Celtics travel to Chicago for Game Three of drama-filled postseason

Well, the Celtics certainly know how to keep things interesting, don’t they? The 2009 NBA playoffs are less than a week old and I am already exhausted. Through the first two games of their series with the upstart Bulls, the Celtics have experienced enough highs and lows to last an entire postseason.Putting the last week in perspective is a daunting task. Just last Wednesday, Kevin Garnett was expected not only to play in the playoffs ? but he was going to play with “no minute limitations” ? and less than 24 hours later, KG was shut down. In the days that followed, we learned about a surgery date, then no surgery date; at this point, what KG does in the coming weeks is anybody’s guess. As if the Garnett saga wasn’t distraction enough, then came the news on the eve of the playoffs that Celtics president Danny Ainge suffered a heart attack. All this drama, and the Celtics were yet to even take the court?As far as the games are concerned, the Bulls are a matchup nightmare for the Celtics. Cut from the same cloth as last season’s Atlanta Hawks, the Bulls are young, athletic and brimming with confidence. Despite Ray Allen’s late-game heroics, the fact remains Chicago accomplished its primary goal; stealing home-court advantage away from the Celtics.Celtics captain Paul Pierce is confident that the Celtics can play better.”I think we feel very confident,” Pierce said. “We feel like we haven’t played good basketball yet. I feel like this is pretty much our ‘C’ game. We’ve given up 100 points two games in a row, allowed people to shoot 49, 50 percent. I think our best is yet to come in this series.”As the series shifts to Chicago for game three, the already undermanned Celtics will be without Leon Powe (knee), and Rajon Rondo will be at less than 100 percent (sprained ankle), meaning the Celtics will continue to rely heavily on the suddenly pivotal Glen Davis.Davis himself seems to understand the magnitude of the situation, saying, “Nobody expects us to do anything this year, but don’t count us out. Don’t count me out, either. I probably haven’t proved myself in the league as far as a premier player, but I can play this game, and I thrive at situations like that.”No, I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game.”The Celtics will be hoping for more unforgettable moments with their ticket stub in hand.