NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

With a minute left in the 4th quarter and the scored tied, Derrick Rose took Rajon Rondo to the hole and drew a suspect foul, but it was not a shooting foul. On the ensuing play, Derrick Rose slipped going to his left and the ball rolled out of bounds. Interesting, the Bulls go to their rookie point guard with the game on the line.

A blurb on the TV showed that there had been 80 lead changes in the 5 game series. 3 of these games have gone to overtime.

Rajon misses after Marbury turns down a shot and Ben Gordon shoots an afterthought jumper at the other end for the lead.

Paul Pierce goes one on one and shoots a turnaround jumper at the foul line to tie it up.

Pierce and Allen try to carry on without Garnett

Chicago goes to Gordon to win the game and he misses a step back jumper. Odd shot selection.

We go to OT. Paul Pierce knocks down a step back jumper from the right side of the top of the key to give the Celtics a three point lead with 36 seconds left.

Will the Bulls go for the 2 for 1? Yes, Ben Gordon forces a 3 on a quick shot and Tony Allen fouls him. Bad foul.

Gordon makes the first, the second, and the third. Tie score. Time out Boston with 27 seconds left.

Will Boston go to Paul Pierce one last time? Read more

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Paul Pierce takes turns scoring lots of points with Ray Allen

Maybe Boston is just bored, but they just went through a period where losses came more often than wins and that has been rare the last two years.

Boston 115 Toronto 109 OT

Now they turn to Paul Pierce for 39 points to beat a Toronto team missing both Calderon and O’Neal. Sunday they needed 36 from Ray Allen to be Toronto. The big 3 has turned into the big one at a time. Now it is Garnett’s turn to beat Toronto one would assume.

“Ya’ll need to start playing some of that ‘Superman’ theme music in the building when he’s going like that,” Garnett said of Pierce’s 39-point, 49-minute performance, all of it on a sore right knee that nearly kept him out.

“This is Clark Kent right here, ladies and gentlemen,” Garnett said. “He was 13-for-26 tonight with 39 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Superman.”

Not bad for a player who, prior to yesterday’s shootaround, was a 50-50 shot in the mind of Doc Rivers to even play.

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Digging a little deeper one sees that Kevin Garnett held Chris Bosh to 1 - 4 shooting in the 4th quarter and 0 for 0 in the OT. Garnett proving why he is so valuable to the Celtics once again.
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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Paul Pierce became a tough player last year and now wants to be even better.

This season, Pierce has picked up right where he left off. He scored 27 points against the Cavs in the Celtics’ opener and helped limit LeBron to 22 points on 21 shots. He was the game’s best player that night, attacking James from the start with a hard-charging dunk for his team’s first points of the season. And following that up with a change-of-pace, baseline-dribble attack, banging LeBron down and then hitting him with a reverse. It was an old man’s bucket, coming after a young man’s dunk.

It set the tone for who Pierce is going to be this season: Everyman. Points, boards, defense, intangibles. He no longer seems worried about style. Instead, he is locked in on the substance of his team’s performance, yet is still comfortable being the man when the matchup calls for it.

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After years of watching Paul Pierce be a scorer and not much else you are now seeing Paul Pierce as a winner!

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Kevin Garnett dreaming of a second NBA Championship

The Boston Celtics will come into the season as the odds on favorites and for a reason. They are loaded. Just having Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen gives you the early nod, but other players and a staunch defense were developed last year as well.

Before we go all gaga over the Celtics, keep in mind that LeBron James took them to 7 games, until his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers held him back. Also, don’t forget the Pistons with their young players starting to stretch their muscles. Orlando will also have some say with Dwight Howard. And lest we forget, the young Philadelphia team picked up Elton Brand.

Boston lost some key players too and it is always hard to come back after winning.

Will winning the title temper the fire and selflessness they displayed last year? How will they compensate for the loss of reserves James Posey and P.J. Brown? Will age finally catch up to Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (both will be 33 by the end of the season)?
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And what changes were made in the Celtic roster over the off season?

Added: Patrick O’Bryant (Golden State), Darius Miles (Portland), Bill Walker (rookie)

Lost: James Posey (New Orleans), P.J. Brown (retired), Scot Pollard

Posey and Brown played key roles in the playoffs, but Darius Miles is an interesting player trying to comeback in the NBA.

The Boston Celtics are still the kings until someone knocks them off.

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It appears the diet drugs were working for Darius Miles

Miles, who signed a non-guaranteed contract with the C’s over the summer, was with the Portland Blazers last season and is attempting to come back from chronic knee trouble.

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Before you get all uppity and start talking about dope smoking hoop stars, let it be known that Darius Miles was not puffing on the weed or at least he did not get caught for that, which does not imply that he does that. Darius took a diet drug called phentermine and he took it last spring.

If Darius ever plays up to his potential, he will be a fine addition to the big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Unfortunately, potential has been the tag on Miles since he entered the NBA.

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You know Kevin Garnett is happy to hear that Sports Illustrated ranks Boston 1st for next year in the East

Marty Burns of SI predicts the top 6 in the East.

He has Boston number 1.

1. Celtics: The loss of veteran forward James Posey (via free agency to the Hornets) could hurt, especially come playoff time, but for now Boston has to be considered the East favorite again. General manager Danny Ainge re-signed key reserves Eddie House and Tony Allen, and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen should be even better with another year together (assuming they’re not too worn out from last season’s long playoff run). The bottom line is that the defending champs didn’t make any significant moves … but they didn’t need to.

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The only real surprise was dropping the Detroit Pistons to 6th.

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Paul Pierce is out and Tayshaun Prince is in. Who would have thought?

Image details: Detroit Pistons v Boston Celtics - Game Five served by picapp.com

No official announcement of all the positions on the team has been announced, but we do know some things.

Take my Pistons. Tayshaun Prince is in. Tayshaun has a balanced game and has never made the All Star team. This pick is a departure from the past and a good one. Chauncey Billups is out. Chauncey opted out due to family reasons. There was talk he would not make the team anyway.

Dwyane Wade is in with Chris Paul and Jason Kidd. Good picks all of them.

Carmelo Anthony is in. Must be looking for scoring punch with no D.

Paul Pierce is out. Don’t get that at all. This guy is at the peak of his game.

Michael Redd is in, again like Carmelo, all O and no D.

Amare Stoudemire is out. After a healthy year following two injury years, Amare did not want to risk damage to the knees.

Beyond that?

it’d be hard to imagine Kobe, Dwight and LeBron not making the roster. In fact, it’d be impossible to imagine. They’re in. So that brings us up to nine guys, with just three spots left.

Of the remaining 18 names, I think Colangelo will pick Bosh and the two Jazzies — Deron and Boozer. Billups withdrawal opens the door up for that third, physical point guard, while Bosh and Boozer help in the size department. Also, their ability to operate in low-post sets when the game slows down could be key.

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That is a lot of talent, but is it me or are they missing the big man underneath?

And what is with no Celtics? Not even Kevin Garnett?

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Robert Parish joined Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in the Original Big 3

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You knew this was coming. The comparisons of this great Celtic team with the Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish big 3 of 1986.

In my mind, feeble as it is, the 1986 team was awesome. They would kick the tail of this current team. Now that is just my opinion and literally means nothing really. The 1986 team ended up winning a lot of titles. Maybe it would be fairer to see if this current Celtic team can win any more titles, before we start making wild comparisons.

Still…Mike Freeman at CBSSports.com is going with the current team.

Speed and athleticism and speed. And did I mention speed?

Speed is the reason why if you took almost any championship team in any sport and matched it against ancient predecessors, the more modern group would usually win. Belichick’s Patriots would beat Lombardi’s Packers. The athleticism of the Shaquille O’Neal-Ko-Me Bryant Lakers would beat Magic’s version.

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Ok, the problem to start with is that modern training methods have produced superior athletes and no one argues that. Kind of makes most comparisons unfair. Mike has a point here, but he did not stop there.

Let’s begin with Bird. In this game, Pierce would guard Bird and Bird would eat him alive. Because he’s, well, Bird.

Pierce, however, on offense would reciprocate the beating. Bird might drop 40 but Pierce might score 30 to 35 points of his own on Bird. Pierce wouldn’t be able to defend Bird and Bird wouldn’t be able to defend the stronger Pierce. It’d be a wash.

Pierce may have the muscle tone of 14-year-old debutante, but he is quicker than most people give him credit. He’s definitely quicker than Bird.

The next matchup is where the speed and athleticism difference would be far more visible. Garnett and McHale would face one another and Garnett would deliver a weapons-grade ass-kicking.

Garnett’s speed would be the difference. You don’t understand how quick Garnett is for his size until you see him in person. It’s astounding.

McHale’s only chance is that he could coax Garnett into foul trouble.

This is where you will get some argument. Larry was not a great defender, but a clever one and he was a big boy. Man, my mind is stuffed with images of Larry Bird drilling shots from the corner like they were nothing and then if you went out to defend him, he just blew by you. Pierce is not putting 35 points up on Bird, because the Celtics played team defense. Pierce would meet the hammer of McHale if he drove to the hole. The Original Big 3 played a physical brand of ball.

Speaking of McHale there is this image of him putting up 50 on my Pistons. Kevin was unstoppable in the low post. Garnett is too thin to have stopped McHale down low. This isn’t Pau Gasol we are talking about.

And what is this Johnson stuff? Parish, the Chief, was the 3 of the big 3. Robert would eat Kendrick Perkins alive. Parish had this move in the paint where he took steps on his tippy toes every time, but it was his signature move so no ref ever called it. When he shot the ball it was high over his head. Unblockable.

As for Ainge and Johnson, they were both shooters and passers to the postup players. Both of them very disciplined. You had to play them honest.

Hey, let’s not take away from the 2008 NBA Champions. Today’s Celtics are great, but, please; do not tarnish the Original Big 3.

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Kevin Garnett - anything is possible

Image details: NBA Finals Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics served by picapp.com

It seems like yesterday that my Piston won the world title, the Larry something trophy, in the NBA.

My friends were on a high that lasted a week.

Boston fans feel like that right now. You could sell little kid sippy cups with Boston Celtic logos on them and the fans would scoop them up by the hundreds.

They sound just like we did. Our team is great. We will win next year and maybe the year after that! Forgetting, of course, that they barely got past the Atlanta Hawks. Yeah, the Atlanta Hawks.

Maybe it was better expressed by Kevin Garnett. He was on such a high that he could hardly speak, screaming “anything is possible, anything is posssssiiiibbblllee!” Man, you have to love Garnett, for it was a long wait. Nobody wants to be the next Charles Barkley and go out with no title.

Paul Pierce had a great playoffs and towards the end there was no stopping him. It was fun to watch. The Celtics Danny Ainge brought back the old stars and solid defense and taught us all what Joe Dumars has been telling us. These old guys know how to win and how to play D. Hats off to Ainge and crew.

Doc Rivers, truly a nice guy, proved us all wrong. He really is a great coach, not just because he won, but because he made a lot of subtle adjustments throughout the playoffs and they all seemed to work.

When the Boston Celtics built a new practice facility, they surrounded the court with their 16 NBA championship banners and left a blank space for No. 17.

The message was a bit too subtle for Doc Rivers.

The Celtics coach turned a spotlight on the empty spot on the wall at the beginning of this season so there would be no doubt about the team’s goal.

“They can turn that thing off now,” guard Ray Allen said early Wednesday morning, his left eye still red from the first-half face-raking and the postgame champagne spraying that accompanied Boston’s title-clinching, 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

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With the core group of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo, anything is possible and you have to think that next year could be another Lakers with Kobe Bryant and Boston Celtics with the Boston three party back at the NBA title game.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Boston Celtics rule the world or at least the NBA World.

Paul Pierce is MVP and played fantastic.

Kevin Garnett reminds us that anything is possible.

Defense rules and the Lakers better get one.

Redlasso gives us this video from after the final seconds.

source RedLasso

Kevin Garnett was so emotional that he was crying one moment and shouting out the next moment. Boston absolutely dominated the last game of the series.

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