Heat 101, Celtics 88: I wasn’t ready for this to end
Plenty more to come later, but just for now I leave you with an excerpt from my game story for the Springfield Republican:
Destiny is a seven-letter word to describe a predetermined state of events that may or may not exist, from which the Boston Celtics spent the past four months running.
They made a habit of altering time — pushing a three-year title window to five, convincing the basketball gods to shave a few years off Kevin Garnett’s 36, begging for the strength to keep winning with three starters at least age 34.
But on Saturday night at AmericanAirlines Arena the clock kept ticking down on their season, maybe an era.
Finally, in a winner-takes-all Game 7 against the Miami Heat, the Celtics fell 101-88, reaching the point where they could not run anymore. …
Destiny finally found the Boston Celtics. They spent the season sprinting and juking, hiding and ducking. But in the second half of their most important game this season, the Celtics just couldn’t find enough.
I haven’t decided yet whether this is my favorite or second-favorite Celtics team ever. I guess it doesn’t really matter. I’m proud of these guys, even though they squandered a chance in Game 6 and couldn’t muster the energy to finish Game 7. Proud enough that just before typing this post, I unleashed a string of “Let’s go Celtics” chants by myself in my room.
I don’t know what’s coming next. Nobody does. But for now, I salute a team that didn’t have an ounce of quit.
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Celtics Blog | Jay King | June 9, 2012
Great season considering the loss of Bradley, Green, Wilcox, and JO and we still go 7 games vs the NBA’s ‘beholding’ team. The stat that says it all – LBJ 48 mins and ZERO fouls, the only player with more than 3 mins of playing time to not foul. 4 games in Miami and he had a grand total of 5 PFs (3 games in Boston 13 PFs). How can I respect the series when the Cs never had a level playing field? We lost this game as we quit rebounding and attacking but the fouls on KG in the first half were BS. And when PP drives and 3 Heat players crush him and he lands on the deck with no fould call then we can’t win the game. Go Cs…I love this team!…Go OKC sweep these MFs!!!
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It was real obvious that the league would not let the Cs win if they could help it.
Even in Game Six at the garden that was obvious.
But we had a better chance to win that one had we played with the urgency we played with tonight.
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I guess life’s not fair. Basketball is about team work, it’s about defense and fundamentals. Give miami a lot of credit tonight, the new big 3 had wonderful numbers and the bench contributed. But at the end of the day we all saw before our eyes that talent won over a team. I’m so sad right now, but I’m also proud of our boys. The NBA, Stern and the world got what they wanted, a superstar talent clash in the finals just as shaun powell wanted to. Now, they can sell those OKC T Shirts they so desperately wanted to. In a paralell Universe, the same boston Celtics with health, and a stronger bench are now heading to the NBA Finals. Go Celtics! Forever.
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This is without a doubt one of my all time favorite Celtics teams. But let’s face it, already: had they played this way two nights ago, we are getting ready for OKC now. And they didn’t even play that great tonight.
They pissed all over a closeout game one time too many. This team had too many bad habits, and they got bit by them too many times.
Play like this two nights ago and you are fighting for a championship.
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Man, they did f–kin quit, they f–kin quit big time. Game 6 and Game 7 of 2010 and Game 6 and 7 of 2012 ECF. Blew big leads, threw the ball away , didn’t play good D. I’m tired of heaping praise on this team only to be disappointed by them twice in 4 years. Not good enough, let the 4th quarter go. Threw away their chance of a 2nd title. Nothing good to say at the moment really. I was going to drop a far more scathing post but I with held it out of respect, not that I feel like giving any after that PATHETIC performance in the 4th. I better quit before I say something real nasty. Feel it’s time to rebuild. Not 1 player should be exempt from a possible trade after this. What hurts the most is the fact our team was better. Then Wade and Bosh come alive in Game 7 after being quiet the whole series. I thought this team learned something from the 2010 finals which was, don’t blew big leads and close out Game 6′s. So much for MP’s guarantee of a title but hey at least he didn’t guarantee 7. GO OKC THUNDER, DRIVE THE HEAT INTO THE F–KIN GROUND. TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4, YOU ARE STILL THE CHAMPIONS ALTHOUGH I VERY UPSET AT THE MOMENT.
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While extremely disappointed, I love this team and the fact that it took 4 major players to be gone (AB, JG, CW & JO) and several other nagging injuries and we still came close to getting to the Finals. I expect the Big 3 to return, and we get our missing players back (except JO) and our bench gets fixed, a good and deep draft (2 1st rnd picks), FAs maybe (?) and we’ll be right there again; if healthy. And I want the Heat there again as they are not a team by any stretch of the imagination. Go Cs…so proud that this is my team…forever and into my next 100 million years wherever I am!!!
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That’s truly a fan, Agree with you in everything, bring the Big 3 back so we can laugh at the media when they start writing about how old they are and how they should rebuild next season.
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I’m with CPUFC and Paul We let go of this game in the fourth quarter, and had we come out to play like this in game 6, we’d be in the championship. Yes, we overachieved considering the injuries and losses to personnel, but still, we had Miami by the balls and we didn’t put them down. So it’s a bittersweet ending to this era for me, one that could’ve been won, at least the E. Conference with more focus and drive in 48 mins of each game.
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And yeah, James, the refs killed us, especially with those phantom calls on KG in the first half. But down the stretch, we didn’t deliver, and I’m tired of hearing about age or running out of gas. We didn’t fucking execute as we had in the first 3 and a half quarters. It was like watching game 7 against the Lakers all over again.
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Maybe KG comes back next year, maybe he retires, may he signs with another team. Who knows? Ray is likely gone. It’s Rondo’s team now and let’s hope Ainge can build a contender around him, much like the Spurs have done by adding the right pieces to an aging core. But right now, it feels like the end of an era and it’s very disheartening.
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And Jay, thanks for writing great columns this year with funny and insightful material. James, Paul, Greg and company, see you next year….
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Great run. I watched every game intently, annoying my friends and girlfriend alike with the crazy, Garnett-like energy I was trying to send out to the C’s every night. With all of the injuries and the refs clearly favoring the Heat they still fought. I won’t pretend that I thought they could get this far, especially with everything they had to overcome but I love these guys.
PS – Rondo is a beast. FA’s need to come to Boston to play with this guy or they’re morons in search of the meaningless big market spotlight.
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Yeah guys it’s been a great run this year. Just can’t believe that this Celtics team got beat by a WORSE team AGAIN. The Big 5 (hello Mr Perkins) gave us that great championship memory in 08 for which I am forever grateful but it’s so sad to know there SHOULD be two or three banners hanging from the rafters in the Garden and not 1. I still believe their is some fight left in the old dog and hope to see KG, RR, RA and PP back next year but I won’t hold my breath.
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hopefully “what’s neXt” is that the C’s FINALLY do the intelligent thing & rid themselves of the so-called big-3, each of whom is clearly past his prime & giving consideration to the FAR too high salaries, those sums of ca$h wood be FAR better spent on younger & better athletes
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I do not understand why Doc. kept Bass on Labron so long in the End. Also. what happened first, mental fatigue or lack of discipline? I was hoping for 1969. What a ride. Thanks everybody.
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