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Celtics Return To Finals

May 31, 2008 By

The Celtics got the job done on the road last night, closing out the Detroit Pistons 89-81 in Auburn Hills Michigan. They now are in the NBA finals, where they will play their great rivals of the 1960′s and 1980′s, the Los Angeles Lakers.

I got chills just writing that.

In the early returns, I can already tell that the focus on this series from a national perspective is going to be much more on Kobe Bryant and the Lakers rather than on the Celtics. I think I’m ok with that. Just keep Bennett Salvatore away from the series, please.

Don’t believe me on the Lakers focus? Check out what the ESPN Experts are predicting:

ESPN Picks for the NBA Finals

Over on the BSMW Full Court Press, Matt Richardson has a look back at last night.

Though Bill Simmons doesn’t think the Celtics have a chance against the Lakers (HAS to be a reverse jinx attempt), the series should feature a less physical style of play than the six games Boston just went through with the Pistons. Ignoring Shaughnessy’s front page story in the Globe, I went to Bob Ryan first this morning. Steve Bulpett looks at Paul Pierce getting his chance to write his own chapter in Celtics championship history.

Globe columnist Kevin Cullen has an online-only piece on Boston.com about the Celtics getting back to the finals, and takes a look back at how the Celtics were the most progressive team in the 1960′s with regards to race.

Jeff Jacobs has the Celtics riding their defense to the finals. Jim Fenton credits the stirring fourth quarter rally by the Celtics. Rob Duca says that the Celtics earned this one.

Get the rest of your Celtics fix at CelticsLinks.com.

The Red Sox won in extra innings in Baltimore last night, check the coverage at RedSoxLinks.com.

Filed Under: Morning Links
  • Anthony

    beat l.a.
    beat l.a.

  • Michael Gee

    Dear Bruce: Funny thing. All Lakers fans are praying Salvatore never gets near this series, too. And all of you are right.

  • Chris

    How come Dan Shaughnessy gets above-the-fold stories with below-the-fold writing? He must have the goods on someone at The Globe. There can be no other explanation.

  • Edmund Dantes

    Can anyone tell me of a time that play has ever been called an offensive foul in the history of the game? Insane call by Salvatore.

  • Angry Old Bastard

    LMAO….”ESPN Experts”….isn’t that what they call an oxymoron?

  • Joe

    I want whatever Simmons is smoking. I’m sure he’s very happy with that casual fan audience he panders to via the “Mail-it-in-bags”.

    Does Pierce get any respect defensively? Now that he doesn’t always have to carry the load offensively, he can bring it.

    BronBron? Worked HARD for everything he got
    Tayshaun? eviscerated
    Kobe? TBD

  • Tony

    The very fact that Kobe was practically quitting on his team and demanding a trade for nearly the first quarter of the regular season should disqualify him for both the MVP and an NBA title.

    I get sick of hearing about how great he is.

    He still hasn’t won anything since he singlehandedly drove Shaq out of town, and if that moronic ex-Celtic GM down in Memphis hadn’t giftwrapped Pau Gasol to the Lakers for a few warm bodies, Kobe would STILL be bellyaching and asking for a trade, and the Spurs would be coming to Boston on Thursday.

    Still, I fear that Simmons is right.

    The C’s can’t score with this team, and L.A. probably is too deep for them.

    Besides, Salvatore or not, L.A. ALWAYS gets the calls in the post-season. They’ve been getting the all the calls since the mid-80s in fact.

    And oh yes: Doc Rivers vs. Phil Jackson.

    OUCH.

  • Angry Old Bastard

    are you Tony Massarotti?…relax, the damn series hasn’t even started yet…..what’s with these people and their foolish “predictions”……here’s an idea, wait for the games TO BE PLAYED, then you’ll see who the winners and losers are….these “predictions” are nothing more than NOISE POLLUTION

    • Tony

      I’m with you.

      I will reserve judgment until after the first two games.

      This could be a good matchup for the C’s, you never know.

      I’m willing to bet that after the defense Cleveland and Detroit threw at them, LA’s defense will look like paper mache.

      I fear that Rivers vs. Jackson matchup though.

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