An Instant Classic - One for the Ages
Loose ball, fourth-quarter, no knock-out punch for sure, the daggers would come later, but Paul Pierce dove for that loose ball and wrestled it away from LeBron James, and with that well earned Tommy Point, the air seemed to go, whoooosh, and began leaking out of the Hot Air Balloon that has become the Miami Heat. The Public Address Announcer might as well have told the assembled Celtic faithful, “The Heat’s Fight has left the building.” For so it was and so it is and so it shall remain.
All the air went out of the Heat along with any fight that might have remained: when Paul dove to the floor for that loose ball, came up with it and ignited the crowd, arms pumping and waving in the air like an aircraft carrier signal-man bringing in a fighter plane for a safe landing, it signaled the end of the Heats hopes for Game three.
Ray and Paul would later contribute daggers: Ray on a great second chance look at a three, after a miss a few seconds earlier, and Paul, with a minute left, drained a three from so far beyond downtown that he might as well have tossed it up from the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge on his way out of town. The Captain drained a looong three.
Straight into Celtic Lore
But this was a game for the ages, sure to enter Celtic lore for the guts and glory a One Armed Bandit named Rajon Rondo brought to the Garden faithful and Celtic Nation. After being mugged by one Thug (McDirty) Wade and having his arm dislocated, Rondo was helped off the court to the locker room to be attended by the Celtic trainers and medical staff. The medical staff twisted Rondo’s arm back into its socket. Rondo came back a short time later and played the rest of the game with one good right arm, his injured left wing dangling uselessly by his side. He made assists, he scored and he played D, all with one good arm!
Celtic pride, team heart, guts and glory won this game, and it was a huge team effort all the way.
The Celtic team that won this game was unrecognizable from the team that was dominated by the Heat in Miami.
This Celtic team played Celtic Basketball and matched the Heat’s intensity and physicality. The bench came in and contributed 19 points, 6 rebounds 5 assists, and one block (two huge offensive rebounds by Big Baby Davis). Delonte came up huge off the bench with 11 points and 3 assists and running the team effectively when Rondo was down. Even Jeff Green played smart and contributed more than his stat line indicates.
Shaq came in and played eight minutes and was pure inspiration, dragging his bad leg down the court but always a gamer and giving the C’s 2 points, an assist, and a steal. Pure inspiration.
The Starting five, however, brought this victory home. They set the pace. They established the modus operandi for this game: hard, aggressive, smart Celtic Basketball.
KG, Paul, and Ray each came through big time when it counted the most. It was beautiful to behold. And the One Armed Bandit, Rondo, earned his place in Celtic lore.
Maybe, just maybe, we witnessed a quantum shift in momentum in this series. The C’s may be hurting, beat up, but the blood in their veins in now pumping a bright Celtic green, and the energy they generated in this game for the ages should carry through to Game 4.
This game was an instant classic. Straight into Celtic lore. I’m glad I was able to bear witness.
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