FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Over at my website AaronTorres-Sports.com, I like to proudly say, "If It Happens In Sports, It Happens At AaronTorres-Sports.com." 

But even I, Aaron Torres, the (I like to think) all-knowing sports fan, can't be everywhere.

Which is why when I found out one of my old friends, Tim Ehrens-who knows as much about the Boston sports scene as anyone-was going to Game Seven of the epic Celtics-Bulls showdown, I knew I'd have to track him down for an interview. 

On Sunday we exchanged e-mails, with Tim still coming down from the proverbial high of attending another incredible game, in what may have been the greatest first round playoff series in the history of the NBA. 

We discussed the atmosphere before and after the game, how and why the Celtics pulled out the victory, and what's next for Boston. 

So while you and I might not have been there Saturday night, it's time to welcome Tim, who was nice enough to take some time and give us his unfettered insight into Game Seven experience.

Enjoy!

Aaron: What was the atmosphere like in Boston Saturday night?  Game Seven of one of the most closely contested, exciting series' we have seen in years.  Describe being in the arena Saturday night.  What was it like when the Celtics did finally wrap up the victory?

Tim: The atmosphere was electric, both on and off the court.

I hung around and had dinner on Canal St. (right across the street from the Garden) hours before the game and the street was full of people wearing Celtics jerseys and talking about the game.  Once I stepped foot in the arena, everyone was walking through the concourses cheering, clapping, and getting amped up, and upon getting in my section, I could feel the importance of the game.

When the game started everyone was hanging on to every play, dissecting every foul, and of course making the Bulls players feel it-especially Joakim Noah.

And once the Bulls started fouling at the end of the game, there was an immense sense of relief and jubilation. Everyone was glad it was over but knew there was a long road ahead, accepting victory, while also remembering the Orlando series was to start just two days away.

Aaron: Look the Celtics won by 10 points, but anyone who watched knows that it was much closer than the final score would indicate.  Being at the game, when did you actually breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ok, we've got this one?"

Tim: Sighs of relief came from the most unlikely of places in this game: the bench.

Everyone has been knocking the Celtics' bench in this series after Leon Powe went down. Our frontcourt had been decimated and our confidence hurt with KG being down, but the bench has done nothing but step up.

That's why I wasn't surprised when the moment I anticipated victory came from Eddie House, who was coming up with big shots all night off the bench.  His three-pointer with 2:29 left put the Celtics up by eight.

From that point on, we went 9-for-9 on our free throws and the game was over. Three times during the game the crowd erupted into "Eddie! Eddie!!" chants; my throat still hurts.  It was only fitting that he would get a big shot down the stretch to all but seal it up for the Celtics.

Aaron: Ray Allen once played a character named Jesus in the movie "He Got Game, and throughout the series, he seemed to basically do everything short of turning water into wine.

Can you quantify in words Ray Allen's role in this series?  What was it like in the arena when he made the driving lay-up with 36 seconds left?

Tim: That layup kind of put the cherry on top of a great series for Ray Ray. 

The man is one of the greatest shooters of the last 25 years and he showed it in this series. To score 51 points in a losing effort in Game Six shows you what kind of heart and skill this guy has even when some people label him as "over the hill."

That layup just typified his contributions in the series and it was only fitting that he was the Celtics' leading scorer with 23.

To read the remainder of this article, please click here, or visit Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com.