Hardball Heaven

I can't believe I'm about to type these words but the Boston Celtics are one win away from going to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987. This is all thanks, of course, to the huge Game 5 victory the other night that saw KG put up 33 (33 - a good omen?), Ray Allen re-discover his shooting touch - with a new fashion accessory no less, and Kendrick Perkins showing off his beastly talents in the paint. There were certainly some tenuous moments - as the Celts frittered away an 18-point lead and let the Pistons climb back into it - but they held on for a 106-102 win.

KG - as he has been all postseason, save for Pierce's explosion against the Cavs in Game 7 - has been the best player on the floor. In Game 5, he continued to show the outside scoring touch, but also was more aggressive inside and didn't fade in the fourth quarter. Allen was immense, particularly down the stretch when he nailed a crucial long-range jumper and hit some free throws to ice it. Ray Ray showed up wearing a white sleeve on his non-shooting arm, and whatever it was meant for, it worked. And what can you say about young Perk? You can see him getting better each game, and he just took over in Game 5, putting up 18 points and grabbing 16 boards, many of which came at big junctures momentum-wise.

One other quick observation - have NBA referees always had this much of an imprint on the game? Aren't they supposed to be seen and not heard? From what I've seen in these NBA playoffs of 2008, David Stern ought to take a very hard, close look at his refs and make some changes. I understand fouls are going to be called and they're part of the game, but they shouldn't completely take over the flow of a game with their omnipresent whistles. It's been extremely annoying to watch, kinda like watching a Dice-K outing. Anyway, Game 6 tonight at the Palace.

As far as the Sox, yeccch. Their offense took a major siesta during last week's Oakland/Seattle road trip - which saw them win one game out of six, and be outscored 25-14. They were shut out twice, and were one-hit and two-hit by A's and Mariners pitchers. Does Youk mean that much to the lineup? He's been out for a few games with a sore wrist, but here's hoping he's back in there tonight against the Orioles in Baltimore. Probably the lone highlight of the trip - Manny hit No. 499, so we're about to witness some history.

Fastballs will be popping tonight at Camden with Josh Beckett going against Daniel "Wild Thing" Cabrera.