Now They Are History: C's Laid An Egg In Gm. 7 Of The ECF Vs. The Heat, Losing 103-84 At TD Garden

 

    In a season filled with incredible highs and lows, it is only fitting that with everything to play for-namely a spot in the NBA Finals and a place in history as the first team in the league to ever recover from a 3-0 deficit-the Celtics fell right on their faces for the entire world to see. They shot an appalling 21% on 3-pointers (9-for-42) and yet they refused to ever change their gameplan even as it quickly became clear that those shots were not going to fall. Tonight at TD Garden in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, they got off to a terrible start by scoring 15 points in the first quarter (tied for their lowest scoring opening frame of the year) and they never really recovered as the Heat blew them out 103-84 to clinch the series 4-3. Miami became only the second team ever to reach the NBA Finals as an eight seed after the 1998-99 Knicks. They will meet Denver-who has been off for roughly three weeks-in Game 1 on Thursday (8:30, ABC) in the Mile High City. Boston's superstar wing Jayson Tatum (14 points, 11 rebounds) sprained his left ankle on the first possession of Game 7 but that does not excuse the terrible performance by the rest of his teammates namely the Celtics' supposed other star wing Jaylen Brown (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, career-high 8 turnovers) who was dreadful throughout most of this series. 

    Tatum admirably hobbled around for 42 minutes but with him at clearly less than 100%, the C's desperately needed somebody else to step up. That turned out to be guard Derrick White (18 points) who seemed to be the only Celtic who was not scared of the moment but still he is Derrick White so he can only do so much in this type of high level contest. After Boston (5-1) lost their first elimination game of this postseason and finished under .500 (5-6) at the Garden in the playoffs, I think we have to stop saying that the Celtics are the better and/or more talented team. Throughout this series, the Heat were the more poised, tough, smart and relentless club. In truth, it was not even that close when it came to those important facets of the game. Miami's superstar wing Jimmy Butler (game-high 28 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals which in truth should have gone to small forward Caleb Martin (26 points, 10 rebounds) who was the most consistent player on the Heat all series long. 

    I am also done saying that Miami's center Bam Adebayo (12 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) is their second best player because he is not. Still, the Heat all know their role so despite his struggles for much of this series, they survived it because of guys like point guard Gabe Vincent (10 points) and forward Duncan Robinson (10 points, 2 steals off the bench) who always seem to make the right play. Meanwhile nobody else on the Celtics cracked double figures in scoring as point guard Marcus Smart (9 points), center Al Horford (8 points, 8 rebounds) and backup center Robert Williams (8 points, 6 rebounds) were all OK but ultimately not good enough. There is also a reason that teams are now 0-151 in NBA history when they trail 3-0 in a playoff series. It is supremely difficult to win four games in a row right after dropping the first three games. Boston was this close to making incredible history but now all that will be remembered is how poorly they played in Game 7 on their home court. 

    This was one last wretched performance as the C's trailed by as many as 23 points. Just like I will refuse to solely blame this loss on Tatum's rolled ankle, I also cannot totally pin this on Boston's rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla. However, if the Celts' front office decides to bring this jabroni back next season, I might puke. All you need to do is watch a clip of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra-arguably the best in the NBA-talking to his team during a huddle or how he explains things in his post-game press conferences to realilze that he is an adult while Mazzulla is a green infant not ready for this spotlight yet. The easiest thing to do in pro sports when things don't go your way is to fire the head coach, however considering that Boston has had three different head coaches in the last three seasons (Brad Stevens, Ime Udoka and Mazzulla), do you really think that Stevens will want to fire another young head coach? 

    The more pressing matter is what to do with Brown who is now eligible for a super max deal. Boston cannot simply run it back with the same exact roster and expect things to change for the better. I doubt that they would be bold enough to shop Jaylen but you have to consider anything to make the team better no matter what it takes. This also flipped the narrative from last season's NBA Finals that Jaylen is the gamer while Jayson fades in the clutch moments. All I know is that like the Bruins in 2019-the Celtics could not have dreamed of a more favorable path to a title and yet they puked all over themselves when it counted most. In all likelihood, they would have lost anyway to the Nuggets in the NBA Finals but that is besides the point. They did not even give themselves that opportunity by burying themselves alive (going down 3-0) and coming back from the dead only to epically fail one last time. 

Derrick White's Miracle Putback At The Buzzer Sends C's To Game 7 Of ECF Vs. Stunned Heat

 

    If the Celtics win the NBA title in a few weeks, the play at the end of tonight's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will live on in league and franchise history forever. Down 103-102 with only a few seconds potentially left in their bizarre season, guard Derrick White darted to the rim and was able to grab an offensive rebound and quickly put it in right before time expired. Boston won 104-103 at Kaseya Center to even the series 3-3 and send it back to TD Garden on Monday night (8:30, TNT) for what should be an absolutely bonkers atmosphere for Game 7 with a spot in the NBA Finals on the line. The Celtics are down to a short list of now only four teams in NBA history that have forced a Game 7 after trailing in a series 3-0. Of course the previous three all lost as they look to become the first of 150 teams (!!!) to complete this impossible task. 

    This was the 2022-23 Celtics at their best and worst as center Al Horford fouled the Heat's struggling superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 24 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists) taking a 3-pointer with three seconds left in regulation. Butler was a James Harden-esque 5-for-21 from the field but he almost made up for that by going 12-for-14 from the free throw line including calmly draining all three of those gift free throws to put his team up 103-102. At that point, this was a game that Miami should have locked up but weirdly, I would not call this an outright choke since the winning play was so fluky. The Celtics played well enough in the first three quarters-particularly in the first half-that it should not have come down to this. However, like so many other times this season (regular season and postseason), they could not close out a game as they appear to tighten up and simply try to run the clock out which is impossible in basketball against a legitimate, tough-minded opponent. 

    Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 31 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) was not much better than Butler in terms of shooting (8-for-22 from the field including 0-for-8 on 3s which seems impossible for him) but he was a perfect 15-for-15 on free throws. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown (26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) had one of his patented fast starts followed by long stretches of foul trouble (4) and ugly turnovers (4). He was 8-for-10 on free throws though which is no small feat for him. Point guard Marcus Smart (21 points) had his second very strong performance in a row while center Robert Williams added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Unless Butler goes crazy in Game 7-which is always a real possibility-Miami will win this series because of their undrafted guys. Small forward Caleb Martin (21 points, 15 rebounds) started and still played great while point guard Gabe Vincent returned with 15 points on his gimpy ankle, shooting guard Max Strus added 10 points and forward Duncan Robinson (who went to Governor's Academy and Phillips Exeter!) continued to impress with 13 points off the bench. Butler's rough outings have rightfully been focused on lately but Miami's center Bam Adebayo (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists)-their second best player-has been terrible in his own right. He went 4-for-16 from the field which seems like a misprint since he doesn't shoot 3s or anything from too far away from the basket. 

    Boston led 34-29 after the first quarter and Miami responded to cut their halftime lead to only four points (57-53). The third quarter was even more of a rock fight that the C's came out on top of (22-19) giving them a 79-72 lead heading into the fourth quarter. In terms of played out analogies, I will say that the Heat are like cockroaches led by Butler-who might as well be The Undertaker in a casket match-because they are virtually impossible to kill. The Celts had been up by as much as 13 points earlier on and they shot 8.1% better than the Heat from the field (46.7%-43.6%) but they managed to survive a brutal time shooting 3-pointers (Boston hit only 7-of-35 while Miami was a much better 14-of-30 aka 46.7%). The C's hit six more free throws (29-23), they blocked twice as many shots (8-4), scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32), had four more second chance points (16-12) and eight more fast break points (12-4).

    The stakes could not be any higher in Game 7 for the cardiac Celtics who improved to 5-0 in elimination games this postseason which is an incredible mark. By winning the last three games in a row and given how Game 6 ended, it is not a reach to think that they might have finally broken the Heat's amazing fighting spirit. Still, this is not the Hawks or Sixers that we are talking about. These same teams played in an identical Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year that Boston just squeaked out in Miami so there is no reason to think that this will play out much differently than that did. The C's opened as an eight-point favorite but I am still not comfortable risking any decent amount of money on this bi-polar club. The previous six games do not matter at all, Game 7 is the only thing that anyone will remember from this series; either Boston pulls off the greatest (series) comeback in NBA playoff history or Miami bounces back in the nick of time to save themselves from Yankees and Falcons type infamy. Get some rest these next few days, Memorial Day night should be a truly special atmosphere at the Garden. 

We've Got A Series Now (!!!!) As Boston Rolls To A 110-97 Victory In Game 5 Of The ECF Vs. Miami

 

    Basketball is a simple game so it is amazing what happens when you can pair great team defense with some fantastic long-range shooting. Tonight at TD Garden, the Celtics continued to claw their way back into the Eastern Conference Finals as they led from start to finish in a complete 110-97 Game 5 win that cut the Heat's lead down to 3-2. Game 6 is in Miami on Saturday night (8:30, TNT) and in many ways, that looks like a must-win for the suddenly reeling (is that too strong?) Heat. Boston improved to 4-0 facing elimination this postseason and for the first time all year, they had four guys score 20+ points: guard Derrick White had a game-high 24 points and two steals, point guard Marcus Smart added 23 points and a playoff-career high five steals, superstar small forward Jayson Tatum had a great all-around game with 21 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals while shooting guard Jaylen Brown added 21 points and three steals. Center Al Horford had 11 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block as he continues to help out even if he isn't scoring much.

    All playoffs long, this is the version of the Celtics that we had been waiting for. Sparked by Tatum going to the hoop at will, they were aggressive from the start and as they showed in the second half of Game 4-when they are on, the Heat have no chance to fully stop them. Miami's point guard Gabe Vincent missed tonight's contest with an ankle injury and his absence was felt all night since that forced the Heat to start old and washed up Kyle Lowry (5 points, 4 turnovers in 30 invisible minutes) in his place. Miami's supposed dynamic duo of small forward Jimmy Butler (14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals) and center Bam Adebayo (16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals) were likewise completely ineffective. All you need to know about how much that Boston locked down Miami in Game 5 (holding them under 100 points for the second straight game) was that New Hampshire native Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points and nine assists off the bench. Not only that but something called Haywood Highsmith-which sounds like a fake name-dropped 15 points off the bench in his first extensive minutes of the series and small forward Caleb Martin notched 14 points and five rebounds off the bench even though he tweaked his knee pretty badly in the first half. 

    The C's blitzed the Heat in the first quarter (35-20) and never really let up as they led 61-44 at halftime then 90-72 going into the fourth quarter. There are a few key stats that really illustrate just how much Boston dominated Miami: the Celts shot 16-for-39 (41%) on 3-pointers and they had more than twice as many steals as them (13-6) thanks to seven more turnovers by the visitors (16-9) which gave the home team eight more points off turnovers (27-19). Boston led by as much as 24 points and numerous offensive rebounds especially early on gave them 10 more second chance points (17-7) for the game.

    The Celtics are listed as a three-point favorite for Game 6 and even though you cannot totally trust them just yet, all the signs are there that this historical comeback could actually happen. We all know that no NBA team (out of the 150 that faced this predicament) has ever won a series that they trailed 3-0; Boston is the 14th to make it to a Game 6 and if they can force a Game 7 in Boston (which would be on Memorial Day), they would only be the fourth club in league history to pull that off. The momentum has totally shifted their way now and all the pressure is on Miami since I think most believe that Game 6 is by far their best chance to end this series once and for all. I know my long weekend just got way more exciting and wow, if the Celts can win their third game in a row, they are that close to pulling off something that I thought was nearly impossible to do in the NBA. Celtics in seven?  

In Game 4 Of The ECF, The Celts Staved Off Elimination With A Complete 116-99 Win At Miami

 

    In the grand scheme of things, tonight was likely just a stay of execution for the 2022-23 Celtics but hey, at least they showed up and competed en route to an impressive 116-99 victory at the Kaseya Center in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami still leads the series 3-1 and keep in mind that in addition to no teams ever rallying from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history to win that series, only three have even forced a Game 7. So yeah, the C's still have an insane amount of work to do but at least we can think about them for a few more days and not focus all of our attention on the mediocre Red Sox (26-23). Game 5 is Thursday (8:30, TNT) at TD Garden. Tonight's win was notable for a few reasons besides the obvious of avoiding an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the eight-seeded Heat; Boston improved to 5-3 on the road this postseason while also staying unbeaten (3-0) when they face elimination and furthermore, Miami suffered their first home loss this postseason (5-1).

    What makes this Celtics team so baffling is that results like this should be more of the norm given the talent and depth gap between them and the Heat. It is beyond frustrating that it took them this long to find a way to finally put a little pressure on Miami and show that the Heat are not this unstoppable force that the C's made them seem in this series especially in that pathetic Game 3 performance that is best forgotten ASAP. Boston's superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (game-high 33 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks) had his third 30-point game of the series but this was the first time when he truly felt like the best player on the floor. Conversely, his All-NBA cohort shooting guard Jaylen Brown (17 points, 2 steals) continued to struggle but luckily, his teammates were there to pick him up. The other three starters for the Celtics-guard Derrick White (16 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks), center Al Horford (12 points, 7 rebounds) and point guard Marcus Smart (11 points, 6 assists, 2 steals)-all scored in double figures. Additionally, power forward Grant Williams (14 points, 6 rebounds, steal, block)-the same guy who did not play a single minute in Game 1 thanks to head coach Joe Mazzulla's stupidity-proved that he is a very valuable guy off the bench in the right situation. 

    Miami's superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, steal, block) was not nearly as effective as you might think-save for a strong third quarter-since he shot 9-for-21 from the field. Boston's defense was really good and they completely neutralized center Bam Adebayo (10 points, 5 rebounds, steal) who is undoubtedly Miami's second best player. Point guard Gabe Vincent (17 points) and small forward Caleb Martin (16 points off the bench) were both good but neither of those scrubs went crazy which was a marked improvement for the Celtics from the last few contests. Also, Vincent rolled his ankle in the third quarter and managed to return to action but that is an injury to monitor on Thursday. They say that role players always perform better at home so hopefully both of those guys can come back to Earth even further in Game 5 but we will have to see it to believe it. 

    Things certainly did not start out too hot for Boston as they trailed 29-23 after the first quarter and 56-50 at halftime. They were fantastic in the third quarter though (38-23 including a 19-2 run that gave them an 18-point advantage) and that carried over to the fourth quarter (28-20) as Miami went ice cold and had no response for the Celtics' lockdown defense and pinpoint 3-point shooting. For the game, Boston shot nearly eight percent better from the field (51.2%-43.6%), they hit 10 more 3-pointers (18-8), handed out 10 more assists (28-18), they had three more steals (8-5), five less turnovers (15-10), eight more fast break points (18-10) and 13 more points off turnovers (27-14) than Miami. 

    Beware of people (mostly fanboys) trying to talk themselves into a historical comeback by the Celtics being right around the corner these next few days. Remember that this is the same club that is under .500 at the Garden (4-5) this postseason so they will have to win Game 5 before I ever start to take this seriously at all. It is hard to fathom that they could go 0-3 at home in the Eastern Conference Finals so hopefully they show some more pride and find a way to extend this series back to Miami for Game 6. If that happens, then we will have something to talk about as the Heat would have to start feeling a bit uneasy about how things are crumbling apart.

Just When You Thought Things Couldn't Get Worse, The C's Lie Down In Game 3 Of The ECF

 

    It is hard to remember a more pathetic performance in a must-win playoff game than the one submitted by your Boston Celtics tonight in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Kaseya (huh?) Center. They never bothered to even show up as the Heat broke their will and destroyed them 128-102 to take a 3-0 series lead. FYI teams in NBA history that have trailed 3-0 in a playoff series are 0-149 in winning that series so yeah, Boston's season is for all intents and purposes over. Who would bet on this group of gutless players and inept head coach to be the one to break that neverending streak? Game 4 is on Tuesday (8:30, TNT) so I hope that the Celts enjoy their last few days on South Beach before their season abruptly ends well short of their goal of an NBA title (that will make it 15 years and counting for that once proud franchise). 

    There really is not that much to say after an ass-whooping like what we just witnessed. It will surely cost head coach Joe Mazzulla his job-making it four head coaches for the Celtics in four seasons which is gross-but for once, he was far from the major problem in this disaster. Nope, getting swept by Miami (which is the lock of the century now) should make Boston's front office take a long hard look at their overrated roster. Were we naive to think that the Celtics' star tandem of small forward Jayson Tatum (14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) and shooting guard Jaylen Brown (12 points, 6 rebounds) are really good enough to lead them to a championship? They were two wins away last season but now, it feels like they are way behind with no titles on the horizon. 

    For the second straight game, another undrafted (sorry Coach Spo for pointing this out) nobody for the Heat had the game of his life. Step right up immortal point guard Gabe Vincent who dropped a game-high 29 points right on Boston's face. If that wasn't bad enough, former Williams College star forward Duncan Robinson added 22 points and guard Caleb Martin (Game 2's unlikely star) notched 18 points off the bench for the home team that can now taste another NBA Finals appearance-this time against Denver who is similarly up 3-0 on the overhyped Lakers. The Heat's superstar small forward Jimmy Butler (16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) and center Bam Adebayo (13 points) barely had to break a sweat as their minions did the job for them in Game 3. Shooting guard Max Strus added 10 points in the embarrassing defeat for the C's. 

    This was a true stinker of the highest order as Boston was never reasonably competitive: they trailed 30-22 after the first quarter, 61-46 at halftime and 83-63 headed into the final frame which prompted Bazooka Joe to pull all his starters for good. The Celtics might as well have not been there since the Heat shot a blistering 56.8% from the field and hit 54.3% (19-of-35) of their 3-pointers. Watching this team has become a painful chore akin to hate watching a TV show that you used to love; you know that you should just tune out but for some silly reason, you keep coming back and pretending that it is going to get better. It is not but at least this farce will reach its rightful conclusion on Tuesday. Get this terrible product out of our faces because we cannot take it anymore. Yuck.

The Celtics Are In Serious Trouble After Choking Away Gm. 2 & Losing 111-105 To The Heat In ECF

 

    One of the many givens in the NBA playoffs is that when the home team loses Game 1 of a series, they are basically a lock to even the series with a win in Game 2. Too bad nobody told the Celtics that as they watched Miami close on a 24-9 run tonight as the Heat stunned the TD Garden with a 111-105 victory. Miami heads home with a shocking 2-0 series lead and the possibility of them sweeping Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals is now squarely on the table. There are many reasons why the Celtics find themselves in this major hole but the crazy part is that despite their superior talent, this is the rare instance in the league where the more connected team (the Heat) continue to find a way while the C's self-destructed in crunch time yet again.

    Miami's star small forward Jimmy Butler (team-high 27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks) was not as good as he was in Game 1 but this time, he got even more help from the Heat's nameless others. Backup small forward Caleb Martin set a playoff career-high with 25 points off the bench, center Bam Adebayo (22 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists) just missed out on a triple double, NESCAC legend Duncan Robinson scored 15 points off the bench and Celtics Summer League alum Max Strus notched 11 points in the enormous win for the eighth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. 

    Unlike Game 1, this loss cannot be pinned nearly as much on Celtics superstar small forward Jayson Tatum (34 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists), not when shooting guard Jaylen Brown (16 points) was nowhere to be found, shooting a terrible 7-of-23 from the field. Center Robert Williams had 13 points, backup point guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 points off the bench and guard Derrick White notched 11 points off the bench. For Boston, two of their starters were complete black holes offensively as point guard Marcus Smart (7 points) and center Al Horford (2 points) combined for nine points in 52 minutes of action. Yuck.   

    Both teams had huge runs in the first half as the C's led 25-24 after one quarter and the Heat rallied to take a 54-50 advantage at halftime. An awful third quarter doomed the home team in Game 1 so at least they rectified that by making Game 2's third quarter their best frame (outscoring Miami 33-21). Going into the fourth quarter up eight points (83-75), most teams would be in good position to squeeze out a win but not this flawed team that fell to 4-5 at the Garden this postseason-while the other three teams remaining in the playoffs are all still unbeaten at home. After weirdly not playing a single minute in Game 1, backup power forward Grant Williams (9 points) reappeared in 26 minutes off the bench. He actually played pretty well considering how sporadic his playing time has been this postseason but he made the fatal mistake of getting in Butler's face and talking trash to the last guy in the NBA that you want to do that to. On the one hand, you appreciate Grant's willingness to mix it up (Tatum would never dare to do something like that in his entire life) but that blowing up in his face was so predictable.

    Miami had seven more steals (9-2) as sloppy Boston committed its usual truckload of turnovers (15-10). Even if we did not admit it, tonight was basically a must-win for the Celtics since so few teams comeback from a 2-0 series deficit in the NBA. With that said, Boston's season will unquestionably be on the line Sunday night (8:30, TNT) in Miami for Game 3. Not much else needs to be said; if they win they at least will get another game at the Garden but if they lose and go down 3-0 (which no NBA team has ever recovered from), goodnight Celtics. 

C's Waste Another Big Lead (17 pts) & Nightmare 3rd Quarter Puts Them In 0-2 Hole vs. the Heat

 

    After sweeping the Sixers in the first round and winning the first two games vs. the Raptors, the Celtics fell to 2-5 in their last seven contests after an extremely frustrating 106-101 loss tonight to the Heat at the Disney World bubble in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami improved to a remarkable 10-1 this postseason and took a commanding 2-0 series lead which as we learned in the last round against Toronto, teams that are up 2-0 in a best-of-7 series have advanced 93% of the time (like the C's in 7 games vs. the Raptors). Ruh roh. Game 3 is on Saturday night in primetime (8:30, ESPN) and needless to say, Boston will be playing to save their postseason since no team in NBA history has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit. No pressure or anything. This loss does not fall solely on Celts head coach Brad Stevens but this series means very much to his NBA career and he fell to 4-10 (.286) all-time in the ECF including 1-5 (.167) in his last six games. 

    If you watched the game or even just by glancing at the box score, you can see that the third quarter essentially decided everything: down 13 at halftime, Miami absolutely blitzed Boston 37-17 (their worst scoring margin all season!) which was enough to help them survive getting outscored in all three other quarters. Oh and double-digit leads continue to mean nothing as Boston was up by as many as 17 points in the second quarter (58-41 with 3:19 left in the half); they've now blown double-digit advantages in four of their five playoff losses. I despise cliches but watching these first two games, you can clearly see that Miami is the much hungrier team. The Celtics have more talent on paper than the Heat but Miami is playing more unselfish, team basketball. How else do you explain six Heat scoring in double figures led by Goran Dragic's game-high 25 points while Boston only had four guys in double figures? 

    Duncan Robinson (18 points) caught fire early on with a trio of 3-pointers but the Celtics managed to lead 31-28 after the first quarter. Boston's best 12 minutes of Game 2 came in the second quarter as their defense locked down Miami to the tune of 29-19. The C's outscored the Heat in the third quarter in Game 1-which didn't matter since they lost in OT-but they were back to their nightmare third quarters from the Toronto series. Suddenly, they forgot how to defend simple pick-and-rolls where Bam Adebayo (21 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) got dunks and easy buckets over and over again. Neither Jae Crowder (12 points, 3 steals) nor Tyler Herro (11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) were as good as they had been in the series opener but at least they did something. Jimmy Butler (14 points, 4 steals) was invisible but somehow his teammates lifted him up and you can bet that he won't have another complete clunker like that in this round at least.

    Kemba Walker (23 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals) was Boston's highest scorer and best player, Jayson Tatum (21 points, 5 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (21 points, 6 rebounds) were fine and Marcus Smart (14 points) did his thing but collectively it wasn't enough. Boston's bench was a factor in the first half as Enes Kanter made a rare playoff appearance and put up nine points and six rebounds which sadly turned out to be his final stat line as well. Brad Wanamaker made a pair of 3-pointers in the first half but he predictably was held to one point in the second half while Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams combined to play 19 minutes but they went scoreless (granted they took 2 shots, both misses by Semi). Romeo Langford also came out of witness protection in the first quarter, got hurt in 1:21 (right adductor strain) and never returned. He was the 14th overall pick in last year's NBA Draft, what was Celts GM Danny Ainge thinking there? 

    You look at the stat sheet and in some ways, it's stunning that the Celtics found a way to lose. They shot 5.6% better from the floor (50%-44.4%), hit seven more free throws (19-12) and grabbed three more rebounds. On the other hand, Miami hit four more 3-pointers (14-10), pulled down five more offensive rebounds (11-6), they dished out eight more assists (27-19), had more than twice as many steals (11-5) and committed 11 less turnovers (20-9). Therefore the Heat boatraced the Celtics on points off turnovers (26-10) and put up five more second chance points (16-11). This evening was the first time in the postseason that Boston trailed in a series and we saw how well they dealt with a little adversity in that instance. 

    If we are being real here, Game 3 is all about the Celtics since the Heat are playing with house money at this point (not only making it this far but surprisingly leading the series 2-0 to boot). If they fold and go down 0-3, there will be endless questions asked of Ainge, Stevens and their top players for however long this unpredictable offseason lasts. Celtics fandom aside, we all know that this should be a six or seven game series because there really is not that much separating them from the Heat or at least there shouldn't be. Saturday will show us what they're truly made of and if we have grossly overrated them all along. 

Nobody In The World Expected The Bruins To Sweep The Penguins, Except They Just Did It

When we are old and grey, this Bruins-Penguins Eastern Conference Finals will be something that we look back to and wonder how the hell it went down the way it did. Boston swept Pittsburgh with a 1-0 victory at TD Garden this evening. The Bruins outscored the Penguins 12-2 for the series including two shutouts by Tuukka Rask (26 saves). Boston advances to its second Stanley Cup Finals in three years, awaiting the winner of Chicago-Los Angeles (Blackhawks lead 3-1 with a chance to close it out tomorrow night at home).

Adam McQuaid provided the game's only goal, a snipe to the top shelf on a one-timer from Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. McQuaid's second goal of the postseason was undoubtedly the biggest of his life given the circumstances. Tomas Vokoun (23 saves) once again was the tough luck loser who gave up six total goals in Games 1, 3 and 4.

For now, let's bask in the absurd stats coming out of this truly ridiculous (in a good way of course) series. The two best hockey players in the world-Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin-had no points, same story with Jarome Iginla, James Neal and Kris Letang. Brandon Sutter and Chris Kunitz were the only Penguins able to solve Rask. What's more, Pittsburgh never led in the entire series and their unstoppable power play was 0 for 15 capped off by 0 for 3 in Game 4.

The B's are the definition of a team where the sum is much better than their parts. On paper, you think they'd be lucky to hang with the Penguins except they controlled the whole series and never let Pittsburgh dictate play. It helps that Rask is playing the best hockey of his career, a big reason why Boston has won nine of its last 10 games (OT loss to Rangers in Game 4 being only setback).

No matter if it's the Blackhawks or Kings, it's hard to believe that anyone is out there still doubting the Bruins. They have beaten three completely different styles of teams (Maple Leafs, Rangers and Penguins) in a row and done it in less time for each successive series. Along those lines, it's also time for Bruins head coach Claude Julien to start to receive way more credit. His teams might be boring to watch at times but the man knows how to get the most of his players and getting everyone to buy in to a specific role.

Personally I'm rooting for Chicago since Bruins-Blackhawks has never happened and it would be the first Original Six Stanley Cup Finals since 1979 (Rangers vs. Canadiens). Chicago won a Cup in 2010-the year before the B's-and apart from that, it's a great city similar in many ways to Boston. If the Kings can find a way to win three straight, they would be an interesting opponent as well since they won the Cup last season and nobody has repeated since 1997 & 1998 (Detroit). I'm sure the B's would like LA to win another game or two to ensure those two clubs will totally be exhausted while they get some extra rest.

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Bruins Take 3-0 Series Lead On Penguins Thanks To A 2-1 Victory In 2OT

Games like tonight are a wonderful reminder of why the NHL playoffs are second to none. Where else can you say an incredible performance (53 saves by Tuukka Rask), a guy finish a shift on a broken leg (Gregory Campbell) then to top it all off in double overtime, an exquisite goal? The Bruins beat the Penguins 2-1 at TD Garden on Patrice Bergeron's fifth goal of the postseason (2nd OT winner) at 15:19. Boston is one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals as they take a 3-0 lead over Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Brad Marchand had the primary assist but Jaromir Jagr was credited with the second assist and he created the play by losing the puck to Evgeni Malkin then taking it back and starting the rush. For the first three periods, you could say that Rask basically stole the game for the B's since he stood on his head on the way to a career-high in saves. He has clearly psyched out the Penguins (they hit the post four times). In three games (almost 11 full periods with the overtimes), mighty Pittsburgh has scored two goals. Think about that.

David Krejci scored his NHL-best ninth goal of the playoffs just 1:42 into regulation as Pittsburgh somehow lost him at the side of their net and he banked it in off Matt Niskanen's skate. Milan Lucic had the assist on Krejci's fourth goal in three games.

The Penguins blitzed Rask and he couldn't stop every shot although he nearly completed that impossible task once again. Chris Kunitz scored on a one-timer from Paul Martin and Pascal Dupuis at 8:51 in the second period. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh still hasn't led in this series. Tomas Vokoun (38 saves) proved that Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma made the right decision by sticking with him, he was very solid.

Both teams had to kill a pair of penalties in overtime: Pittsburgh's penalty kill came through twice in the first overtime while Boston's had one in each frame to make things extra nerve-wracking (if that's possible).

I can't imagine how the Penguins feel after this loss, they couldn't have done much more but they still came up short. The Bruins are clicking in so many ways which is why they've won eight of their last nine games overall. They'll go for their first sweep of the postseason in Game 4 on Friday (8 p.m., NBCSN). It took Boston three times to put away Toronto. Boston wasn't able to close out the Rangers in four games but they got the job done in Game 5. Maybe now they can do it on the first try.

UPDATE 6/7: Kaspars Daugavins will take Campbell's place but he is expected to skate on the third line. Chris Kelly should center the fourth line with Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton.

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Asking for the Penguins: So When Do The Eastern Conference Finals Start?

Who didn't think the Bruins would win Games 1 & 2 in Pittsburgh by an aggregate score of 9-1? Haha Boston followed up Saturday's 3-0 victory in Game 1 with an absurd 6-1 pasting of the Penguins in Game 2 tonight at CONSOL Energy Center. The B's took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals back with them to Boston for Games 3 and 4 at TD Garden.

I'm not just being a Black and Gold honk when I say that this one was over after the first 20 minutes. Boston blitzed Pittsburgh with four goals in the opening frame and the Penguins' revolving door of goaltenders nor turnstiles/parking cones on defense could do anything to stop them.

Other than the final score, this win will be remembered most for Brad Marchand's heroics. He scored on a breakaway 28 seconds into regulation after stealing Sidney Crosby's weak pass attempt and skating in on a breakaway. Pittsburgh's Brandon Sutter finally solved Tuukka Rask (26 saves) at 19:26 but Marchand answered by stomping on the Penguins' throats 25 seconds later. His snipe over Marc-Andre Fleury's glove made it 4-1, it was Marchand's fourth goal of the postseason from Patrice Bergeron and Jaromir Jagr.

Boston has completely exposed Pittsburgh's overrated defensemen, looking at you Kris Letang (-3 in Game 2), and left their pair of overmatched goaltenders-Tomas Vokoun and Fleury in a Zamboni puddle in the corner. Nathan Horton made it 2-0 Bruins at 14:37 after he tipped Torey Krug's shot from the point then followed up his own rebound. David Krejci scored his NHL-best (tied with Chicago's Patrick Sharp) eighth goal at 16:31 after some beautiful passing between Horton and Milan Lucic.

Krejci's goal prompted Vokoun to get pulled but Fleury also allowed three goals (albeit when the game was already out of hand) so how can you choose between those two bums at the moment?

We keep waiting for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jarome Iginla, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis or Letang to do something positive but so far, they've combined for a grand total of zero points and they are collectively -19. Is this real life?

Bergeron wrapped it up 27 seconds into the third period after a sublime pass from Jagr. Johnny Boychuk assisted on Bergeron's fourth goal of the playoffs. Boychuk completed the barrage with his NHL-leading (for a defenseman) fifth goal at 18:36 from Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell.

At least the Penguins showed a heartbeat in Game 1, I can't say they did the same in Game 2. It was almost as if they packed it in once Marchand made it 4-1. The pressure of being the Eastern Conference favorites all season appears to have taken its toll on this mentally fragile squad. Many will be quick to compare the Penguins to the Canucks of 2011 but the difference there is that Vancouver won the first two games at home before falling apart in Boston and losing Game 7 on its home ice.

As the Bruins have showed countless times in the past decade alone, anything can happen in the NHL playoffs. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, they have really put themselves in a tough spot. We convinced ourselves that they would come out much better in Game 2 but it turned out that they played way worse than Game 1. Pittsburgh is light years ahead of the Rangers in terms of talent and pedigree but if they lose Game 3 on Wednesday (8 p.m., NBCSN), I'm confident the Penguins would similarly roll over and make this a short series.

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Hey Penguins: Don't Poke The Bear Or Something

Repeat after me Bruins fans: it's only one game, it's only one game, good. Boston beat Pittsburgh 3-0 tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Consol Energy Center. The B's basically did everything they could have hoped for and right away, they put all the pressure (as if it wasn't already) on the Penguins. Game 2 is Monday (8 p.m., NBCSN).

What we felt was Boston's only real advantage coming into the series turned out to be the truth in Game 1: Tuukka Rask (29 saves) recorded his first career playoff shutout while Tomas Vokoun (27 saves) wasn't good enough, leaving a few costly rebounds which the B's made the most of.

The Bruins top line of Milan Lucic (assist, +2), David Krejci (2 goals) and Nathan Horton (1 goal, 2 assists) was outstanding. Krejci added to his NHL-leading total (7 goals, 12 assists) further cementing his legacy as a truly clutch player whenever the postseason rolls around.

The difference between Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron was obvious already: Crosby is the best hockey player in the world but much like LeBron in the NBA he still takes the low-rent tactic of whining about everything 24/7. Meanwhile, Bergeron never fights but when the Penguins tried to be tough at the end of the second period he ended up brawling with Evgeni Malkin. That is a true leader, all Crosby could do was talk trash to Zdeno Chara with a referee safely between them.

Speaking of bush league, it only took Matt Cooke a little more than one period to show us that he'll never change. Shame on the pathetic Penguins fans and media that pretend he's reformed. It reminds me of Celtics honk media members saying that Rajon Rondo became a leader. Cooke took a run at Adam McQuaid and got a game misconduct for hitting from behind early in the second period. McQuaid was shaken up but soon returned to the ice after going to the dressing room.

Pittsburgh hit the post three times but Rask seemed to get in their heads as the game went on. Krejci gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 8:23 of the first period, assisted by Horton and Andrew Ference (first action since Game 5 vs. Maple Leafs). Ference started the play by driving to the net and Krejci's shot trickled through Vokoun's pads after the puck hit Paul Martin's skate and deflected.

Krejci made it 2-0 at 4:04 of the third period after his shot was blocked by Vokoun but popped high in the air around the crease. Like Daniel Paille in Game 3 vs. Rangers, Krejci's alertness and hustle paid off with his second goal-also assisted by Horton. Mr. Playoffs aka Horton iced it with a goal less than four minutes later from Lucic and Gregory Campbell. Once again, Vokoun's juicy rebound ended up in the back of his net.

An enjoyable aspect of this contest was the obvious disdain both clubs have for each other. Interestingly enough, this came after both enjoyed a week off. Crosby was pissed, probably cause he played terrible by his lofty standards (-2) and he took it out on poor Tyler Seguin in garbage time. Crosby chopped Seguin's legs with a slash, his second penalty of the night. I guess Cooke is really rubbing off on Sid the Kid.

This win means that Boston is 3-0 in Game 1s during the postseason. They also broke Pittsburgh's six-game win streak over them dating back to last season. Regardless, you can guarantee that the Penguins will play much better in Game 2. However, if the B's can somehow find themselves on top again well then Pittsburgh would certainly be reaching for the nearest panic button.

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Heat Close On 20-6 Run, Advance To NBA Finals With Game 7 Win

We all knew this day would come, there was no way that the Boston Celtics would win a title in 2011-12 when they had such an old core and so many injuries. Still, as the postseason progressed and they ended up in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, we all believed that they might extend this magical run one more time after they led the series 3-2 with Game 6 in Boston.

For more than three quarters, Boston was right there with Miami. In fact, they were up 82-81 (after a Ray Allen 3-pointer) with 8:48 left in the fourth. That's when the Heat finally took over and closed on a 20-6 run to take a 101-88 decision in Game 7 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Miami will travel to Oklahoma City to begin the NBA Finals on Tuesday. Boston's Big 3 fell to 4-3 all time in Game 7's and the Celtics ended 3-7 on the road in these playoffs. Much like in 2010 when the C's choked away a 3-2 lead and lost Game 7 to the Lakers, one couldn't help but feel like Boston's real shot to win this was in Game 6 but they totally no-showed. There was nothing to criticize about their effort tonight, they simply ran out of gas against a younger team.

LeBron James was a force one more time against the Celtics, putting up a game-high 31 points and 12 rebounds. He only had two assists as his singular focus was getting to the hoop (12 for 17 on free throws). Dwyane Wade (23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) played second fiddle again but Chris Bosh (19 points, 8 rebounds) might have been the difference in the clincher. Out of nowhere, Bosh hit a career-high three 3-pointers in a game that meant everything to the Heat's Big 3.

Shane Battier (12 points, 4 3-pointers) and Mario Chalmers (9 points, 7 assists) also played well enough for Miami. James, Wade and Bosh scored the Heat's last 31 points. Haha really.

Rajon Rondo (22 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds) was brilliant as he picked up his 10th career playoff triple-double but he didn't get enough help to pull out what would have been a shocking upset. Paul Pierce had 19 points (but he was 7 for 18 from the floor), Brandon Bass scored 16 and had four steals, Ray Allen added 15 and Kevin Garnett was held in check with 14 points and seven rebounds.

We couldn't ask for a much better first half by the C's as they led 27-23 after the first quarter and 53-46 at halftime. Miami's defense clamped down in the second half and Boston couldn't get anything going offensively. The Heat outscored the Celtics 55-35 in the second half including a killer 28-15 fourth quarter.

For the game, Miami shot 51.4% to Boston's 46.7%. The Heat made three more 3-pointers (9-6), eight more free throws (20-12) and five more rebounds (38-33). The Celts managed three more assists (19-16) and two more steals (10-8).

I don't want this to sound like a loser's lament since I don't think they had a prayer to beat the Thunder anyway but it's a shame that the Celtics won't have that special opportunity. Putting our rooting interests aside, I don't know who would prefer Miami's boring 1-on-1 AAU style vs. Boston's team basketball. It would have been fun to see if the Celts could have thrown a scare into what looks like the NBA's newest dynasty.

It's going to be a fascinating offseason to see what Danny Ainge decides to do with this roster. There's a good chance that all of the Big 4 will return, then again I wouldn't be surprised to see Allen leave or maybe even KG retire. Rondo is the future and this team still has some potential next season provided that they surround the older guys with more depth and reliable youngsters. Boston has two picks in the first round of the NBA Draft (21, 22) on June 28 and it is supposed to be a quality draft so hopefully they can package those to move up or possibly get a veteran.

When we look back in a few years, this team should always hold a special place in Boston sports fans' hearts. They overachieved, played the game the right way and got absolutely everything out of what they had; what more could we have asked for?

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LeBron James' Game For The Ages (45 pts, 15 rebs) Carries The Heat To Game 7

Sometimes, even in the playoffs in a game that couldn't hold much more meaning, you simply don't have it. Tonight, the Boston Celtics entered that pathetic realm with an all-time stinkbomb in NBA history.

LeBron James scored 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had five assists (first player to do that since Wilt) as the Miami Heat took it to the Boston Celtics from start to finish, for an easy 98-79 victory in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden.

Just like David Stern scripted it (for ratings, duh), this series will be decided on Saturday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) back in Miami thanks to LeBron's otherworldly performance which included 19 for 26 shooting from the field.

There really isn't that much to review (at least from my perspective) since this was dominated by the Heat, well more specifically LeBron, the entire way. Boston was down 55-42 at halftime and all they could do was trim it to 10 points early in the third quarter before another barrage of shots were too much for them to take.

On the one hand, it was shocking that the C's could be so flat when they had worked so hard (three straight wins including Game 5 in Miami) to wrestle home-court away from the Heat and rally from a 2-0 deficit in the series. Then again, as I've said 20 million times since the Big 4 were created: they always choose the more difficult way of doing things. Whether that means beating Atlanta in six games or Philadelphia in seven games. Obviously, unlike those earlier rounds they will be major underdogs and on the road but I have a feeling that Game 7 won't resemble this forgettable blowout in any way shape or form.

Dwyane Wade (17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals) was Miami's only other player to score in double figures. Mario Chalmers had nine points, Shane Battier scored eight and Chris Bosh put up seven points and six rebounds off the bench in 28 minutes (double his time in Game 5).

Rajon Rondo (21 points, 10 assists, 3 steals) was the only Celtic to show up. Kevin Garnett (12 points), Ray Allen (10 points) and Paul Pierce (9 points, 4 of 18 shooting) all played like they were 60-years-old after they had turned back the clock for the past month and a half. Brandon Bass had 12 points and seven rebounds while Marquis Daniels put up eight points in garbage time showing that perhaps he deserves more run in Game 7 over Mickael Pietrus.

The numbers are too brutal to spew out but there are two things which signify that this game was an anomaly after the C's scored 93+ in Games 2-5: Boston had 10 more fast break points (15-5) and 10 more points in the paint (42-32). As long as LeBron doesn't shoot 73% from the floor again, I like the Celtics' chances. I'm not saying they're going to win but this being the last hurrah and the fact that they were so humiliated tonight on their home court means that they should give it their absolute best shot.

Empty the tank, hold nothing back, balls to the wall on Saturday night. Once again, everybody will pick the Heat which can only be a good thing. All the pressure will be on them and if Boston can make it a tight game with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, we'll see if LeBron is draining impossible shots that he normally bricks (except for tonight). The Celtics have already proved that they can win in Miami and there is zero chance that the Big 4 will all collectively play that bad again in a game that means everything.

PS. I'm a sucker for a good moment and I thought it was awesome near the end of the game when the remaining die-hard members of the crowd gave the C's a nice "Let's Go Celtics" chant. Great stuff that shows why Boston is such a great sports city, by and large our fans get it more than any other place in the US.

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Boston Celtics Are One Win Away From Their Third NBA Finals Appearance In Five Years

Why do we devote so much time and energy in our lives to sports? Precisely for moments like tonight, when the Boston Celtics continued to shock the NBA as they beat the Miami Heat 94-90 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at AmericanAirlines Arena to take a 3-2 series lead.

Believe it or not, Boston's Big 3 improved to a perfect 9-0 in Game 5's when the series is tied 2-2.

After losing the first two games in Miami, Boston righted the ship with two wins at home but this evening was the best part thus far: picking up the all-important road win which they needed to have a shot to get by the Heat and advance to the 2012 NBA Finals (Oklahoma City leads San Antonio 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals).

The reasons that the Celtics are suddenly winning the series while carrying all the momentum are pretty simple: they are deeper than the Heat, they play better defense, they have a clue on offense (thanks to a special point guard) and they are winners led by an outstanding head coach. I think that about covers it, right?

It is nice to know that even with so many things wrong with the NBA, a team that can still be based on unity, chemistry, defensive effort (how many loose balls did the Celtics win last night?) and unselfish play can win at such a high level (as corny as that sounds).

Miami has been held to 93 points or less in every game except for Game 2 (which went to overtime). If not for that one, they would have been held to under 100 points in every game so far. Boston has scored 93+ points in every contest since Game 2. To show you how close it's been, Miami has scored 480 points while Boston has 478 points.

A sign of a championship caliber team is when they continue to get unexpectedly great games from lesser players. Tonight, that meant Mickael Pietrus had 13 points for the Celtics including one of the biggest shots of the entire game-a 3-pointer following a spectacular block by Dwyane Wade (27 points, 6 rebounds). The ball deflected to Rajon Rondo (7 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and he had the presence of mind and athleticism to poke it to Pietrus who was camped out in the corner.

Paul Pierce (19 points) wasn't much of a factor all game since he shot 6 for 19 from the floor but he hit what was the dagger of this contest and could very well end up in the series. His 3-pointer made it 90-86 C's with 52 seconds left. From there, Ray Allen (13 points, 8 of 8 on free throws, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (26 points, 11 rebounds) hit a pair of free throws to ice it while Miami's fairweather fans departed early as they so often do.

Brandon Bass finished with 10 points for the Celtics while Keyon Dooling hit a key 3-pointer off the bench and Greg Stiemsma had three points and four rebounds in eight minutes. Even though they only played nine guys, eight of them (Marquis Daniels did less than nothing in three minutes) made tangible contributions to the win.

LeBron James (30 points, 13 rebounds) carried Miami but this turnaround by Boston has proved that it takes more than two superstars to beat a true team. Chris Bosh (9 points, 7 rebounds) returned and actually played pretty well in 14 minutes off the bench but they'll need to let him loose if they want to see a Game 7 back in Miami. Mario Chalmers had nine points but no Heat player other than LeBron and Wade reached double-figures. Udonis Haslem snatched 14 rebounds in the loss.

After playing poorly in the first half of Games 2-4, Miami started out much better tonight. They were up 24-16 after one quarter and pushed it their advantage up to 13 (31-18) before Boston started to wake up. The Celtics only trailed by two at halftime (42-40) and like Miami they reversed an earlier trend: this time they won the third quarter (25-18) thanks to a 15-1 run that ended it. The fourth quarter was an awesome frame of playoff basketball as both teams traded big buckets, rebounds, defensive plays, you name it. Miami outscored Boston 30-29 but it wasn't enough.

The Heat are really struggling from downtown (7 for 26 on 3-pointers). Boston is clearly content to let them keep firing away from distance. Showing how much the C's stole their mojo, Boston attempted (27-25) two more free throws than Miami (which I didn't think was allowed when the Heat were home) and hit three more (22-19). Miami had 10 more rebounds (49-39), three more offensive (12-9) but Boston had six more assists (19-13) proving how much hero ball the Heat play. The stat of the game for the Celts was steals which they led 13-6. The Heat had three more turnovers (15-12) and I think that slightly superior defense and attention to detail is part of what has brought the C's to this position.

As the cliche goes, the toughest part of a playoff series is the close out game. We all remember the Celtics' recent struggles in that spot this postseason (Game 5 in Atlanta; Game 6 in Philly) but snapping a four-game road losing streak and handing Miami only its second loss at home means that this is Boston's series to lose at this point. They won Games 3 and 4 at TD Garden so with a similar effort in Game 6 (8:30 p.m., ESPN) on Thursday night, I think they can get it done.

The Big 3 are 9-2 in series when they go up 3-2. Bottom line, they want no part of a Game 7 back in Miami. The atmosphere should be electric, you know the crowd will do its part. The Celtics don't have to change anything up. Just play the same style that has resulted in three straight victories. Tight defense (Miami has scored 91 points or less in Games 3-5) and big boy performances from Rondo and KG, that should do it.

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Some Unexpected Help Pushes Celtics To A 101-91 Game 3 Win Vs. Miami

It turns out that coming home was all the Boston Celtics needed to completely change up their gameplan and therefore find a way to beat the Miami Heat.

In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at TD Garden, Boston was able to play the way that got them here: they were unselfish (4 guys in double figures), they pounded the ball inside (58-46 advantage in points in the paint) and hit free throws (20-10). This all added up to a complete 101-91 win for the Celts that brought some life to this series, cutting the Heat's advantage to 2-1.

It's hard to believe that in a must-win game to save the season, Marquis Daniels (9 points, 5 rebounds) and Keyon Dooling (7 points, 4 rebounds) were two major keys to the victory. That's the gospel truth though, both provided major energy, defense and some timely scoring as Boston's bench (19 points, series high for them) finally showed a flicker of life.

When Boston focuses on getting Kevin Garnett (24 points, 11 rebounds) the ball down low, good things usually happen, especially with no Chris Bosh in the lineup for Miami. Paul Pierce scored 23, Rajon Rondo orchestrated everything with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists while Ray Allen had 10 points and five rebounds. Off the top of my head, I think it was the best single game for those four players this postseason; meaning that they all showed up at the same time in a big way.

LeBron James (34 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) scored 16 in the first quarter but the Celtics' collapsing defense was able to limit him the rest of the way. He only took five foul shots (making one) and after hitting every jumper early on, those same shots weren't falling when it mattered. This loss didn't fall on LeBron's thick shoulders though, Dwyane Wade (18 points) no-showed for most of the first three quarters. Mario Chalmers (14 points, 6 assists) and Mike Miller (11 points, 6 rebounds) continued their strong play for Miami.

The Celtics led from start to finish and while their 24-point advantage shrunk to as little as eight points in the fourth quarter, they had them all the way (haha yeah right, I think we all sweated out those last few minutes).

Boston was up 30-28 after the first quarter and 55-42 at halftime thanks to a late 3-pointer by Allen. It would have been even more if not for some easy fastbreak buckets the Heat converted after made shots by the C's. The third quarter has been Miami's jackpot in the playoffs but the Celts didn't allow that to happen (30-21). The Heat made a run in the fourth (28-16) credit to them for not packing it in but a lack of 3-point shooters (5 for 17) really hurt them.

While Game 3 was the most important of the series, the same can now be said for Game 4 on Sunday night (8:30 p.m, ESPN). All Miami wants is one road win and they'll go back to South Beach with a chance to close it out. Not for nothing but Boston is 7-1 at home this postseason and the Heat have lost six of their last seven playoff games at TD Garden (spanning three postseasons).

Without Chris Bosh, the Celts are a deeper and more unselfish team. Tonight was a perfect example of what happens when Rondo, KG, Pierce and Allen are in harmony. Add in some great minutes from Dooling and Daniels and now we have ourselves a series.

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The Celtics Waste The Best Game Of Rajon Rondo's Career, Lose Game 2 In Overtime

In this era of instant analysis (thanks Twitter and 24/7 news cycle), overreactions and Sportscenter playing on a constant loop, it's easy to lose perspective on things at times. Make no mistake about it though, Rajon Rondo had one of the greatest performances tonight that we'll ever see in an NBA playoff game.

Rondo went for a career-high 44 points (16 of 24 shooting) with 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals but it still somehow wasn't enough as the Heat won Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals 115-111 in overtime this evening at AmericanAirlines Arena.

An optimist would say that Miami just held serve at home as they went up 2-0 in the series; a pessimist would tell you that Boston gave it their best shot but they came up empty in what amounted to a must-win in everything but the name.

It's hard to put into words how well Rondo played. Let's start with the fact that he played all 53 minutes and scored all 12 of their points in overtime. That is absurd. He was 2 for 2 on 3-pointers, 10 of 12 from the free throw line and he hit jumpers all night long. Oh and he only had three turnovers. Paul Pierce (21 points, 6 rebounds) fouled out for the second time in three games and unlike in Game 7 vs. Philly, Rondo wasn't able to carry his team by himself without the captain. Kevin Garnett had a very quiet 18 points and eight rebounds but on the flip side, Ray Allen put up 13 points in 43 minutes.

One of the most promising parts of this was Ray's tying 3-pointer (tying it at 99). He still didn't shoot great (5 for 11 from the floor) but he looked way more energized than he has recently. Brandon Bass had eight points and 10 rebounds but he got buried on the bench in the fourth and overtime as Celtics head coach Doc Rivers went with Mickael Pietrus (to cover LeBron James).

If I told you that James was 7 for 20 from the floor, you would probably do cartwheels (assuming you like Boston) but the problem was that he took 24 free throws. Yes my friends, he hit 18 of them for 34 points along with 10 rebounds and seven assists in one of the most fraudulent big-time stat lines in playoff history.

Dwyane Wade (23 points) was absent for most of the first half but he was the central figure in the three biggest plays of the game (for Miami). Mario Chalmers (22 points) was the unlikely hero that helped the Heat overcome a slow first half. Udonis Haslem (13 points, 11 rebounds) also made a couple huge key hoops which made up for LeBron pooping his pants like usual (missing two shots at the end of regulation and two free throws in overtime). Wade's crazy plays were 1) a block on Allen's layup, 2) a non-foul call on Rondo where he hit him over the face and 3) a big boy And-1 (missed the free throw) after he was fouled by KG in the lane.

The Celts actually were up by as many as 15 points (47-32) in the second quarter but the Heat chipped away thanks to a laughable foul advantage (33-18). Three Celtics fouled out while only one Heat player (Joel Anthony, 4) had more than three fouls. LeBron and Wade combined for four total fouls in 91:35 of combined action. As we learned in the Philadelphia series, double-digit leads for the C's are nothing, they can give them up in a quarter or two. The truth is that if Miami (31 of 37) hit their free throws, they wouldn't have needed overtime but I digress.

Boston deserved a better fate (yeah I said it, without even wearing my Celtics foam finger) after leading most of the way. They were ahead 24-18 after the first quarter and 53-46 at halftime. The Heat exploded (35-22) in the third but credit the C's for hanging in there and winning the fourth (24-18).

The combination of no depth and Pierce fouling out proved to be too much to overcome for Boston. The Celtics shot 49.4% from the field and 26 of 29 on free throws. The Heat got back into the game thanks to 3-pointers (10-5) and moving the basketball well (24-15 assists). Miami had eight more fastbreak points (18-10) and 10 more points in the paint (40-30). Miami's bench outscored Boston 25-7 and had 12 more rebounds (17-5).

So here we are, the series shifts back to Boston on Friday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) for Game 3 as the Celts face an absolute must-win at TD Garden. You know that David Stern and the NBA's worst fear is a sweep in the Conference Finals so with the Thunder down 0-2 and heading home not to mention the Celtics in the same predicament, I have a feeling that both teams will find a way to get it done in Game 3. Otherwise they'll both be eliminated very shortly. Pardon me while I take a cold shower to wipe that stink off then cry myself to sleep thanks to either of those depressing notions.

Winning four out of the next five games against Miami is daunting enough, Boston should only focus on Game 3 and how they can find a way to get back in this series before it's too late.

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Celtics Systematically Fall Apart In 2nd Half, Heat Roll In Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Finals

For a league that's more predictable than professional wrestling, the NBA would be hard pressed to find a less surprising result that what occurred tonight in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After playing to a stalemate by halftime (46-46), the Heat ran away with it in the second half as they outscored the Celtics 47-33 over the final two quarters to take a 93-79 victory at AmericanAirlines Arena. Boston fell to 2-5 on the road this postseason.

As always with Miami, it was the LeBron James (32 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Dwyane Wade (22 points, 7 assists) variety show. Poor Chris Bosh was left looking stoned on the Heat bench with his Nantucket worthy peach colored pants. The other sign that Boston had no lift is that complete stiffs like Shane Battier (10 points, 10 rebounds), Mario Chalmers (9 points) and Mike Miller (8 points) had solid games.

The C's closed out the Sixers-if you could call it that-on Saturday night, they flew to Miami yesterday and played the rested Heat who had two extra days off and the home-court advantage (they're only 35-6 there this season). LeBron outscored the Celtics by himself (13-11) as Miami took a 21-11 lead after a fugly first quarter. Boston played an excellent second quarter (35-25) and earned the tie at halftime. Sadly, the last two quarters went much like the first as the Heat started to run away in the third (26-15) and finished it in the fourth (21-18). All told, Miami outscored Boston 68-44 not counting the second quarter.

As you would expect with an older team, the Celtics' legs and energy deserted them in the second half. For the game, they missed 10 free throws (11 of 21), gave up 15 more rebounds (48-33) and 10 more blocks (11-1), so yeah I'd say that they were dead once they had to sit down at halftime (damn those extended breaks!).

Kevin Garnett (23 points, 10 rebounds) played very well with no Bosh on him but Paul Pierce (12 points) was invisible while Brandon Bass (8 points) and Ray Allen (6 points) were even worse than that. Rajon Rondo (16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists) finished with decent numbers but he was 8 for 20 from the floor.

I think most rational people would say that Game 2 on Wednesday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) will tell us much more about this series and these particular teams. If the Heat roll again, they might very well be on their way to a sweep. However, if the Celtics win or even just make it tight to the finish, we'll know that they have a pulse.

I'd like to pat myself on the back for not mentioning until now that Boston was called for not one, not two, not three but four (!) bogus technical fouls in this game alone. It didn't end up having any bearing on the result but good lord, can NBA refs just stay out of the way for one playoff series? I know that's all we want. The Celtics will have enough trouble stopping the Heat on their own, they don't need to be worrying about that shady aspect of the games as well.

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Eastern Conference Semifinals Preview: Boston Vs. Miami

When Bulls guard Derrick Rose went down in the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs with a torn ACL, the path to the Eastern Conference Finals became much easier for the Boston Celtics. Rather than having to get through both Chicago and the Miami Heat, now the Celts only had to find a way to beat Miami.

Well here we are, on the brink of the Eastern Conference Finals as Boston opens up with Game 1 at Miami's American Airlines Arena tomorrow night (8:30 p.m., ESPN). The Celtics haven't made it easy on themselves by any means (which isn't a new trend), slogging through a six-game series against Atlanta in the first round and surviving seven games with Philadelphia in the semifinals.

The Celtics are old, they're banged up and they have to be completely drained. These aren't excuses, they are widely recognized facts. Still, the reason that Boston fans have a sliver of hope in this upcoming series is two-fold: 1) LeBron James might be the best basketball player in the world but he simply can't consistently close in big games against quality opponents. Rather, he turns into a puddle. 2) Kevin Garnett is playing very well and Chris Bosh's status is completely up in the air for the series. I'll also throw in that if he wants to, Rajon Rondo could dominate this series and be the top player that decides the eventual outcome.

I can't really tell you anything about the Heat that you don't already know. They have absolutely no depth and I've never seen an NBA team rely more on three guys (two if Bosh is out) and that's not a good thing. Dwyane Wade was hurt early in the Indiana series but rallied to play out of his mind as they eliminated the Pacers in six games.

Not having Avery Bradley to check Wade could prove to be fatal for the Celtics. All we can hope is that Ray Allen's fourth quarter resurgence last night in Game 7 against the Sixers gives him a little boost of confidence and energy to overcome what has been a terrible postseason for the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history.

Paul Pierce usually does a serviceable job covering LeBron so I'm not too worried about that matchup. LeBron will get his numbers either way. The good news for Boston is that they have more X-factors in the series, meaning guys that could have great games (Brandon Bass style in Game 5 against Philly) out of nowhere.

It's hard to say who needs to have a better series for the C's to win: Rondo or KG. Let's settle for both of them playing about as well as they possibly can. It is going to take a nearly superhuman effort to put away the Heat and Boston will have to steal a game or two (yeah right) in Miami where the Heat are nearly unbeatable.

As I said in the immediate aftermath of winning Game 7 vs. the Sixers, all the pressure will be on Miami. To borrow Bill Simmons' tired cliche, the Celtics are playing with house money at this point. There are only two ways that teams in this situation usually turn out: they quickly fold or they keep the magic going longer than most expected. Needless to say, we're all hoping for the latter. If not for our pleasure, the world doesn't deserve to see the Heat in the NBA Finals for the second straight season.

Game 1-Monday, 8:30 p.m. in Miami
Game 2-Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. in Miami
Game 3-Friday, 8:30 p.m. in Boston
Game 4-Sunday, 8:30 p.m. in Boston

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Hell yes! Woooooo! Bruins reach their first Stanley Cup finals since 1990

I never played a day of organized hockey in my life so I'm not going to sit here and claim that the Boston Bruins have been my everything since I strapped on a pair of skates.

However, I will say that as I've gotten older and the three other Boston professional sports teams have all won championships in the last decade, the Bruins have become the last place for a real fan existence that you can find in this town. Up until now, the B's haven't been trendy, they always let their fans down and they are one of the most frustrating franchises in sports.

Well no more complaining from me or other true Bruins fans as they won the Eastern Conference finals last night by virtue of a scintillating 1-0 Game 7 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden.

Boston is back in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1990 and they'll get it started on Wednesday in Vancouver against the Canucks.

It's only fitting that their epic series was capped off with one of their greatest wins in franchise history. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas made 24 saves for his second shutout of the series and Nathan Horton had the game-winner at 12:27 of the third period (his eighth of the playoffs) to send the Garden into delirium.

People hate on soccer when it's 0-0 but it's hard to picture a hockey game being much more exciting even though both teams failed to score a goal for over 52 minutes of regulation. Unlike the NBA where the refs have to be front and center all the time, the NHL refs assigned to the game last night stayed out of the way and didn't call a single penalty (first time that's happened in 20 years)!

When Milan Lucic was stuffed on a breakaway on the first period, it was clear that Lightning goaltender Dwayne Roloson (37 saves) was sharp and it would probably be a very low scoring game.

Kudos to Tampa Bay for playing their asses off. Star Steven Stamkos took a Johnny Boychuk slap shot right off his nose in the second period and he only missed a few minutes of action. His face was disgusting but I have a new found respect for him since he sucked it up and got right back out there.

Andrew Ference started the goal with a long breakout pass to David Krejci. Dangerous David put a perfect backhand pass right between Roloson, a pair of Tampa Bay defensemen and on Horton's stick. All he had to do was redirect it in.

The Bruins will be heavy underdogs against the Canucks, who rolled through the Western Conference, but they wouldn't want it any other way. It's been clear in the postseason that this is a different Bruins team. They're not the choke artists of the past as they proved again and again (beating Montreal in a Game 7 overtime, sweeping the Flyers, beating Tampa Bay in another Game 7).

I'm not making any predictions but I think it's going to be a really good series. You have to remember that Vancouver has never won a Stanley Cup in their 40 years of existence (a longer drought than the B's by a year) so it's not like Boston's facing Detroit or something. The Bruins have Thomas, Zdeno Chara and a team full of guys that know their roles and don't get rattled.

Hockey in June! Pinch me.