Hondo steals the moment. Visits Celtics with message of Redemption

[SpiralHawk]

"If you believe Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, it wasn't a planned visit. Celtics legend John Havlicek, he of eight world title victories, simply happened to be in the neighborhood near Boston's practice facility at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint on Thursday and decided to drop in after his favorite team dropped its first two games of an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat.

The fact that Havlicek was part of the 1969 championship squad, the only Boston team to ever rally out of an 2-0 hole, was merely coincidence. Yet, he didn't mind imparting some friendly advice to those who asked about how the Celtics rallied to top the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games that season.

"When things aren't working out, you can get all messed up," said Celtics reserve forward/center Glen Davis. "But I was talking to Havlicek -- you know, 'Havilcek stole the ball!' -- and I said, 'Which one of these banners ?' He said the one that stood out to him was 1969, when they were down 0-2 and came back to win it in Game 7 against the Lakers.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=forsberg_chris&id=6490018

[SpiralHawk]

1. Hondo Vs. Clutch

[SpiralHawk]

2. Uncanny parallels

"...What's more, the similarities between that Lakers squad and this Heat team are scary. Before the 1969 season, the Lakers acquired superstar Wilt Chamberlain, pairing him with Elgin Baylor and Jerry West to form Los Angeles' own superstar trio.

"Meanwhile, the Celtics and star player/coach Bill Russell were battling Father Time as 1969 proved to be the final season for both Russell and Sam Jones. While the team leaned heavy on Havlicek, it was clear Russell and Jones were not going to end their careers by rolling over to the Lakers.

"...Havlicek offered an in-the-flesh reminder that this series isn't over despite the long odds."

[dhill926]

7. one of my all-time favorite memories

as a kid......balloons up in the rafters of the Forum. Priceless!

[joeybee12]

3. It apparently helped, at least for this game...

didn't see it, was at the vet's all evening, but it sounds like a convincing win.

[bluedigger]

4. There must have been some Hondo magic in the air!

Just look at the pic at the link.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2011/05/heat_at_celtics_1.html

[SpiralHawk]

5. Celtics 97 - Heat 81 - you zealous dooshballs

Wade demonstrates his scumbaggery...

and Oneal gets back into it !

[SpiralHawk]

6. From Hondo to Rondo

"Based on imagery alone, Rondo should not have been on the court, surely not sprinting and dunking.

He fell awkwardly in the third quarter, bracing himself with his left arm, which bent gruesomely in the wrong direction. When he left for the locker room — trailed by an anxious-looking Danny Ainge, the team president — it seemed certain that Rondo’s night, and perhaps his season, was over.

Yet there he was, playing the entire fourth quarter, with one arm practically pinned to his side, leading the Celtics to a raucous victory at TD Garden.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/sports/basketball/08celtics.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha27

[SpiralHawk]

8. HawkstraDamnUs makes his much-anticipated intrepid prophecy for Game 4

Chill, you zealous dooshbeans. Gonna be a 2-2 series by Midnight.

[SpiralHawk]

9. Celtics circling the drain

Heat 98, Celtics 90 > Heat lead series, 3-1

Fans stunned as HawkstraDamnUs makes wrong call. Apparently, Miami fans jammed his infallible psychic gift with genetically modified microwaves...

[trumad]

10. It aint over till it's over.....

I aint predicting shit in this series.... but I am kind of enjoying reading those who are....