Thursday, June 12, 2008. Los Angeles. CA. The Boston Celtics pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Playoff history, as they fought back and overcame a 24-point deficit in hostile Los Angeles giving them a commanding 3-1 lead in the 7-game series, which is heading back to Boston on Sunday.
This was how the Boston Celtics of yesteryear -- Cous and Russell and Bird and Hondo and the Chief -- would do it. Digging deep, they fought for every loose ball, scrapping with grit and guts, champions clad in green. These Celtics are no different. dAnd they are just one win from another NBA title. "Yeah," said KG said. "I can taste it."
In their comeback season, Boston saved its biggest one of all for the finals.
The Celtics rallied from a 24-point deficit and beat the Lakers 97-91 on Thursday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this history-rich series and move within one victory of a 17th championship that seemed impossible a year ago.
Boston's comeback included a 21-3 run over the final five minutes, fueled by two 3-pointers from Eddie House, who was getting more playing time because of Rajon Rondo'd tender left ankle. The Celtics were still down by double digits with 2 minutes left in the third but closed the quarter with a 10-1 run, capped by P.J. Brown's dunk -- a slam that could be felt all the way back to Boston's North End. The Celtics finally caught the Lakers at 73-all on Leon Powe's jumper in the lane with 9:05 remaining, tying the score for the first time since it was 2-2 in the first minute.
At that point, the Lakers looked lost, confused, you name it. And when House hit an 18-foot jumper with 4:07 remaining, the Celtics had their first lead, 84-83. Boston's bench erupted, Lakers fans gasped and it was just a matter of time before they were heading out of Staples Center wondering what went wrong.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment