At least now The Series has a theme: hatred.
For this, we can all thank Dwyane Wade, who is not so much a basketball player as an Artist of Conflict, a fellow who can win wars and all the little battles in between, without much concern for the rules of engagement.
In this case, the Miami superhero managed to nearly eliminate one rival with an interesting maneuver — perhaps not dirty, but not entirely in accord with the prescribed rules of sportsmanship — and it resulted in a dislocated elbow for Rajon Rondo and a cause celebre for a Celtics team that used it as a knockout punch.
Maybe you didn’t think the Celtics had a game in them like the 97-81 body slam they applied to Miami on Saturday night at a delirious TD Garden — it wasn’t something you could have gleaned from their performances in Game 1 and 2 in Florida.
But this was the old Boston. Kevin Garnett had a party in the paint, with 28 points and 18 rebounds. Paul Pierce started strong and finished even stronger. Shaquille O’Neal was no more than just a jiggly novelty act, but inspiring nonetheless. And the defense held the Heat’s Big Three to 15-for-41 shooting, and the entire Miami team to seven assists in the entire second half.
Yet for as long as this series lasts — for however many highlights from this duel fill our memories — the turning point or finishing blow will be when Wade and Rondo hit the floor in the third period of a game still up for grabs.
It wasn’t in question much longer after that, because these are the Celtics, and they know how to turn a spark into an inferno, especially in this gym.
“Clearly, it got everyone excited,” said Doc Rivers. “When the whole thing happened, I just said, ‘Composure — don’t change the way you’re playing. Don’t let this stuff distract you.’ I was most proud of that.”
The crash resulted from a great defensive player guarding a great offensive player, just as the Celtics — in the midst of a good defensive run — were turning a two-point halftime deficit into a 60-50 lead five minutes into the second half.
Rondo poked Wade’s dribble away, and Wade — trying to ward off his defender — reached behind his back and grabbed Rondo with his off-hand, then used some leverage to drive him down on his side as his lost dribble went out of bounds for a turnover.
Rondo reached out to break his fall with his left arm, and crashed hard under his own weight, and that of Wade himself.
The Garden people made the very wise decision not to replay the sequence on the video screen — partly because it was gruesome, with Rondo’s arm twisted into an ugly angle, and partly because Wade would have been the target of something worse than the chorus of boos that followed him the rest of the night.
“I’m not a dirty player,” Wade said. “It’s physical. Everyone falls to the ground. Everyone gets hurt. People get up.”
The crowd was incensed, even without benefit of a replay. Whether the team it cheered so unremittingly felt the same way wasn’t immediately apparent.
The best was yet to come. Rondo went to the locker room, his dislocated left elbow was popped back in by Dr. Brian McKeon, and returned to the game. The Celtics didn’t miss a beat.
So now the only issue was whether the Heat would ever relocate their dislocated offense. The short answer: Nah. Garnett, who moved like a fellow who enjoyed having three days off, scored on consecutive postups against Joel Anthony, the lead was 72-58 just before the quarter ended, and Miami was crumbling.
Rondo made a few plays, but he didn’t really have to.
“There’s going to be pain, but what makes it feel better was the win,” the pocket rocket said. “Regardless of what happened, we got another game in two days.”
Whether he’ll actually be ready for that one is a good question, but as Garnett put it, “Shorty’s a tough dude. I’m not going to go through a list of injuries he’s had that you’re not aware of, but I’ve seen him play through some horrific injuries. We’d look at each other and say ‘What’s he doing out here?’”
So this time, Rondo didn’t have to excel, he only had to show his heart. Just like every one of his teammates did last night.
“The first report was, ‘dislocated, out, basically for good,’” Rivers said. “Then 30 seconds later I’m in the huddle and I see Rondo walk by me.”
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