Appreciate what we are witnessing

[Bad-Thoma]

Damn I hate coming to this board after a loss, every thread I read seems to have some ominous, apocalyptic tone like our ship has sailed and we might as well mail it in in game 7 and get some extra rest for next season. All you people thinking like that... well shame on you.

This series has been the single best series I have ever witnessed. We aren't the team we were last year without KG... to see this series for what it is we just have to accept that. With KG on the floor we have 3 lock future HOF's playing together and one of the best defensive frontcourts in basketball. A predominantly veteran line-up. I keep hearing how the C's are getting old and worn down.... but now 3 of our starters are 24 or under and playing 40+ minutes a night! Considering you can pretty much ignore the bench the C's are fielding a pretty young team overall and fighting for everything they get in this series. Forget last year, forget what we expected to be this year, forget KG because he isn't out there and see this team for what it is, a team that is playing it's heart out against a good and rising Bulls team.

The best and worst part of this series has been the inconsistent play of the veterans, especially Paul Pierce. The youth of this team has had to carry it at times, Rondo leading the way and Perk and Big Baby right behind them, and while it would be great to have seen PP and Ray step it up in every game instead of off and on the way things have gone has brought me hope for the post-big 3 era of the Celtics, there is a solid young core in place that should be entering it's prime as the big 3 decline the next few seasons.

If there is one thing I have learned it's that nothing in life worth having comes easily, and just as last year was a battle for this team to win a championship this year will be a battle as well. Last year during playoff struggles there were plenty ready to count the C's out, just as this year plenty seem ready to waive the white flag and give up hope. It's certainly going to be an uphill struggle, but IF...IF they should get there it will be all the sweeter.

In the meantime we've been treated to one unlikely game tying shot after another. We've seen both teams climb back tooth-nail-and-claw from deficits, both fanbases have been ecstatic and both fanbases have had their hearts broken in a series that has destroyed the record for overtime games. It's been a series so close that every play could win it or lose it, one missed free throw by either team could have sent either team home or to the second round by now. The refs have been under a microscope because one bad call in a series this close could cost either team the whole thing.

7 overtime periods in 6 games, countless lead changes, shoving, spitting blood, contentious fans, game saving shots... I mean why is anyone complaining? What more could you ask for from a playoff series in a league accused of going soft? From a league reputed to be filled with me-first primadonnas that care more about money than winning? THIS IS PLAYOFF BASKETBALL. If we won this series in 5 games it'd be a vague memory within 2 seasons. Personally, I'll always remember this series. It might not always be pretty, but overall it has been beautiful.

edit: well, I guess I'm not alone, while I was typing this aboubata posted something similar and someone posted the espn link that calls this the greatest series ever.

[spf211]

I have a grip. I anticipated this series could have been won in five games (which it could have) or could go to a Game 7 (which it will). I did not anticipate Rondo having the series he has had, or Big Baby, or Scalabrine for that matter.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen aren't spring chickens anymore. Garnett isn't playing.

Oh yeah, and then there's the giant NBA conspiracy that the Bulls have unearthed that is destined to get the Celtics another championship no matter what. So what's to worry about?

[Celtic Esquire]

I don't give a damn how great the series has been.

We had plenty of chances to close the game out and we choked each time.

That does give me confidence going into game.

[Joebiscuit]

I will appreciate this IF the Celtics win. If not all I will be able to do is look back at all the missed opportunities the celtics had (and there were plenty of them) and blew.

[Bad-Thoma]

The attitude that this is only good if we win is puzzling to me.. both teams have blown plenty of opportunities to win, both teams have made amazing shots to stay alive. A 7 game tightly contested series, while not what I was wishing for, makes for more memorable viewing than a sweep. I'm enjoying it for what it is, even as I'm crushed when we lose in triple overtime in a winnable game.

[Joebiscuit]

The attitude that this is only good if we win is puzzling to me.. both teams have blown plenty of opportunities to win, both teams have made amazing shots to stay alive. A 7 game tightly contested series, while not what I was wishing for, makes for more memorable viewing than a sweep. I'm enjoying it for what it is, even as I'm crushed when we lose in triple overtime in a winnable game.

It is only a great series if the team you are rooting for has won. If they lose it is was not a good series. Winning is all that matters.

[Bad-Thoma]

The attitude that this is only good if we win is puzzling to me.. both teams have blown plenty of opportunities to win, both teams have made amazing shots to stay alive. A 7 game tightly contested series, while not what I was wishing for, makes for more memorable viewing than a sweep. I'm enjoying it for what it is, even as I'm crushed when we lose in triple overtime in a winnable game.

It is only a great series if the team you are rooting for has won. If they lose it is was not a good series. Winning is all that matters.

So considering you always think we are going to lose... why do you watch? I'm half kidding, half curious.

[Joebiscuit]

The attitude that this is only good if we win is puzzling to me.. both teams have blown plenty of opportunities to win, both teams have made amazing shots to stay alive. A 7 game tightly contested series, while not what I was wishing for, makes for more memorable viewing than a sweep. I'm enjoying it for what it is, even as I'm crushed when we lose in triple overtime in a winnable game.

It is only a great series if the team you are rooting for has won. If they lose it is was not a good series. Winning is all that matters.

So considering you always think we are going to lose... why do you watch? I'm half kidding, half curious.

I don't always think that. They way I look at it is expect the worse hope for the best. That way if they lose you are not as upset.

[ParticleMan]

I agree B-T.

This series truly has been fantastic. The best series I have ever seen, hands down.

Of course I wanted us to win and was crushed last night, but really, I couldn't be too upset because this series had to go 7. i mean it just HAD to.

and for as many chances as we've blown, the Bulls have blown almost as many or maybe more. they won last night's game about 3 times (we only won it once, when we had a late 8-pt lead). ray saved our bacon several times, and we nearly had a chance to steal it at the end. it didn't happen. oh well.

this series has been epic. it'll be one of those that you tell your grandkids about.

i just hope we win game 7. that'll make it all the more sweeter.

[Al-Haqq]

I will ONLY appreciate this series IF the C's win. If they lose then no, because we'll be haunted with this forever and it's not something I would want to revisit.

[Cyclical]

As much as I thought we could have easily closed it out in regulation last night, you're right. Incredible series. Must see TV... My heart can't take the joy-to-pain swings any longer though. Let's close it out tomorrow.

[anorexorcism]

Lol @ you guys "only if we win" will you appreciate this series...come on. You lost Garnett before the series started, then you lost Powe. With Garnett, we would have gotten swept. No questions. With Powe, we would have probably lost in 6. I won't doubt that. It took those two huge losses for you guys to be pulled down to our level. I dont have any delusions about where our team stands. They're a weird bunch. We're literally a .500 ballclub that got blown out by the Wizards this year in front of the President, we got slaughtered by the T-Wolves, and the Oklahoma Thunder and the Charlotte Bobcats owned us. And yet we beat Houston, New Orleans, the Cavs, you guys, the Nuggets, and the Magic during that same timespan. So basically, we have talent, but it's marred by inconsistency. This is the longest consistent stretch this team has ever put together. When this team goes off, it goes off. No one can beat us when that happens (except the Lakers). And when they come back to earth, anyone can beat them.

I'm guessing you Celtic fans are probably afraid of your team being labeled like the Mavs of 2 years ago when they lost to the Warriors, but come on now--no one would ever dream of putting that label on you after everything that's happened in the last 2 weeks. Give yourself some credit here. The Mavs didn't put in the fight like the Celtics (and the Bulls) put up. Dirk was exposed and it was his total mental breakdown that cost the team. No one's been exposed here. Everyone has just fought, and fought hard. Usually it's a cliche, but in this series it is dead serious--whichever team loses has nothing, and I mean nothing, to be ashamed of. Regardless of who wins tomorrow, or what happens tomorrow, people are going to be replaying this series for years to come. The fact that Game 4 was already on ESPN classic by Sunday night was just the icing on the cake.

And besides, let's see what happens tomorrow. I hope the Bulls can pull it off, but the Celtics, despite everything that's happened, are heavily favored (and rightfully so). It will be tough for us. But again, we'll see.

[TXSun]

as bball fan, I appreciate what I have witnessed, who couldn't? but if I were a Celts fan I'll be dissapointed. based on the Celtics inability to close out games, I don't see them surviving passed the 2nd round. They might get passed the Bulls, but that's about it. This team is lacking KG's killer instinct, no doubt. Yeah Pierce will hit clutch shots and so will RAllen, but still that's not good enough to close out games. They've had leads in the 4th Q only to losing the lead and eventually the games. That's not championship material. If the Bulls win, oh boy, hell will break lose.

[BlameTheRefs]

It's all for nothing if we can't close it out tonight.

[Avalanche]

yeah, its the single best series ive ever seen... but i dont want to be on the losing end of that history, regardless of what happens after this

[Celtsfan1980]

For me, it's featured some fantastic clutch shots but it's only due to horrible coaching from both teams that the series has been as good as it has. I may watch game 2 over and over but not much else if they lose tonight. From what I've seen of it, I'd have to say the 1981 Celtics-76ers series had great basketball for the most part, and this series has had that only in small stretches.

[Dirty Water]

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without...

[Zin5]

I love this series as a basketball fan and would appreciate it a lot more if I weren't a Celtics fan or if it involved two different teams, but I have that weighted interest that ruins some of the competitiveness of the series. It's been incredible to watch even as a Celtics fan, but I just feel like I'm being cheated of an all-time experience if it had involved two different teams. That said, if game seven is close and we win, then I'll have a greater appreciation for it than I would have if it were two different teams.

[canman1971]

Great perspective. Do I want the Cs to win? Absolutely! Do I think they have made some boneheaded plays down the stretch at times? Yep. If the Cs were to lose the series, would I be mad? Yes, like there is no tomorrow. But the reality is, there is a tomorrow and it will come regardless and I will go about my business like any other day. People on here have certainly taken success for granted and choose not to accept the difficulty there is without your best player and your next top post player. Also, they have the "what the hell are we doing wrong" attitude rather than "what the other team is doing right" Listen, I hate Chicago right now, but that is only because they have risen to the occasion of playoff basketball. They are playing well, so why do fans have to ignore that? Give credit when it is deserved. The Celtics are playing the best they can given the circumstances and I appreciate that. There is no magical answer to this series. It is just playoff basketball. Both teams rising to the occasion which is why we have a game 7. I still don't understand why people act like whiny little children during the games when things are not going well. But, whatever, everyone knows the cliche, "misery loves company"

[Bad-Thoma]

People on here have certainly taken success for granted

I think if what I was trying to say in my OP wasn't so long winded, this would have been what I was looking for.