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Jay Mariotti

Celtic Pride: Champs Send Message

Posted Apr 24, 2009 12:44AM By Jay Mariotti (RSS feed)

Filed Under: NBA

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CHICAGO -- In a tough, snarling, watch-your-back kind of city, someone decided to get too cute Thursday evening. Throughout the United Center, trails of rose petals were spread to celebrate Derrick Rose's arrival as the NBA's premier rookie. They were placed on seats, in the aisles, atop the sideline tables, pretty much everywhere but on the Jordan statue.

What was this, a social gala? And didn't the marketing mopes realize that the Boston Celtics, whose demise as NBA champions was being roundly forecast, are a proud team that wouldn't take well to gimmicks and might want to make the Chicago lads slip on their own stems?

Celtics 107, Bulls 86: Read Live Blog | Recap | Box Score
Celtics Lead 2-1 | Next Game: Sunday, 1 PM ET @ Chicago

The verbal response came brashly after a 107-86 deflowering of the Bulls, when the Celtics woofed and hollered at their battered foes as the teams converged in the hallway near their locker rooms. Within the same moving scrum, the remarkable Boston point guard, Rajon Rondo, literally was being carried by two teammates. He insisted he was fine, though I suspect his problematic right ankle will be an issue all postseason. One thing we do know, for now, is that the big-picture dilemma -- the Celtics' mental toughness and survivalist wherewithal without emotional leader Kevin Garnett -- has been quieted.

"Whatever they said to us has nothing to do with our mindset," Chicago guard Ben Gordon said. "We're going to come out and fight regardless of how they act after a win."

Fighting is one thing. Beating the Celtics will be quite another.

To summarily dismiss the champs would be utter foolishness, we now realize. Even with Garnett playing the role of wounded cheerleader/mascot on the bench, they remain a proud, multi-talented team that still intends to do damage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They knew what was being said on the national TV shows -- that they were allowing 10 more points a game without Garnett, that their bench was mushy without the injured Leon Powe, that Chicago had the momentum and home-court edge and the unstoppable double whammy of Rose and Gordon. Then the Celtics exited the bus and were inundated with rose petals, a gesture the soft-spoken, understated Rose didn't even want.

They had to deal with a serious matter, too, a threat against reserve guard and Chicago native Tony Allen that required increased security in the arena. According to Yahoo! Sports, the threat stemmed from a quarrel with a local individual more than a year ago.

Leave it to the revised Big Three to teach the upstarts a life lesson in Game 3 of their first-round series. There was Paul Pierce, ripped the first two games for 40 percent shooting and a suspicion that he isn't so great without Garnett, quieting critics with a dead-eye barrage. There was Ray Allen, who awakened from his slumber with Game 2 heroics, drilling three-pointers when necessary. And there was the newest member of the trio, Rondo, inventing yet another remarkable statistical line -- 20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in just 34 minutes -- while contributing to the wilting of Rose. The stomping gave the Celtics a 2-1 series lead and delivered a biting text message to Cleveland.

We aren't dead yet. LOL.

"I'm thrilled with the way we played. For two days, all we heard was that we couldn't play defense," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I thought our guys came out with a real defensive focus. I thought we had great energy the whole game. When we play together like that as a team, we have a chance to win any game."

"I'm getting comfortable with what (the Bulls) want to do. We know what kind of team we are, and the way we played tonight is the way we want to play," said Pierce, who scored 24 points in 27 minutes. "We played well offensively, defensively. We controlled the boards. We were causing turnovers. We were limiting their scoring options. And we feel like we still can play better basketball. It was a matter of getting back to the way we try to play the game, with or without Kevin."

Latest NBA Playoff Photos

    Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams (8) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) defends during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 23, 2009, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Steve C. Wilson)

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    Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson argues a call with the officials during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz Thursday, April 23, 2009, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Steve C. Wilson)

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    SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 23: Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Energy Solutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 Getty Images (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

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    SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 23: Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Energy Solutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 Getty Images (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Pau Gasol

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    SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 23: Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes for the rebound during play against the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at EnergySolutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Pau Gasol

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    SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 23: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Energy Solutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 Getty Images (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kobe Bryant

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    SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 23: Paul Millsap #24 of the Utah Jazz and Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers reach for the ball during Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at EnergySolutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Millsap;Pau Gasol

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    SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 23: Trevor Ariza #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Energy Solutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 Getty Images (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Trevor Ariza

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    SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 23: Matt Harpring #15 of the Utah Jazz swats the ball from the hands of Andrew Bynum #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at EnergySolutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Andrew Bynum;Matt Harpring

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    SALT LAKE CITY - APRIL 23: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Energy Solutions Arena on April 23, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 Getty Images (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carlos Boozer;Kobe Bryant

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It was most vital that Pierce re-emerge. In the ongoing argument of which Celtic is most valuable, he was considered the front runner in the regular season as Garnett missed chunks of time with his knee injury. This is the player who recently called himself better than Kobe Bryant, saying, "I don't think Kobe is the best player. I'm the best player. There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line." Having trounced Bryant and the Lakers in the NBA Finals, Pierce has some room to boast, I suppose, even if few agree with the assessment. But if he struggled without Garnett this postseason, wouldn't he be exposed as a player who piggybacked a bigger star last season?

Forget that notion. Pierce was brilliant from all ranges, hitting four three-pointers to break open the game and sadden the red-clad audience. "He's pretty much the most confident guy in the league," Rondo said. "No matter how he played the first two games, he was going to bring it. You don't really have to worry about Paul. He's going to show up."

"It was just a matter of watching tapes and seeing how they play me," Pierce said. "On the road, if we can get real aggressive early, we can take the crowd right out of it. The first two games, I was holding the ball a lot instead of attacking."

That's never a problem for Rondo, who is in attack mode when the alarm goes off in his hotel room. He is emerging as a superstar in these playoffs, consistently flashing greatness as Rose comes and goes. Rondo appeared to slip as he left the court after the victory, but he insisted all was well. "I didn't want to limp in," he said. "Everything's fine with my ankle. The bottom of my foot was hurting. I'm fine."

"I didn't see it," Rivers said. "My first thought was that he didn't have his shoes on and stepped on something, but that wasn't the case. Then I thought Big Baby (289-pound Glen Davis) might have stepped on his foot, and you know what that would do. But I think he's OK."

Turns out Rondo's mates also were giving him the hero's treatment, not wanting him to place more weight on the ankle than necessary. Should the injury sideline him at some point, the Celtics might have unexpected help in the form of Stephon Marbury, one of the league's leading pariahs and jerks, who had his most meaningful game in green with 13 points and five assists. Somehow, he is fitting in. "You know the history, but you could see the guys pulling for him," Rivers said. "He plays a team game and hasn't had an opportunity in this playoff to play much or play well. I'm just really happy for him."

As for Rose, he looked like a 20-year-old rookie who had been schooled. He committed seven turnovers, an ugly way to enter Game 4 on Sunday. "We have to move the ball around and play better team basketball," said Rose, who had only two assists and nine points on 4 of 14 shooting, a far cry from his 36-point, 11-assist breakthrough in Game 1. "Hopefully, it will help us knowing that we have to work harder. They came out aggressive."

"It's not a shock, but it's definitely disappointing the way we came out and played," said Gordon, who may be headed to a new team if the Bulls fall in the opening round. "We've just got to come ready to play next time. We didn't do anything right tonight -- offensively, defensively. We played poorly. For whatever reason, the guys couldn't get it going."

Another rookie, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, had no mercy when addressing the embarrassing loss. "It wasn't the home game we would have liked," he said. "I thought we were very tentative and very nervous, and our ball movement was terrible. Give the Celtics credit; that's why they are the defending champions, because they play as well as anyone on the road. We got picked apart tonight and lost a lot of confidence."

The indicting numbers: 22 turnovers and only five assists at halftime.

"We were playing catchup the whole night," Del Negro went on. "We're still dealing with young guys who haven't been through it. We have to raise our level of play. We didn't take advantage of being at home, but that's what the playoffs are about. We have to recoup and see what we're made of. You can't hang your head.

"Everyone wanted it so badly, trying to do it themselves. It wasn't a selfish thing, maybe just an experience thing. Everyone is trying to get it done themselves, and no one in this league is good enough to do that. We have to work as a team. We're a work in progress. This isn't going to happen overnight."

And Rose? Before the game, commissioner David Stern extolled his virtues with a warning: Don't compare him to Michael Jordan. "He is so quietly a great player. He's a delight to watch and listen to," Stern said. "And to see him grow during the year, and to take on the leadership mantle in the playoffs. And to focus on him as Derrick and not the next coming of You Know Who in You Know Where and to let him grow without the hothouse pressure that so many of you in the media look for."

Score one for the commish. If his playoff debut was a 10, this was a 1. "I think Derrick has to be more aggressive," said Del Negro, not coddling the Rookie of the Year. "Spread it out, get some ball movement, attack."

You could feel the rose petals dying.

You could hear the champions laughing.

Boston Celtics Photos

    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics passes the ball around Tim Thomas #2 of the Chicago Bulls as Kirk Hinrich #12 tries to defend in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Tim Thomas;Kirk Hinrich

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics puts up a shot past Joakim Noah #13 and Tim Thomas #2 of the Chicago Bulls in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Joakim Noah;Tim Thomas

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics (L) and teammate Kevin Garnett watch the closing minutes against the Chicago Bulls in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Celtics defeated the Bulls 107-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Pierce;Kevin Garnett

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Members of the Chicago Bulls including (L-R) coach Bernie Bickerstaff, coach Del Harris, coach Vinny Del Negro, John Salmons #15, Joakim Noah #13, Brad Miller #52 and Derrick Rose #1 watch the closing minutes against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The Celtics defeated the Bulls 107-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bernie Bickerstaff;Del Harris;Vinny Del Negro;John Salmons

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Brad Miller #52 of the Chicago Bulls tries to grab a rebound against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brad Miller

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Head coach Vinny Del Negro of the Chicago Bulls gives instructions to his team against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vinny Del Negro

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics gives instructions to his team in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Doc Rivers

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket past Mikki Moore #7 of the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derrick Rose;Mikki Moore

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics looks to pass against the Chicago Bulls in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Paul Pierce

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    CHICAGO - APRIL 23: Kirk Hinrich #12 of the Chicago Bulls puts up a shot past Mikki Moore #7 of the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at the United Center on April 23, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agreees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kirk Hinrich;Mikki Moore

    Getty Images

Tags: ben+gordon, BenGordon, david+stern, DavidStern, derrick+rose, DerrickRose, kevin+garnett, KevinGarnett, paul+pierce, PaulPierce, rajon+rondo, RajonRondo, ray+allen, RayAllen, stephon+marbury, StephonMarbury

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Jay Mariotti

Jay MariottiJay Mariotti is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse.com. He is a daily panelist on ESPN's sports-debate show, "Around The Horn,'' seen Monday through Friday at 5 p.m. ET. Mariotti spent 17 years as a lead sports columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and has covered every major sporting event -- national and worldwide -- on multiple occasions.