Time can serve to be quite a barrier, can’t it? Time has separated us from 9 years ago, a time when sports held captivation at its best. It was the 2004 MLB ALCS, and the New York Yankees held a sleepy, 3-0 lead over their polar rival from a mere 215 miles away, the Boston Red Sox. Yankees outfielders had their lazy boy recliners set up in the glowing lawn. Each glacier-speed inning stacked up on the next like jokes they could throw on Boston for as long as the so-called ‘tension’ of the rivalry stayed loose.
In a matter of a splash of water on the nap of the series, the Red Sox finally took a step in the right direction. Things started clicking, and the tradition soon resumed to its natural flourish. With a little luck of the Irish, the Boston Red Sox had tied the World Series at 3-3, as they went on to win game 7. Somewhere, Bill Buckner could take the chip off his shoulder and grin ear-to-ear.
Time also separated Boston from a chance to relive 2004 as it ticked away on the scoreboard Friday night. An extra dose of, perhaps, five more minutes, and the Boston Celtics could’ve evened out a wild first-round series with—you guessed it—the New York Knicks. With déjà vu striking us all, we watched New York pummel Boston, Rajon Rondo watching from afar.
Three straight ‘W’s in a row for the Orange ’n Blue, and Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers began to look around. Rivers was sweating oceans—as if he didn’t enough in those saunas we called suits—for all the necessary reasons.
Inconsistency was firing ice-cold hammers at Boston’s shooting touch. A frustrated Kevin Garnett fired darts at the rim until he realized 13 of 34 from the field in three games was enough to say he wasn’t feeling it. Solid ball movement played a heck of a game of hide-and-seek for Boston until it was finally found in game 4. With their backs to the wall, elimination breathing over them, the Celtics finally swung at a third strike. Man, did they belt it.
After methodical half court sets, a series of off-ball screens became Paul Pierce and Jason Terry’s friend. Terry went on to shoot a magnificent 17 of 32 from the floor in the next three games. Jeff Green was a freight train coming to the rim, bustling his way through the lane to 21.7 hard-earned points per game for the last three contests, nearly nine over his season average. Garnett pounded his forehead even harder into the hoop pole padding; the furious ‘Big Ticket’ went on to bully his way to a commanding 17.5 boards per game in the two wins that followed. Not to forget, the big guy dished out nearly six assists a game in that stretch. Boston was sharing the ball, and the stagnant Knicks, simply, were not.
Get this: In those last three games of absolute mayhem and leprechaun dancing, Carmelo Anthony, of whom New York has lived and will die by, jacked up 82 shots on 30% shooting. It was a nightmare of a round of Pop-a-Shot; he just kept shooting.
It was game 6 in Boston when time was, yet again, against the Celtics. Forcing 20 turnovers, an incredible resurgence let the boys from New York finally be able to kick back in those recliners, as they did in game 4. And 2004. With the aftermath of a bombing still looming in the air of a seemingly hopeless environment, Boston never lost hope.
In the 4th quarter, the Celtics went on to score 20 unanswered.
Time continued to tick away, and the score margin came as close as 4. Never closer.
Time is what ran quickly when Boston needed it more than ever.
Time is what has run slowly when Boston has needed their best player’s knee to heal conveniently.
A man in street clothes, by the name of Rajon Rondo, hobbled with his team to the locker room for the last time of the season. A year from now, will Boston still be composed of this group of guys? Will Rondo be, instead, draped in a drenched jersey? What adversity will be faced? What will the scoreboard read?
Time will only tell.