Celtics doing it the hard way

For The ItemBOSTON – If we have learned anything at all about this year’s group of Boston Celtics it is most certainly that they seem to enjoy doing things the hard way.True to form, if the Green have any intention of winning the 2010 NBA finals they will have to defeat the defending world Champion Lakers three out of the next four games.That’s no easy task.For fans looking for reasons to believe, they need not look any further than the Celtics’ Big Three. Through the first three games each has played well individually, Pierce in game one, Ray Allen in game two, and Kevin Garnett in game three.For the Celtics to get back into this series the formula for success in simple, the Celtics’ three future Hall of Fame players have to show up on the same night. For a team that prides itself on a balanced attack, that shouldn’t be too much to ask.For captain Paul Pierce, who had been plagued by foul trouble, the challenge begins with simply staying on the floor.”I come in, knock down a shot and try to get a little rhythm, and then I am back on the bench because of fouls. I’ve just got to stop putting my hands where they don’t belong right now, but it is frustrating because you feel like you are playing hard, playing to win and then you get called for fouls.”I have got to do a better job of being more solid than I have been and that means no more fouls,” he said.When the Celtics take the floor tonight at the Garden, they will be doing so with the knowledge that a loss will all but eliminate them from the Finals, meanwhile the Lakers will be smelling blood.Historically the Celtics have thrived in these situations. It was only three weeks ago when the Celtics lost game three in historic fashion to the Cleveland Cavaliers, while falling behind in the series two games to one.Of course the Green went on to win three straight and eventually win the series.The fact remains that the Celtics are still very much alive in this series, and have yet to get the best from their stars. Look for big performances from each of the Big Three tonight, and not because this writer told you to do so. Do it because history will tell you that eventually the Big Three are due to perform well on the same night.Nobody ever said that this was going to be easy, but quality performances from each of the Celtics Big Three sure would help.