Celtics 115, Heat 107: That was a little bit of fun, no?
You know in the Rocky series how all the fights are a little unrealistic because neither boxer even tries to defend himself from the onslaught of punches striking him in the head? How the fights are an endless array of uppercuts that land cleanly, hooks that nail their intended target every time and haymakers that connect but don’t end up being a knockout punch? How neither boxer even thinks about putting up his dukes for defensive purposes because he’s too busy plotting his next punch?
Celtics-Heat became Rocky-Drago, and Boston’s win felt more meaningful than the one on April 1st because the Heat brought their best effort. Nobody can claim the Heat played poorly or they were on the road or they didn’t realize the Celtics were legitimate contenders this season. Tonight was two teams who both brought their best effort and were both determined to prove themselves in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics met the Heat playing well and they beat them, on the road. They jumped out to an early 18-point lead, took a dozen clean uppercuts to the head and kept charging for more. There was no clutching, no time to gasp for breath and no quit in either team. The Celtics began swelling above their eye at one point but told Mick to cut it with a razor and came back even stronger. It felt like the ’11 playoffs for a little while, like the Celtics would fade down the stretch. But the Celtics kept pushing on. The Heat threw the kitchen sink and the bathroom toilet and the living room couch at the Celtics, but Boston still won.
I’m not saying the Celtics are now the Eastern Conference favorites. But who wants to meet them in the playoffs?
We’ll leave that as a rhetorical question while I search for a tranquilizer dart to bring my heart rate down.
Related posts:
- Celtics’ situation similar to that of Heat
- Game Preview: Three keys to beating the Heat
- Three strikes and you’re out? Celtics take down Miami Heat, again
- Summer forecast: How far will the Celtics advance in 2011?
- Boston Celtics thrashing of Miami Heat caused players-only meeting to revisit ‘that dark place’
Celtics Blog | Jay King | April 10, 2012
Well someone sounds like a believer. I’d still like to see Dooling and maybe even Moore getting some more minutes. Pietrus will be VERY important to us because he gives us even more stingy defense while a more consistent, dynamic defense than Pav. Even though Pav hit a few big shots for us today, I’d still (just like Doc undoubtedly will) trust Pietrus over him. But this was an amazing game. This is the Heat that beat us last year. We are infinitely better than we were last year and it showed tonight. Let’s see how we respond to another good team in ATL tomorrow. But a VERY good win.
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I can’t sleep…. My heart is still pounding. Just when I think I’m out, they suck me back in. How’s my heart gonna survive the playoffs? This was regular season and I’m so amped up!
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That kids was championship level play and makes us a formidable title contender. What I like the most, even above and beyond winning the rebounding, was the unselfish play and passing in the first half where everyone was looking to help each other and get the best shot or help out on defense. Best half of the season. The confidence too with AB’s shots, but even more so RR’s jumper is going to really help come the playoffs. When MP is back our defense goes up another notch as he can guard Wade/James and players that aren’t used to being hounded all the time. KG is simply on fire and PP showed his full offensive game and did not settle all night. Great, great win and a message to the league…and to Hollinger. the Celtics are better than the last two years and that includes the 2010 team. Go Cs…
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That was some of the best offensive basketball I have ever seen the Celtics play. And on defense, they bent, but refused to break.
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Oh yeah muthaf—az. That shit was awesome. What is that? Twice in around 1 week have we BEAT THE HEAT. How good does it feel to be back in the winners circle? Mad respect to all of the Celtics franchise for making us believe in Banner 18 once more. Close games to SAS and CHI further and wins over PHI, IND and MIA further THE TRUTH that we are indeed again contenders. I said it at the start of the year to all the Celtics haters that we would again be hanging around the top spots in the East and they was like “Boston is done”. Great to see them eating their words now. Ha ha. I gotta watch the game 1 more time. Fight to the death, never surrender Celtics… 2012 REDEMPTION.
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* Sorry about the cusswords, i’ll keep it clean. Just a bit of enthusiasm brimming over…
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The Celtics are the best team in the East. Period. They got hot when it mattered, the exact opposite of last season, when the post-trade blues destroyed the moral of the team and left us with that goofball center from Eastern Europe (the guy who throws chairs). Yeah, I’ve gladly forgotten his name b/c those days are behind us. It’s not a matter any more of “Can the C’s beat the Bulls or Heat?” The question now is: Can anyone beat the Celtics? Rose is injured this year and the Bulls are going to be impacted. The Heat are falling apart, and so long as we rebound, we will beat them (my only complaint about yesterday is giving up 13 offensive boards, which kept them in the game with second chance points). The C’s have the fire in their eyes (cliche but true) something I don’t see in Miami or Chicago.
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Championship teams win and lose on the margin. And this team is marginally better then the last two years.
Who would have thought that a d-leaguer and a sophomore that did nothing in college or anything his first year could start and excell on this team!
Stiesman is killing it he is a shot blocker in the paint and he is killing it on the boards plus he can hit the J. We found a hidden gem.
Bradley has worked on his shot to a respectable measure so now he can be on the court with rondo. This allows his D to be present.
Then of course KG at center is a matchup nightmare.
This team matches up good with the heat plain and simple when we see them
In the playoffs it will be the celtics that celebrate a playoff series win.
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