Sunday, April 28, 2013

If only that'd been Game 7 instead of Game 4

The first 3 of Terry's 9 points in OT
This is a weird feeling to have as a Celtics fan.  Boston was determined not to go out with a sweep on their own floor today.  They built a 20 point lead, let it slip away, then had just enough left to hang on in overtime.  An injured Kevin Garnett gave everything he had, pulling down 17 rebounds for the second consecutive contest (both of which would be season highs if not for a triple OT game against Denver in February).  For most of the afternoon Doc Rivers used just 6 players, with Jason Terry being the lone reserve to see significant action.  Late in the game with the C's desperate for offense as usual, Terry finally showed why Danny Ainge brought him here, scoring the Celtics final 9 points.

Everything about this result has a "Custer's Last Stand" feel to it.  The Knicks were missing their second best player (a suspended JR Smith), and in turn got a season low 7 points from their bench.  Scoring champ Carmelo Anthony shot just 10-35 (and 0-7 3PT) from the field.  Boston had all the motivation in the world to win this one, while New York may well have been content to wait for Game 5 back at MSG.  And through all that, it still took an incredibly hard fought OT win to get the series to 3-1.

It's a very unfamiliar place to be, and I don't know how to feel about this victory.  I can't imagine how the Celtics could have anything left in the tank; and even if they did nothing about what I've seen so far gives me any reason to think they might win on Wednesday.  Boston played today like it was a Game 7, and I wish it could be the final memory of this season.

 

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