baby Ray Allen. Against a Magic team that was supposed to drown the C’s in three-pointers, Allen gave them a taste of their own medicine, shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc compared to Orlando’s 36 percent.
Mr. Intensity himself, The Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett, has led the presence of post play. His 15 points and eight boards a game have been just enough to get things going, and the pleasant surprise play of Big Baby and ‘Sheed have made the C’s defense the best in these playoffs.
Lastly, we get to the Captain. Paul Pierce, the wily veteran, has showed up to play. Each and every game. Even when his offensive output dipped a little against the Cavaliers – it was due to his defensive domination of the Great One, LeBron James.
Simply put, each night, Pierce has done what needed to be done.
And 31 points and 13 rebounds in Game six showed that he – maybe more than anyone else – wants to raise banner 18.
It was something that I certainly doubted could happen. I thought this whole playoff switch thing was false hope. I believed the Big Three – er…scratch that, Big Four – would show up and play. I knew that the C’s best would give it a run for they’re all. But I didn’t think ‘Sheed and the rest of the bench, especially not Nate Robinson, would show up when the C’s needed them most.
Credit Doc Rivers for playing his cards smart down the stretch, giving ample amounts of rest to the veterans and building confidence in key role-players like Tony Allen and Big Baby.
It’s been a blast watching them string together some of the most impressive, but more importantly, some of the most passion-filled victories I’ve ever seen on hardwood in recent weeks.
And while they’re up against a tough Laker team that is sure to challenge the C’s, don’t count out the guys in green just yet.
Pretty boy Pau Gasol has yet to face a real defense on the post; Kobe Bryant is still one of the NBA’s elite, but if history is any lesson, he couldn’t keep up with Pierce in ’08; and lastly, but perhaps more importantly, the Lakers have yet to face adversity.
They breezed relatively easy through the regular season and playoffs.
All season long, however, the Celtics have had to deal with their doubters, myself included. They had to deal with attitude problems from ‘Sheed, Big Baby and Daniels. They had to deal with grumblings that Garnett just couldn’t keep up anymore, that Ray Allen should be traded for draft picks because he wasn’t a threat anymore.
Through it all, they remained a team, a team with their collective heart set on one goal: an NBA championship.
An old, weathered high school and college football coach I know whose seen he’s fair share of ups, and downs in forty plus years of coaching once told me, “Tough times make tough people.”That’s exactly what these Celtics are. Tough.
And as this team enters what could be their final Championship run together, you get the feeling that Red is keeping an eye out for them from above.
You get the feeling that every time the Celts walk away with a victory, you can faintly smell the hint of Hoyo de Monterrey cigars in the air at the Garden. As a light breeze whips through the 17 championship banners in the rafters, that slight bit of cockiness Mr. Auerbach brought to the table descends on his parquet grandsons.
For my money, with a little bag o’ luck, a healthy dose of toughness and some help from above, I’ll take the C’s any day.
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