NBA Playoffs 2012: 5 Intriguing Storylines from Boston's Game 7 Win

The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in the series deciding Game 7 tonight. With the win, the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals while the Sixers' season is over.

It was a balanced performance for the Celtics who had all five starters in double digits. This balanced attack and the Celtics defense were too much for the Sixers. Luckily for the Sixers though, they still have a long time left with their young core.

On the other hand, the advancing Celtics could be on their last run with the Big Three. And for now, at least, the Big Three live to fight another day. 

Rajon Rondo Takes over in the Fourth

Rajon Rondo struggled through the first three quarters of this game, but he showed up when it mattered most—in the fourth quarter.

After Paul Pierce fouled out with four minutes left in the fourth, Rondo put the team on his shoulders and took over. He hit a layup, a deep two, a deep three and some big free throws to help the Celtics pull away at the end of the game.

In all, Rondo had his ninth career playoff triple-double (one shy of Larry Bird) with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Overall, it was a great performance by Rondo, and without his scoring in the fourth, the Celtics may not be advancing.

He will need to play like this every game against the Heat though if the Celtics want a chance to win. 

Bass and Garnett Continue to Hit Their Shots

The biggest source of offense for the Celtics is jump shots for Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett. Both Garnett and Bass get the majority of their offensive opportunities from mid-range jump shots and pick and pops with Rajon Rondo. So far in the playoffs, they have cashed in on their opportunities and had some big scoring nights.

Tonight was no exception as both Garnett and Bass shot the ball very well, particularly from midrange and were able to score 18 and 16 points respectively. Those two were the biggest advantage the Celtics had in this series, and it will be the same against the Heat.

They will need to continues their great play and shooting against the Heat.  

The Big Three Live to Fight Another Day

Much of the talk before the game was about the potential for this being the last game Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett ever play together. At the end of this season, there's a distinct possibility that the Big Three will all go their separate ways.

However, whether or not it really is the last season for the Big Three, they weren't ready to go out tonight. Against the Heat, they may play their final game together, but for now, the Big Three era is still going. 

Ray Heats Up at the Right Time

Like Rondo, Ray Allen struggled through the first three quarters. He had just two points and was 0-5 from three.

In typical Ray Allen fashion though, the shots started falling when the pressure was at its highest. Through the final 12 minutes of play, he scored eight of his 11 points, six of which on two clutch three-pointers.

Against the Heat, Ray will need to be a factor for four quarters, but for now, he did all he could in the fourth quarter to make sure the Celtics advance. 

Beat the Heat!

The last time the Celtics and Sixers met in a Game 7 was in the 1982 Eastern Conference finals at the Garden. During the game, the Sixers built a big lead, and the Garden faithful responded in an interesting manner when the game was clearly out of reach. It was then when the "Beat LA" chant started as a way of cheering the Sixers on to the finals. 

Because of that, I had a distinct fear before the game that the Sixers would build a huge lead and then be treated to a "Beat the Heat" chant. The chant would be cool I thought but not worth the loss. Luckily, I got the best of both, the "Beat the Heat" chant did occur, but it was to cheer the Celtics on to the next round, not the Sixers.

There's no doubt that the Heat will be an incredibly difficult opponent and hard for the Celtics to beat, but in the playoffs, anything can happen, and anyone would be foolish to count out this Celtics team potentially on their last run.