The Unvarnished Truth: Celtics Biggest Comeback Remembered By Dime Magazine

Dime Magazine...you complete me.

Okay, let me explain...

A couple of days ago, Dime Magazine posted a story about one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Playoff history that just so happened to be led by one of the greatest Celtics of all-time.

In case you've forgotten (I'll only forgive you if you were a newborn in 2002 or have some sort of illness that affects recollection), the 2002 Boston Celtics consisted of a motley crew that included one Antoine Devon Walker, Kenny Anderson, Walter McCarty, Rodney Rogers, Tony Delk, Vitaly Potapenko, Tony Battie, Coach Jim O'Brien and one young gun who would one day grow up to be the NBA's great purveyor of Truth.

The team was playing against the odds-on favorite to make the NBA Finals New Jersey Nets (seriously, don't laugh...and take your meds...) to a 1-1 series tie and our C's were in a world of hurt heading into the 4th quarter of Game 3. Co-Captain Walker appeared to be tearing a new one into 4th year phenom Paul Pierce as he sat pensively on the bench. I'll leave it at that and let the fine folks over at Dime Magazine tell you how it all went down from there. Then, once you've read it, come on back and watch the 4th quarter (posted below) so you can see it all happen just the way you imagined/remembered it.

I will just say this about the aforementioned game: it will forever live in my brain, seared into my consciousness as one of my sweetest memories. I can recall standing in the back of a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans (ahhhh, destination bachelor parties....), beers were being slung 2 for the price of 1 (let's just say that this place made a LOOOOT of money that day). A teeny-bikini contest was being judged up on stage at the front of the house, so you can just imagine where our combined 18 eyeballs (for the mathematically impaired, that's nine people -- or a whole bunch more with some seriously unfortunate stories) were glued for the next hour.

Wrong.

The Celtics were on...Game 3...down 20 heading into the 4th and we had the bouncer put the game on the flatscreens in the back. If you've read the above story by now or watched the video, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that the MC of the bikini contest broke off from calling the competition to remark, "apparently, we have a few people from Boston in the house!"

Pure Nirvana.

At least I THINK that was the name of the woman who won the bikini contest.

Kidding. I meant the game.

I will never be able to separate the New Orleans Experience from the transcendent joy that I felt that day watching the Celtics come roaring back to make history on the shoulders of the man who shall forever be known as "The Truth." Nor will I forget how I felt later on that night after many more 2 for 1's, a couple of Hurricanes and other assorted celebratory libations (I can, without reservation, say that it was decidedly less transcendent and leave it at that).

Thanks, Dime Magazine, for calling out such a special memory.

Here's hoping for a few more to come from 'ol #34 before the Hall calls.

THE BUZZ:

TONIGHT!

Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks
@ 8:00pm
Boston Garden, Boston, MA

Celtics Begin To Fill Out Depleted Roster With T-Will Signing

As first reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the Celtics have signed 6' 6" swingman Terrence Deshon Williams to a 10-day contract.

Drafted in 2009 by the New Jersey Nets, T-Will has had a somewhat checkered playing career in a fairly short time marking stints with the Houston Rockets (where he clashed with Rockets Coach Kevin McHale), Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons and most recently as a Guangdong Southern Tiger in the Chinese Basketball League.

Though his phenomenal athleticism and undeniable basketball talent has been recognized by many since his early college days (T-Will scored two triple-doubles as a co-captain for Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals team, a feat only accomplished twice before in team history), he has yet to convince any team that he is worthy of long-term status.

Let me just say now, I think this is a great signing for the Celtics. I've followed T-Will's career in college and got to know his penchant for filling an NBA stat sheet while he (unbeknownst to him) worked for me as a member of a couple of fantasy basketball teams I was running at the time. Against the sentiments of several of my fellow Celtics basketball cognoscenti, I have wanted the Celtics to sign him every time he became available during his young career.

Back in the day, T-Will soared and glided his way to the 2005 Kentucky Derby Basketball Classic slam dunk championship trophy, and Pitino once described him as "A freakish athlete" -- something that the Celtics can use a few more of since our players began resembling a line of human dominoes.

His best season in the League was with Sacramento in the 2011-12 season in which he scored 8.8 PPG, pulled down 4.1 RPG, and passed for 3.1 APG while shooting .461 from the field over 20.5 minutes per game.

With career averages of 7.6 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game and career percentages of 40% FG and .358.% 3-PT FG, the potential is there, should Coach Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Co. be able to get into his head to correct some of the immaturity issues he's displayed in the past. And, with the easy-out of two 10-day contracts providing insurance in case things go south, this one is the quintessential low-risk/potentially-sky-high reward scenario.

And now, some numbers to get you salivating...

As a Net, Williams scored his first career trip-dub in 49 double-overtime minutes against the Chicago Bulls, with 27 points, 13 boards and 10 assists. His career high for assists is 14 and he has snagged 13 boards on three separate occasions.

And, while this should almost NEVER be a credible measuring stick in gauging NBA-level competition, it is interesting to note that T-Will was a key player for the 1st-place Guangdong Tigers (whom he left this past month to attend to a death in the family) -- a team that also features former NBA'ers Yi Jianlian and Ike Diogu -- where he averaged 17.9 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists while playing just under 27 minutes a game.

Check out these video posts from Celticslife.com that shed some light on the person behind the name and some of these highlight videos if you want to get excited.