Character

[CoachBo]

With 2:30 left, I don't know how this game ends. It may well not end well for us.

But it's important, right now, to appreciate character. This is a force of will game, people. We are outmanned on the floor with Ray on the bench.

Character. Champions have it.

[CoachBo]

And to those of you silly enough to question the Captain's heart, I have a question for you?

Are any of you man enough to step up right here and admit you were wrong? When this club had NOTHING going for it, Paul Pierce stepped up and won this game on the offensive end of the floor.

[Atzar]

I never questioned his heart, but I questioned his ability to take over a game in this series.  I thought he looked old through the first four and a half games in this series, but he came alive when we needed him most.

I'm sorry for doubting you, Paul. 

[CoachBo]

I've got no issue with anyone questioning the Captain's ability to take over a game. The man only has so much gas in his tank and we've been asking him to shoulder a criminal amount of minutes.

Those who questioned the man's heart were wrong, and they should be ashamed of themselves.

[winsomme]

stunning. simply stunning.

[LarBrd33]

I gave up.  I was ready to leave when we were down 10.  I couldn't even watch it.   Other than Rondo and Perk nobody had it.  Pierce looks like he's playing injured or something.  We did not look like a champion... Bulls are younger, quicker, more athletic and had all the confidence and swagger.  But man... these guys sure as heck are battling through adversity.  I kinda wish I wasn't a Celtics fan, because this has got to be one of the best playoff series ever... it's just total torture to watch.  At least last year in the Atlanta series we blew them out every game in Boston... and we knew once our players got it together we would be the better team.   This year... with KG out... I can't honestly say we have more talent than the Bulls. 

Rondo carried us... Pierce finished them off.  INcredible game and incredible series. 

I really hope we can finish them off in Chicago.  This series has been brutal.

[CoachBo]

Just to prepare you:

There will be a price to pay for the length of these games. It's coming, and it will be ugly.

I just hope we can get this series behind us before the roof caves in.

[nickagneta]

Pierce was awesome. I never said anything bad about the man other than to say I hate going to the iso plays as much and as early as they have. Those plays are just more effective when the game is on the line and Pierce's concentration is at its peak.

Also, I love Paul, but the man has become a turnover machine in those iso plays over the last few years and its getting worse now that everyone is beating him senseless as he goes to the basket. The the C's sucked he got a few reach ins and lots of space. Now that the C's are actually playing meaningful games those reach ins are three fold more common and the lanes are closing and he's being contested with heavy contact all the time.

But late in games when points need to be put up, there's not another player in the league except maybe Ray Allen I want taking important shots to win those games.

[CoachBo]

He's been up and down, to be certain. It's pretty maddening, though, to read the nonsense on this board people spout about his heart while they're teeing up one inane alibi after another about their favorite inept player on the bench.

With zero bench, we ask more of Pierce than any comparable player in the playoffs right now. Subtract Ray Allen on that obscene call in the fourth quarter, and there's simply not a legitimate reason on paper why we should win. We're outmanned, for more than 10 minutes.

And the guy wouldn't let the Celtics lose tonight.

I'd rather lose with real heart like that, than win with some of the people who get lionized in this league.

[nickagneta]

He's been up and down, to be certain. It's pretty maddening, though, to read the nonsense on this board people spout about his heart while they're teeing up one inane alibi after another about their favorite inept player on the bench.

With zero bench, we ask more of Pierce than any comparable player in the playoffs right now. Subtract Ray Allen on that obscene call in the fourth quarter, and there's simply not a legitimate reason on paper why we should win. We're outmanned, for more than 10 minutes.

And the guy wouldn't let the Celtics lose tonight.

I'd rather lose with real heart like that, than win with some of the people who get lionized in this league.

I agree 100%. I read where his Highness LeBron shot more foul shots than the entire Pistons team in a 4 game series. Does the NBA not look at that and realize that the integrity of their product is going to start to be put into serious(like WWE serious) question if the officiating and star calls aren't cleaned up soon?

The moving screen calls against Perk that are as badly and wrongly called across the whole league as any other single call, the star calls and non-calls that Wade, Kobe, and LeBron get, the traveling calls that have now become basically 3 steps before shooting and two steps upon catching a ball, the flopping without a single bit of contact that is getting players to the line, etc. etc. Must I go on? It's embarrassing and it's all in the name of getting the star players deeper into the playoffs so that they have a larger stage and can promote and sell more product with those stars names on it.

I'm expecting David Stern to go the WWE route and start a movie company so that he can start pushing his stars through other venues and continue to push the single player nature that he now markets as the NBA.

[CoachBo]

Yeah, no argument here.

I spent five possessions watching Noah tonight. The guy runs toward the defender he's going to pick, crashes into them, three times with enough force to knock the defender off stride, and then spins toward the hole.

He didn't offer up a clean pick on any of the five possessions.

I really hate dwelling on officials. But, to be perfectly honest, I've been tossed more than a few times, because I won't tolerate the criminal. Such as the Ray Allen sixth foul tonight. That guy would have run me, but I would have gotten about $50K worth before I left.

[Redz]

It's really an amazing match up.  You have to give just as many character points to Chicago. 

The battle of wills has been something to see.  A superior team playing with a handicap against an improving team playing at the top of its game.

[CoachBo]

Yeah, you do.

The fact is, the young team should have won this game. They had every objective factor in their favor. Plus one of the most grotesquely bad calls I've seen on Ray Allen.

And Paul Pierce wouldn't let the Celtics lose.

[nickagneta]

This is a good young and growing team that brings everyone back except Gordon and can add Deng to next years team. They wwill needed to jump into luxury tax land in order to wrap up Gordon though so that should be interesting considering what he means to this team in tight games and until Rose reaches his near peak in a few years.

[Redz]

Yeah, you do.

The fact is, the young team should have won this game. They had every objective factor in their favor. Plus one of the most grotesquely bad calls I've seen on Ray Allen.

And Paul Pierce wouldn't let the Celtics lose.

I love it when Pierce doesn't let them lose 

Seriously, it's pretty awesome to see