There is a big difference between "making history" and "getting in an obscure corner of the record book." The first implies being famous, widely known, discussed, and remembered. In my book, the Celtics "made history" last night by making good on the promise that came with uniting Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. They won the title in impressive fashion. That we all know, and will all remember. That the margin of victory was x points more than some game that happened y years ago? That's nifty and all, but it should not overshadow what really matters here.
Quick: Name a Laker who had a good series. Kobe Bryant had moments, but expectations were so high that this'll long be seen as his failure. Jordan Farmar did some stuff. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher played well for certain quarters.
Another thought: I now feel more certain than ever that whichever team won Game 4 was going to win this series. That Celtic comeback was the series.
If you have read the TrueHoop live blogs, then this is not new to you. But it's something I really need explained to me. A Laker timeout is, essentially, everyone sitting still watching Phil Jackson silently draw on his clipboard for an extremely long time. At the conclusion of Phil's drawing, he may or may not address the team for a maximum of 20 seconds or so, often after the buzzer has sounded signaling the end of the quarter. This is what he did even late in Game 6, when the series was decided. I felt sad for the Lakers, that he couldn't even see the merit an addressing his players, who were clearly wrestling with humilation. Phil Jackson is the Zen Master. There may be some clever thinking behind this approach. But it looked wrong to me.
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