Celtics-thunder would seem just right
The NBA playoffs are steamrolling toward the improbable now, a once-inconceivable matchup that is starting to feel just right: the creaky old men of the Boston Celtics against the unbridled stallions of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Make that a penciled-in prediction, for nothing is certain. Very little has made sense during these playoffs, complete with a collapse of the San Antonio mystique and the likes of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett — combined age 103, or so it would seem — outplaying LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Based on what we’ve seen, though, Celtics-Thunder carries the ring of justice. After Boston’s stunning 94-90 win in Miami on Tuesday night, I’m not sure how many stragglers are left aboard the Lebron-and-wade bandwagon. There certainly aren’t many in Miami, that’s for sure. Game 5 was played before a timid,
nervous crowd that seemed to be expecting the worst — and gracious, were those fans correct.
The climate is about to change, dramatically, for Thursday night’s Game 6. They might have torn down the old Boston Garden, but that parquet floor and the Celtics’ passionate fans remain, complete with championship memories dating back to 1957. Indeed, it’s that fine tradition that frames the essence of this year’s team. Limping, worn-down, said to be on the verge of breakup, these Celtics recall the memory of Bill Russell and his long-in-the-tooth teammates willing Boston to one last title against the Lakers in ’69.
Game 5 in Miami was the slumping Paul Pierce suddenly coming to life, launching a clutch threepointer over James’ tough defense for a 90-86 lead in the final minute. It was Ray Allen, then Garnett hitting two clutch free-throw tries to preserve that lead.
And just as every older team has that crucial infusion of youth, there was Rajon Rondo, once again, orchestrating the Celtics’ win with a textbook display of distribution.
The way it looks from here, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra is one loss from losing his job. One potentially hellish night before the raging hordes in Boston. It’s all well and good for him to stand before the ESPN cameras after the third quarter, all smiles, and predict, “We’ll be fine these next 12 minutes,” but his team wasn’t fine. All too often, again, it seemed incapable of running crisp, fundamental plays in the hands of two all-universe players — plus Chris Bosh, who returned from a nine-game absence to give Miami some inspired minutes.
There’s no way Spoelstra survives the firestorm if the Heat lose this series. But that’s back-page news in Boston, buried under the avalanche of praise for old-timers who have resurrected their Hall of Fame credentials just in time.
You could hear the pride in Garnett’s voice during his on-court interview after Tuesday night’s game, and as ESPN showed the replay of Pierce’s three-pointer, Garnett simply said, “The Truth. Shaq (O’Neal) gave him that nickname, and it’s right on.”
They don’t yet have a nickname for the threepronged force of nature taking place in Oklahoma City. “The Big Three” seems tired and entirely inappropriate for Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, three youthful NBA stars who might have wildly different personalities but share one thing in common: They
really want the ball when it matters, and they don’t much care who takes the big shot. Teams don’t get any more professional than the Spurs, but you wonder about their level of confidence as they invade OKC for Wednesday night’s Game 6.
“Those guys want it,” said an admiring Stephen Jackson in the Spurs’ locker room after the Thunder won Game 5 in San Antonio. “That’s the only thing I can say about that. They want to be here, they want to win. I love the passion in those young guys over there. I love how much they want it. I just want us to be the same way come the next game.”
The key word is nerve. The Thunder might be young, but this is their seventh playoff series over three seasons, and they’re beginning to think they rule the world. “You learn,” head coach Scott Brooks said of the team’s prior disappointments. “We’re not too proud to learn.”