First, let me start with a Stephen Colbert "wag of my finger" at TNT. The last 13 seconds of the Bulls-Heat game took 20 minutes to play. Literally. Why not start the Celtics game and double box the action for the Boston and Dallas markets? Cut away and tell me how that game ended while I'm watching my team.
And while I'm bitching like an 80 year old man, when will the NBA just give in and stop calling them "20 second time outs"? When is the last time a :20 timeout actually lasted 20 seconds? If you're going to let the network go to commercial, then call it what it is: a :45 timeout.
Ok... ok... I'm back. I'm just a little upset that I had to wake up and watch the end of this game on the DVR rather than enjoy it live because real life requires me to be awake at 6am and I just couldn't power through the end of the game. It's just not the same watching Paul Pierce drive, spin, step back and nail a patented fadeaway when you know the C's will finish off the huge comeback.
Rajon Rondo has been reduced to "oh by the way" status because Paul Pierce pulled his Superman routine again by scoring 18 of his 31 in the fourth quarter. That's understandable, but for 3 quarters, it was Rondo who even kept the Celtics close enough for Paul to do his thing. 19 points, 15 boards, 14 assists is no joke.
Let's put 15 rebounds in a little perspective here, shall we? 6'11" Erick Dampier and 7'0" Dirk Nowitzki COMBINED for 15 rebounds. Hell, Perk and KG combined for 14. And Rondo shot 9 of 14 from the field. If Rondo didn't go nuts, it would have been a 30 point blow out and there would be no Pierce "I'll carry you to a win" act.
Special note: Leon Powe did WORK keeping Dirk Nowitzki in check in the 4th quarter. Dirk was going nuts until Powe muscled him up. And the Celtics are the third team ever to have 44 wins at the All Star break. However, the other two didn't win the title, so I wonder how great that really is.
Herald: Marvelous rally for Celtics | All Stars not aligned | Thumbs up for Ray | Globe: Celtics fight back | Allen back in action | WEEI: Instant Analysis | Camerato: Give them a break | ESPN Daily Dime: C's refuse to go away quietly
“This is the coach-worry game,” he said. “You’re on the road, and you see all the wives on the road because they’re going from here to wherever their destination is for the break. I look at it that they deserve a break. You just don’t want them to take it until after the game.” - Doc Rivers