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LOS ANGELES: On the verge of a championship they have dreamed about
since childhood, leaders of the Boston Celtics are fighting the urge
to celebrate prematurely, knowing the elusive crown is still a win
away.
The Celtics enter Sunday’s fifth game of the
National Basketball Association Finals with a 3-1 lead over the Los
Angeles Lakers in the best-of-7 series, one triumph shy of their
first crown since 1986 and record 17th title overall.
No team has ever squandered a 3-1 lead to lose
in the NBA Finals, but that brings little comfort for Boston’s
star players and coach Doc Rivers, who have endured decades of
playoff failure and frustration.
“The job isn’t finished, but yeah, we seem a
little closer to the goal. I can taste it,” Celtics All-Star
forward Kevin Garnett said.
“But at the same time, we know we are one win
away from our goal. That’s the focus. It’s not a sense of
overconfidence. It’s just what we’ve got to do to close this
out.”
The Celtics were the second-worst team in the
NBA last season at 24-58. They added Garnett and Ray Allen to join
playmaker Paul Pierce and made the best one-season turnaround in NBA
history, leading the league with a 66-16 record.
Pierce, 30, endured nine years of failure in
Boston. Allen, 32, spent 11 seasons of frustration in Milwaukee and
Seattle. Garnett, 32, went past the first playoff round only once in
12 seasons at Minnesota.
Now they are each one win shy of a crown.
“We don’t want to get too far ahead of
ourselves. We’ve got to take care of business,” Allen said.
“We’re not going to get too worried about what’s on the other
side of the fence yet.”
Pierce would claim a championship ring in his
hometown if Boston wins on Sunday, when Americans celebrate
Father’s Day.
“It’s a dream if I can come out here and win
on Sunday,” he said. “I want nothing more than that ring right
now and I’m not going to get over-excited. Right now I’m just
happy to be up 3-1 with a chance on Sunday to close it out.
“I want to go out there to win Game 5 on
Father’s Day and then I will be able to breathe. Right now I’m
waiting to exhale.”
Rivers would be the first black coach to guide
an NBA champion since K.C. Jones did so with Boston in 1986.
Rivers spent 13 seasons in the league as a
player before retiring in 1996, making 10 trips to the playoffs
without a title. He is in his ninth campaign as a coach, his fourth
in Boston after being fired by Orlando in 2003.
So how good would a title feel?
“Let’s win one first. Then I’ll let you
know,” Rivers said.
-- AFP
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