a championship will be that much sweeter at home

Did you think Kendrick Perkins was the difference between the Celtics winning and losing a championship? I would have laughed at that crazy question a few days ago but not after watching the Lakers beat the Celtics, 103-98, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Boston leads the series 3-2 and now comes home for two (if necessary) chances to pick up their first title since 1987 and 17th overall.

This one had the distinct feel of Game 4 as the Lakers got out to a huge first quarter lead (39-22 at the end of one) and as high as 19 before the Celtics cut it to three at the half (55-52).

The Celts grabbed the lead in the second half but quickly lost it as LA built it back to 14 before Boston came back one last time. It was not meant to be though as the Lakers continually got to the basket (since Perk was out with an injured shoulder) and either scored or drew a foul.

Five Lakers found double figures, led by Kobe Bryant (25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists). The inside combo of Lamar Odom (20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists) and Pau Gasol (19 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks) were the difference as Boston couldn't stop them as they rotated an overmatched group (P.J. Brown and Leon Powe) while Kevin Garnett (13 points, 14 rebounds) was never much of a factor since he had five fouls.

Derek Fisher added 15 points and Jordan Farmer (owner of the biggest ears this side of Mitch Albom) notched 11.

Still, the game was there for the taking as the Lakers continually bumbled and couldn't put Boston away. The biggest plays were a Kobe strip of Pierce and dunk while KG missed three of four free throws in crunch time.

Paul Pierce (again) was the best player on the court by far. The Truth imitated Ray Allen from the last game by playing all 48 minutes. Pierce had 38 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Ray Allen had 16 points while Sam Cassell had nine points off the bench.

Other than Perk, the C's other big worry is Rajon Rondo. Is he hurt? Is he simply playing bad? The second-year point guard was 1 of 7 from the floor, finishing with three points and three assists in 15 minutes.

History is completely on Boston's side as no team has come back to win a championship after being down 3-1, the C's have also never lost in the Finals when they're up 3-2.

However, with the health of Perk and Rondo in mind, the C's would be best served to end this on Tuesday. You don't want to let a team hang around that has Kobe Bryant-who's only had one real superstar game so far. I don't have to be bias (even though I am) to say that the Celtics are the better team, I really don't see them losing twice in a row at the Garden. Stranger things have happened though, meaning that Game 6 is supremely vital.

Holding Serve at the Garden

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy that the Celtics defeated the Cavs, 89-73, last night in game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, to take a 2-0 series lead.

Still, it really doesn't mean much. The home teams are now 10-0 in the semifinals. A wise man (maybe Hubie Brown?) once said that a NBA playoff series doesn't start until the home team loses.

In game 2, the storylines continued from game 1: Ray Allen couldn't get a point (scoreless in the first half) and LeBron James was ice cold. The Cavs jumped out to a 24-17 first quarter lead thanks to Zydrunas Ilgauskas' (19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) 10 points in the frame.

Boston's trademark defense showed up especially in the second (12 Cavs points) and third (15 Cavs points).

It doesn't take a genius like Stephen A. Smith to surmise that if LeBron is off, the chances of Cleveland winning are slimmer than Nicole Richie.

If you think about it, no one on the Cavs-other than James or Ilgauskas-can be labeled an above-average NBA player. Wally is just a shooter, I love Delonte but he's a hustle guy and Varejo is an energy guy. The corpse of Ben Wallace that still plays is awful and he left yesterday in the first quarter after getting dizzy. He claimed it was allergies (inside?) but we all know he took too many gravity bong hits before the opening tip.

Nobody exploded offensively for Boston but that's a good thing. Pierce had 19 points and six rebounds, KG had 13 points and 12 boards while Allen woke up in the second half to finish with 16 points.

The real heroes though were the Boston subs: 11 points and seven rebounds from Leon Powe, nine points from Sam Cassell and seven points, six boards by James Posey. Even P.J. Brown had four points. The bench was productive at just the right time as the starers came out slow.

LeBron had 21 points, six assists and five rebounds (seven turnovers) but he shot 6 of 24, bringing his two-game total to 8 of 42. Wally notched 13 points but who cares?

Boston is now 6-0 at home in the playoffs. Things will start to get interesting in game 3 and 4 as they go to Cleveland. The C's had a 2-0 lead on Atlanta on the first round but that disappeared as fast as it takes one of the ATL's fine strippers to give you a lap dance.

If the Celts can win game 3, smell ya later Cleveland but if the Cavs can take game 3, it's a whole new ballgame.

Good Night and Good Luck Atlanta

The Boston Celtics made their return to the playoffs after a three-year absence last night and by all accounts, it was a rousing success as the top-seed Celtics dispatched of Atlanta, 104-81 in game 1.

Boston came out firing, the Hawks came back a little bit in the second quarter but the C's put it into full-gear in the second half.

Six Celtics reached double-figures led by Ray Allen (18 points). Kevin Garnett had 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while Paul Pierce had 16 points. In his first career playoff game, Rajon Rondo was spectacular with 15 points, nine assists (0 turnovers), six rebounds and two steals. He only played 28 minutes, otherwise he probably would have had a triple-double.

Off the bench Sam Cassell and Leon Powe notched 10 points. Leon had a couple sick dunks (including one where Garnett got right in his face and yelled for a good 20-30 seconds as they went to the bench for a timeout). The savvy Cassell made some hoops while also giving Rondo a breather.

Rookie Al Horford was really the only Hawk that played well, he had 20 points and 10 rebounds, showing off some nice moves around the hoop. Joe Johnson scored 19 (on 7 of 22 shooting) with seven assists and Josh Childress had 10 off the bench. Mike Bibby was terrible, he had five points and one assist in 34 minutes. Rondo dominated him and if that continues, the Hawks have even less of a chance to win.

Boston led 29-21 after one quarter and 49-40 at the half. It was 73-55 after three as the C's put it out of reach and got all the starters out.

With the Pistons choking in game one to the Sixers last night, it was nice to see the Celts take care of business and not give the Hawks any hope. Atlanta has to win Wednesday night in game two or else this one will be over soon. The Celts are much deeper and more experienced than the young Hawks.

Dead Man Walking

With KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce watching the game from the bench, it was only fitting that the Celtics (65-16) still beat the Knicks (23-58), 99-93 last night at MSG.

The heart-breaking subplot was that Knicks coach Isiah Thomas might have coached his last game for the Knicks last night.

Rajon Rondo led the Celtics with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. For the second game in a row, Sam Cassell played out of his alien skull: Scoring 22 points and taking over in the fourth quarter.

James Posey scored 15, Big Baby notched 13 points and nine boards while Leon Powe had 10 points.

Nate Robinson posted a game-high 26 points. Zack Randolph scored 15, David Lee had a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds while Fred Jones notched 11.

With the Pacers loss last night, Atlanta clinched a playoff spot and will meet Boston in the first round.

The regular season wraps up tomorrow night for the C's as the Nets come to the Garden.

See You Next Week Suckas

It isn't official yet but you can be sure the Boston Celtics will play the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. With the regular season almost over, those two teams squared off in Atlanta last night with the Celtics coming away with a 99-89 win.

The Celtics (64-16) swept the season series, 3-0, and didn't give the Hawks (37-43) any confidence going into their matchup next weekend.

Kevin Garnett led the C's with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The other star was Sam Cassell, who had 20 points and five assists off the bench. I lost track of how many times he did the big ball dance, needless to say it was beautiful. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce both scored 14 points. Big Baby had eight points and 10 boards.

Joe Johnson had 21 points and eight assists for the Hawks. Al Horford posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Josh Smith scored 17, pulled down six rebounds and blocked four shots. Mike Bibby notched 16 points, eight assists, seven boards and three steals. Finally, Marvin Williams scored 11.

The Celts made their free throws (26-29) while the Hawks (15-24) did not.

Boston was up 55-44 at the half before Atlanta tied it at 74 going into the fourth.

The C's go to the Knicks tomorrow night in what Webster's Dictionary defines as "pointless game."

Did you really think the Celtics would lose on St. Patrick's Day?

Last night could not have started any worse for the Celtics but nobody will remember that as they came away with a thrilling, 93-91 win at the San Antonio Spurs.

Watching championship week on ESPN last week, I remember former Vermont men's basketball coach Tom Brennan talking about how a team getting out to a big lead too early can strangely enough be the kiss of death as they get complacent.

That theory was on display last night as the Spurs (44-23) couldn't do anything wrong for the first quarter and a half. They led Boston (53-13) 28-11 after one quarter and by as much as 22 points in the second before the Celtics fought back to cut it to 10 at the half.

The win was a complete team effort as Sam Cassell (17 points, 5 rebounds) settled down Boston in the second with 10 points while Rajon Rondo (20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals) had his best quarter in the NBA: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists in the third. Paul Pierce (22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) took over in the fourth and Kevin Garnett (21 points, 8 rebounds) was steady all game. Ray Allen missed his second straight game as he recovers from an ankle injury.

The Celts used a 15-2 run to start the third and take the lead. From there, the game was back and forth the rest of the way.

Manu Ginobili (game-high 32 points, 4 rebounds) was unstoppable all game while Tony Parker (17 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds) and especially Tim Duncan (10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) were shut down when it mattered most.

The fourth quarter had the look and feel of a playoff game. There were big plays all around. Eddie House hit a 3-pointer, Cassell hit a three (prompting Kendrick Perkins on the bench to imitate Sam's big balls dance which Sam obliged him with) and Rajon Rondo turned in the hustle play of the game as he gathered a Garnett miss and was fouled. He calmly hit the two free throws and put Boston up four with under a minute left.

Parker got a layup then KG threw away the ensuing inbounds pass (he was about to be called for 5-seconds) and Bruce Bowen intercepted it. Wouldn't you know, Big Shot Bob-Robert Horry-got a decent look at a 3-pointer (which would have won it) but it hit the side of the rim at the buzzer.

The Celtics also got a break in the fourth when Ginobili's attempt at an And-1 lay-in somehow rimmed out after being down (it spun around for a good two seconds, just wild).

San Antonio was desperate for a win as they've now lost four in a row which is a death sentence in the Western Conference. Impressively, since the end of last season the C's are now 3-0 against the Spurs. Tim Duncan had never lost to them until last St. Patrick's Day.

Things don't get any easier as the Celts go to Houston tonight to take on the Rockets, winners of their last 22 in a row. It's the second-longest streak in NBA history. No guarantees but a win against the Rockets would be another notch on the belt of this team that can once again claim the moniker of best in the league.

Hide the Old School Coors Lite

We have an alien sighting at the Garden. As expected, the Boston Celtics signed veteran point guard Sam Cassell yesterday after he had been waived by the Los Angeles Clippers.

It's a great move by the C's as they desperately needed a backup point guard going into the end of the season and more importantly the playoffs. Rajon Rondo has had an outstanding season but since he's only in his second year (and first in charge of a certified contender), it's smart to have somebody come in who has won two championships in Houston and seen it all in his 15-year career.

At 38-years-old, it's Sam's eighth NBA team: he's been on the Rockets, Suns, Mavericks, Nets, Bucks, Timberwolves, Clippers and now Celtics. He's played 115 games in the playoffs and has career numbers of 45.4% field goal percentage, 33.0% on 3-pointers, 86.1% free throw shooter, 15.9 points per game, 6 assists and 3.3 rebounds.

He's a winner, plain and simple. The Clippers made some noise two years ago in the playoffs but since then, they've completely fallen back to their losing ways with injuries, feuding and uninspired play. Boston now has insurance if Rondo isn't playing well, gets in foul trouble or for late game free throw shooting situations. Plus, it'll give him an extra tutor as his career continues to develop. Eddie House will get less minutes but that's OK since he was playing out of position. He's a scorer, not a distributor. And Gabe Pruitt shouldn't be in the NBA, he ain't ready.

Cassell is scheduled to have a physical today and join the team at the shootaround tomorrow before the Pistons game. His status for that game is up in the air but don't be surprised if he and P.J. Brown make their Celts debut tomorrow night.

Celtics firing on all cylinders

The Celtics beat the Hawks, 98-88, last night at the Garden. With Boston (46-12) likely to finish No. 1 or 2 in the Eastern Conference and Atlanta (24-33) looking like a safe bet to slide in at No. 7 or No. 8, these two teams could meet in the first round and no joke, the Hawks aren't a pushover anymore.

With recently acquired point guard Mike Bibby (14 points, 9 assists), emerging star Josh Smith (22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks), all-star Joe Johnson (9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and rookie of the year candidate Al Horford (14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks), the Hawks are a young and dangerous team.

The Celtics fifth win in a row wasn't easy but Paul Pierce (game-high 30 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks), Kevin Garnett (20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Ray Allen (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) all played well. Kendrick Perkins continued his stellar play of late with 11 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Last night and the Bobcats win on Friday might have been the best back-to-back performances by Perk in the NBA.

Boston jumped out to a 26-22 lead after the first quarter but Atlanta went into halftime up 44-41 thanks to a sad 15-point second frame by the home team.

Pierce, who only had seven points in the first half went to work in the third quarter, scoring 17 points as he was on fire from everywhere. It was also KG's most complete performance since coming back from the abdominal injury. He was a force on both ends and had a sick behind the back pass down low to Glen Davis (6 points) for a reverse layup.

The Hawks never really went away but the C's took the third (29-23) and the fourth (28-21). Josh Childress (12 points, 4 rebounds), who still has the exact same goofy 'fro for the Hawks was decent. Rajon Rondo had six points, eight assists and two steals but he was just 2-of-11 from the floor, a vintage performance from last season's nightmare.

Boston shot 44.6% for the game to Atlanta's 39.5%. Neither team did much from downtown as the Hawks were a woeful 3-for-16 and the Celts were 7-for-21. Atlanta (21-28) curiously got to the line more (17-21) but the C's had eight more assists (26-18) and five more steals (9-4).

The Celtics practice the next few days before what has been called their regular season game of the year with the Detroit Pistons at the Garden on Wednesday. It's the third and final matchup of the season between the two top teams in the East. The first two contests were great with each team winning on the road.

Boston likely will have some reinforcements too as Sam Cassell was released by the Clippers on Friday and is expected to join the C's today as long as he clears waivers. P.J. Brown could also make his Celtics debut against the Pistons. It should be another classic and with the Celts up 3.5 games on Detroit, a win on Wednesday would go a long way towards wrapping up the top seed in the playoffs.