It's almost too painful to get in to any real depth tonight. So I'll keep things short. Missed opportunities abounded. What will stick out in everyone's mind is the botched possession at the end of regulation. It should. But, there were a million things that came before and after that could have made the difference: Rondo's missed layup, any one of Kevin Garnett's 9 missed shots, and the lack of a body on Bosh on his overtime tip, to name a few.
As has happened intermittently throughout the time that this group has played together, the offense grew stagnant in the fourth quarter, and they simply hadn't separated themselves enough on the scoreboard to maintain their lead. Several times throughout the game, Reggie Miller ominously pointed out that the Heat were doing a nice job of keeping the Boston crowd at bay by not allowing the Celtics to extend their lead too far. This is not a team that you can allow to hang around. They're simply too good. And, when crunch time arrived, they executed when the Celtics could not. That's what this was, unfortunately. The Heat were simply better when it mattered.
As a Celtics fan, there's really nothing to be upset about. No matter how bad we feel about this loss, I can guarantee you it pales in comparison to what the guys in that locker room feel. They came out with the right mentality. They embraced the challenge of matching their energy level from game 3. Rajon Rondo set the tone, attacking Miami from the opening tip, showing no regard for his body whatsoever.
Obviously, this was a poor performance for Kevin Garnett. I haven't looked it up, but all indications are that this was one of the worst playoff performances of his career. But, just because he wasn't getting his offense doesn't mean he wasn't impacting the game. In the third quarter, he was everywhere defensively, and was a force on the defensive glass. Unfortunately, you can't will offense. In order to win, the Celtics needed him to assert himself offensively, and he couldn't.
Despite my extreme disappointment with this outcome, I can't help but marvel at was another vintage Paul Pierce performance. What more could the Captain have done? On both ends, he turned in what in my mind was one of the great playoff performances we've seen since these group was assembled. Time and time again, it was Pierce who was able to grind out difficult points when it seemed like nothing else was working. He had some beautiful finishes at the rim, but what will stick in my mind most about this game is the baseline shot in the fourth quarter with Lebron in his face.
Heading back to Miami down 3-1 is about as unenviable as it gets. Of course, it's not over yet. But, things aren't looking good. I'd like to think that, even in losses, I haven't taken this team for granted. Having a collection of guys like this to root for is something I'll always remember. Once again tonight, in a loss, they gave me a reason to feel good about the team I was supporting. A loss because of execution I can deal with. The Celtics left everything they had on the court. They wanted it as badly as I did. That's all I can ask. Not in a million years would I rather be a Miami Heat fan tonight.
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