It wasn’t exactly Willis Reed coming back in Game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers, but Paul Pierce made a historic return of his own in the third quarter of Game one of the 2008 NBA Finals, and he was the catalyst for a run that propelled the Celtics to a 98-88 victory.

After being carried off the court in obvious pain with 6:49 left in the third, Pierce triumphantly returned to the court just minutes later to a standing ovation. Pierce’s return was an emotional lift for the Celtics, and Pierce proceeded to ignite the team by scoring 12 points in the quarter. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 31-22 in the third, and never looked back.

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You asked for it, you got it.

In what is one of the most anticipated NBA finals in recent memory, the Boston Celtics, the top seed in the East, will face the Los Angeles Lakers, the top-seed in the West. These teams have faced off in the NBA Finals 10 previous times, the most recent coming in 1987. The history between these two teams is a big reason for the all the hype, but the current players re-igniting the rivalry are the real intrigue.

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Boston fans can finally stop holding their collective breath because in Game five of the Eastern Conference Finals, the third member of its Big Three finally acted like it.

Ray Allen, who hadn’t been able to find his shooting touch this postseason, busted out of his slump by pouring in 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He led Boston to a 106-102 victory, and a 3-2 series lead. Allen also went 5-for-6 from the three-point line. Prior to this game, he had been 3-for-14 from behind the arc against Detroit.
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The Celtics and Pistons were the clear-cut top two teams in the East this year, so there is no surprise that they’re vying for a spot in the NBA Finals. What is surprising is the way these teams enter this series.

Boston was unexpectedly pushed to Game seven in each of the first two rounds, and is 0-6 on the road in the postseason. Now, it will have to continue the emotional roller coaster coming off a short layoff. Detroit had it easier and defeated Orlando in five games in the second round, but was actually down 2-1 in round one against the seventh-seeded 76ers. The Pistons will now have to shake off some rust coming into this series on a week layoff.

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Something tells me the Celtics were paying attention as the Spurs dismantled the Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals. Boston bodied up LeBron James, crowded the lane, and forced James to make plays on the perimeter. The results spoke for themselves on Tuesday night, as James hit 2-of-18 field goals and committed 10 turnovers, and Boston won an ugly Game 1, 76-72.

James and Boston’s Paul Pierce were assigned to guard one another, and their added defensive work showed in both of their stat lines. Pierce connected on 2-of-14 field goals in scoring four points and committing six turnovers. The only superstar to do his usual work was forward Kevin Garnett, who was a matchup nightmare for Cleveland and finished with 28 points and eight rebounds. Ray Allen was held scoreless and attempted just four shots in 37 minutes. Read more »

You want star power? You got it.

The Celtics-Cavs series kicking off tonight is not short on intrigue. It pits the East’s top team versus arguably the East’s top player in LeBron James. It pits the balanced attack of the Celtics and its Big Three versus the one-man show in Cleveland. The NBA must be salivating over the marketing and rating possibilities, and this is shaping up to be a memorable matchup.

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