perkisabeast.com Blog

“A man with deep far-sightedness will survey both the beginning and the end of a situation and continually consider its every facet as important, Yo. So quit trippin.'’”

Oh great Sensei Perk, we seek the answers to tonight’s mystery. Will you answer these for us?

Who will control the paint? If we out rebound them, we will win. So far in this series, second chance points have made a huge difference. Cleveland is a big, plodding, and deliberate team that likes to work the clock and control the boards. We look to our sensei to have a big night tonight and not let Cleveland get gimme points.

Boobie-less Cavs. Will it hurt them, or help? Gibson’s ability to hit a clutch three pointer could very well have made a difference in a tight game. His absence will help the Celtics. However, a wounded animal is also the most dangerous. There is definite potential for the emergence of a no-name hero…See. Macdonald, Glenn. Who will it be on our team? Baby, Powe, Sam I Am????? Will Eddie House come off the bench to hit a huge three? One thing is for certain the Cavs are officially thin at the point.


Who will win the battle of the minds Doc has so far played even with both Mike Brown and Mike Woodson. That’s not a good sign. Who will have the one extra wrinkle tonight? What will our rotation be in crunch time? Will Doc trust the younger starters to win it for him?


Will KG step up in the fourth quarter? Has he been scared? Tired? Or worse, not a big game player? Either way, the final frames in road games have not been kind to KG. A big game tonight could silence a lot of the critics and bolster his confidence going into the really important rounds.


Will Ray Allen please report to the checkout line? The test of greatness is how you overcome adversity. All year he has been our elder statesman of the team, quietly keeping the guys on track while subjugating his ego. Can he regain his mid-season form, or will he keep pressing? We could really use a vintage game from Ray-Ray. Our advise, take it to the hole early and often, get to the stripe and find your rhythm.

In the land of the King of Hype, Will the Truth shall set us free? Will he or won’t he continue his stellar play from last game? Paul turned the switch in Game five, can he turn the corner in Game six? We say yes.


Loose balls, diving at me. Who will win the battle of the scrum? If we get the loose balls on the road, we win. The key to this game is no second chances.


Will we leave it all on the court? In order to reverse this losing trend on the road, the team will have to play with a real sense of urgency, bordering on desperation. We need to play this game like we’re down 2-3, not up 3-2. Will we be able to shut down the voice in our head that knows a game seven is at our house? Will every man commit his body to closing this out tonight?


Will Tommy be calling the game The fans, need the warm, reassuring voice of Tommy Heinsohn and Mike Gorman to feel comfortable. This past week of TNT and ABC has sucked. I need Tommy. Please Tommy, come on the road for this one.

Let’s Go Celtics

Gibson out for the series, according to Marc Spears

“Gibson left Cleveland’s Game 5 loss on Wednesday in the third quarter with a left shoulder contusion. He received additional examinations today at The Cleveland Clinic, including an MRI, which revealed a first degree left AC (acromioclavicular joint) separation. With Gibson out, look for veteran guard Damon Jones likely to replace him in the rotation and veteran guard Eric Snow likely to be activated.”

Will they or won’t they show? That’s the million dollar question right now as we go into Friday night’s showdown in Cleveland. What Boston Celtics team are we going to see? Further, what if we go seven games again? What does that do to our long range plans for putting number 17 into the rafters.

During the Atlanta series, I never doubted we were going to win, no matter how bleak it looked during games in Atlanta. We were just a better team than the Hawks. And, truth be told, we are a better team than the Cleveland Cavaliers, no matter how good Lebron James is. So now, it’s just a matter of demoralizing James’ supporting staff and clawing out a close out victory.

Easier said than done right? I mean it looks so good on paper. All we have to do is stop guys like Wally Sczcerbiak and Delonte West, we should know how to do that right ( I mean besides giving them Celtics jerseys)? But in reality nothing has come easy for us in these playoffs. In fact, this playoff stuff is hard damn business. I haven’t enjoyed a majority of these games, especially the disastrous roller coaster that has become road games. While wins like last night feel good, I have just a little nagging feeling that this is cold comfort.

Now, I can remember the Celtics championship runs of the 1980’s. They weren’t exactly easy rides. Sure in 1986 we strolled to the title, losing only 3 games on the road to Banner 16. However, I remember a few real hard slogs when I was pulling my hair out of my head. So, in an attempt to either assuage some anguish, or maybe raise some, I looked up the Celtics playoff records for some of the most memorable runs.


1988 — defeated New York, 3-1, first round
defeated Atlanta, 4-3, conference semifinals
lost to Detroit, 4-2, conference finals

1987 — defeated Chicago, 3-0, first round
defeated Milwaukee, 4-3, conference semifinals
defeated Detroit, 4-3, conference finals
lost to LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals

1986 — defeated Chicago, 3-0, first round
defeated Atlanta, 4-1, conference semifinals
defeated Milwaukee, 4-0, conference finals
defeated Houston, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

1985 — defeated Cleveland, 3-1, first round
defeated Detroit, 4-2, conference semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-1, conference finals
lost to LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals

1984 — defeated Washington, 3-1, first round
defeated New York, 4-3, conference semifinals
defeated Milwaukee, 4-1, conference finals
defeated LA Lakers, 4-3, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

1983 — lost to Milwaukee, 4-0, conference semifinals

1982 — defeated Washington, 4-1, conference semifinals
lost to Philadelphia, 4-3 conference finals

1981 — defeated Chicago, 4-0, conference semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-3, conference finals
defeated Houston, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

1980 — defeated Houston, 4-0, conference semifinals
lost to Philadelphia, 4-1, conference finals

As you can clearly see, there’s no real perfect comparison to this year’s run, thanks to the NBA’s ridiculous decision to extend the first round to seven games (I hate you Stern). However, the omens about having to play multiple seven game series’ doesn’t bode well in the long run. In 1987, the Celtics played two grueling seven game series’ against the Bucks and an epic series against the Pistons, which probably hurt them in the Finals, even though people forget that the 1987 team was basically six guys and the real Big Three was hurting badly (McHale’s foot was splintering in half, Walton’s feet were shot, Parish was playing on two sprained ankles and Bird was breaking down physically).


However, there could be some silver linings here. In particular, the 1968 and 76 championship runs.

1976 — defeated Buffalo, 4-2, conference semifinals
defeated Cleveland, 4-2, conference finals
defeated Phoenix, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONS

1968 — defeated Detroit, 4-2, division semifinals
defeated Philadelphia, 4-3, division finals
defeated LA Lakers, 4-2, NBA Finals
WON NBA CHAMPIONSHIP

So, what does this all say to us? Well, it stresses the importance of closing this series out on Friday. I’m not sure any team has ever won four seven-game series in any professional sport and I don’t really want to find out. I’m not sure my heart can take it.

Certainly my favorite comment on the Cleveland Plain Dealer today. Maybe its a good lesson for the Celtics fans, whose testicular fortitude in the past few days has certainly been tested. Man up boys, we’re ending this thing on Friday.

Posted by alero56 on 05/15/08 at 8:36AM

Good luck, sports fans. I’m out.

Get on my back boys
More mindbending melodrama awaits… »

Art Modell was just the beginning

….

Danny Ainge wins Executive of the year award, proving what the crack staff has known all along, that we got the smartest guy in the NBA. This is a great validation of the work the man has done for the franchise.

“As your attorney I advise you to put this video up under the following title”
“GARDEN FANS SEND THE KING AND HIS PRIDE PACKING IN GAME 5 - UBUNTU!”



Who are we to argue?

Tonight is the night that we turn this series around. A win puts Cleveland on the ropes.
However, the truth needs to be spoken. The big three really need to step it up, and this starts with Kevin Garnett. While Garnett has done a pretty good job in the series averaging 18.3 ppg and pulling down 9.8 rpg, he hasn't taken control of the series in a way befitting a superstar player. Besides Game One, where he was huge down the stretch, Garnett has seemed timid in the close out quarters on the road, perhaps no greater example is the posterizing he took from LeBron James in the fourth quarter of game four. Let's hope that image is burned into his head and has been festering there for about forty eight hours, because we need him to be mad.

All year Garnett has fueled this team to win, because he says losing is not an option for him, but now its time for him to show that in the playoffs. This is where careers are defined.

I’m not saying Garnett is the only offending party here. Ray and Paul need to step it up too. Ray’s a shooter, and shooters go into slumps sometimes, and thats fine, but when you go into a slump you cant let that prevent you from playing other parts of the game. Wally “the bionic man” Sczcerbiak has been abusing Ray this whole series. Now, I think Ray was starting to get his touch back last game, he went 2-4 from beyond the arc and he started to get his midrange jumper back, but for some obscure reason Doc took him out when he was getting hot. Dont ask me why, I don’t understand anything Doc does anymore.

And then there’s Paul. Pierce’s FG% this series is an anemic 35%, which means that he shouldn’t be shooting fade-away jumpers with a man in his face. When Paul drives to the basket, he is virtually unstoppable, but for some reason he hasn’t been driving this series. Paul just needs to do what he is best at, driving to the basket and making the other team foul him, really, nobody besides Lebron can guard Paul, so why not make those other bum’s foul him? The person that really needs to step it up the most though is Doc.

Truthfully, I have never understood Doc’s strategy, and over the past few games he has left me more puzzled than ever before. The Celtics were just about turn the momentum to their side the other night when Doc puts in Glen Davis, who wasn’t able to protect the paint and the Cavs scored at least three easy baskets. Doc’s substitution patterns just don’t make any sense. What is he saving these guys for? Let some guys foul out of the game dude.

The team as a whole needs to start playing a lot better if we want to win it all, but I think I’m the most disappointed in some of the fans. Ive been hearing a lot of people saying “its all over” or “the Celtics are done for”. This is total bullshit guys!

If you really are a true fan, then this is the time to show your love. It’s time for the fans to step it up too. I’ll be doing my part tonight, wearing my perk is a beast shirt and screaming like a frieken lunatic and you all better too. Or I’m gonna beast your asses.

We’re so trying to keep our cool Doc. We’re so trying. Use what got you there.