I Was Dreamin When I Wrote This

In what is turning out to be perhaps the greatest year in all of Boston sports fandom, it is hard to even imagine anything greater than the Celtics historic comeback. Down 21 after 1, 24 in the 2nd, 18 at half, 20 midway through the 3rd. As the Lakers piled it on, the pain and anger exploding in monkeyshoes's living room was reaching the point of unacceptable human behavior. Odom has his tongue wagging through a goofy smile. Gasoft was getting easy looks on the screen role. The Laker bench pixies were getting all happy as the point margin swelled. Will Smith, Jaunty Jack and all those tinseltown Fakers thought they had a ticket to Summer action flick blockbuster.

When Kobe drained a J with Paul's hand in his face in the 3rd to get the Lakers back up by 18, an infinitely frustrating game seemed all but done. The huge early lead, built on LA shot making, Boston shot bricking, and a series of crazy no calls on the Laker defenders, seemed to steep to climb. The Kobster, the greatest front runner of his generation, seemed poised to cement a pounding on the Celtics that would have switched the momentum of the series.

Guess again.





Where was the moment the game turned? What was the Brian Shaw bank-shot moment? Pauly swatting that Kobster's patented turn around was a helluva play, snatching the ball and leading Ray out on the break with an insta-outlet. So was the sequence where Perk hurt his shoulder denying a highlight dunk from Lamar Odom, whose subsequent foul shots matched the Laker high water mark of the 2nd half. Strangely, the consensus game changing moment in Che-monkeyshoes was the few minutes delivered by one Tony Allen is the late 3rd. Posey had just picked up his 5th. Doc originally motioned for Powe to check in. Then following one of his oft-criticized hunches, Doc stayed small, inserting bench bound Allen. He did little that will register in the box score--a defensive board is all history will record. But he played his role. He defended his man, and executed the team scheme. With injuries and fouls adding to the Celtics' challenge, Tony Allen gave his teammates 3 minutes of energy, consistency and execution. Ubuntu.

Pauly makes that crazy three point play. PJ dunks on Kobe's eye. 2 point game going into the fourth.




And how bout Mr. Eddie House? He got some serious guff on this chat board before the Piston series. He is, after all, just Eddie House. But, as he kept shouting after all his big second half bucket: I am a motherf*cking shooter, I am a motherf*cking shooter. Remember that, Jordan Farmar, you front runnin scrub.





I'd be lying if I told you that I am waiting for a 4th win to celebrate. Lakers are done. Their weak will has been broken, just like Ray Ray broke down the happy hacker Sasha Vujacic on that last drive. Just like the Red Sox did the Yankees in roughing up the great Rivera in Games 4 and 5, a loss like LA's will sit with them for the rest of their lives.

As for Celtic lore, this one is one of the sweetest. The best thing to happen to the Green since Magic dropped that hook shot stunner back in 1987. There was a great camera shot as the Celtics headed back to the locker of Danny Ainge, flushed and perhaps teary eyed, tugging on Posey's jersey as he headed into the tunnel. The Celtic mystique has returned.

The next win will not come easy, but it will come. The big score board will read Celtics 17, Lakers 14. Paul, KG and Ray are all going to the Hall with Rings.