Celtics Are Right Where They Belong

by David WhitleyFiled under: Celtics, Magic, NBA Playoffs BOSTON -- What, them worry? A little thing like becoming the biggest chokers in NBA history wasn't going to bother the Celtics, even if it had the rest of Massachusetts unable to breathe. Now the players are right where they expected to be. "The Finals," Paul Pierce said. Boston's not only the first team in, it should be favored to beat the Lakers or Suns. That thought was crazy just a month ago, but losing is believing. And if LeBron James and Dwight Howard can lose to the Old Gang Green, Kobe Bryant sure can. "Nobody believed in us," Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck said as he accepted the Eastern Conference trophy. That's a tiresome line, but in this case it's true. The Celtics finished the latter part of the season 27-27 and went into the playoffs smoking like a '72 Vega with bald tires. Who knew it was all part of a grand plan? "He stuck to the script the whole time,"...