Celtics Come Up Huge

The Celtics came up huge last night.

It was easy to see who was a fair-weather fan during the game. A 24 point deficit in the first half had many either heading to bed early or swapping to reruns of CSI. Those who stayed saw something that no Celtics fan could have imagined this time last year.

A shocking comeback? No, a historical comeback. No other team has ever come back from an 18 point halftime deficit in NBA finals history. When people worried about the late surge in Game 2 by the Lakers, imagine the effect this win will have on the psyche of Jackson's crew. The Celtics were down by 24 at one point in the first half.

How did it happen? The second half surge saw the Celtics string together a series of 3-pointers as well as spectacular defense. The third quarter saw Boston score 31 and L.A. only 15. Kobe was removed from the equation after effectively being shut down by Pierce after a defensive change in the second half. Coach Rivers gave credit to Pierce for the win. "People will look at his offense, but I thought we won the game because Paul was a tremendous defensive player tonight."

For the opposition, the story was humiliating. "We let a huge opportunity slip away, so I'm upset, hurt, disappointed. It's a huge loss, no doubt about it," Kobe said. "It was terrible." Kobe was sub-par with only 17 points and going 6-for-19 shooting.

Game hero Pierce enjoyed the win, but kept his eyes on the prize that now seems inevitably his. "It's definitely a great win, one that you're going to put up there in the library and break back out one day for your kids to watch," he said. "But I want nothing more than that ring right now."