Boston Sports Then and Now

The Truth is...this basically sums Games 1-6 up.

Okay, so here’s what you need to know.

I had started my 2009-2010 Orlando Magic epitaph 3 separate times: once after game two, once again after game 3 and a third time during game 4. The first time I didn’t like it (though I thought the series would end in 4), the second time I didn’t want to jinx it (though I thought the series would end in 4) and the third time I gave up.

Kinda like the Celtics did.

Here’s what else you need to know.

The Magic didn’t lose games 1, 2 or 3.

They also didn’t win game 4 or 5.

Sometime between games 3 and 4, David Stern sent out his henchmen kinda like Vince McMahon would do anytime The Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin got out of line back in the day when anyone cared about what happened in the WWF/E. To be sure, the Celtics shot themselves in the leg, foot, hip and lower abdomen in Game 4.

They were flat all over the place.

They didn’t communicate.

They pushed too hard early and developed a massive hero complex late.

Then their individual hero complexes were worsened by the expectation that somebody else would make the big shot. Then they gave up when they should have called a timeout with about 8 seconds to go in regulation and their halfcourt set clearly going nowhere.

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It certainly does help when you don't run your mouth and just play ball, doesn't it?

8:09: My roommates are currently looking up a slew of Scal and Baby Davis highlights on YouTube while shotgunning cans of Bud heavy to get excited for the game. I’ve got a cup of cold milk and three bags of ice ready in case one of them goes Howard’s Elbow on the other and we need to arrange an emergency dentist’s appointment

8:11: Victor Martinez’ swollen toe just collected its 3^rd and 4^th RBI of the night as V-Mart put one into the Red Sox’ dugout. Doesn’t look like the Sox are gonna struggle scoring tonight.

8:16: On a semi-related note, it’s only now the top of the 4^th. Not a typical Wakefield game.

8:16: Just realized my two tickets to Sox games next week grant me the honor of watching Lackey and Matsuzaka pitch live. I think we’re due for a Dr. Jekyll Dice-K, so that may be okay, but after last night…you know what? That deserves its own article.

8:19: Clearly, the Royals aren’t going to have problems scoring either. They are the best hitting-team in baseball. This could be a long night.

8:29: I’d love for Wake to stay in this long enough to get the win, but I’m not really sure what to say about him here. Good thing it’s time for the Celtics because watching this is starting to pain me.

8:32: Finding out the opposing team hit a grand slam to break open a tie game is a little less heartbreaking when you see it on GameCast. Not much, but still.

8:35: Mercifully, the top of the 4^th inning ends. You can be sure Joe West will be bitching about the pace of play in this game later tonight. Should I just close GameCast and sign off Twitter at this point? Yes. Will I? Of course not. I’m an emotional cutter.

8:37: I don’t want to jinx it, but this game has Red Sox comeback written all over it. Okay, time for basketball. Green wins the tip and we’re off.

8:39: Rondo so far: 2-2 FG, 5 points. If you’re any good at math, you know that means he hit a 3. The Red Sox are gonna need to borrow his offense. Mag from the line so far: 2-4. Just sayin’

8:41: Howard’s too much of a pretty boy to hate. That’s why I loathe him more than James. Not Kobe. But he’s definitely second on the list. Well, that and the unbearable SportsCenter commercial where he dressed like Clark Kent. Mostly that commercial, actually.

8:45: Refs are playing too much of a role in this game early. But Garnett shouldn’t be forearm smashing anyone like that.

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The Cs are gonna need this one to wake up if they want to fly straight from Orlando to Los Angeles.

The potential Magic-Celtics series finale was sort-of preceded by a Stanley Cup Playoff elimination game in which Chris Pronger got uglier a few innings of Red Sox baseball in which: a) Ortiz homered, b) Buchholz stranded anyone who got near a base and c) the freak show that is the Trop accounted for 3 sort-of earned runs. These were all good signs. …Right?

8:29 PM: I’m not the only one in my house sitting in front of the TV with my laptop. This makes me feel marginally better about my inability to just enjoy a game as a fan anymore.

8:32 PM: Apparently Rene Rancourt blew the national anthem. I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin.

8:38: Howard’s baby hook over Garnett answered by an Allen three from the corner. Somehow I don’t see defense being a big part of the early goings.

8:41: As predicted, a severe lack of help defense on either end. Magic’s 9-5 is their largest lead…of the series.

8:42: Scratch that, 12-7 now Magic’s largest lead of series. Celtics look bored.

8:44 Barnes misses a wide-open layup. Not surprising. Magic are playing like a kid trying to lose his virginity. They’ll make more mistakes like that. Mark my words.

8:47: Youk just hit a 2-run bomb to make it 6-0, Sox. His OBP this month is inching close to 1.400. I’m not kidding.

8:51: Cs look bored. TOs 5-0 in favor of Orlando. Wonder if anyone knows where Quentin Richardson is.

8:54: Pierce misses first of two FTs and turns away, disgusted. Um, yeah.

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It was a big night for the Big Ticket.

It took me a long time to figure out what to write about this team and this series. I watched highlights, I looked at stats, I looked at more stats, I stopped looking at stats for a few minutes to stare at the pictures of Mary-Kate and Ashley that popped up on Google when I searched “cavs-celtics,” and then I watched Doc sit down for the postgame presser. He just looked around for a few seconds, seemingly completely relieved, relaxed, contented, then broke out in a big laugh. Then something popped into my head.

So often during a baseball season, we’re reminded that it’s not a sprint, but a marathon. We don’t hear that as often during basketball, but it couldn’t be more true to this Celtics season. They took their time with injuries. They put up with chemistry problems. They took bad losses and lucky wins, knowing what their goal was: win the division, get a top-4 seed and get healthy in time for April. Then win. And don’t stop winning.

Now, the team is healthy. The team is clicking. Wade has been vanquished. The LeBron James Sweepstakes have begun, prematurely. There are more dragons – and probably the most powerful – ahead, but suddenly nobody’s doubting this team’s ability to slay them.

There were moments during the game that merit mentioning, probably most notable among them the very end of the first half where Rondo attempted to corral Shaq, was called for his third foul and Doc sent Michael Finley to the scorer’s table to replace him with under 30 seconds to go. Rondo waved him back. Garnett may still be the spiritual leader, and Pierce may be the team’s rock, but the Celtics are Rondo’s now.

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Vince Carter gave the Celtics fits all night.

As much as the Boston Celtics players said that they were not anticipating revenge on the Orlando Magic last night, I found it hard to believe. As fans, we were ready for a full out onslaught, unleashed by players chipped out and ready to prove that they were the better team last spring.

The additions to the green squad were exposed to the media hype and I was sure they were primed to come out strong, illustrating that their presence on this team is the margin of depth that separates the Celtics from the rest of the association. During warm ups, the Garden was buzzing with the tense grumbling that’s usually only reserved for spring in Boston. Yes, the fans were expecting the intense play they had become accustomed to from their Celtics, a team that has dominated the league for two season’s. They were not ready for what they got when the ball was tossed over the logo at half court.

For the fourth time in seven games, the Celtics found themselves trailing after the first quarter. The Celtics have lost all but one of those four games. The team’s tendency to start games slow, and play from behind has been an area of concern recently.

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Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett will be wearing the same uniform next season.

It wasn’t that many years ago when the general consensus was that the eighth best team in the NBA’s Western Conference could defeat the best team in the Eastern Conference in an NBA Finals. That certainly is no longer the case.

The one-upmanship so far this off-season by the top teams in the East have made it clear that while the Los Angeles Lakers may be the champions, the Eastern Conference has a number of teams ready to make a run at the championship.

Certainly, the “big three” in the East remain the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. All three teams have made themselves better through the addition of “big name” players.

For Boston, adding Rasheed Wallace suddenly turns the “Three Amigos” into the “Fantastic Four.”

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