The Lowest of Low Blows

"You acting like a little bitch right now."

- O-Dog (in Menace II Society)

It was the knee to the nether regions felt around the suddenly frigid city of Toronto Friday night. Paul Pierce, on Chris Bosh. Where it hurts. Leaving Pierce standing atop Bosh, flexing and glaring over, for all intents and purposes, the franchise. Yet another proud moment in the history of Bryan Colangelo's Toronto Raptors.

In typical Raptors fashion, it was Jay Triano, our lovable Canadian head coach, who had - and pardon the pun - the balls to say anything about it.

The silence from Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack spoke volumes. Here are three guys who are signed to multi-year deals with the Raptors, and who know Bosh is headed for free agency. And not one of them could find it in his pretty little heart to step up for their best player; for the guy who night in and night out gives Toronto a chance to win. It was just the message Bosh was looking for from his teammates as he contemplates his future: "Stick around, drop 20/10 a game, and we most definitely don't have your back."

And if Andrea Bargnani was on the floor, he probably wouldn't have done a damn thing, either.

Does Brian Burke have any extra truculence laying around? Fuck.

After the clobbering of Bosh's crotch, the post-CB4 era in Toronto may arrive sooner than expected. Followed shortly by the post-Colangelo era.

Only Reggie Evans and the ghost of Charles Oakley can save us now.

"Anything Is Possible"

In the end, it wasn't even close. Led by the new "Big Three," the Boston Celtics, after obliterating the L.A. Lakers 131-92, are NBA champions for the 17th time.

After 26 gruelling playoff games, the Celtics were rightly and deservedly crowned. Not even the sting of the city of Boston winning yet another professional sports title could ruin the moment.

I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the beating Boston laid down on Kobe Bryant and his teammates to seal the deal. Sure, it was rather anti-climactic seeing as the game was over at half-time, but I hate Kobe, and I took a certain amount of pleasure in watching Bryant and his teammates get their asses handed to them in the biggest game of their lives.

Kobe and company did their best impersonation of Toronto Raptors defensive basketball last night, and it was impressive, you know, in that really pathetic Raptors sort of way. The Celtics scored, and scored at will, racking up 58 points in the first half, and a staggering 73 in the second half.

Boston also dominated on the glass. The Lakers' effort on the boards would have made the Raptors squirm, and that tells you something. Boston out-rebounded L.A. 48-29. In a telling statistic of who simply wanted it more, the Celtics picked up 14 offensive boards, while L.A. responded with two.

On the flip side, it was a most impressive defensive performance by the Celtics. Textbook Doc Rivers basketball. Once again, Kobe Bryant was rendered ineffective (so were his teammates), scoring 22 points on 7-of-22 shooting from the floor, and only getting to the line five times. Turnovers killed the Lakers, and Bryant was stripped on numerous occasions.

Kobe started the game 4-of-5 from the floor. Then, much to my delight, it all fell apart. He was 3-of-17 the rest of the way. When the Lakers needed him the most, Kobe did not - could not - deliver. It proves, once and for all, that Bryant is nothing without Shaquille O'Neal. No Shaq, no title.

But last night wasn't about Kobe and his douchebaggery. It was about Kevin Garnett, and his dream of winning an NBA title. It was about Paul Pierce, his sacrifice, and all the tough times he went through in Boston. It was about Ray Allen, and his extreme humility. It was about a once-proud Celtics franchise that won only 24 games last season and finished second last in the Association. It was about the ghost of Red Auerbach, who passed away in 2006. It was about the culmination of the remarkable journey from worst to first. It was about never giving up.

As a die-hard supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Blue Jays, Kevin Garnett's words during his emotional post-game interview, as he looked up to the heavens with tears in his eyes, resonated strongly with me: "Anything is possible."

Amen, brother.

Celtic Pride

Kevin Garnett is one intense motha sucka. The Big Ticket, along with his pals Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, are off to the NBA finals. Lakers and Celtics, baby! It don't get much better than that.

It's difficult, and embarrassing, to believe that I actually thought the Toronto Raptors would be a better team than the Boston Celtics this season. It's difficult, and embarrassing, to believe that I actually thought the Raptors would finish higher than the Celtics in the standings and win the Atlantic Division.

It's one thing to be a homer - and that I most certainly am - but it's another to be a complete idiot. And that, clearly, I am as well. But it's not like this is a first. I've been wrong many times before, and I suspect the trend will continue.

Anyway, I've always been a big Garnett fan. He is everything I want Chris Bosh to eventually become. Now that the Detroit Pistons are out of the way, KG is off to the finals for the first time, and I'm rooting for his Celtics. Not because the ungrateful city of Boston needs to celebrate another championship, but because the Celtics have been awful for a long, long time. And because KG deserves a ring. Along with Pierce. And Allen too. These guys have paid their dues.

Oh, and also because I hate Kobe Bryant. No, like really hate him. He is the ultimate douchebag.