Where Amazing Game Sixes Happen
May 1st, 2009 at 8:55 amBy Chris
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That’s about all I could come up with concerning the title, and boy, is it fitting. After 63 minutes of basketball — 15 more than normal — the Bulls and Celtics are headed for a Game 7, two of the best words in relation to the NBA Playoffs. There’s been so much said already about last night’s great game. Ray Allen was Jesus-like. Joakim Noah was Dennis Rodman-like. Two things stood out, however: the fouls by Paul Pierce on Noah and Glen Davis’ foul on Brad Miller — both players’ sixth and disqualifying fouls — might have been two of the dumber playoff fouls I’ve seen, especially for key players playing with five fouls.
Paul Pierce, after missing two potential game-winners earlier in previous game-deciding moments, gave a weak turnover up to Chicago’s latest manifestation of a rebounding spark plug with wild hair, who outraced a turtle-like Pierce and dunked it over Boston’s Truth, drawing Pierce’s sixth. John Hollinger said the Celtics need an athleticism injection. I say that could be reduced to Pierce, who looks nothing like the player who dunks in the NBA’s series of “Amazing” videos — athletically, anyway.
Not even close.
As for Davis, I’m not sure what fouling Brad Miller that far away from the bucket was going to solve. Yes, time was not on the Celtics side, but Davis was playing like an important cog should, scoring 23 points grabbing 7 rebounds, displaying a jump shot that can make you forget about Kevin Garnett, especially on the offensive end — that is, until Davis committed that unnecessary sixth foul.
Would the outcome have been different for the Celtics if one or both of these players were available down the stretch? Who knows? One thing’s for sure: Thanks to two dumb, dumb fouls (Pierce’s was so egregious, a friend of mine commented “he doesn’t want to be in anymore.”), we never will.
