Lakers-Celtics: Waiting for Round Three

I never had the opportunity to personally attend any of the classic Celtics-Lakers games of the 80s. I was actually only in the old Boston Garden twice, and neither occasion was for basketball. I can’t even claim to remember watching any of the historic battles live on television since I was just six when the decade ended. ESPN Classic provided me with the handful of Bird vs. Magic matchups I have seen, and while I could still feel the intensity between the two great franchises, the suspense was lacking because I already knew the outcomes prior to sitting down.

Last night, I had the so-called pleasure of attending the renewed rivalry in person. It was obvious both teams couldn't stand each other. It was a fantastic game, exhilarating until the end, and the suspense was not missing. The atmosphere alone made the price of season tickets seem inexpensive. The two juggernauts jockeyed for the position of NBA Alpha Dog into overtime, and unfortunately, I exited the new Garden with a sickening feeling that left me somberly wondering why I’d ever want to make myself sit through something like that again.

Unless you live under a rock the size of Glen “Big Baby” Davis, you probably already know Los Angeles was victorious. Even without Andrew Bynum, even while playing for the third time in four days and the second game of a road back-to-back, the Lakers once again ended a double-digit Boston winning streak. It didn’t help the Celtics that Kevin Garnett fouled out in the fourth on an atrocious call, the type that has sadly become expected from the NBA’s shoddy referees. It also didn’t help that Kobe Bryant caught fire in the fourth quarter and drained a trio of three-pointers. And to make matters worse, without KG, the glaring weakness that is Boston’s lack of size off the bench became evident, if it wasn’t already.

When Eddie House’s prayer went amiss and the fourth quarter ended knotted at 101, I leaned into my cousin Adrien to hear him say the Celtics were not going to win this game. I couldn’t blame him, because I agreed. The Black Mamba was poised to strike in a moment he relishes and everyone fears, Garnett was muttering to himself on the bench, and Big Baby was immersed in a dream where he’s a slender jump shooter. Although it wasn’t Bryant who assassinated Boston in OT, the pieces around him did the damage while he wreaked havoc on the defensive end. After five additional minutes, Ray Allen heaved up a potential game-winning three that didn’t make the rim, the game was over, the Celtics lost, and it was one of the few moments in my life I was disgusted I was right.

As the Lakers celebrated on Red Auerbach’s court and I begrudgingly shuffled to the nearest exit hoping I could somehow teleport myself home, that sickening feeling gnawed at me. But while I cursed the referees, Doc, Kobe and his llama, I already knew the cure for this upset stomach. It’s the thought of returning to the new Garden, sometime in early summer, to witness the rematch. Only next time, the outcome will be different or I’m going to need a Big Baby sized bottle of Pepto-Bismol.

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