Garnett, Pierce, Allen Lead Celtics to First NBA Championship

Thursday 19th June, 2008

Since old Big Three's '86 title…

stars came out - together - with 4:01 left in the game, and Pierce went immediately to give coach Doc Rivers an emotional embrace. While the Celtics reserves - a big Garnett, Pierce, Allen lead Celtics advantage for Boston in the series - contin- ued to build on the lead, the starters yukked it up on the bench just as they did through the laugher of a season. As soon as the clock stopped, it was Gino time: The scoreboard showed the to first NBA championship disco-era American Bandstand clip that the Celtics have been using to celebrate by Jimmy Golen Last year's team featured Pierce and a thing missing from a potential Hall of victories all season. A shaggy man in a passel of young players who showed Fame career, and the finale gave "Gino" T-shirt danced on the score- BOSTON (AP) - It's the reason Paul promise individually but little sign of him a sense of redemption after a board, and Pierce stood up on the Pierce stuck around when the losses snapping the longest championship Game 5 performance - 13 points bench to frolic. mounted and the end was far from clear. drought in franchise history.After their and 14 rebounds, but some Boston Celtics' The reason Ray Allen was acquired as a legendary luck deserted them in the lot- key missed free throws Paul Pierce hoists draft-day consolation prize. And the rea- tery,leaving them with a worst-case fifth down the stretch - that he the Larry O'Brien son Kevin Garnett agreed to leave the only pick in a two-star draft, Ainge wheeled the called "garbage." Trophy after the pro team he'd ever known. first-rounder for Allen. On Tuesday,he Celtics beat the The Big Three has won the Big One. That was enough to convince Garnett went from garbage Los Angeles The Boston Celtics rode their three to sign an extension, and Ainge cobbled to garbage time. Lakers 131-92 in All-Stars to their 17th championship on together an unprecedented 7-for-1 deal for All three Game 6 of the Tuesday night, blowing by the Los the final piece in the new Big Three. NBA basketball Angeles Lakers with a stunning show of With the best record in the NBA dur- finals to win the second-quarter scoring to win 131-92 in ing the regular season, the Celtics 2008 champi- onship Tuesday, Game 6 of the NBA finals. earned home court for the playoffs - and June 17, 2008, in Pierce, the finals MVP,had 17 points they needed it. They won all four games Boston. Pierce and 10 assists in the clincher, Garnett had at home in the first two rounds to reach was named the 26 points with 14 rebounds, and Allen the Eastern Conference finals, then dis- finals MVP. returned from a red-eye from the coast patched Detroit in six games. (AP Photo/Winslow and a poked eye in the lane to add 26 In the finals, there were more Townson) points, including an NBA finals record- bumps for the Big Three. tying seven 3-pointers. Pierce was carried off by his team- It was the first NBA title for each of mates after what turned out to be an them, and the first for the league's most- inconsequential knee injury in Game 1. decorated franchise since the original Big Allen's shooting deserted him for long Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and stretches, and then he rushed to the Robert Parish won No. 16 in 1986. Danny hospital after Game 5 in Los Angeles to Ainge was the point guard for that team be with his sick child. and the general manager for the one that After flying all night, he pronounced won 66 games a season after winning 24 - himself ready to play.Then, in the first the biggest turnaround in NBA history. half, he was raked across the left eye The Celtics also joined the 1975 Golden and went to the locker room. State Warriors and the '77 Trail Blazers as It didn't stop him from going 7-of-9 the only teams to win it all a year after from 3-point range, giving him a record missing the playoffs. 22 in the NBA finals. It's not hard to see why. For Garnett, the title was the one

Old Royal – Thomian ruggerites’ get-together Not enough Kobe, not enough help for

A get-together of Old Royalist and Old Thomian ruggerites the MVP in Lakers' blowout loss will be held at Havelock Sports Club on June 21 commencing at 7 p.m. Tickets can be obtained at the gate for Rs.200. Liquor can Bryant knew all along the Celtics were Angeles 34-15. And when he desperately need- going to force someone besides him to beat ed his teammates to pick him up, the rest of be brought subject to corkage. Hope to see you there. them, and there was nobody else in purple the Lakers combined for only three field and gold up for the job. goals in the period, and the Celtics had a Bryant finished with 22 points, but shot commanding 58-35 bulge by the time it was only 7-of-22 from the field and was quiet after over. a sizzling start for the second straight game. When he tried to carry them back in the The Lakers needed an MVP performance third quarter, the Celtics were ready for him. from Bryant. Bryant needed help. Rajon Rondo picked him clean and Bryant Neither got what they wanted - and they're had to race back as the Lakers tried to catch not getting another championship ring this and foul the point guard, with Bryant tum- season, either. bling on top of Rondo just a few feet from Bryant averaged 31.9 points through the Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Even Belichick, first three rounds, tops among all players in one of the top defensive minds in his sport, the postseason. But the Celtics limited him to couldn't have cooked up a scheme as good as 25.7 per game and 40 percent shooting, rotat- the Celtics'. ing a number of defenders on him and mak- Later, a pretty spin move got Bryant close ing sure there was always help behind if to the basket, but P.J. Brown swatted his shot Bryant did try to get to the basket. off the backboard to start a fast break the And there was no one else to pick up the other way. slack. Lamar Odom didn't have a field goal Bryant was having his way early, scoring until the fourth quarter, when the Lakers 11 points in the first quarter. By then it was were already down by 29 points. Pau Gasol already clear that a big night from the took only seven shots and finished with 11 league's MVP would be their only chance: At points - and he was their second-leading scor- one point in the first half, when it was still a er until deep in the fourth quarter, when game, Bryant had 12 points. The rest of the Odom went to work against the reserves who Lakers had combined for 12. played the last few minutes while Kevin It was the kind of inept performance from Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were busy the supporting cast that Bryant saw too often celebrating on the sideline. last season, leading him to rip team manage- Kobe Bryant With the Lakers' season on the line and no ment last summer for not getting him enough by Brian Mahoney other choice, Phil Jackson left Bryant on the help, then declare he wanted to be traded. BOSTON (AP) - The best player was no floor for the entire second quarter, instead of The Lakers refused to part with their match for the best team. his usual break early in the period. Maybe superstar, then got off to a strong start when Even Kobe Bryant couldn't solve Boston's the rest would have been a better idea. it turned out the teammates that Bryant suffocating defense in the NBA finals, which Bryant missed all four shots and commit- thought so little of weren't all that bad. ended Tuesday when the Celtics crushed the ted two turnovers in the period, when the Just not nearly good enough to help him Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 in Game 6. game was decided after Boston outscored Los beat the Celtics.

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