A Solid Start for the Celtics

It’s a good sign for the Boston sports nation. In Tuesday night’s opener, the Celtics beat the eager Cleveland Cavaliers 95-89. 

But the Cleveland fans of the world shouldn’t be too afraid, the King was back out on the court and looked better then ever with 38 points. The game had a mix of good and bad plays, but ultimately it was an exciting game that kept me very anxious.

The Cavs came out on their turf looking like superstars, no sweat on their brows, an intense glimmer in their eyes, and sharp red uniforms that stood out against the Celtics. The Celts walked out onto the court no different then how they would at home. The camera showed Kevin Garnett’s fierce emotional expressions, proving he was ready to jump back into basketball.

Ten minutes into the game, the Celtics looked like they were ready to ask if they could just skip the embarrassment. Within the first quarter, the Cavs proved their 2009-2010 season was about domination and redeeming themselves from last year.

One of the most interesting topics of this game was how unbelievably great LeBron James played. Not that this should come as a surprise, but he has added something more to his game that we have seen in the past. He scored close to 40 points, but he ALSO played amazing defense. In the first quarter, with the Celtics down by 9, Rajon Rondo had the chance to score an easy two points on a breakaway. But being the player he is, LeBron sprinted back and blocked the shot with a victorious slap of the ball. The basketball fell out of Rondo’s hands and the crowd immediately erupted with joy. LeBron did the same thing in the third quarter, except that time he blocked Ray Allen’s shot.

Even though LeBron played great, one of my favorite players, Paul Pierce, was great in the clutch. He had 23 points, not his best, but he played with all his heart. He wanted to win just as much as LeBron did. Garnett proved that he was happy to be back from his knee injury, scoring 13 points with 10 rebounds.

And let’s not forget about Rasheed Wallace and Shaq, the newcomers to each team. Rasheed showed he was ready to join the Celtics franchise and shot well. As always, Shaq was a great force under the basket.

Now, most people probably wonder: If so many people on Cleveland played great, why did they fall behind? It all started after the first quarter. Not only was I disappointed with the Celtics’ play, but the players themselves were upset. I immediately saw a change in aggression with the Celtics as they walked on for the second quarter. Throughout the rest of the game, the Celtics played with more intensity, and especially pressured LeBron.

Overall, the win definitely went to the deserving team, and I was proud to be supporting them. The Celtics showed that their season was about redemption too, and I will be following them every step of the way.