Sports Redux: That....Was Awesome

Radio guy Sean Grande said it at one point in the second half; there were a lot of bloggers and NBA experts ready to go on the Internet and write that the Celtics really weren't for real. After the first quarter, they'd have had a serious case. The C's couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, and their vaunted defense was being repeatedly torched by Tony Parker and company. This looked bleak.

The Celts clawed back to within 10 at halftime, but we'd love to know who said what in the locker room after the pitiful first half. Did Doc call out the troops? Did Sam Cassell challenge his new teammates? Did Al Pacino show up and give his "inches" speech? Or did Rajon Rondo have a second cup of coffee? Whatever it was, it worked, as the C's came roaring back in the third, with Rondo (12 pts/3 assists/3 rebounds) leading the way.

But still, the Spurs are the Spurs, and you don't get to be defending champs by luck alone [bitter comment about the Giants deleted]. Parker stepped up, Manu Ginobili stepped up, and the C's were back down seven with a few minutes to go. Enter Eddie House, enter Cassell, watch 3-pointers fly, and the Celts had the lead. Then the Ghosts of Celtics Past woke up, celebrating St. Patty's Day by nudging Manu's layup out of the basket, and Eddie House's free throws in.

The Ghosts even threw off the biggest sure thing in the NBA. Garnett just needed to inbound the ball to a good free-throw shooter, and the game would likely have been over. Instead, he flung it over everyone and into the hands of Spur Bruce Bowen, who kicked it to Robert Horry with a chance to win the game. There are former NBAers coast to coast whose careers have been ruined by Robert Horry taking shots to win games. But not last night. The ball bounced wildly off the rim, and the C's got the win. Incredible.

It's hard today to think about anything but that fantastic comeback (well, and the Basketball Armageddon tonight between the best team in the NBA and the team that's won 22 straight), but we'd be remiss if we didn't note that the Sox lost to the Yankees (Bartolo Colon needs some fine-tuning), and Dice-K will officially start the first game in Japan. Which means there will be even more people rooting against Oakland in their ostensible home game than there usually are in Oakland.

Image from Amazon.