Friday, May 01, 2009
Delirium.
Okay, now I'll say it. This is one of the greatest series in NBA history. No need for disclaimers or reasons to hedge your bets in offering superlatives. Another night, another three overtimes to add to the tally and the series exactly where it should be after six games: three games to three. It sets up what will be one of the more anticipated Game 7s in the history of Boston basketball, and that's saying a lot. Forget 1st round, I expect a frenzy in the new Garden on Saturday fit for the Finals.
The series of big plays became a blur . . . there were just too many to keep track of. The Brad Miller three when the Bulls were down 5 with under 2 minutes to go in regulation. John Salmons' basket in the final 24 seconds of the 1st overtime to tie it. The amazing jumpers by Ray Allen, including the three that tied it at 118 with 7.6 seconds to go in the 2nd overtime. And of course the penultimate defensive moment of the game: Rose's block on Rondo's turnaround jumper with 8 seconds to go in the 3rd overtime that for all intents & purposes sealed the 128-127 victory for Chicago.
There is a sense of delirium that takes over when watching a basketball game like that. It's unique to that sport, because you lose track of the sequence of plays; it's akin to sensory overload. "How did we get here again?" Watching the game tonight was similar to how I felt standing in Madison Square Garden back in March watching UConn battle Syracuse for six overtimes well into the early hours of the next morning. You get to a point where you don't want it to end, and the outcome is far outweighed by the nature of the game itself. I probably wouldn't have felt that way when I was 15, but I can say that with certainty now.
Just because he's one of my favorite players ever, I have to single out Ray Allen's singular performance. Last week, Bill Simmons singled him out as the difference maker, the one guy the Celtics had to rely on in order to win the series, and that rang true tonight. Allen led the Celtics with a playoff career-high 51 points, which is tied for second most in Celtics playoff history. He also became the first Celtic to score 50 points in a playoff game since John Havlicek scored a franchise-record 54 points in 1973. And he tied the NBA playoff record of nine three-pointers in one game. Wow . . . just . . . wow.
There's never been a series like this one before. Four overtime contests in the first six games (no other series had ever had more than two), and seven overtime sessions; no other team in the history of the NBA had played more than six sessions in one entire post-season.
I have no prediction for the outcome of Game 7, except to say that I will not, as I'm sure some pundits will, question the amount of gas left in Boston's tank. The Bulls' younger legs might carry the day, but if the Celtics were going to be undone by their cranky bodies and weary legs it would've happened already. Anything less than a one possession game with under a minute to go will be a disappointment.
----
Becoming a late-night habit in the early going so far: ending my evening listening to Vin Scully's call of the Dodger game. Dodger Stadium was packed last night for the Padres game. I've sensed a shift in recent times, which has intensified in the Manny Era, of Dodger home games having more energy and spirit. A subtle, subjective observation. But it just feels and looks like an exciting place to be right now.
In what was a close game late, the Dodgers pulled out an 8-5 victory to run their record to 7-0 at home (1st time since '47) and 15-8 overall. The teams in baseball with less than 10 losses as we finish off the first month of the season:
16-7 St. Louis
15-8 Dodgers
14-8 Florida
14-8 Boston
15-9 Toronto
13-9 Seattle
The Cardinals start has been very impressive, and with their 9th inning rally last night at Washington and the Cubs late-innings meltdown vs. the Fish, Chicago is now 5 games behind St. Louis. One month in, and the Cubbies have their early season work cut out for them.
Okay, now I'll say it. This is one of the greatest series in NBA history. No need for disclaimers or reasons to hedge your bets in offering superlatives. Another night, another three overtimes to add to the tally and the series exactly where it should be after six games: three games to three. It sets up what will be one of the more anticipated Game 7s in the history of Boston basketball, and that's saying a lot. Forget 1st round, I expect a frenzy in the new Garden on Saturday fit for the Finals.
The series of big plays became a blur . . . there were just too many to keep track of. The Brad Miller three when the Bulls were down 5 with under 2 minutes to go in regulation. John Salmons' basket in the final 24 seconds of the 1st overtime to tie it. The amazing jumpers by Ray Allen, including the three that tied it at 118 with 7.6 seconds to go in the 2nd overtime. And of course the penultimate defensive moment of the game: Rose's block on Rondo's turnaround jumper with 8 seconds to go in the 3rd overtime that for all intents & purposes sealed the 128-127 victory for Chicago.
There is a sense of delirium that takes over when watching a basketball game like that. It's unique to that sport, because you lose track of the sequence of plays; it's akin to sensory overload. "How did we get here again?" Watching the game tonight was similar to how I felt standing in Madison Square Garden back in March watching UConn battle Syracuse for six overtimes well into the early hours of the next morning. You get to a point where you don't want it to end, and the outcome is far outweighed by the nature of the game itself. I probably wouldn't have felt that way when I was 15, but I can say that with certainty now.
Just because he's one of my favorite players ever, I have to single out Ray Allen's singular performance. Last week, Bill Simmons singled him out as the difference maker, the one guy the Celtics had to rely on in order to win the series, and that rang true tonight. Allen led the Celtics with a playoff career-high 51 points, which is tied for second most in Celtics playoff history. He also became the first Celtic to score 50 points in a playoff game since John Havlicek scored a franchise-record 54 points in 1973. And he tied the NBA playoff record of nine three-pointers in one game. Wow . . . just . . . wow.
There's never been a series like this one before. Four overtime contests in the first six games (no other series had ever had more than two), and seven overtime sessions; no other team in the history of the NBA had played more than six sessions in one entire post-season.
I have no prediction for the outcome of Game 7, except to say that I will not, as I'm sure some pundits will, question the amount of gas left in Boston's tank. The Bulls' younger legs might carry the day, but if the Celtics were going to be undone by their cranky bodies and weary legs it would've happened already. Anything less than a one possession game with under a minute to go will be a disappointment.
----
Becoming a late-night habit in the early going so far: ending my evening listening to Vin Scully's call of the Dodger game. Dodger Stadium was packed last night for the Padres game. I've sensed a shift in recent times, which has intensified in the Manny Era, of Dodger home games having more energy and spirit. A subtle, subjective observation. But it just feels and looks like an exciting place to be right now.
In what was a close game late, the Dodgers pulled out an 8-5 victory to run their record to 7-0 at home (1st time since '47) and 15-8 overall. The teams in baseball with less than 10 losses as we finish off the first month of the season:
16-7 St. Louis
15-8 Dodgers
14-8 Florida
14-8 Boston
15-9 Toronto
13-9 Seattle
The Cardinals start has been very impressive, and with their 9th inning rally last night at Washington and the Cubs late-innings meltdown vs. the Fish, Chicago is now 5 games behind St. Louis. One month in, and the Cubbies have their early season work cut out for them.
