Celtics survive Game 7, advance; Round Two starts today
Rajon Rondo (photo. Kozowyck)
After all that had happened in the first six games, you have to imagine even Boston fans would’ve liked to see a more thrilling Game Seven between the Celtics and Bulls. It’s not that the game wasn’t competitive — Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon sparked a late second-half comeback and kept Chicago within a possession or two for most of the fourth quarter — but it was like the C’s were Lennox Lewis, keeping the young challenger at bay with a series of long jabs and the occasional big right hand … Boston gained control during a 29-6 run in the second quarter, taking the lead on a typical Eddie House sequence: House started a fast break looking like the terrible ball-handler/playmaker he is, threw a pass in traffic intended for Rajon Rondo that was almost a turnover, but the ball ricocheted back to House, who caught it in stride and nailed a three. A couple plays later House (16 pts, 4-4 3PA, 3 stls) hit another trey, and Boston went into the locker room up by 14 … Play of the day was Derrick Rose’s block on Brian Scalabrine. It wasn’t even fair; Veal thinking he had a breakaway dunk and Rose lining him up before catching him right at the rim. It was like a National Geographic Channel documentary on a lion hunting a domestic dog. David Aldridge really should have asked Scalabrine about it during his halftime interview (apparently DA’s first eight choices escaped his grasp), but no dice … Hinrich (16 pts, 4 stls) hit a couple jumpers to get the Bulls within four early in the fourth, then had a trey rattle in-and-out. House hit a three to give Boston some cushion, but then he got a tech right after for taunting the Bulls bench, jawing with Lindsey Hunter … The Bulls then got to within three with 5:30 left, but Gordon (33 pts, 15-15 FT) insanely pulled up for a triple in transition and airballed out of bounds. Doug Collins‘ call for “a little more patience” was the understatement of the week. Paul Pierce (20 pts, 9 rebs) and Kendrick Perkins connected on a perfect baseline pick-and-roll the next trip, and the Bulls never got any closer thanks to some costly turnovers, missed shots and, and the Celtics hitting their free throws in the bonus … Chicago was still breathing in the final minute when Gordon blew past House and missed a runner he usually makes. House acted like he actually did something to stop the bucket (maybe House yelled at BG on the release like he does when he’s on the bench), never mind the fact that a lot of Gordon’s points were dropped on House’s neck … The Bulls’ last chance ended with 42 seconds left, down five, when they didn’t want to foul House on an inbounds and he found Ray Allen (23 pts) leaking out behind the defense for an and-one … The hell was that dance Big Baby did when he got an and-one in the third quarter? It was a cross between Merton Hanks‘ chicken dance and Mateen Cleaves‘ cheese-tastic little step at the end of the 2000 national championship game …
Game 7 for D-Wade...
Not much in the way of fights or fireworks, either. Brad Miller and Perkins (14 pts, 13 rebs) got tied up one time and drew double techs, but that was more significant for the fact that Perk tweaked his problematic shoulder again. Another time Joakim Noah grabbed Rondo on a drive and kind of tackled him, but that didn’t really go anywhere beyond Noah and Big Baby yapping at each other … Most awkward moment if you were watching the game with your parents: The announcers were hyping a Major League Baseball broadcast while the camera focused on some dude in the crowd who looked like he might have been one of the Red Sox players or something. The guy was talking to somebody off-camera and looking generally d-baggish, then suddenly a blonde head pops up from near his lap … We had a Gabe Pruitt sighting. It was during one of the Celtics “NBA Cares” commercials, but still … After what seems like a month, the first round of the playoffs will finally be over today with Game Seven of Heat/Hawks. D-Wade’s 41-point effort the other night gave Miami the momentum, but the Hawks have another level of confidence at home. Maybe we’ll get a close game this time, because everything so far has been a rout one way or the other … After that, Nuggets/Mavs gets underway with Game One. What does George Karl have planned for Dirk Nowitzki? He was able to stick K-Mart on David West in the first round and let Kenyon take West out by himself, but Dirk’s got a lot more weapons in the arsenal for Kenyon to deal with alone. Who do you got in that series? … We’re out like Da Bulls …
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 am
louiie says:
firstTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTttt
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 am
the_don_mega says:
kinda dissapointin’ end to a great series… kinda decided by free throws… ei Dime… no thoughts on the Hatton-Pacquiao fight??? damn… Manny got him nasty…
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 am
filipino pride says:
pacquiao G.O.A.T.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:04 am
Beantown's Son says:
that dude in the stands was Mark Kotsay, a Red Sox outfielder who is on the DL. U knew that, dont front Dime, why else would u simply guess out of nowhere who he was? …He did look particularly d-baggish.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 am
x0t says:
noah > oden
and its not close either.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:11 am
@LakersNation says:
Gordon was a f-in idiot down the stretch . . . gotta take the good with the bad, so take the criticism BG!
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 am
QQ says:
Fuck the Celtics.
Talking trash like they won the championship.
Two fucking years, these assholes were taken to a Game 7 by two teams that they should have DESTROYED.
And the false swagger.. Eddie house, Pierce, KG. YOU FUCKING BEAT THE 7th SEED and yall celebrating like you won something relevant.
It’s all up fo’ the Bulls. They played a great series, Rose matured real quick, and Salmons and Brad Miller showed that they . They will be a great squad for years to come.
The Celts, meanwhile… two straight years, and they struggled against an 8TH SEED and a 7TH SEED. Wow. REAL bright future right there.
My Magic are waiting. We well devour these goons alive in the second round. I’m hoping the Magic are playing for the Bulls, seeing how these fake bitches disrespected them.
PS: Fuck the Celtics.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:33 am
Hurricane says:
Denver is going to own Dallas. They are way to physical for pansy boy Dirk and Erika.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:33 am
QQ says:
*
‘and Salmons and Brad Miller showed that they belong…’
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 am
slice850 says:
@QQ
it was a game seven in an extremely intense series, won by an injury depleted squad.
you want them to act like they simply won a pick up game at the local?
magic won’t fight the celtics as tough as the bulls did. for a 41-41 team, they played outta their minds. C’s in 6
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:51 am
QQ says:
And yeah… Pacquaio DESTROYED Hatton. I was rooting for Pacman, but DAMN, 2 rounds. Yeah. CHEERS FOR REAL CHAMPIONS LIKE PACMAN!!! And fuck fake bitches like the Celts.
Pacman = one of the greatest EVER.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:59 am
QQ says:
C’s in six? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
You watched the Bulls series didn’t you? Damn.
PS: It was a SEVENTH SEED. People were saying the C’s are gonna bulldoze through the Conference Finals to meet the Cavs. But no, they got outplayed by a puny 7th seed. AND THEY WERE ACTING LIKE THEY WON SOMETHING. It’s like you pick a fight with a 12 year old girl, and after beating her, you act all tough and brag your ‘win’ to your friends: IT’S RETARDED.
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 am
sh!tfaced says:
Damn Ricky Hatton didn’t even let me finish my San Miguel Beer…
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 am
Borgs says:
Game 7: Exhibits A, B & C as to why Ben Gordon isn’t worth $70 million. A tight hammy is not to blame for his shithouse D on Eddie or his chronically poor shot selection.
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:19 am
kevin k says:
Ben Gordon isnt worth no where near the amount of money he wants, BUT he has a valid point to the bulls. “Freaking Scrub Luol Deng got paid when he sucks, so why shouldnt i get paid when im worth more?”
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 am
Borgs says:
Fair point, kevin k. I say Gordon is actually worth half of his own (or his agent’s) evaluation, as he loses as many games as he wins for his club. If he split Luol’s contract it would be somewhere nearer to fair for Chicago. Except that the Bulls agreed to pay Deng in the first place, so they can suffer for their choices…
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:43 am
Kante says:
No chance for Martin to stop Dirk.
No one can stop him…
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:40 am
John says:
I think the Celtics have a better chance against the Magic, Celtics in 6.
Miami by 8 today.
Nuggets 4×1 Mavs.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:52 am
Soopa says:
Loved the Bulls – Celts series. As epic as a round one series gets. But lets not get carried away with the bulls just yet. I mean i like them and Rose is headed for big things. But! Wasnt it exactly like this 2 years ago? Luol Deng was the surging star and they had all the young pieces and they beat the defendig champ in round one. But next season they fell compltete apart. I hope they can carry this momentum further into next season, i really like the team, especially Rose.
I do think they need to let Ben go this offseason. Rose needs to be the one learning how to win games for his team as he is The Future. Having Ben jacking insane shot in cruch time is not long term way to go. (yeah yeah i know he has hit some big ones, but still…)
Rose/Deng would be better as Deng has a midrange game superior to BG’s jacker/high risk game and they have all the penetration they need in Rose.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:01 am
QQ says:
@ 18:
No. Magic in 5.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 am
sh!tfaced says:
QQ is sounds just like Floyd Mayweather Sr. before the Pacman-Hitman fight…
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:22 am
sh!tfaced says:
QQ sounds just like Floyd Mayweather Sr. before the Pacman-Hitman fight…
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:59 am
Rafa23 says:
QQ, i understand you hate the celtics, no problem with that.
but saying they had to go to game 7 the second year in a row is sooo bad. last year they won the chip, so who cares.
and this year, you cant say they have to destroy a 7th seed. like doug collins said, the bulls are better than a #7 and boston is a 4 at best.
no one said they would get to the conference finals easy. actually, most people said they are done after the garnett injury.
if the magic dont choke, they should win it in 5 or 6. i hope they will, because magic-cavs could be great…
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:09 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
i bet kobe vs ron-ron would be as nasty as hatton vs pacquiao!!! LOL!!!
STAND UP AND REPRESENT THE 3 STARS AND A SUN!!!!
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
i hope kobe and ron-ron get nasty like pacquiao vs hatton!!!
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
huth says:
gordon giveth… and gordon taketh away
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:26 am
that's whats up says:
Ben Gordon turned down 58 Million Dollars…
Did you think his stupid decisions were exclusively off the court?
He’s good, but he’s a great role player, not a superstar
“Don’t be another Sprewell” is what his agent should have said
May 3rd, 2009 at 8:28 am
that's whats up says:
Nuggets in 6
Lakers in 6
Cavs in 4
Celtics in 5
Sham Van Gundy will fuck that series up real quick
Celtics in 5
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
MoxEASTcoastRep says:
I have no dog in this fight, but I don’t think the magic have enough heart to win the series. Plus, stan van is a “master of panic” ha ha. Celtics in 7.
Lakers over Cavs in 6 for the chip.
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 am
foolio_iglesias says:
Don’t be so hard on the Celtics.Their championship was bought and paid for last season.They still have their defense in place to remain competitive,but that’s it.This is not a dynasty team.More like a Falcon Crest team.Giggity!
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 am
QQ says:
@ 23:
People are saying that they are done competing for a championship without Garnett, but everyone was saying that they will have an easy road towards the Conference Finals. Want proof? Just read the comments of this article. DAAMMMMMMMNNN. People are still picking the C’s over my Magic, even after seeing Boston play like a tired squad versus a 7th seed. And get this: The Magic are finally playing well these past 3 games, the Celtics were taken to the limit by the Bulls, and these cats are STILL PICKING THE FUCKING CELTICS. And you’re saying that, to quote, ‘NO ONE said they would get to the conference finals easy’????
@22:
‘QQ sounds just like Floyd Mayweather Sr. before the Pacman-Hitman fight’
The only difference is my pick would actually win.LOL.
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:37 am
uneeda says:
@ 17… No one can stop No-guts-ski? We’ll see…
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:47 am
MoxEASTcoastRep says:
@QQ- didn’t the celtics go 7 games with the hawks last year? The 8 seed? And still win the championship?
Going 7 with the Bulls doesn’t mean you’re finished by any means
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:52 am
Rafa23 says:
@ QQ
i was talking bout before the playoffs, no one in the media gave the celts a free pass to the conf. finals. a lot of guys commenting here have no idea, so…
you are really focused on that 2vs7 thing. first of all, it just doens’t work that easy with the way the bulls added guys and the celtics lost some.
and last year they went to game 7 in the first round and won the chip. that wont happen again, just saying one close series doesn’t mean shit.
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:55 am
QQ says:
@ 31:
I was responding to Rafa. Cat is saying no one thinks the Celts will reach the Conf. Finals because they lost Garnett. Man, by just looking at this article, he was proven wrong.
Finished? I never said those damn Celts were finished. I was just picking the Magic to win. Why? Because I’m a Magic fan. And, SURPRISE, I picked my squad to win, just like any other fan in the world.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:05 am
MoxEASTcoastRep says:
Oh… That makes sense…can’t hate on you for that!
And as a laker fan I want some revenge on the green machine!
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:37 am
sh!tfaced says:
If the Magic faced the Bulls in the first round, we’d be seeing Cetics-Bulls on Monday. They had all they could handle with the Sixers. They were fortunate DiLeo can’t coach playoff basketball.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
the_don_mega (representin' the 3 stars and a sun) says:
hope kobe vs ron-ron would be as nasty as pacman vs hitman!!!
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:00 am
jdub says:
Congratulations, Boston. Your reward for surviving my hometown Bulls: Dwight Howard, so good luck with that. Your front line will be in my prayers.
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
sh!tfaced says:
Elbow room only in the front line…
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:32 am
dk says:
@24 Lmao!
Gordon completely ruined thier chances by trying to put on a number 23 jersey… Except the airness took high percentage shots. I usd to like BG but now Im thnkn hes a ball hog n undersizd
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:36 am
deeds says:
Amazing series, probably the best I’ve seen personally….too bad none of it matters since we’re heaed for the inevitable CAVS / LAKERS final. (Im not complaining about that either)
And Rondo is a horrible actor and/or a huge bitch. The guy was face down on the ground for a minute straight after noah stopped him on the way to the rim. You can’t tell me that actually hurt…he just got spun around, he didn’t hit the ground hard or anything. He’s quickly becoming one of my least favourite players
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
E$ says:
Big Perk still gettin’ it in. I bet Dwight don’t throw a elbow in this series
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
D.H. says:
I call the Nuggets in 6.
Speaking of blowjobs in the stands I wonder how many of you saw this clip from a Carolina Hurricanes playoff game a week ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2iu6NCpgzU
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Schakr says:
Why is everyone so down on Gordon?
I don’t think that he is worth the money that he wants, and some team is going to overpay him and ruin the chance to sign anyone else. Reminds me of Baron Davis, good player bad contract.
But as far as BG play, as a Celtics fan he was one of the reasons I didn’t feel comfortable with any lead. He hit a high # of shots over Celtic players that had pretty good defense on him. He kept the Bulls in this series every time it looked like the Celtics would take the upper hand.
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
AB_40 says:
NUGS in 6 wow sorry for the caps
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
jackass says:
QQ is a fuckin idiot with balls for brains. think what you are trying to say here.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Kirk Hinrich says:
MEMO TO BEN GORDON:
You Might Have Had 33 point but you did it in 7 for 23 shots. YOU ARE NOT KOBE FUCKING BRYANT!Pass the fucking ball next time, YOU ARE NOT SPIDERMAN, YOUR HANDS DO NOT STICK TO THE BALL……… I CANT BELIEVE THEY BENCHED ME FOR THIS MIDGET.
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
bllaaam says:
game was decided by free throws. if i was a celtics fan id be scared of the next round cuz if the refs aren’t on your side, your gona get bounced.
May 3rd, 2009 at 6:23 pm
biglang liko says:
easy with BG. He’s a volume shooter with a lot of guts.thats just his game.
Unless dwight shows a killer instinct and demands 4 the ball in every play, boston in 6. Its his series to lead the magic.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:21 pm
KYBaller312 says:
Some of u guys(gals) seem so intelligent sometimes and then you say stupid shyt like the Celts shoulda blew through Chi and they had to go 7 last year as well and they are fake champions. WTF!!! They are without one of the top 3-5 players in the L, Leon Powe, KP hurt shoulder…and Chi even a 7 seed is a dangerous squad…and last year against ATL they are a young, aggressive super athletic squad who went from 8 to 4 this year…evn with KG they go 4-2 with Chi this year…nothing to lose…a punchers chance…oh, btw…Ricky Hatton isn’t and never was shyt
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Melo2TDot says:
ok for all the people that think Kobe vs Ron ron would be an intense fight, just stop. Ron would DE-STROY kobe in a fight. haven’t any of u heard of Chris childs?
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 pm
QQ says:
@ 47:
Shut up, dipshit. If you gonna take a quick jab without explaining what it’s all about, congratulations, you have just proven you are a dimwit.
PS: Shut the fuck up, dipshit.
May 4th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Tes says:
Rondo’s got to step up against the Magic.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Rajon-Rondo-Dunk—How-to-Jump-Higher-Without-Calf-Raises-and-Squats&id=2023330