Ray Of Hope

Thank you Ray Allen!!!

I've got to tell you, I've seldom watched a game with so much dread and pessimism. Especially once Rondo went down with another ankle injury. Every time the Celtics did something good, the Bulls answered right back. Thankfully Ray Allen found his stroke in the 2nd half and sealed the game with a huge three pointer.

Hats off to Rajon Rondo too. He looked a lot slower after the injury but still managed to top off a triple double.

Updated thoughts:

The Good News

* The goal was to bounce back and win the 2nd game. Done.
* Derrick Rose, though effective, was not the dominant force he was in game 1.
* Big Baby had an excellent start and a good game overall.
* I'm not sure I'd ever call Perkins clutch, but that's just what he was. A key rebound and putback plus a key block down the stretch helped win the game.
* That might have been the best the Bulls could have played (42 for Gordon, 10 blocks between TT and Noah) and we still beat them.

The Bad News

* It is only game 2 and Pierce looks worn out.
* Their frontcourt is playing much, much better than I gave them credit for. Again, it reminds me of the way the Hawks altered and rejected shot after shot in the first round last year.
* If Rondo's ankle swells up overnight, we're in a heap of trouble. He's been our best player, hands down. Without him, we're toast.
* Our bench scored 9 points.

Next!

Now we have to go to Chicago and at least win a game. I can't call it "steal" a game because I still think we're the better team. We should be able to beat this team anywhere. Maybe if Ray can stay on course for the whole game it will be better for us. Our defense really needs to step up in a big way. Doc and the staff were able to adjust to limit Rose a little more today, but now we have Gordon to worry about. It will be interesting to see what they come up with next.

The bottom line is that the Celtics survived this game more than they won it. Had they lost, it would have been the boxing equivalent of a one-two punch that would have left us staggering backwards. Thankfully the Celtics got a good punch in just before the bell. But not before feeling worked over.

We've seen the best they have to offer and we're tied 1-1. That's a start.

Update on Leon from The Boston Globe

Leon Powe sprained his left knee during the first half of Monday night's win over the Chicago Bulls and did not return. Powe received an MRI on his knee during the game and is questionable for the rest of the series.

When it rains it pours apparently.