First of all, what a game! There were so many amazing individual performances. The best being the ridiculous shooting display Ben Gordon put on, and ofcourse the clutch three pointer to win the game by Ray Allen. The entire game I felt like the last team to have the ball would win, and that is pretty much what happened. I am just glad my Celtics came up on the winning end.
I want to start off by talking about the most important player on the Celtics team, and yes he is in uniform. That of course would be Rajon Rondo. People can say what they want about not having a chance to win a title without Garnett, and that is true in a way. But if you take Rondo off this team, they don't win a series. It was funny and predictable when Sportscenter and the rest of the media were touting Derrick Rose as the second coming after his game 1 performance. Did everyone seem to forget that Rondo scored 29 points, had 7 assists, and 6 boards. How about the triple double he got last night with an injured ankle? I'm not saying Rose isn't a good player, but he is not as good as Rondo. Rondo controls the entire game when he is in, and no one can stay in front of him. He even hit a huge jumper down the stretch last night to give them the lead. If anyone can give me an argument on why Rose is better please let me know. Maybe he has more potential, but I'd take Rondo over him on my team right now.
Big Baby Davis was an absolute beast last night. Coming into the playoffs, I thought either he or Powe had to assume a more prominent role, especially offensively for them to advance. With Powe's injury Davis has stepped up. I remember last year groaning whenever Big Baby would come in, but he has improved so much this year. His mid range jumper is spot on, he hustles for loose balls, and is an outstanding rebounder. The big advantage the Celtics have over the Bulls is their bulk inside. The Bulls have great leapers and shot blockers but can't compete with the sheer strength of Big Baby and Kendrick Perkins for rebounds.
Before I mention Ray Allen, I want to say Ben Gordon almost gave me a heart attack last night. This guy is the definition of streaky. When he turns it on he literally hits shots from anywhere. I feel like the Bulls have had two amazing performances in the first two games, by Rose in Game 1, and Gordon in Game 2. My hope is that there are no more to come. I've always liked Ben Gordon's game because it reminds me of my own. He finds way to score in very unconventional ways. This Bulls team has really impressed me overall. I still feel like the Celtics will win in 6, but it is going to be tough.
Ray Ray! What more can you say about Ray Allen. I think one of the huge factors that is overlooked in professional sports are how athletes bounce back from bad games. For instance, if I had gone 1-12 in my last game I would not be able to get that out of my mind and play two days later. Ray Allen is a true professional. Along with Rondo he saved the Celtics season in that second half dropping 28 points, including the game winning three with two seconds left. I just really hope he can continue that hot shooting in Chicago.
You could look at this series so far in a couple ways. If you are a Chicago fan you might say that they should be up 2-0, if not for some poor coaching, namely not saving a time out for the last few seconds to set up a play at half court. On the other hand, if you are a Celtics fan you could say this series should be 2-0. You could point to Paul Pierce missing a game winning free throw in game 1, or you could use the whole Kevin Garnett excuse. I tend to think the series is right where it should be. The Celtics look fine offensively, but their defense is definitely vulnerable without Garnett. I think they will win game 3, lose Game 4 and win games 5 and 6 to close out the series. Whatever team you are routing for ,you can't deny how competitive a series it has been thus far. Here's hoping for more blowouts in the Celtics favor!
On a closing note, what a great Patriots day for Boston sports fans. The Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics all won. Thanks again everyone for reading. Have a great day!
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