Paul Pierce: The Return - Celtics Win and Go Up 1-0 in the NBA Finals

As if this game needed more ties to history, when Paul Pierce returned to the floor late in the 3rd quarter, after being carried out by his teamates and wheeled to the locker room in a wheel chair, he jogged out of the tunnel and the crowd erupted, my mind immediately turned to the one and only Larry the Legend.

Do you remember? Late in his career, the Celtics were playing the Indiana Pacers when Larry slammed his head on the parquet floor and was forced out of the game. In the 2nd half, Larry emerged from the locker room, down the tunnel and onto the floor to a roar from the crowd. The Celtics never looked back and that moment was etched in the storied history of this franchise.

Tonight, Paul Pierce returned from the locker room after being injured so severely that he could not walk. The roar from the crowd when he returned to the game was equal to that of the one Bird recieved against the Pacers that turned the game around for the C's and that is just what the return of Paul Pierce did tonight.

Before The Truth returned, the game was back and forth for the majority of the 2nd half, but Pierce proceeded to knock down back to back threes and the Celts would never look back. With Kobe on the bench midway through the 4th quarter, the C's padded their lead and went up 1-0 in this best of seven series.

It wasn't just Paul Pierce that got it done tonight though, it was truly a team effort and what other way would you have it. KG has certainly proven that he has big game skills as he posted a double double with 24 pts and 13 boards. Then there was the Celtics bench who combined to score 17 pts. and play some truly nasty defense led by the veteran PJ Brown. He didn't have scary numbers, but he got the intangibles done, the things that don't show up in the box score, it was PJ Brown who demonstrated that you can get it done and fly under the radar, which he did tonight.

Paul Pierce was nasty on the defensive end and showed up in a big way on the offensive end with 22 pts.

The road ahead is long, but the Celtics have proven tonight that they are the force to be reckoned with. They are THE team to beat. The Lakers have Kobe, but the C's have the Big 3 and that may prove to be the difference down the stretch in these NBA finals.

On to game #2, Sunday night at 9p on ABC. Make sure to check out the Wicked Pissa Dude Radio recap of Game #1 and preview of Game #2 coming up tomorrow night on WickedPissaDude.com

Final Score: Celtics 98 Lakers 88

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