More than one person responded to my excitement at going to a pre-season Celtics-Nets game with shrugs and ticked off a list of the exact group of third-stringers I should be prepared to see.
But my faith was rewarded.
Our seats were good to begin with but after we joined the throng of autograph seekers to see if anyone we knew was going to come out, and it became pretty evident that no one was coming along to grab their rightful seats, Miranda and I gave each other a furtive glance and took ourselves some seats. In the second row. Roughly 15 feet away from the starting lineup as they entered.
I do mean starters too. Ray-Ray, KG, The Truth, Rondo, Shaq, Delonte, Big Baby, Nate Robinson, all ran right in front of us as they headed to the court to warm up. It's the closest I've ever been to a bona-fide pro-basketball (albeit preseason) game and it lets you see a lot of things more clearly.
Some are related to size matters. Like Shaq's feet are probably bigger than my head. Like people like Delonte West, Rajon Rondo, and Nate Robinson look like midgets next to the likes of KG and Shaq. Even more so than on TV. Had to keep reminding myself that they tower over me, and they are not at all what most people would consider short men.
Good game, Nets won for a while, then we caught up sneakily but surely. But oh no, trouble holding onto the lead, traded threes and foul shots in the last few minutes, but courtesy of Nate Robinson nailing shots and drawing fouls we prevailed. Granted he was the only non third-stringer on the floor at the time, but I feel reassured.
The returning Delonte got plenty of baskets. I cannot look at that guy without thinking "He was driving down the highway on a motorcycle with a loaded rifle in a guitar case strapped to his back. He is the original road warrior. Hot damn" and getting a little flushed. Unfortunately he left towards the end of the game, looking a little bit pained, so I hope that's no issue.
The starters played a significant chunk of one quarter each half and looked great. Rondo went head band-less. Wonder why?
But the real fun person to watch was Paul Pierce. We were close enough to hear him swear when he got fouled, but other than that he was this playful childlike guy all game. When he wasn't playing, he just hung out, still on the court, back against the wall facing the court, slouched over like some teenager, but plainly still paying attention.
He threw a towel at Big Baby when Davis was jogging over to the side of the court after being fouled. Big Baby reacted with a puzzled look.
One of the most endearing things ever, Nate Robinson got hard fouled trying to dunk and Pierce got up and sprinted, SPRINTED over to help him up, in t-shirt, warm-up pants and all. Think the ref chided him for it. But he just walked back over with this wide grin.
After he was out the second half, he wound the gatorade towel into this really funny hood thing and tucked it into his t-shirt. KG followed suit. In one of the time out huddles they looked over at each other and then each adjusted theirs. While he was in that silly get up he was like throwing kicks over one of the coach's heads and shadowboxing and stuff. I can't wait to see the pictures that my friend took.
I love LOVE LOVE this team and I can't wait for this season to start.
So it is the Crystals, and songs about looovvvinnng bad boys. Because they may break my heart again at the end of the season, but darn it, it's gonna be so fun!
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