Celtics one win away (thanks to James “Parker” Posie)

Last night, the Celtics came back from 18 points down at halftime to beat the Lakers – in LA – and take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Doc Rivers, much maligned for his generally mediocre X’s and O’s coaching, out-gunned Hall of Famer Phil Jackson in the last 20 minutes of the game. Rivers brought in two veteran shooters (Parker Posie and that guy from ‘House’) at the expense of size and ball-handling, and the move paid off.

(Does Eddie House have the flattest shot in the league for a guy known as a shooter?)

ONE WIN AWAY! It’s not time to get lax, and I don’t think the veteran Celtics will let the C’s slack (KG, Guy Pierce, and Jesus Shuttlesworth have waited their whole careers for this moment). But no team has ever come from 3-1 down in the Finals, and the last two games are in Boston. Take that as you will.

It’s nice to see three veteran guys, all representing us New Englanders in our early 30’s, get their due. Ray Allen, I am sorry I ever doubted you and your Huskie pride.

P.S. Is there an easier major sports star to root against at the moment than Kobe Bryant? Now, for all I know he is the nicest guy in the world one-on-one, but as a superstar, he is enormously fun to disdain. Through all fault of his own, he bares all the hallmarks of someone you just love to hate on the court:

1. Continued high level of success. This is the prerequisite: it’s more fun to hate the big papa. As easy as it is to dog Vince Carter, you just can’t really get up your bile against him.
2. He knows he’s so good. Superstars exude confidence; if you already don’t like the player, that makes you hate him even more. But Kobe’s got a little something extra. What killed him for me was that Nike commercial with him sitting in a cloistered walkway at Il Duomo in Florence, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. He delivered the knowing voice-over, “Sometimes you got to talk to yourself … be your own … psychologist.” Punk.
3. Self absorbed Intelligence. Isn’t the villain of the piece always a highly intelligent character who is clearly out for himself? Sure, you cheer when Batman beats the thug, but you save your relish for the Joker. Can’t you imagine Kobe Bryant saving his own skin while Sasha Vujacic desperately pleads for help after falling into a vat of acid? Kobe seems to have that same “I’ll pretend I’m with you, but when the chips are down, teammates be damned!” attitude.
4. Questionable Off-Court Activities. Let’s just leave it that the whole incident a few years ago made him a polarizing figure that a lot of people don’t have sympathy for.
5. Antagonized his peer. Kobe has only played with one other guy in his own league talent-wise, and that ended in a messy divorce. Watching the best center of his era leave with bitter feelings made the cocky young Kobe even less sympathetic. I think Jordan, Bird, Magic, Isaiah, Dr. J, any of those guys would have found a way to make it work with Shaq. Wade did.