Chris Forsberg is here to remind us that the Big Three may not be here to stay. Thanks a lot, Chris! I really appreciate it! After the C’s knotted up the NBA Finals in most scintillating fashion, this is just what I wanted to hear! (ESPN Boston)

Regardless of the outcome of this series, there’s the possibility that Sunday’s Game 5 will be the last time Boston’s latest Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen will share the Garden floor.

Allen is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, while Pierce holds an early termination option on his contract. After three years of overwhelming success that will include at least one NBA championship, could this be the trio’s last hurrah in Boston?

Rivers indicated Friday that, while the team hasn’t discussed next season, he’s in favor of keeping the band together, even with his own future at the helm of the team uncertain amidst reports that he might walk away to spend more time with his family.

“We don’t talk about it at all, and I don’t think this [the window of opportunity is closing], anyway,” said Rivers. “I’ve said that — I said it in the middle of the year — I think, hopefully, we sign Ray back. I think I can say that; If not, I just got fined. I think Kevin is going to be better next year because of a year away from surgery… So we don’t think that [the window is closing]. I think everyone outside of us, a lot of people do.”

Even if the window is closing I don’t see how the Celtics will change their core. I can’t see Pierce leaving Boston and, if the C’s don’t re-sign Ray, they won’t have any money to sign anyone else anyway. The salary cap sucks, huh? So the Celts might as well re-sign Ray, come back with the same team intact and make another run at the NBA championship. Outside of a sign-and-trade for Ray, I don’t see any other possibilities better than giving the Big Three one more run.

Sucks for us, huh? We’ll probably have to suffer through another season of championship aspirations and ridiculously exciting playoff basketball. Unless that championship window really is closing.