MSM: Don't be this guy

I love shots that pan to the crowd. This one especially brings me joy. From today's Celtics win over the Knicks right after Ray Allen's lay-up made it 110-105 Celtics.

The Celtics Core Four: Rotten or Repairable?

Will we EVER see this again?

Lebron James scream had just finished, and the officials were finally done looking for an excuse to call another offensive foul on the Celtics, who at this point had alot in common with their point guard's elbow- mangled and in pain. Game 5 of the Celtics/Heat series was over, and just like that, the series itself was over, and the second Big Three Era could be considered by many to be over. With questions about how the league will be set-up next year with more labor uncertainty (see Lockout, NFL for an example), there's no guarantee on anything. Here, however, is what we kind of know:

Doc Rivers told reporters last night he wants to come back.

"I want to win again here. I do. I'm competitive as hell, I have a competitive group. And so well see. But I can tell you that's where I'm at today. Tomorrow I may change my mind, but that's where I'm at today."

Will he change his mind between now and the beginning of the season? No telling. If Doc is coming back, he's going to have to learn to trust Jeff Green at some point, which was something you could tell from the moment Green arrived was an issue. Doc's issues with managing a bench have been an Achilles heel for years. Will he be able to manage a bench led by a player he doesn't trust?

The current salary cap in the NBA is around $58 million, and Avery Bradley, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, and Rajon Rondo account for roughly $49 million of the cap. Ray Allen has a player option for 10 million. So there's 6 players who account for the entire salary cap. What does this have to do with Jeff Green, you ask? Green is scheduled to be a restricted free agent, which means the Celtics can match his offers or use him as a trade chip for something else (all dependent on a new CBA). It's obvious as we once again watched in horror as Ray Allen and Paul Pierce ran completely out of gas once again (last year in Game 7 against LA, this year in the second round against Miami) that the Celtics have to have a player who can keep Pierce and Allen's minutes around 30 or so apiece a game. Jeff Green has to be that guy.

Green will always be a lightning rod in this area and will always be the scape goat for this season ending in failure. Kendrick Perkins, whose 3.8 ppg and 7 rpg are in OKC now, wasn't the difference between the Celtics winning or losing this series (especially on a knee that Perkins admitted to TNT sideline reporter Marty Snider was 65%, Oh, and that wasn't even the knee he had ACL surgery on). He wasn't the difference in the Game 7 loss to the Lakers last season (look at the production of Kevin Garnett in that game). He was a guy whose legend had outgrown his productivity. His propensity for terrible offensive moves, knack for picking up awful offensive fouls, technical fouls, flagrant fouls, loose ball fouls, and defensive fouls (you get my point) seems to get lost in the shuffle because he had a "menacing glare". The Green deal wasn't a success this year, but given a full year to acclimate to the town, his teammates, and coaching staff, it might still be a good move. Time will tell.

Speaking of his teammates, in all likelihood, The Core 4 is coming back. Rondo will be back and healthy (shoulder, back, and the elbow injury). Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal (not a member of the Core 4) will be in the final year of their respective deals. Paul Pierce will have two years left on his deal. Avery Bradley will be another year older and might actually get in Doc's rotation. Does one of the Core 4 get the case of 1988 Larry Bird-itis and miss all of next season? You're talking about three high mileage cars, at some point one of them has to go into the shop for awhile with a blown head gasket.

Do they try to wring one more year out of random veterans to fill out the roster, or did the failed Shaquille O'Neal and Troy Murphy experiments show the Celtics it doesn't work? Does Danny draft talent that Doc Rivers will actually use? Will the Super Friends find their way out of the locked basement that's filling up with...whoops wait, wrong promo. There is a lot of time between now and next year, but one thing is for certain when it comes to the Celtics: nothing is certain anymore.

Back to the Future: The 2010-11 Boston Celtics were brought to you by the 1987-88 Boston Celtics

I could have saved this article for after the upcoming season-ending game 6 loss to Chicago in the Eastern Conference Finals, but why bother waiting when it's obvious what's happening with the Boston Celtics right now. Let's hop in the Hot Tub, the DeLorean, the TARDIS, or whatever your time machine of choice may be, and let's travel back to 1988....

The 1987-88 Boston Celtics were a year removed from a hard-fought NBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and more importantly, another year older. The Big Three of Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish were about halfway through the back nine of their time together, but they finished the regular season 57-25, far ahead of the Washington Bullets, the second place team in the Atlantic with a 38-44 record. The Celtics basically won the division by default. (sound familiar?)

In the first round they dispatched the Knicks, and then had to survive Dominique Wilkins and the Hawks in the second round in an extremely taxing seven game series. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the aging Celtics had nothing left in the tank, and the hungry Detroit Pistons avenged their playoff loss from the previous season, winning in six games. The Celtics would not make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals again until 2002.

The comparisons to the 2010-11 Celtics are STAGGERING. The player many are counting on to be the bridge between this generation of Celtics and the next generation (Rondo) has been inconsistent at best (Reggie Lewis wasn't ready for prime time in 87-88). A mid-season trade in 87-88 that brought Jim Paxson in was supposed to provide valuable offense off the bench, similar to the way the Jeff Green acquisition was supposed to benefit the 10-11 Celtics.

Neither was enough. Jerry Sichting, who was respected by fans and by those in the locker room, was traded for Paxson. Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson, fan favorites and good locker room guys, were sent away for Green and Nenad Krstic.

Perhaps it's too early write the ending on this season, but after watching this Celtics team crap the bed on national TV against the Heat today, it's getting fairly obvious this team is nearing the end of it's resurgence that started with the Kevin Garnett trade. This year's version of the Bulls is a mirror image of that 87-88 Pistons team. Both play tough defense, both are led by their franchise point guards, and Bill Laimbeer's role is filled nicely by Joakim Noah.

Oh, and the defending champ in both seasons? The Los Angeles Lakers.

If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spend the rest of the night watching Larry Bird highlights and waxing poetic about the old days. Needless to say, I'm terrified to think this team is about to have another Dino Radja-era approaching.

John Karalis from Red's Army talking Celtics

John Karalis from Red's Army joined us this morning to talk Celtics. Take a listen below.

Celtics Recap: Who got A's?

The Celtics left Cleveland with an impressive win last night, here's the three players who earned the highest marks last night:

A's: Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis, Rajon Rondo
This is the Marquis Daniels everyone expected last year, and with 32 minutes played last night, the only thing you'd like to see added to the stat sheet is a couple of assists. However, if a guy shoots 70% from the floor, I'm OK with the aggressiveness.

Davis continues his march towards 6th man of the year. 17 points and 11 boards are great numbers, but the defense he plays and the energy he brings don't show up in the score sheet. He also had one hell of a rejection.

Rajon Rondo is starting to make a case for MVP. 12 more assists last night to go along with his 23 points. This team is much different with him on the floor, and the offensive flow is completely different with him quarterbacking the offense. Think about this for a second: who runs the point if Rondo is out for an extended period of time? Who handles the ball? Who takes on the role of distributor? When he missed time recently, Delonte West handled alot of that role, but with no West, who does it now? Rondo, his shooting and free throw shooting aside, deserves some MVP talk this year, as this team is championship caliber with him, and a second round and out without him.

The Celtics are back in action tonight against the Blazers at the TDB.

Maine Red Claws Media Day 2010

Austin Ainge

Mario West

Tejuan Porter

Maine Red Claws Draft Party 2010

The Maine Red Claws, presented by Quirk Chevrolet, today announced that they will host a fan celebration for the 2010 NBA Development League Draft at Bingas Stadium Smokehouse and Sports Bar located at 77 Free Street in Portland. The 2010 NBA D-League Draft will take place Monday, November 1 beginning at 7 PM, and the Draft Party will feature specials on Red Claws Ale and food. In addition, Red Claws season ticket holders will have access to a private room where they will be among the first to learn the Red Claws draft selections and will also be able to pick up their 2010-11 tickets. The party will begin at 6:30 PM.

The NBA D-League Draft will feature more than 140 prospects, many of whom will have recently competed in NBA training camps and summer leagues. The draft offers NBA D-League teams the opportunity to build their rosters from the pool of promising players. Each of the NBA D-League’s 16 teams will be given one pick in each of the eight rounds.  No trades will be permitted during the draft and only players signed to an

4 Maine Red Claws on NBA Opening Day Rosters

The Maine Red Claws, presented by Quirk Chevrolet, today announced that four former Red Claws players have made NBA rosters to start the 2010-11 season. The NBA regular season tips off tonight as the Miami Heat visits the Red Claws parent club, the Boston Celtics, the Phoenix Suns visit the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets visit the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Former Red Claws guard Maurice Ager, 26, will begin the season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-5, 202 lb. guard out of Michigan State averaged 15.6 points in 22 games with the Red Claws last season.

Alexis Ajinca, 22, will suit up for the Dallas Mavericks. The 7-0, 220 lb. center returns to the NBA following an off-season trade from the Charlotte Bobcats. He averaged 14.6 points in 22 games with the Red Claws before being sidelined by a late season ankle injury.

Bill Walker, 23, returns to the NY Knicks for his second season. In 27 games for the Knicks last season following a trade from Boston, the 6-6, 220 lb. guard averaged 11.9 points, 0.9 steals and 1.9 3-pointers in 27.4 minutes per game. He spent 9 games with the Red Claws last season, averaging 17.4 points.

Lester Hudson, 26, enters his second season with the Washington Wizards following a 2009-10 trade from Boston. The 6-3, 190 lb. guard out of Tennessee-Martin spent 7 games with the Wizards last season and 8 with the Celtics, averaging 4.7 points per game. He averaged 14.6 points in 5 games with the Red Claws last season.

63 players with NBA Development League experience highlight 2010-11 NBA opening day rosters, equaling the previous high of 63 featured on 2009-10 NBA start-of-season rosters. Twenty-nine of 30 NBA teams feature at least one player with NBA D-League experience.

The Red Claws season will tip off on November 19 at home versus the Austin Toros. Tickets for the 2010-11 season are currently on sale and available at the Red Claws offices, located at 413 Congress Street (next to City Hall) in Portland, online at www.maineredclaws.com, and by phone at (207) 210-6655.

The Red Claws will play 24 home games at the 3,045-seat Portland Expo Building, and individual game ticket prices will range from $5 for end zone seats to $30 for center court seats. Last season, the Red Claws became the only NBA Development League team to sell out its entire home schedule with 24 straight sellouts.

-MAINE RED CLAWS-

Tommy Heinsohn at Red Claws Select-a-Sea Day

Tommy Heinsohn, NBA Hall-of-Famer and current Boston Celtics color analyst for Camcast Sportsnet New England, sat down w/ Matty and talked about the D-League, officiating, broadcasting, and more.

The #Celtics Are in Trouble

I know, I'm on my "The Celtics should have built around Rondo" rant again. Lock up the kids, hide the dogs, and close the windows. I was going to wait until the off-season was pretty much done to do this, but after last week's craptastic signing of Jermaine O'Neal, I couldn't let it ride any longer. This team is going to be a trainwreck. Plain and simple. It's not just one thing that led to this, either, it's a combination of things that make this so unique.

1. Danny has struck out in the last 3 drafts
I like to call this the 'Patriots syndrome". It's when you go off the board and draft guys who are projected lower, trying to look smarter than everyone else. (When you do your fantasy football draft in the upcoming weeks, you know that guy that let's a top running back or QB fall because he's busy picking sleeper receivers? Same thing.)

JR Giddens. Bill Walker. Lester Hudson. Gabe Pruitt. (I don't count Jeff Green , Danny basically picked for the Sonics). Let's say one of those guys had been ok. Then you have a 6th man, a guy who can provide offense off the bench. Instead, the team is left scrambling because Tony Allen is gone. Pruitt, Hudson and Giddens all were undersized shooting guards who would have been playing the point. Ummm, wasn't Eddie House already on the roster for that? I know, Semih Erdin could be the next Leon Powe or Glen Davis, but if front-court depth is the toughest thing to find, why not stock up? Who wouldn't like seeing Deandre Jordan on this team's bench right now? Wings are plentiful, big men not so much. Of course this leads us into the next point...

2. Danny's free agent flops
Since convincing Eddie House, James Posey, and PJ Brown to sign for less and hop on the green machine, Michael Finley, Marquis Daniels, Stephon Marbury, and Mikki Moore have all tried going the same route. All four of them spent alot of time doing nothing in the playoffs. Rasheed Wallace was an awful signing that tied up the entire mid-level exception for 3 years. Now Danny is throwing away the MLE again on another big, Jermaine O'Neal. I have seen this movie before, and I know how it ends. This leaves the Celtics with no more MLE money for a back-up for Pierce and Allen (something this team lacked last year that cost them DEARLY in the Finals), which means, surprise, no legit consistent scoring options off the bench if Ray or the Truth is having an off-shooting night. Now, with the free agent market on wings drying up and the trade market looking just as bare, who do you see out there who could help this team off the bench? Tony Allen, a maddening player but one who played solid defense, is now gone. The only guy I see would be Richard Jefferson, but you'd have to think that he'd want more than the minimum after opting out of a 15.2 million dollar payday next year. Rudy Fernandez does not stoke my competitive fire, either. I'd love to be excited over Avery Bradley, but since when does Doc play rookies? Pierce and Allen get another year older and might have to play more minutes than last year, when they ran out of gas in the playoffs. WHERE DO I SIGN UP????

3. Letting Doc return for 1 more year

This one, on the surface, seems like nothing. Let Doc make another run at the title. Don't force him to sign an extension. The problem, of course, is how to attract players when there is long-term uncertainty surrounding the head coach. I'm not saying Doc is a lame-duck coach by any means, but it's not an ideal way to to keep a team going, especially in a league where players worry about situation and money more than any other.

4. How can it be Rondo's team?
A good point guard, one who gets into the paint, finds the open guy down low or kicks out to open shooters, needs guys who won't clog the lane, who move well without the ball, and who can shoot the jumper with some consistency. I see one good spot-up shooter on this roster, Ray Allen. Pierce could be, but he seems to want the ball in his hands instead of letting Rondo find him. KG's jumper has become inconsistent since the knee surgery, Big Baby has a range of about 10 feet, and O'Neal, well, he's just Jermaine. Rondo was signed to a 5 year extension that kicks in this year, and the first 2 to 3 years of it he'll have to play with older vets. I can't wait to see this guy's prime wasted on basketball's version of the Golden Girls.

5. Is last year's run the mirror image of the 86-87 team?
I remember the 86-87 Celtics. The last Celtics team to make the NBA Finals before 2008. They had injuries, guys at the end of their prime, and one guy who was a hope for the future, Reggie Lewis. The Celtics spent years trying to hang on and get one more run out of the Big 3, thinking they could recapture that magic one last time. In the end, it never happened, and Lewis ended up dying one year after Bird's retirement. Sometimes a magical run can be the worst thing to happen to a team, as it gives the team, fans, and it's front office hope that things can work out. In the end, it usually ends in frustration and disappointment, as fans always say "look at what they did in 2010!" Last year was the exception, not the rule, and I think many would have been alright with the Celtics turning the page and moving onto the next chapter. Instead, we get to watch the Miamis and Chicagos surpass this team, as the Big Three Part 2 grays before our eyes. I'll be the first guy to drive the Duck Boats if I'm wrong, but a week into free agency, it looks like last year's Finals run wasn't a diamond in the rough, it was fool's gold.

FIVE RED CLAWS NAMED TO PRO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS IN ORLANDO #nba #nbadl #maineredclaws #celtics #bobcats

Five current or former Red Claws players have been named to NBA Summer League Rosters in Orlando.

Alexis Ajinca will play for Charlotte, Marcus Landry from Indiana, Paul Davis for Orlando, Trey Gilder for Orlando and Paul Harris, who was unable to play last season due to injury but whose NBA D-League rights the Red Claws retain, will play for Utah. Red Claws Head Coach Austin Ainge is coaching the Celtics’ Orlando summer league team. The 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League in Orlando begins today.

OFFICIAL NBA PRESS RELEASE
Forty seven players with NBA Development League experience highlight the rosters of the eight teams playing in the 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League, tipping off in Orlando this afternoon. The event features 20 games played over five days at the RDV Sportsplex in Orlando.

Pierce Remains With #Celtics, Bradley Agrees to Terms as Well

According to the Boston Herald via Red's Army, Paul Pierce and the Celtics have reached agreement on a 4 year deal (3 years guaranteed). Speculation on my part, but with the contract being agreed to this early, I wonder if Pierce set this up to give the Celts salary relief to go after some bench help?


Update: ESPN has some more details. The contract will average 15.25 million per season for 4 years, and is armed with a no-trade clause. Love that idea. (Not really)

The team also tweeted they have agreed to terms with rookie Avery Bradley, who will probably get 5 minutes of playing time with Doc Rivers coming back.

Report:Doc Rivers Returning to the Celtics

According to the Herald's Steve Bulpett, Doc Rivers is returning to the Celtics next season. (Adrian Wojnarowski took a break from berating everyone in the league to provide this nugget)

On the surface, many may think this is great news, and keeps people like Vinny Del Negro and Kevin McHale off of the Celtics sidelines, but let's dig a little deeper here.

1. Doc is going to have to replace Tom Thibodeau.

2. Doc only has one year left on his current contract. Will he be able to help recruit free agents knowing next season could very well be his last?

3. If Paul Pierce and Ray Allen leave, can you trust Doc to develop younger players, like Avery Bradley, given his past history of not doing so? (JR Giddens, Bill Walker, waiting forever to play Leon Powe, etc, etc)

So at first glance, this looks good. However, if a year from now we find out the Celtics held onto this nucleus too long, we might all look back on this day in infamy. Of course, if we are celebrating Banner 18 a year from now, well, you know...

It's Rondo Time For the #Celtics

Yes, it took me 4 days to finally get up the will to write a year-end piece on the Celtics. In lieu of looking back on the season that was, talking about the could-haves, should-haves, and did-nots, I am hear to offer free advice to Danny Ainge. This is advice most won't like, but to be honest, unless you watched and witnessed the end of the Celtics last good run (Late 80's into 90's), I shall take your negativity and respond with a "when I was your age" quip. With that in mind, let's rip=off the band-aid.

Players Under Contract for 2010 as of 7/21/2010
Kevin Garnett
Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Rasheed Wallace
Glen Davis
Paul Pierce(If he doesn't opt-out)

Estimated Contract total:61,771,044 (40,774,000 if Pierce opts out) Salary Cap is rumored to be around 56 mil.

6 players and the team is over the cap. No shooters, no back-up for Rondo, no front-court depth, nothing. If Rasheed really does retire, the Celtics still have to negotiate a buy-out to get some cap relief (courtesy Larry Coon's Salary Cap Bible). Their is no bi-annual exception because they used it to sign Marquis Daniels (that worked out SUPER!). So the Celts can offer the mid-level exception of around 6 million to get a player (like they did with Sheed last season). They also have the 19th overall pick in the draft.

It's time to blow this thing up. (Cue the boo-birds in 3...2...1...)

I watched the awkward baton hand from Larry Bird to Reggie Lewis (which would have been much worse if Bird's back hadn't given way). Watching people complain Bird was still the star of the franchise in the 1992 playoff series against Cleveland and watching him cost the Celtics a Game 7 due to his depleted skills was sad. Pierce and Rondo look to be headed down the same road, only the disconnect between the two of them (see Game 5, NBA Finals, for example) is a little more pronounced. Pierce is a an alpha-dog. He wants the ball in his hand at crunch time. The problem is he is just as likely to dribble the ball off his feet as he is to drain a clutch jumper. Rondo is going into the first year of his contract extension. He's an unbelievable talent that needs the ball in his hands to be effective, and he needs to be on the court with guys who can shoot, allowing the floor to be spaced for Rondo to work his magic. Ray Allen may be too expensive for this sort of role, and Pierce seems to not like having to rely on Rondo for the ball. Regardless of whether Pierce opts-out or not, he would be a valuable trading chip with an expiring deal worth 21.5 million. Here is my solution to this. Pierce is from Inglewood. There is a team in LA that has a lot of cap room that could use Pierce to sell tickets and steal some off-season thunder from their Staples Center roommates. That team is the LA Clippers.

Offer Pierce to the Clippers for their number one this year (8th overall). The Clippers need a scoring forward, and adding Pierce to a front line of Blake Griffin and Chris Kaman gives the Clip show a nice lineup. It also allows Rondo to be the face of this team without worrying about Pierce sulking, and I think the more faith and confidence you show in Rondo, the better he will be (just look at how well he played after his contract extension). The other thing is it gives the Celtics some cap flexibility to possibly go after one of the big free agents, or wait a year and make a run at the gem of next year's free agent, Carmelo Anthony. Will this move make them a title contender next season? No. Will it allow them to be able to keep this thing competitive while we wait for the next Celtics run? Yes. Maybe they can go after David Lee, a guy who would be prefect marketing wise in Boston, and a guy who can (GASP!) rebound! Another guy who would be perfect for this team? Matt Barnes from Orlando. For once, the Celtics have some options, and I hope that instead of hanging on to tradition, they realize it's time to retool for the next run. I lived through Bird to Lewis, and I don't want to see it again.

Ron Artest Crazy Wins Championships

Last night I stayed up to watch the Boston Celtics… lose. It’s no secret that I’m a fair weather basketball fan. I only watch when the Celtics are in the playoffs. Even then, most nights I go bed by the half. Last night, though, I had to stay up. Because the Celtics were obviously going to win.

Right.

As was common all season, they blew it in the fourth. Some think that the Celts played hard and gave it their all, others think they pissed away the chance at another championship.

As for my glorious opinion, I think they gave it their all. The Lakers earned that win. They outplayed the Celtics, they outshot the Celtics, and they were more aggressive than the Celtics. More importantly, they out crazied the Celtics. I mean, come on. Did you hear Ron Artest after the game? The man thanked his shrink.

I have a theory that you can’t beat crazy. This series was all about proving that. Get the drool and Pixar character comparisons going, and you’re going to win the game. Bulge your eyes a bit more than normal, you’re going to win the game. Be Ron Artest crazy, you’re going to win the game.

I’ll leave you with Ron Artest’s post-game interview because just watching that is enough to amuse you for the rest of the day.

Samantha Lewis is a conference production assistant by day and a sports blogger by night. Seeing Ron Artest makes her feel better about her own wiring. You can read more from Samantha at Beantown Athletic Supporters and follow her on Twitter here.

Felger talks #Celtics and #Bruins on the Morning Jab

Michael Felger, from Comcast Sportsnet and 98.5 The Sports Hub, joined Shoe and Matty to break down Celtics/Lakers Game 7 and talk about Cam Neely's new gig with the Bruins.

Celtic Pride Thursday- The Last #Celtics v. #Lakers Game 7

If this doesn't pump you up, just stop reading and start knitting.

RED CLAWS #CELTICS RALLY

RED CLAWS RALLY IN MONUMENT SQ TOMORROW #maineredclaws #celtics

The Maine Red Claws will proudly show their support for their NBA affiliate, the Boston Celtics, as the Celtics attempt to capture their 18th NBA championship. The Red Claws’ 15-foot inflatable “Giant Crusher” will be proudly displaying a “Beat L.A.!” sign while Crusher, sporting his own Celtics jersey, will also be on hand in Monument Square to encourage fans to root for the Red Claws’ parent club.

All fans passing through Monument Square wearing Celtics or Red Claws memorabilia will be eligible to enter to win a game-worn jersey from the Red Claws’ 2009-10 Celtics Affiliate Night.

Also tomorrow, the Red Claws will host a viewing party at Binga’s Stadium Smokehouse and Sports Bar located at 77 Free Street in Portland, joining Red Claws and Celtics fans as the Celtics take on the L.A. Lakers in game 6 of the Finals. Tip-off is at 9 PM, and fans in attendance will be eligible to win Red Claws prizes.

The Celtics are Certifiably Insane

Fridays should be slow work days. Unfortunately, we can't always get what we want so I'm going to get right to the point today.

It’s no secret that I dislike basketball. But, let’s be honest, it’s impossible not to get into the Celtics-Lakers series. Especially us hockey fans. For Christ’s sake, we need SOMEONE from Boston to win.

Last night, the Celts tied the series 2-2. Interestingly enough, it was their bench players that did most of the work. Glen “Big Baby” Davis had 18 points and 4 offensive rebounds in 22 minutes. What? Yes. In his words, “I just felt like a beast. There’s not too many times you get to be part of something so great. I just couldn’t be denied.’’ Couldn’t be denied is an understatement. He looked like Mario after you grab one of those rainbow stars that allows you to plow through enemies like an enraged crack head. The man even drooled (it was disgusting). Davis’ performance came just in time, too. No NBA team has ever recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the finals. Sorry Phil Jackson, you got denied.

So now what? Well, the Celtics have to win 2 of the next 3. That goes without saying. The question is whether or not they can do it. Their play has been erratic and unpredictable. Guys like Ray Allen goes from shooting 80% to 0% within the span of 1 game. The Big Three have yet to show up on the same night. But! Last night the Celtics looked legitimately insane. Big Baby was drooling, Sheed’s eye were bulging, victory cries (and foul cries) had to be dropped from the game. I think LA just realized they’re dealing with a bunch of insane bastards. Ron Artest can’t touch this crazy.

That said, the Celtics and their mental disorders are going to pull this off. Crazy aside, this team is built for victory. Game 6, LA, be ready.

Samantha Lewis is a conference production assistant by day and a sports blogger by night. In what little free time she has, she is a temporary basketball fan. You can (sometimes) read more from her at Beantown Athetic Supporters. You can also follow her on Twitter here.