Fans try to pick up Celtics' spirits with nice sendoff
BOSTON -- The Celtics were down by 20 late in the game and probably down emotionally. But their fans didn't want the Celtics to go to Miami that way and tried to lift their spirits before they left.
With about three minutes left in the Heat's 98-79 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, the TD Banknorth Garden crowd stood and gave a rousing and almost deafening "Let's Go Celtics" chant that continued until the players walked off the floor.
The Celtics were moved by that. They'll try to reward their fans' support when they play Game 7 Saturday night in Miami.
"Kevin [Garnett] was sitting next to me and I said, 'These are the best fans I've ever played in front of or ever seen in my life,' " Ray Allen said. "They understand the situation that is before us and we understand it. That was basically them sending us off, letting us know this is still alive. We need you guys to go down there and get a win for us.
"It seemed like that three minutes lasted forever. It was special. I'll talk about that forever."
The Celtics have some of the most loyal and loud fans in the league. There tried to energize their team Thursday night, but LeBron James demoralized the Celtics by scoring 45 points and making sure Boston wouldn't celebrate winning an Eastern Conference championship on this night.
Boston trailed by double-digits for most of the game. The Celtics tried to make runs to get within striking distance but Boston never drew closer than seven as James -- who outscored Allen, Garnett and Paul Pierce combined by 14 points -- would always come up with a big shot or play.
The Celtics, who won Game 5 in Miami, still believe they can win the series and move on to play the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
"We left a huge opportunity on the floor, but we still have another opportunity," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "That's what the playoffs are all about.
"The whole locker room was down," Rivers added. "But you can see their resolve in the locker room. They're not just going to pack for Sunday. They're going to bring suits for Tuesday and they're going to bring suits for Thursday. And that's the way we're going to plan to do it."
More NBA news
