Sports Redux: Full House Wins

Does the venue make the team or does the team make the venue? And what happens if the venue has two teams, two games, and one day to pull it all off?

The two host teams win, venue staff deserve medals, and a lot of people walk out of the place happy.

There wasn't much of a battle on the boards of the TD Banknorth Garden on Friday night. The Celtics, doing what has become routine in the House that Replaced the House Tex Rickard Built, took an early lead against the visiting Los Angeles Lakers and left no question of the impending outcome. Kobe Bryant and his crew never even approached the Celts lead.

But there was something special going on Friday night, something that makes this mystifying season (thus far) raise even more goosebumps.

Celebrities were flocking to the TDBN Garden for the game (Ahnold! Meredith GreyEllen Pompeo! Richard Seymour! Ellis Hobbs!). There were chants of "Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!"

There was drama to a rivalry that once seemed relegated to the days when basketball shorts were a good five inches shorter, when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were one of sports' greatest competitors, and Red was still puffing away on his stogie.

We've been going on as much as the next person about the return of Celtics basketball. Maybe it's the sentimental sports romantic in us, but it felt like Friday night made what has been up until now an exciting series of events a real return to grandeur.

And that we came out on top, 107-94, certainly adds to the wonder of it all.

Celtics fans found their usual suspects atop some of the game stats: Kevin Garnett pulled off another double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds) while Paul Pierce added his two cents (and 20 points, six rebounds and nine assists). The third member of the Big Three (Take Two), Ray Allen, provided 18 points.

But let's give a hand to Kendrick Perkins! Boston benefited from a guy averaging 6.7 points per game adding 21 points to the Boston total - and we imagine that Perkins is excited today to report to friends and family that he tied Garnett for the team high.

On the Lakers side, Kobe Bryant led L.A. (and all players) with 28 points.

The Bruins also benefited from the hometown stand. Before sneakers squeaked on the boards, skates were sliding across the ice - and the Bruins recorded their fourth win in five games. Boston beat the Islanders 2-1, led by Tim Thomas' 25 saves (including a last-second Islander shot) and Glen Metropolit's third period game-winner. Given the fact that the Bruins are heading into a long, looooong stretch on the road, it was a big win here in Boston - one captured in LiveBlog form by our Bostonist Redux partner in crime!

Image of our happy not-so-little basketball/hockey home by flickr user lazytom