There is only room for ONE Big 3 in the NBA.

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Celtics vs. Lakers, it just rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? The signature basketball event will again have its signature matchup.  It’s east coast vs. west coast.  Defensive toughness vs. offensive firepower.  Blue collar vs. Hollywood.  The two greatest franchises in basketball are facing off again in the NBA Finals. The Celtics have won 17 titles to the Lakers’ 15.  Both teams have had countless Hall of Famers and memorable moments to savor in their histories.  Another chapter is about to be written in the saga that is Celtics vs. Lakers.
Historically this has been a one sided rivalry. This is the 12th time they have met up with the NBA Championship on the line.  The Celtics are 9-2 against the Lakers in their previous 11 Finals matchups.  The Lakers finally broke through against the Celtics in the 1985 NBA Finals; a year after Boston beat LA in a tough 7 game series.  They also beat Bird’s Celtics in the 1987 Finals.  The Celtics dominated the Lakers in the 60’s, went 1-2 against them in the 80’s and are now 1-0 against them in the New Big Three vs. Kobe era.  So much more then the [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Believe in Green.  The most successful franchise in NBA history is back in the NBA Finals.  Was there ever any doubt? In fact there was and you can put all the blame on the Bruins.  The B’s choke job against the Flyers caused the media to start a déjà vu narrative for Boston sports fans.  They should have known better.  The Celtics are not the Bruins.  They deliver the goods.  The Celtics are a championship team with gritty, gutsy players that thrive under playoff pressure.  So while the sports world was talking about the possibility of the Celtics coughing up a 3-0 series to the Magic, the Celtics remained calm and handled their business.
This postseason run has been utterly remarkable.  The Celtics were a .500 team the final 54 games of the season.  They were terribly inconsistent.  Boston won 50 games, which gave them the 4th seed in the East.  They would only be assured home court advantage in the first round.  Well guess what? None of that mattered.
Here’s what does matter and why the Celtics are just four wins away from Banner 18.  The Celtics have never lost a playoff series with a healthy [...]

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
Not again.
Boston fans might be a little uneasy after the Celtics failed to sweep the Magic last night. This looks a little too much like the Bruins playoff series against the Flyers, and that didn’t end well. In fact, the similarity of the paths of our two Boston teams is downright scary.
How they compare:

Both took a three game lead with advancement looking like a sure thing.
Both had a blowout in game three, the Bruins winning 4-1, the Celtics 94-71.
Both teams fell short of a sweep in game four, losing in overtime.

The rest of the Celtics story remains unwritten as Boston fans tuck their Beat LA shirts away momentarily and pray they don’t await the same fate as their Garden counterparts.
And while nobody saw the Bruins fall from glory coming, a repeat for the Celtics is unlikely. They are not the Bruins. And here are a few reasons why they won’t let this series slip away.
Why:

The Celtics are a championship team. The memories of the last time the B’s won a Stanley Cup are foggy at best, but this Celtics team has already proven they can bring home a trophy. They’re a little bit older, but [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The NBA Playoffs officially began on April 17, but make no mistake, for the Celtics and Cavaliers the real postseason starts Saturday when the epic 2nd round series between the two Eastern Conference heavyweights tips off.
Both teams dispatched their first round opponents in 5 games.  While some thought the Heat would pose a challenge to the Celtics, a much better Team Green showed up for the series then the one that stumbled through the regular season.  The Celtics could have swept the series and were the much better team showing more balance, poise and depth then the Heat.  Meanwhile the Cavs were also far superior to the Bulls, where all they really needed was home court and LeBron James to have the obvious advantage.
But now these two contenders are facing off.  The Cavs are the East’s top seed and it’s championship or bust with James becoming a free agent after the season and his future a giant question mark.  The Celtics are the 4 seed but they still have the same starting 5 that won the title in 2008 and they appear to be peaking at the right time.
But who has the edge?  Two years [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
For three games and 3 quarters of Game 4 the Celtics switch was flipped on.  But then the 4th quarter on Sunday came and the Celtics reverted back to regular season mode and let a sweep slip away in Miami.  The Celtics were up 6 going into the 4th Quarter.  They were 12 minutes away from finishing off the Heat and getting some extra rest before a potential second round matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs.  Make no mistake, the Celtics should still win this series, most likely Tuesday night at The Garden they will wrap it up.  But there’s no doubt they let a golden opportunity slip away.
The Heat outscored the Celtics by 15 in the 4th Quarter.  The Celtics missed 5 free throws in a row at the end of the game when they had a chance to come back.  Dwyane Wade had a dominant offensive performance.  He poured in 46 points, including 30 in the second half, both are franchise records.  Finally Wade took over a game.  The Celtics had no answer for him.  Of course the question now is can the rest of the Heat show in game 5 in [...]

By: Dan Massar, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The NBA Playoffs are finally here.  After a long regular season of ups and downs for the Celtics, the real journey now begins.  It was a season that started with great promise.  A 23-5 start had fans thinking it was 2008 again.
But instead they went 27-27 the rest of the season.  Ouch.  50 wins for Team Green, a far cry from the 70 Rasheed Wallace thought they had a chance to win back.
No worries though Celtics fans.  It’s a new season now.  The Celtics will either turn their game on or continue their inconsistent play and get knocked out early.  Ok, I guess there is reason to worry.  Without further ado, lets break down this first round matchup with the Heat.
The Celtics beat Miami all three times they met this season.  One of those was a classic game that the Celts won in OT after forcing the extra session on a Rajon Rondo layup at the buzzer off a lob pass from Paul Pierce. The Celtics won the other two games by 5 and 7 and both were highly competitive into the final minute.  So while the [...]