Celtics: What Next? No, Seriously. I Can't Take Anymore

That's it. I can't take anymore. I'm too tired. How can any of these guys still stand? I'm exhausted and all I've been doing is sitting on the couch and watching. I mean seriously. Just look at this post on ESPN's True Hoop recapping the 10 best moments of this series. It's been six games and there's already 10 moments that, in any other year, would trump just about anything else in round one. And there's already been 10, and that's leaving some out. I thought about the game today while at work and realized, yeah, the Celtics let the game slip away with dumb mistakes and dumber fouls, but was there really any doubt this series was going seven? We should've seen this after game 2. I really can't figure out what could possibly happen in game seven that would top the first six games of this series. I mean, what could happen next? Quadruple overtimes? Perkins shattering the backboard? Rose and Rondo combiniing for 40 assists? The entire building going up in flames? Joakim Noah grabbing a clutch rebound to ice the game for the Bulls then dunking in his own basket and then running around high-fiving the Celtics fans with floor seats? I'm prepared for anything. The truth is this entire series is one long ESPN instant-classic. No, neither of these teams is likely to win the NBA title this year. Yeah, the overtimes have probably completely wasted any chance of these teams being able to get out of round two simply because of sheer exhaustion. But who cares? It's great basketball between two great teams. It simply doesn't get better than this in round one. Ever. I'm calling it, this is the best round one series in NBA history. There. I said it. Let's just start with the Rondo/Rose matchup. Chris Paul and Deron Williams may be the better point guards in this age group, but Rondo and Rose aren't far behind and this series just seems like the opening chapter of what could be a long rivalry in the East. (Sidenote here, with Willams, Paul, Rose, and Rondo there are now four phenomenal young point guards in the league, and we likely get Ricky Rubio and Brandon Jennings next. When's the last time there was this amount of depth at the game's most creative position? I don't mean like Gilbert Arenas/Baron Davis/Iverson type score-first point guards, but guards who actually facilitate the whole teams' offense but who can still score when necessary. It's great.) The Rondo/Rose matchup has been the highlight of the series, so far, I think. The block by Rose was epic. Completely off balance and off the ground when Rondo starts his fallaway, he made Rondo's shot look like it was launched by a four foot guy with B.J. Raji's wingspan. Missing the free throws at the end was hardly the way to finish the game, but Rose played out of his mind, matching Rondo step for step. Basketball is one of the few sports where you can get these sorts of matchups and really see two guys go head to head. Football's too team oriented and you don't play both ways. Baseball you get those matchups in pitcher vs. batter but not guys who play the same position. It happens sometimes in soccer but only for midfielders. You get it in hockey a little, but it's still more of a Anything-You-Can-Do-I-Can-Do-Better situation (as I'm sure we'll see with the Crosby/Ovechkin matchup). The only other sport I can see it happening is boxing. That's what this series has boiled down to: a slug-it-out boxing match between two hungry teams, each trying to just knock the snot out of the other guy. Some of the best basketball played yet in these playoffs has been in this series. The steal by Noah, the block by Rose, Allen's insane game last night, Perkins' arguably perfect game five, Pierce's spin and shot over Rose, Pierce's pull-up jumper x3, Ben Gordon's multiple huge shots peppered through the series, it's all been there. It's not all pretty, though, that's for sure. These teams are both capable of some great basketball, but that's not necessarily what's been on display. It's been a mix, I'd say. For all the beautiful jumpers and defensive play on offer, there's been a lot of ugly to go around. The Rondo foul, Davis deciding to punt the ball into Row Q, Pierce passing up an open-look off a screen to drive and have the ball stolen BECAUSE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO KICK IT OUT TO BRIAN SCALABRINE and then fouling out to boot. Can we diagram that play, for a moment? Did he see the headband and think it was Eddie House? So here's the checklist of things you have to do to lose a playoff game to the Bulls if you're Paul Pierce: 1. Pass up the open jumper for three after a solid screen. 2. Drive to the basket to drag the help defender over. 3. Make the worst hip feint in the history of hip feints so that nobody actualy believes you're doing anything but a drive and kick. 4. Stare down the teammate you're trying to pass to like you're Rex Grossman. 5. Lose ball. 6. Foul needlessly out of the game. So there you have it, a boneheaded play in six parts, by Paul Pierce. I can't get too angry at him since he is one of the main reasons why the Celtics are where they are, but he better have a big game seven in him, because he's got to make up for this one. Either way, see you after Game 7. Well, maybe after Game 7 and a nap, this series is too much for me.