NBA Finals Game One: Celtics Top Lakers
BOSTON (AP)—Just like that, those familiar chants of “Beat L.A.,” dormant for more than two decades, were silenced once again.
As Paul Pierce laid in pain near the edge of the famed parquet floor, clutching his injured right knee and weeping, a new cry—“Let’s go Paul”— filled the air before Boston’s captain was carried from the floor by his teammates and whisked to the locker room in a wheelchair.
Game over. Series over. Any chance for a 17th championship banner—over.
“I thought that was it,” Pierce said.
And then, Pierce returned, yet another dramatic comeback in a turnaround season for the Celtics.
Pierce shook off a sprained knee and scored 22 points—11 after getting hurt in the third quarter—to lead Boston to a 98-88 victory on Thursday night over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of a tradition-rich and super-hyped NBA finals that already has a signature moment.
Pierce’s return immediately joins the annals of Celtics-Lakers finals lore, taking a spot alongside Magic Johnson’s baby sky hook and Kevin McHale’s clothesline of Kurt Rambis. It drew immediate comparisons to Willis Reed, the former New York Knicks great who once hobbled onto the court of Madison Square Garden before Game 7 of the 1970 finals against the Lakers. Some of the savvy Celtics fans even chanted Reed’s name in tribute.
“I wasn’t trying to imitate him,” Pierce said. “I’m just glad I was able to get back out there.”
Kevin Garnett scored 24 points and Ray Allen, the third member of Boston’s Big Three, added 19. The trio, brought together by two transforming trades was making its first finals appearance, and for a short time it appeared only two of them would finish their long-awaited debut.
With 6:49 left in the third quarter, Pierce was deep in the lane when teammate Kendrick Perkins crashed into him from behind, crumpling………
Click Here to Finish This Article.
Related posts:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.