It Ain’t Easy Being Green: Deciphering Whether These Playoffs Are As Schizophrenic As They Look
Will they or won’t they show? That’s the million dollar question right now as we go into Friday night’s showdown in Cleveland. What Boston Celtics team are we going to see? Further, what if we go seven games again? What does that do to our long range plans for putting number 17 into the rafters.
During the Atlanta series, I never doubted we were going to win, no matter how bleak it looked during games in Atlanta. We were just a better team than the Hawks. And, truth be told, we are a better team than the Cleveland Cavaliers, no matter how good Lebron James is. So now, it’s just a matter of demoralizing James’ supporting staff and clawing out a close out victory.
Easier said than done right? I mean it looks so good on paper. All we have to do is stop guys like Wally Sczcerbiak and Delonte West, we should know how to do that right ( I mean besides giving them Celtics jerseys)? But in reality nothing has come easy for us in these playoffs. In fact, this playoff stuff is hard damn business. I haven’t enjoyed a majority of these games, especially the disastrous roller coaster that has become road games. While wins like last night feel good, I have just a little nagging feeling that this is cold comfort.
Now, I can remember the Celtics championship runs of the 1980’s. They weren’t exactly easy rides. Sure in 1986 we strolled to the title, losing only 3 games on the road to Banner 16. However, I remember a few real hard slogs when I was pulling my hair out of my head. So, in an attempt to either assuage some anguish, or maybe raise some, I looked up the Celtics playoff records for some of the most memorable runs.
1988 — defeated New York, 3-1, first round
defeated Atlanta, 4-3, conference semifinals
lost to Detroit, 4-2, conference finals
1987 — defeated Chicago, 3-0, first round
defeated Milwaukee, 4-3, conference semifinals
defeated Detroit, 4-3, conference finals
lost to LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals
1986 — defeated Chicago, 3-0, first round
defeated Atlanta, 4-1, conference semifinals
defeated Milwaukee, 4-0, conference finals
defeated Houston, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
1985 — defeated Cleveland, 3-1, first round
defeated Detroit, 4-2, conference semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-1, conference finals
lost to LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals
1984 — defeated Washington, 3-1, first round
defeated New York, 4-3, conference semifinals
defeated Milwaukee, 4-1, conference finals
defeated LA Lakers, 4-3, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
1983 — lost to Milwaukee, 4-0, conference semifinals
1982 — defeated Washington, 4-1, conference semifinals
lost to Philadelphia, 4-3 conference finals
1981 — defeated Chicago, 4-0, conference semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-3, conference finals
defeated Houston, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
1980 — defeated Houston, 4-0, conference semifinals
lost to Philadelphia, 4-1, conference finals
As you can clearly see, there’s no real perfect comparison to this year’s run, thanks to the NBA’s ridiculous decision to extend the first round to seven games (I hate you Stern). However, the omens about having to play multiple seven game series’ doesn’t bode well in the long run. In 1987, the Celtics played two grueling seven game series’ against the Bucks and an epic series against the Pistons, which probably hurt them in the Finals, even though people forget that the 1987 team was basically six guys and the real Big Three was hurting badly (McHale’s foot was splintering in half, Walton’s feet were shot, Parish was playing on two sprained ankles and Bird was breaking down physically).
However, there could be some silver linings here. In particular, the 1968 and 76 championship runs.
1976 — defeated Buffalo, 4-2, conference semifinals
defeated Cleveland, 4-2, conference finals
defeated Phoenix, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONS
1968 — defeated Detroit, 4-2, division semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-3, division finals
defeated LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP
So, what does this all say to us? Well, it stresses the importance of closing this series out on Friday. I’m not sure any team has ever won four seven-game series in any professional sport and I don’t really want to find out. I’m not sure my heart can take it.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
This comment has been removed for indecency
—the staff at perkisabeast
May 15th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Lawyerboy,
You can’t quit us can you? Perhaps you should purchase a t-shirt? But I will address your questions.
Q.”Whoa whoa whoa, pump the brakes. Which member of The Crack Staff is this?”
A. There is no difference between one member and the next. The Beast Lair is a state of mind, not an actual location. Like the many sides of a personality, Perkisabeast has many moods that change quickly and without provocation. We believe in uncensored silliness. Well, that and that commas are for homos. Not that we are against homosexuals. In fact, we applaud the Supreme Court of Calif. for coming to such a sensible decision regarding same sex marriage. And Lawyerboy if you are gay, we congratulate you on your big day. However, should you continue to be confused know this, there are about four writers that work for this site. We will never out ourselves. Beef Stallone is the face of this franchise. The rest of us wear wrestling masks.
Further, I think there are several reasons to believe the Celtics will win Game 6. First, they have the momentum. Second, the Cavs just lost their best three point shooter and backup PG. Third, even when Lebron went off we were able to win the game. Fourth, we’re very, very due.
Also, while we are annoyed by the up and down play of the Celtics as of late, I don’t think its fair to say there is a great deal of fear in our hearts. We simply have to submit ourselves to the fates of the basketball gods. Your continuing efforts to diminish our ability to deal with big games is really laughable, especially considering every sports team in Boston has made the championship game in the past year (with the exception of the Bruins and the Emerson College women’s table tennis team). In short, we still have sixteen banners and you guys have three. That’s cute, I remember when we had three banners. Oh wait, I don’t because I wasn’t born yet.
I can’t say I understand the permanent state of arrogance you seem to have about your beloved Pistons. If I recall, and I do because I was sitting court side for it, we beat you guys pretty good in the last game here in March and we also won on your home court.Further, the only game you guys won against us was a nail biter in which we missed a crucial layup and made a dumb foul in the last second. Further, Chauncey Billups seems to have a bum wheel and layoffs aren’t always a good thing for teams this time of year.
But, we’ll let you strut for a while. It’ll make it all the more sweeter when we crush your dreams.
Finally, Perk Is A Beast.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
LawyerBoy, you in for tix to this? We’re gonna get a big group of the guys together and just do it up.
May 15th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
This comment has been removed for indecency
—the staff at perkisabeast
May 15th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Oh ho,
You Straussian logician!
First, you obviously spend more time knee deep in stats than actually watching a game because anyone who actually watches the basketball games understand the contributions Perk makes. KG doesn’t win Defensive Player of the Year without Perk and that ain’t our fucking opinion, that’s KG’s. And another thing fuckwad, when you speak five dead languages and multiple Ivy League Graduate Degrees, you can lecture us on our grammatical dalliances.
The Piston are old and shitty and their town sucks so much, they built the stadium 40 minutes outside the city. Detroit is the only place in America actually going to ruin. When it burned in ‘69, nobody did nothing which is probably why you live in LA.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
This comment has been removed for indecency
—the staff at perkisabeast
May 15th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
“The Piston are old and shitty”…
Average team age as of April 30th, 2008:
Detroit Pistons: 28.23 Years
Boston Celtics: 29.06 Years
A better example of “old and shitty”
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c369/ShamSports2/samcasselliset.jpg
May 16th, 2008 at 1:27 am
cough, your a douche bag, cough cough
May 16th, 2008 at 2:33 am
Lawyerboy, seriously I tried to read what you wrote I just got so fucking bored I had to stop.
May 16th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Dude, if you love this web site so much then why don’t you write us an article about how great the Pistons are and how much they’re going to kick our ass and I’ll publish it?
That way you can tell your buddies on your Detroit Bad Boys board how fucking awesome we are over here and how confident we are that we’re going to beat your team.Also, it can teach that little doof who runs the site what free and open discourse is. That’ll learn him for banning us.
However, for the sake of full disclosure, I will mock you mercilessly in the comments section and bring back the pictures of Harvey Fierstein.
What do you say?
May 16th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
This comment has been removed because of indecency
—the staff at perkisabeast
May 16th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
While a beautifully crafted poem, sadly we cannot accept plagiarized work here. What do you think we are the Boston Globe? I was hoping you would take this offer seriously, as it was a serious offer.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
James, which one are you old or shitty?
May 16th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Nothing you guys