The Boston Celtic vs. the Chicago Bulls Series Was The Stuff of Basketball Legend

Not since Mike rocked No. 23 and graced the front of the Wheaties box (I am dating myself a bit here) have I been so excited about the Chicago Bulls and their presence in the playoffs. More than that, I am not even a Boston sports fan period and yet watching these two teams face off last week had me riveted to the TV.

There were so many standout moments on both sides, it is hard to know where to begin. Let me start by pointing out what I consider to be my Top 5 moments of the 2009 NBA Playoffs Chicago Bulls-Boston Celtics showdown:

1. One name: Rajon Rondo. ‘Nuff said. Rondo went from mediocre, but fast (in my opinion) to nothing short of a remarkable, essential key player for the Boston Celtics. Between him and the Bulls’ Derrick Rose, they kept the heart-pounding action going from game to game. I think he has been hands down the best player of the series. I enjoy watching him so much --- I mean, really, the numbers don’t lie, 10 assists, average of 24 points per game --- that I didn’t even miss Kevin Garnett (ok, that’s a white lie, everybody can’t wait for Kevin come back).
2. Ok, so maybe this isn’t necessarily a moment, but what was with Paul Pierce? Did he leave his A-game at home or what? I recall this man saying, and not so long ago, that he was the best basketball player in the world. That’s right, the world. Now, I realize that some people might disagree with me here, but I was so far from impressed with Pierce during the whole week. In fact, if Ray Allen hadn’t stepped up his game, I would have wondered what was going on with the veterans period (including Dwayne Wade down in Miami) during the beginning of the playoffs.
3. The Bulls. Despite it all, this young Chicago Bulls team just showed so much damn heart. I mean by Game Six, I was actually thinking this might be upset for the almighty champion Celtics team. Between John Salmons and Brad Miller, they have really stepped it up. I think we are looking at a team that is setting up to be a serious championship contender next season.
4. Game Six was by far one of the most incredibly challenging, gritty b-ball I’ve seen played in the NBA in a looooong time. Three freakin’ overtime periods?! In fact, there were a total of seven overtime periods throughout the series.  And Game Six was such a nail biter that the Associated Press is reporting that this game was the most watched for a first-round play off bid in history. Game Six was also where veteran Ray Allen showed his stuff with 51 points. This is the stuff basketball lore is made of!
5. The defending champs are still that….as they move to make another championship bid, I find myself kind of rooting for the Celtics. Though I am one of many fans hoping for a LeBron/Kobe showdown, there is something about this team that kind of got to me watching them play over this ten-day period. They got heart and they got game and it’s so clear to see how bad they want it. I just can’t help secretly cheering for a team like that.