I know I just wrote about how much I hated it when people claim that things are " the greatest" right after they happen. However, I truly believe this Celtics-Bulls series, at least through the first five games, is the best series I've ever seen. This doesn't make me happy, in fact I feel like I've aged ten years since this series started. I would have much rather seen four blowouts by the Celtics, but if they win I think I will finally be able to appreciate it for what it was.
Let's look at the facts. Three overtime games, and one game that only ended in regulation because of a Ray Allen three pointer. You have one of the best point guard battles in recent memory between Rondo and Derrick Rose, though Rondo in my opinion has clearly shown he is the better point guard at least at this point in his career. Then you have some of the best clutch shooting displays put on my Ben Gordon, Pierce, and Ray Allen. You combine that with some extremely physical play and hard fouls(Rondo foul in particular) and almost every game going into triple digits, and you have kind of a throwback series. I can only imagine what is going to happen in game 6, hopefully a repeat of game 3.
Let's look at last nights game in particular. The whole series Derrick Rose has been turning the ball over like it's his job, and he did the same thing last night. Not only is Rondo putting up better numbers, but he is also turning the ball over less. Secondly, as amazingly clutch as Ben Gordon is, I don't think I've ever seen a bigger ball hog than him in my 20 years of watching NBA basketball. He literally never passes, but some team is going to pay him the big bucks because he can flat out score from anywhere and win you ball games in the closing seconds. Another fact that was made crystal clear last night is Stephon Marbury has no confidence. One of the critical plays that could have cost the Celtics the game last night was when Marbury passed up a wide open 16 footer. Instead he passed to Rondo who clearly was positioning for the rebound. I love how Marbury wants to be unselfish, but he needs to be more then just a guy who spells Rondo, he needs to be a factor in this series and the playoffs as a whole for them to win.
Kendrick Perkins. I think I've mentioned everyone but him in my blog at some point and he deserves to be recognized. For anyone who has watched him since he started in the league out of high school, it must be a joy to see him play now. He is an absolute beast on the boards and contests every shot. It kills me to think of what they could be with a healthy Garnett. I truly think with Garnett and Powe they would have had a better team than last year.
Lastly, the reason the Celtics are even still in this series is because of their championship desire. A lot of teams would have quit last night down ten with six minutes to go, but the Celtics overcame that adversity. That is why even though the odds are stacked against them, I would never count out this Celtics team and what they could accomplish this year. In my opinion even making the conference finals would be as, or more impressive than last years title, given all the injuries.
The great thing about basketball is that one or two plays can mean a win or loss. You can't control whether the shot goes in or not, but depending on how the ball bounces can affect an entire series and even an entire franchise. Like I've said before, it is trendy for people not to like the NBA. However, if you really sit down and watch a game, especially in the playoffs it is amazing what kind of athletes are out there.
In other news, congratulations to the Washington Capitals for coming back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the New York Rangers. I watched bits and pieces of the game while the Celtics were on commercial, and realized hockey is not that bad to watch especially in HD. As I've said before, for a person that can't skate, the fact they can play a sport on skates is pretty amazing to me. It is such a good thing for the DC area to have a winner again. This next series versus Sidney Crosby and the Penguins is great for the NHL. In baseball news, the Red Sox eleven game winning streak ended last night on an error, but it was a great run(no pun intended). The baseball season is a series of winning and losing streaks so I don't really see a point in making any predictions now.
I haven't been blogging as much lately, but hope to start up full time again soon. I got my first "not so great" vote the other day, so I think some people that I don't know may actually be reading it now. I feel like I could do a lot better if I did this full time, and not exhausted as crap from work, but alas one must pay the bills. Anyway, it's been a long day and it's time for me to kick back on my recliner. Till next time.
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