Stephon Marbury's great opportunity awaits in Boston

ON BASKETBALL

It's not official yet, but anyone who closely follows the NBA knows it will happen.

One of the most league's most despised, selfish, wasted talents on the roster of the league's defending champion — on a team made up of his opposites: "team guys" who would never put themselves before their teammates.

And yet, I have a very good feeling about this. I think it will work (yes, I'm assuming it will happen) — both for the Celtics and Stephon Marbury.

That doesn't mean they'll win the NBA title together or even get past the conference finals, but losses on the court are as bad as things will get.

Marbury, to me, is not a bad person or even a naturally bad teammate. He's not irrevocably damaged. Rather, he is in need of direction. He needs to be a follower before he can become a respected leader.

At each of his NBA stops, he's been asked to run the team, be the starting point guard. Of course, as talented as he is, it made perfect sense. There was no way Mr. Big Time was coming off the bench or following the example of another player.

He was paid too much. His ego was too big.

And he played in a "players league." So as hard as the Don Caseys of the world might have tried to fine-tune Marbury into a winning point guard, he never had to listen, he never had to ride in the backseat.

That will all change in Boston. And that is the reason why this experiment has a great chance of not only landing the Celtics Banner 18, but rejuvenating Marbury's losses-infested career.

As a Celtic, he will ride the bench. It won't matter how well he plays — he's not getting budding starRajon Rondo's spot.

As a Celtic, he will be asked to follow one of the most voluble, intimidating leaders in the league, Kevin Garnett. This will not be like their ill-fated time spent together in Minnesota.

Then, they were both young and unproven. Neither player's career had taken off to the point of making him that much better, that much more proven and trustworthy than the other guy.

So Marbury, immature and full of himself, left Minneapolis as part of a bitter divorce. No one expected he'd ever reunite with K.G.

But now Garnett has all the power over his former teammate. He's the certain Hall-of-Famer. He's the man with the NBA title. He's got the ears of all his teammates.

He'll gain another set of ears as soon as Marbury's plane touches down. Screw up in Garnett's mind, and he'll be done before he can walk the Freedom Trail.

Experiments like this aren't new to New England sports. Not too long ago, the New England Patriots brought in controversial wide receiver Randy Moss. And even before that, they signed much-maligned running back Corey Dillon.

Under the killer eye of Bill Belichick, who doesn't blink when cutting players, Dillon never caused a problem and won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2004 season. Moss, meanwhile, has been nothing short of brilliant — and on his best behavior.

Doc Rivers might not be Belichick, but the makeup of an NBA team is more about the players than the coach. Even Belichick, with his iron fist, couldn't have handled the Knicks of a couple years ago.

The Celtics get it. Everyone, from Garnett to Ray Allen to Finals MVP Paul Pierce to youngsters Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, understands what the team is about and what its ultimate mission is.

There's no way a battered, bruised Stephon Marbury could mess that up even if he tried.

And he won't. Because even if a championship isn't important to him — and I doubt that — he knows that the only way to land a decent contract after the season is by being on his best behavior and doing what the Celtics ask of him.

So whether he plays 30 or 10 minutes a game (and I'm leaning toward the latter), don't expect to see the typical Marbury Pout while he sits on the bench once he moves one big city up the East Coast.

In fact, by learning from some of the game's best — both talent-wise and leadership-wise — he might change. He might become capable of running a winning basketball team next season, of being a winning starter for the first time.

To do something right, you have to see it and observe it first, right?

Marbury just turned 32. Maybe he'll be a late learner. ... Or maybe not.

But the marriage in Boston, even if brief, should be a peaceful one.

Celtics' Game 4 comeback the front-page NBA story

ON BASKETBALL

There will be a time for the questions, for the conspiracy theorists to voice their ludicrous theories.

That time could begin as soon as Monday morning. And a thorough inspection of the NBA's referees is in need -- don't get me wrong.

But Thursday night belonged to L.A. and Boston, the Lakers and Celtics, the best rivalry in NBA history. And Game 4 lived up to that rivalry's past heroics.

A game might have been altered in 2002, but the refs weren't even noticed on Thursday, which is what should be the case every time two teams step foot on the hardwood.

There was no doubt -- none whatsoever -- as to who decided Boston's thrilling, unbelievable, remarkable, inspirational 97-91 comeback victory.

Let me start with Paul Pierce, the unquestioned leader of the Celtics. At halftime, trailing 58-40, Pierce asked his coach, Doc Rivers, to let him guard the NBA's most valuable player.

Rivers agreed to put Pierce on Kobe Bryant, and No. 34 in green responded with an effort that left him out of breath at the finish. His third-quarter block of Bryant was one of the premier defensive plays of these two-month-long playoffs.

Let's talk about Ray Allen. Two series ago, he had the confidence of a science club student on the dance floor. But in the waning seconds, it was Allen who waved off a screening Kevin Garnett, blew by Sasha Vujacic and finished a game-icing layup with his off hand.

And that was after playing the entire game. He must work out.

I have to talk about James Posey, because all he does is making winning plays. The average NBA fan wouldn't recognize this Xavier graduate on the street, but any Musketeers fan has to be proud of what he's accomplished in the NBA. Shaquille O'Neal has said that Miami couldn't have won the 2006 championship without him, and this series would be knotted 2-2 if not for Posey's shooting touch.

Playing with five fouls the final 14-plus minutes, Posey hit one big 3-pointer after another, including a falling-into-celebrity-row swish that gave Boston a 92-87 lead. It was the performance of a John Paxson, a Robert Horry -- 18 huge points off the bench.

And I'd be remiss not to mention Eddie House, who at times has been relegated to the Celtics bench for entire playoff games, forced to sit with his minute kid, who never misses a big game and serves as a refreshingly non-scantily-clad cheerleader. With Rajon Rondo both hurting and unable to knock down an outside shot, Rivers smartly went to a lineup full of shooters.

It was the coaching move of the series, and the Lakers had no answer for a Boston five featuring Pierce, Allen, Posey and House to go with the jump-shooting big man Garnett. One of the toughest things about completing a big comeback on the road is getting the "over-the-hump" basket, the shot that gives you the lead. House delivered inside the Staples Center, nailing a contested, long two-pointer that put the Celtics up for good.

That was just the climatic moment of a great night for House, who proved that even little, short guys with minimal abilities can make a huge difference on the biggest stage. House finished with 11 big points.

"We just needed guards that they had to stay with," Rivers said, mentioning how good of a help defender Bryant is when Rondo's on the floor.

Trudat, coach.

There is nothing shady, nothing nebulous about what happened in L.A. on this night -- Boston completed arguably the greatest comeback in an NBA Finals game, overcoming a 24-point first-half deficit and an 18-point hole at halftime.

Throughout the day, there was talk about Tim Donaghy. Was he telling the truth when he said two games -- most glaringly Game 6 of the 2002 Western Conference finals, a Lakers win over Sacramento -- were fixed by officials taking orders from the NBA's front office?

Refs were interviewed throughout the day, including ex-ref Ted Bernhardt, who worked the game (and denied any wrongdoing outside of calling a poor game). Commissioner David Stern held another press conference. A media member was asked less than 2 hours before game time what story was garnering more attention, Game 4 or the fixing scandle: He gave the scandal a 55-45 percent edge.

But then the game began. A great first half by the Lakers, spurred by the resurgance of the mercurial Lamar Odom, followed by the comeback nobody saw coming. And any basketball fan, anyone who follows the NBA on a consistent basis, knew that the league is ultimately going to be OK.

Whatever happened six years ago wasn't right. I watched the game. Yes, the Kings got robbed by the refs. They should have swept the Nets in the Finals instead of the Lakers.

And, yes, Dick Bevetta probably needs to retire. He's was one of the other refs to call that game, and, apparently, he has been the basis of most questions asked to other refs and ex-refs. He's 68, he misses calls, and his presence at future games would only raise questions -- and I'm not referring to him unabashedly agreeing to race Charles Barkley at the All-Star Game in 2007 (a race that he somehow lost).

But the current NBA, the 2008 NBA, is just fine. Anyone who saw the product on the court Thursday night can't disagree. It was 10 guys playing their hearts out to win a championship, including the guys in gold. Phil Jackson didn't rip his team afterward. Forget that the Lakers had been outscored 57-33 in the second half and shot just 33 percent from the floor. He was well aware of the Celtics' impact in causing those numbers.

"I didn't think we got so lacadasical," the Zen Master said.

Rather, the Celtics played with an urgency that belied their situation. Many NBA haters say that the league's too predictable, the games easy to call. That theory was thrown under the Hummer in Game 4. The Celtics could have laid down, taken their beating and put all their marbles into a pivotal Game 5.

But then Pierce asked Rivers for the assignment, Pierce made a near-impossible layup for a three-point play, Pierce blocked Bryant's shot, and the comeback was on. It was a heroic performance by the Celtics more than a choke job by the Lakers.

"It was about going out there and competing," Pierce said simply.

Yep, nothing complicated about that. And after the game, after giving his postgame interview, there was no hidden meaning behind Pierce's joyous shouts as he walked down the tunnel, a 3-1 series lead in hand.

It's too bad for the NBA that this is almost over, that very soon there will be no more games until late October.

Because then, appropriately, the focus will shift entirely to the nasty mess that Donaghy has created. And you can only guess as to what new breaking news will hit during the dog days of summer.

But Stern has this going for him -- the NBA is full of great teams, great players and some pretty good coaches, too.

And when games are in session -- and special moments like the Celtics' comeback occur -- they take center stage.

Pierce shows Celtics are his team

ON BASKETBALL

There never should have been any doubt, really.

Sure, Paul Pierce acted the ultimate diplomat, saying that he, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen would be Boston's equal leaders as part of the "Big Three."

And for the most part, he was right. But in Sunday's Game 7 against Cleveland, when everything the Celtics had accomplished since November was in jeopardy, Boston's fate rested squarely on Pierce's shoulders.

As great a shooter as Allen can be, he was off the entire series against the Cavs and spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench. And even when at his best, he's more of a complementary offensive player, a catch-and-shoot guy.

As for Garnett, he might have been Boston's MVP candidate, but he's not a player who takes over a game offensively. ESPN's chat between him and Bill Russell was perfect because the players share many traits, especially unselfishness, outside of Russell's 11 championships.

Boston's take-over-the-game player is, definitively, Paul Pierce. Just ask Garnett:

"Tonight was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce, get the hell out the way," the All-Star said after the game.

And despite LeBron James' best game of the series, a 45-point effort, Pierce matched "The King" shot for shot to score his 41.

Pierce's effort was all the more impressive because he didn't touch the ball on some Boston possessions. James, on the other hand, dictated Cleveland's attack every time down the court — he had to — and played all but a minute of the 48.

The great thing about watching Pierce excel is that nothing he does is spectacular. Unlike the behemoth James, Pierce doesn't jump out of an arena, doesn't glide through the air — at least not in his 10th season out of Kansas.

Rather, Pierce, when at his best, uses his body smartly to create shots for himself and also get to the foul line. On Sunday, James, who is 6-foot-8, had two inches on the guy he was guarding, but Pierce was able to create enough space to make 13 of 23 field goals and 11 of 12 free throws.

And he hit one big shot after another.

As did James, but we all knew that Boston is the better all-around team. The only chance Cleveland had to escape with the road victory was if James outplayed every Celtic. Take away three of Pierce's field goals, and Boston's 97-92 win could have gone the other way.

But despite having to guard James for most of his 44 minutes, Pierce never fatigued, never let up, and he made one of the biggest non-box score plays with just less than a minute to play.

Boston was clinging to a 91-88 advantage, and Cleveland's 7-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas was prepared to win a jump ball against Boston's 6-8 James Posey. The smart play for Ilgauskas was to tap the ball toward James, who should have been able to box out Pierce.

Pierce, however, wasn't giving in to the bigger, stronger James. Instead, as the ball was tossed into the air, he bulled his way past James toward where he anticipated Ilgauskas would direct the ball. And sure enough, there was the orange sphere, just within Pierce's wingspan. He tipped it to himself, corralled it as he fell to the floor and quickly called timeout.

The play didn't result in any Boston points, but it ran off a valuable 20-plus seconds that Cleveland could have used at the end.

Garnett is the Celtic best known for his hustle plays, but Pierce made the defining play, the effort that will be highlighted decades from now on those NBA Films shows.

"His mental toughness was fantastic," Pierce's coach Doc Rivers said. "Obviously he was great offensively. I was just happy.

"Paul had two turnovers (toward the end). When you have those turnovers down the stretch, you can easily go the other way. ... I thought he got better after that, so I was very happy for him."

Of course, Cleveland's elimination shouldn't take away from James' performance. If he had Pierce's teammates, there's a very good chance he'd be back in the Eastern Conference finals against the Pistons.

He attacked the Celtics from the opening tip, making sure the game never slipped away from the Cavs. Whenever it appeared Boston was ready to build an insurmountable lead, James made a huge basket or created one for Cleveland's only other offensive player Sunday, Delonte West.

But at the end, it was James who let Pierce get to the jump ball. And it was James who took a poor, driving, in-between shot that missed badly with the Cavs trailing by three. On his way toward the basket, James passed on taking an open 3-pointer, which begs the question, 'How much confidence does he have in the long-range shot?'"

(James finished 3-of-11 from behind the arc.)

James should be given credit for taking ownership of his team. He never shied away from the spotlight, putting the Cavs on his back.

But at the end of the day, James was left to talk about the opposing player who's moving on to the next round.

"When a guy keeps hitting jumper after jumper, you have to respect that," James said.