Over the next five days we'll be beaten over the head with stories of this renewed rivalry. Magic vs Bird. McHale's clothesline of Kurt Rambis. Henderson stole the ball. Magic's baby sky hook. Some will reach back even further to the 60s. For an old bastard like myself, this is heaven. But I also realize a majority of Red's Army readers were probably born in the 80s. So we'll do our best to spare you the nostalgia.
The Celtics series clinching victory in Detroit was clutch...to say the least. Here's Bob Ryan's take:
There are no more questions. The Celtics have closed the deal. They have not only won an elimination game in the Eastern Conference finals, they have done so with a monster comeback, a fourth-quarter performance that will go down in Celtics history. They have won a big playoff game on the road and they have won it in a style that the Russells, Cousys, Havliceks, and Birds could be proud of.
Nice to have that monkey off our back. Like it or not, the Celtics are underdogs in the Finals. Everyone is caught up in Kobe-mania. The Lakers mowed through the West and rightfully deserve credit. But as we all know and usually forget - defense wins championships. The Lakers don't play it - the Celtics play it the best. For now, I'm basking in the glow of last night's win. John and I will hammer you with breakdowns (Gasol vs Garnett), matchups (Is the Lakers bench really better than Boston's?) and predictions (Celtics in 6) over the next few days.
Today's Links (Sorry, I can't post them all): Globe - A Green Dream | He Posed a Problem for Pistons | Pierce's Wait is Over | Herald - Beat LA! | Doc Rivers: Best Man for Boston | Lakers-Celtics: It's Fantastic | Daily Dime - Celts Snatch Series | SI.com - Good to be Green | LA Times: Dream Finals are Greenlighted | Watch Trophy Presentation | Watch the Truth Destroy Detroit |
One final note: David Stern is an ass. Starting Finals games at 9:17 pm is absurd. It sucks for me and any other working guy not to mention the 12-year-old diehards who won't be able to watch the second half. But as long as Stern is happy with the NBA being the 3rd most popular sport (behind NFL and MLB) in America, than why change?
A second final note: You all know we love the Laker fans who spout off in our comments section. But if you keep bringing those expletive-filled, hate-based tirades - you will be banned.