Tossing batting practice….NBA finals style here at the Chateau along the waterfront in Southie. This is unedited, and without the usual filter of Political Correctness.

After catching game 1 from section 321 this is my virgin experience of the NBA finals on tv, and while I don’t dislike these three, there is nothing that makes them stand apart. Couldn’t ABC have borrowed Dick Stockton, since he was in town for the Sox anyway. Or at least have Brent Musberger do an intro?
It took three hours but I managed to successfully turn the NBA on CBS theme song into my ringtone last week, so the nostalgia and the occasional sightings of my dad, sans facial hair and about 175 pounds in the background of those 80s highlights has brought great levity to life at the moment.

C’s lose the tip, and look real tentative on offense, it almost looks like they’re outthinking themselves into believing that the Zen Master has some special tricks up his sleeve for Game 2, as we’ve been told repeatedly the last three days.
Unless he can find some Pistons with nothing to do this week who can past for slow, white chain smoking Europeans who have an allergy to defense, I don’t think he’ll come up with some magic formula this time.

Just a horrible call on KG for a moving screen, here’s hoping we get that back later on. I don’t understand why the same officiating crew doesn’t do the entire series. Like Van Gundy said, moving screens vary from crew to crew, well so don’t most other calls. The three best

Down seven here and things are looking sloppy, the Lakers are effectively doubling in the Post especially on KG and thus he’s gone back to drifter mode on the perimeter.

And there’s the makeup….that was an atrocious call on Kobe, but I’ll take it.

Great ball movement on the last few possessions to get the C’s back in the game and take a two point lead

Not for nothing, but Bon Delaney is officiating this game like he owes money to the mob he put away years ago.....And I think Phil Jackson wouldn;'t be opposed to finding him in a ditch before the end of the series.

10:00 wow, Casell just grabbed Farmar’s arm as he attempted a to chuck a shot up with his back to the basket, fortunately it turned into an outlet and a three from Pierce. Timeout Lakers….it was nice of the Zenmaster to stop the game so we could present Casell with the ball for his first assist of the NBA finals, and potentially the playoffs.

9:30 And welcome to game 2 Kobe, that was a nice little turnaround.

I don’t know who I have a bigger mancrush on right now, Posey or PJ, everything they do seems huge, big open three from Pose there, he’s everything we all though Eric Williams was six years ago, except Posey isn’t over inflated by the home crowd, and PC alums.

7:44 Leon, you don’t need to know the plays if you’re gonna get the line eight times and finish off a three point play like that. It’d be nice if he made a few more freebies, but beggars can’t be choosers.

7:10And it’s been two minutes and I regret taunting Kobe already…back to back from Therapist not a good sign, but he may be pulling a Pedro Cerrano in the next few minutes, and telling Pau and the Crew, “FU I do it myself”

6:11 in the words of the legendary Hank Smith, “Get him out, get him the F*** out” I don’t blame Doc for going to Casell, but you know with him instantly if he’s on or off, and tonight he couldn’t he couldn’t hit Boston Harbor from the edge of Castle Island.

5:40 Words cannot describe adequately the vindication I feel that Perk has turned into a serviceable NBA big man. I don’t get why people wanted to give up on him so early, he’s only 23 and at that age and that size you’re bound to be awkward for a long time as you grow into your body, but by all accounts he’s a hard worker, and he showed a deft little touch to finish that layup as the Spaniard probably hit him as hard as that Soccer Dweeb could and he brushed it off like swatting a fly.

5:20 Seriously guys, gotta rebound better….Too many easy offensive rebound putbacks.

4:42 I’ve been all for the Ubuntu unselfishness thing no matter how hokey it is, but Pierce just turned down a floater in the lane for an 18 footer from KG that clanged.

3:56 Words I never expected to type this season….Good use of a timeout from Doc. Maybe someone finally told him he doesn’t get to take them with him over the summer for use in everyday life.
KG just channeled his inner Lebron by crossover dribbling to nowhere and hucking up an 18 foot fadeaway with a hand in his face. Fortunately the inner KG returned as soon as it left his hand and he got the offensive rebound back, and Doc was able to call timeout before KG could try it again.

3:12 that three from Pierce was huge….got the crowd going, and then Rondo just robbed Pau like he was a european tourist who wandered into Dudley Square at night. Followed by a huge three from Allen.
The Zenmaster isn’t using the proper breathing techniques now as he barks about a foul, but when 6-1 picks 7 feet, you get a little leeway, “he just wanted it more”

2:05 KG needs a layup in the worst way right now, because he looks like he’s been taking shooting tips from Casell.

1:53 No Means No….and Kobe has three fouls. The definition of frustration foul there as he just bulldozed Pierce.

1:20 Another layup from Gasol in the post, and somewhere the late great, second father of mine Ken Harrington is yelling “THREE SECONDS!!!!!”

1:00 Ok, I’ve been stubborn, but let the record show in game 2 of the finals at 10:12 PM on June 8th, I admitted “I was wrong about Rondo’s potential future as an NBA player”
And then he thoughtfully clangs a free throw.

0:00 up 12 at the break, and Kobe has that same humbling/really annoyed look on as face that he possessed every time he stepped into an Eagle County Courthouse.

Halftime: It’s nice to see there are still about 45,000 Clippers fans in LA, because they all appear to be at the Dodger game. I’m waiting to see if Penny Marshall has seats behind homeplate.

The biggest problem facing the NBA today isn’t the officiating (though it sort of rolls into it) it’s the fact that it can take as long to play an NBA playoff game is it takes to play baseball.
The late start times aren’t really an issue, but three hour basketball that moves at the pace of a world series game is one.

12:00 What incredible ball movement on the opening possession of the half. 16 assists on 18 field goals is rather impressive.

10:26 If the Governator is going to pass it as law, then David Stern should intervene and require Kurt Rambis to wear the Clark Kent glasses at all times in Public. He should not be allowed to be a lasik eye surgery success story.

9:30 The way Kobe is shooting right now, he might be the Hero Among Us in game 6, for building a brand new home for underprivileged youth in Boston with all the bricks he personally laid.

8:50 Kobe picks up a T and Breen says he needs to be careful right now. I think for the remainder of this game nothing short of Deflowering Danny Crawford’s daughter or stabbing Paul Pierce will get him that second T.

8:15 A brief shot of Doug FLutie in Green, in the crowd, it’s now officially a Boston event. I think they should dress him as Lucky and let him go flying off the trampoline for Dunks who wouldn’t want to see Dougie flying through the air for a somersault tomahawk?
And I know I just alienated every BC grad reading this, which is fortunately none.

6:30 Maybe we found the Zen Masters adjustment, double Rondo in the inbounds….wait no it just got back in his hands two seconds later. Though I wish after that hard foul we could have seen the Laker bench to see if an evil grin came across Rambis’ face at the sight of the skinny PG getting tackled.
I give him credit for resisting the urge to yell out in satisfaction.
5:00 And Kobe has made his last three, and Gasol hits a wide open foul line jumper to cut the lead to single digits. Timeout Doc…(the sound of one hand clapping in approval)


Every time I see Scalabrine in the leather jacket I can’t help but think of the fungus on your shower shoes joke from Bull Durham. Hey Scal, average 20-10 in the League and you can be a white guy in a leather jacket cheering on the bench and people will call you colorful. But until then, you’re just a slob.

2:55 That timeout seemed to awaken Pierce with back to back buckets, and a horrendous, 2004-esque Kobe fadeaway turns into a layup from PJ Brown back up 15.

1:41 Allen, for 3, and an 18 point lead while the Zenmaster sits and meditates, and ill advised alley oop to a white guy turns into a layup for Leon and a 20 point advantage. Timeout Buddhism.

At the risk of jinxing things like in a no hitter I will not expound upon who clearly has the edge in coaching so far through one and three quarter games.

0.8 A thunderous dunk from Leon on a great pass from Rondo puts the exclamation on the third quarter as the C’s are up 22 and the Beat LA chants are echoing through the Garden.
There is nothing that gives me the chills quite like that, Yankees Suck always had a lot of vitriol behind it, and some overall deep seeded jealousy, but Beat LA is like the last bowl of porridge, just right.

11:07 And Mike Breen sums it up perfectly, “Leon Powe with the game of his life” another layup, that just made Luke Walton his expletive.
When they just cut to Doc, having to tell Leon where to be on an inbounds play 105 games into the season, well America just found out why he only plays when he’s got favorable matchups and is bringing positive energy.

8:30 Do people still want to call the Rondo/Fisher matchup a push? 15 assists, for the non-gang affiliated version of Plastic Man.

8:25 And a cost to coast from Leon for the dunk, just shows how soft the western conference is.


3:48 four minutes of uninteresting AAU type basketball of long threes from the Lakers and tentative jump shooting from the C’s is capped by another Doc timeout with the C’s lead cut to 13. And Posey drills a three out of the timeout, you can keep awkwardly holding onto hugs too long if you’re going to come through in the clutch like this.

2:30 the free throw disparity is now 33-8 in favor of the Celtics, I think I will try to find a prop bet before Tuesday that states Kobe will shoot more free throws than the Celtics in game 3.

1:25 Three from Vucacic makes the lead 6, and a steal from Radmonovic makes it a four point game with 1:03 left, and all my various holiday alliterations I just spent the last 10 minutes researching, for the nearest holiday to today have just gone down the tubes.
The replay of the Vucacic three, shows someone, I think Tony Allen, trying to Superman that Ho, on the bench to distract him.

:45 Rondo clangs a jumper and Kobe gets fouled at the other end, and I’m seeing visions of a Yankee-esque choke job.

:22 My heart just stopped briefly when the whistle blew to send Pierce to the line, and visions of the ’02 Conference finals dancing in my head.
Exhale, he makes them both, and we’re up four.



Timeout: When you allow seven threes, all of which were totally uncontested in one quarter you can rest assured that your 24 point lead will evaporate quickly.


12.6 Vucacic, can’t make the clutch three and my man Pose with the big time rebound/interception that would make Belichick proud. Hey Asante, that’s how it’s done…enjoy Philly.
He makes both, and we’re up 6.

:00 Fisher clangs an three, and the Celtics escape, clearly having the over, and thankfully we don’t go down as the biggest chokers in playoff history.

In the end I think it was a good thing they gave the lead up, because in ’84 the Lakers handed the C’s their worst playoff loss ever, and the Celtics won the series. Then we had the Memorial Day Massacre, and we lost the series. So keeping it close was just for Karma purposes.
As we head to LA, I can only think of this as my final thought, what was more unlikely, D’Tara winning the Belmont, or Leon Powe being the player of the game tonight?

Two to go.