Big Lesson for Paul Pierce

The 2010 NBA Finals ended with a high intensity and with sheer drama. Both teams got their heroes to lean-on when their play seems to plunge. It was a wear and tear games that pitted the number 1 and number 2 successful franchises in the NBA history. The 2010 Final series definitely let us saw yet another classic Celtics-Lakers rivalry in a deciding Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Celtics played a resilient game that every Celtic’s fans can smell a victory in the first 3 quarters but in the end succumb to the Lakers defense in the final quarter of the Game 7. The Lakers won the series by beating the Celtics 83-79 and captured their 16th NBA title, one shy away from the Celtics 17th NBA title.

It was a sweet-repeat for the Lakers who celebrated their latest championship title with a parade that saw thousands of fans lined in the glittery streets of Los Angeles. Everyone was ecstatic from the Laker’s players to Phil Jackson, especially the 2010 Finals MVP Kobe Bryant have assured the fans if still given a chance to compete and if luck was still on their side will try to vie for the Laker’s three-feat-repeat. 

During the final series the players have their own moments, but for us, this player have gotten our attention that we observed have step-out boundary. We don’t know if was the product of his over-confidence but Paul Pierce have made much noise since the 2010 playoff. In a series between the Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic at the Eastern Conference Finals, when the Boston Celtics was ahead 2-0 going home, Pierce posted in his Twitter account “Any body got a broom”, a statement that not only mock the Orlando Magic but also means an impending sweep for the Magic at Boston. Most of the NBA spectators may have believe in those statement specially when they defeated the Magic in Game 3 and where up 3-0. But when the Magic defeated the Celtics for two straight games, in Games 4 and 5, many believe that was a product of a bad karma, as an effect of Pierce’s action and conduct by not just underestimating the Magic but also determine Magic’s destiny. Though the Celtics defeated the Magic in Game 6, Pierce action was still unforgotten.

Pierce’s miscalculated actions was also repeated this time at the NBA finals when the Celtics have defeated the Lakers in Game 2. Paul Pierce stated that the Celtics is not coming back again at Staples Center for Games 6 and 7, that he and his team intend to finish the Lakers in Boston. What a twaddle statement that came from Pierce who was surely in full confidence going into Celtic’s home court. But again Pierce statement was spoiled when Kobe Bryant together with the rest of the Lakers defeated the Celtics in Game 3 and made sure that the road of NBA finals will end at the Staples Center in L.A. A second bad karma pierces Paul Pierce when the Lakers defeated them in the Game 7. It was a big lesson that was slap on Paul Pierce’s face. Hope someday he will learn to be humble after a success came to him. Take a look on Kobe Bryant that despite winning 5 NBA rings, we had never heard underestimating an opponent, instead he remains humbled. Hope this big lesson will ever mark on Paul Pierce that someday he will learn to control his emotions and learn to shut up his mouth for a while.

Glen Big Baby Davis and the Celtics Bench Crushed the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers got a bigger problem now to face and it’s bigger than Andrew Bynum’s knee injury problem. It is the Boston Celtics bench not the starters, that will probably will give more headaches to the Lakers as the series is now tie 2 games a piece. The Celtics defeated the Lakers 96-89 with a big help coming from its bench players who have superb job in the game that coach Doc Rivers doesn’t bother to put them in longer playing time in the fourth quarter of the 2010 NBA Finals at TD Arena, Boston.

The bench onslaught of the Lakers started in the fourth quarter when the Lakers lead 62-60 as the final quarter starts. Doc Rivers gave his starters except for Ray Allen, a rest for the final quarter and tell them to get ready when things come up different when he deploys his bench players. So it was, a great bench scoring barrage started to hurt the Lakers, that Rivers didn’t bother to deploy his starters on the game who became cheerleaders at the courtside. The bench did all the hustle that was mostly with Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson and Tony Allen that extended their lead in the fourth quarter. The Celtics bench had outscored the Laker’s 36-18 in which 10 of Lakers bench points came from Lamar Odom who played at center after Andrew Bynum did not came back to play in the second half due to sore knee. Even Garnett and Pierce had only joined in the game when it was already 2:51 left.

But the big difference was all Glen Big Baby Davis that had done so much damage to the Lakers hope of making the series 3-1. Davis played more than 22 minutes in the game scoring 18 points, grab 5 rebounds and was 4 of 4 in the free throw line. It was Davis’ star who outshined the All-Stars in the game. Even Kobe Bryant’s game-high 33 points and Paul Gasul 21 points failed to outshine the hustle and energy that Davis impact on the game.

Game 5 will again be played in the TD Garden, Boston, Sunday, and it is a now a 3-game series and is still a long way to the 2010 NBA Title. Lakers have less than 48 hours to make a plan to stop the Davis onslaught. If the Lakers win in Game 5 the pressure is on the Celtics but if a game like Game 4 happens in Game 5, then the pressure in on the Lakers going on their home.

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics will Come Back to Los Angeles

When Paul Pierce and his Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic at the Amway Arena, Orlando, Florida, in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals last May 18, where they are up 2 games to none, the Celtics was in full confidence especially the Celtic’s co-captain Paul Pierce as they went home believing that they could sweep the Magic in TD Garden, Boston Massachusetts in Games 3 and 4. Pierce even posted in his Twitter account a statement - Anybody got a broom? It was a piercing taunt on Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic who was out-muscled by the Celtics in 2 close games, losing in a close margins of 4 points in Game 1and 3 points in Game 2. 

In Game 3, on May 22, true to what they intend, the Celtics trashes the Magic 94-71 in front of 18,624 crowd mostly Celtics fans at TD Garden, that put the Celtics to a commanding edge of 3 games to none. Though it was Celtic’s Glen Davis that shines with 17 points, Paul Pierce was only a game away for reaching his dream of sweeping the Orlando Magic. But Howard and his Magic crushes Pierce’s dream as they found their magic back in their hands defeating the Celtics in 2 straight games in Game 5, on May 24 by OT 96-92 and in Game 6, on May 26, 113-92 in Orlando that shatters the sweet- sweep dream of Pierce. Though the Celtics finally defeated the Magic in Games 6 on May 28, 96-84 in Boston, Pierce know that it was a lesson not to underestimate anybody.

Before we could further go, I’m no anti-Celtics or anti-Pierce here. It is just based on what I observe, base on 2010 NBA Finals and Playoffs colorful game, I’m merely adding more colors here for the game’s excitement in my own opinion. 

As I go on, in the 2010 NBA Finals, that featured the two winningest teams in NBA history, Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers and Paul Pierce’s Boston Celtics are again going to battle for the 2010 NBA plum for the 2nd time. The Lakers and Celtics have met for a total of 12 times in the NBA Finals. The Celtics has won in 9, having won the first 8 meetings and 2 for the Lakers, it is perhaps the most storied rivalry in NBA history. As the Finals is heating up, adding the drama in the game is Paul Pierce’s taunt of Lakers after they defeated the Lakers in Game 2, on June 6, 103-94 via Ray Allen’s terrific 3-pt. shooting barrage at the star-jam-packed Staples Center, L.A. After the game, Paul Pierce stated that they will not come back in L.A., intending to finish the Lakers in Game 3, 4 and 5 at their homecourt. Have Pierce not learned? Because there is so much lesson from the past to learn and for the humility of Pierce, Kobe Bryant and the unlikely Game 3 hero Derek Fisher not just silent the Celtics fans but also Pierce by defeating the Celtics 91-84 at TD Arena.

Hope that Pierce is reminded that this ain’t the Lakers they have defeated easily in 2008 NBA Finals, at that time don’t have Andrew Bynum at its midst. They have now the defensive expert Ron Artest whose job is to slow Pierce that is somehow effective. Their bench is have grown so much. The Lakers now, are tough and an avenging defending champion. If the Celtics may win the Game 4 and 5 they will still comeback in L.A. where things are tough and different.

To put it right, Pierce should execute well first before forecasting a win or underestimate, he should look back what was his Celtics was once without Garnett and Ray Allen. Game 3 was a big lesson. Perhaps, when you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all.