From There to Here

I’m blogging at 4:30 a.m. on Monday, and I can’t sleep. I don’t know if it’s because:

1) My room is probably about 75-80 degrees, and even with the fan, I’m still not comfortable.
2) I took a four (maybe more) hour nap this afternoon, just because if I was awake I would have paced around crazy waiting for Game 2 to start
or
3) I still haven’t come down from Game 2, where the Celtics beat the Lakers and are two wins away from raising banner number 17 at the Garden next year. I’m very glad I already bought my 2008-2009 season tickets, because if I hadn’t bought them already, they’re probably going to sell out.

Basically, win number 14 of this postseason wasn’t in doubt — until it was, with about two minutes left in the game. The Celtics led big throughout the third and fourth (24 points!!!) until the Lakers made their run. FWIW, the Lakers never tied it, but did get to two points away on a Kobe free throw.

It’s honestly the best case scenario for what happened though. You’ll hear some, including Doc, making the case that they let the Lakers psyche back into the series with their run, but I don’t think that’s the case. Do you know how demoralizing it must be to cut 22 points of a 24-point lead and not be able to tie it and get your team back into the game? What’s more, how do you think the Celtics will play with a lead — any lead — for the rest of the series? They clearly know now that no lead is safe against this team, and Sasha (because I can’t spell his last name) and Derek Fisher aren’t going to be left open to drain three-pointers all freaking night.

Plus, the Lakers shooting the lights out in the fourth? Insane. I don’t think I’ve seen a team shoot like that, especially in a playoff game. It was, by all accounts, incredible, and Kobe used dribble penetration to make his whole team better on the wings, while playing unconscious himself. Still, it wasn’t enough and the Celtics squeaked out the victory… now they’re only tasked with winning one of the next three really in Los Angeles, bringing the series back to Boston, and finishing off the Lakers.

What else this means? Even if the absolute worst-case scenario does happen — the Celtics blow three games in Los Angeles — they still get to come back home where they’re 12-1 so far in the postseason with a chance to win two and bring title #17 to the rafters. I’m cautiously optimistic, but still — pretty incredible.