If Boston Celtics Have Anything Left, We Will See It in Game 2

"Hell no," said the hobbled Ray Allen when asked whether or not he was going to sit out Game 2 of the Boston Celtics' Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Miami Heat. Allen knows what is at stake tonight. His Celtic brethren do as well.

For the C's, it's all on the line Wednesday night. They either make this a series by evening things at one game apiece heading back to Boston, or they fall into a 2-0 hole just like last year. The Celtics have to win this game tonight, because I'm not sure they can beat anyone in four out of five contests with all of the injuries that they are dealing with.

The question is, can Boston do it?

Well, the Celtics certainly showed signs of life in the second quarter of Game 1, as they dropped 35 points on the Heat, the most Boston has scored in any quarter of this postseason and the most Miami has allowed in any quarter. The ball movement was great, the defense was stifling and the C's had rallied from an 11-point deficit to tie things up at the half, looking to well be on their way to potentially stealing the first game of the series.

Then, the war of attrition started about midway through the third quarter, and to no one's surprise, Boston lost that war. It also lost the game 93-79. Take away that 35-point outburst in the second quarter, and the Celtics scored only 44 points for the other three. That is just horrendous, and it speaks volumes as to how banged up this Boston team really is.

You had Allen missing four of his seven free-throw attempts. You had Paul Pierce going 5-of-18 from the floor. To make matters worse, you had Rajon Rondo going through the motions, and even though he posted a solid line of 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, his impact on the game was hardly felt. If Allen and Pierce are going to struggle that mightily, then Rondo has to dominate.

Kevin Garnett did his part, putting together another 20-point and 10-rebound performance in what has been a playoff run full of them. But that was it. Outside of K.G., no one else on Boston stepped up. That has to change in Game 2.

Not only does the enigmatic Rondo have to get his head on straight and perform like the elite point guard that he is, but Pierce and Allen have to make shots. Brandon Bass has to provide some punch. Mickael Pietrus and Keyon Dooling need to give the C's something off the bench.

To put it plainly, everything needs to click tonight, and if these prideful Celtics have anything left in the tank, it will.

Boston completely understands that its season (and the era of the Big Three) is on the line. No one needs to tell Doc Rivers and his boys that. That is why I think that unless the C's are running on fumes (and that is very possible), we will see a brilliant performance out of them in Game 2.

As I have said so many times before, the Celtics always play their best when their backs are against the wall, and their backs are certainly against the wall on Wednesday night. When Boston needs to get a win, it usually musters up whatever strength it has to get the job done. Of course, the circumstances are different in this case, as Allen is playing on one leg, Pierce is clearly hurting and the Heat are not the Atlanta Hawks or the Philadelphia 76ers.

The C's are going to need to lay every ounce of themselves on the floor in this game, and we all know they will do that, because there isn't a single team in this league that has more heart or is mentally tougher than they are. The question is, will it be enough?

We all know that if the Celtics from the 2008-2010 years saw the video of LeBron James' disgustingly arrogant laugh after a Garnett foul late in Game 1, they would come out and absolutely dismantle Miami in Game 2. They would be furious beyond belief, and they would take all of that anger out on the basketball court.

Now, I'm sure this Celtic team is furious. I'm sure it is angry, but can it turn that vitriol into the type of performance that we have seen so often from in past years?

My prediction? Boston evens the series tonight. I think we are going to see a great performance out of a team that has the heart of a champion, and if history has taught us anything, it's to never underestimate that.

Will it happen? We'll find out.