The Boston Celtics Know What's at Stake in Game 6

Save Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo all of the platitudes. They all know what is at stake tonight when the Boston Celtics face the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at TD Garden with a chance to advance to the NBA Finals for the third time in five years. You don't have to remind them.

However, I think we as viewers and fans really need to reflect.

The Celtics can do something tonight that hardly anyone on the planet expected them to do. Not even the good majority of their own fans. They were too old. They were too injury-prone. They were two games under .500 at the All-Star break. They were going to break up their team.

All of that, and Boston finds itself one win away from the finals. How remarkable of a run has this been for the C's? Honestly, it cannot even be put into words.

So, instead of fawning over how outstanding and resilient this Boston team has been in 2012, I am going to explain why they are going to close out the Heat tonight.

Just be real with yourself: can you see the Celtics being denied in Game 6? Because I can't.

They are 48 minutes of good basketball away from shutting the entire world up. They are four quarters from a chance at winning their second title since the Big Three formed, and this will be, in all likelihood, their last opportunity to do so with this core group intact. Also, the C's are at home.

All of the talk about Boston having trouble closing out series has merit. In fact, the Celtics are 11-13 in closeout games since Garnett and Allen joined Pierce in 2007. However, what many are neglecting to point out is that they are 9-2 at home, and one of those losses came to the Orlando Magic in 2009 when K.G. was injured. So, if you want to get technical, as a collective unit, they are 9-1 in closeout games at TD Garden, and tonight's game will be at TD Garden, or, as Garnett likes to call it, "The Jungle".

These are the types of games where stars decide the outcome. Role players will get you this far, as seen in Game 5 when Mickael Pietrus was absolutely huge for the C's down the stretch. However, it is the stars that will ultimately win you a series, and that is why I expect each and every star on Boston, from Garnett, to Pierce, to Allen, to Rondo, to come up huge tonight.

I expect another masterful performance from Garnett. 30 and 15 is not out of the realm of possibility. Pierce? I expect him to nail more back-breaking jumpers and make LeBron James work for every single bucket on the other end. I expect Allen to relentlessly run his defenders off screens and knock down his trademark threes. Finally, I expect Rondo to once again control the tempo of the game and scoff at whatever way Erik Spoelstra attempts to defend him.

Those four have still not washed the taste of their Game 7 loss two years ago in the finals to the Los Angeles Lakers out of their mouths. On top of that, they are just aching to give Miami payback for last year, when the Heat ousted the Celtics in five games in the conference semifinals.

I understand that both teams obviously want this game. However, is there any doubt that Boston wants this (and needs this) more?

For Miami, it will have plenty of other opportunities to win championships. James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are, for the most part, young, and they have a fairly large window.

The C's? They don't have that luxury. Garnett is 36, and rumors abound that he will retire at the conclusion of this postseason. Pierce and Allen? They are both 34, and Allen will most likely not be back in Boston next year. The sense of urgency is at an all-time high for the Celtics.

Also, know this: the C's do not want to go back to South Beach for a Game 7. Remember back in 2010 when Boston demolished LeBron's Cavaliers in Cleveland in Game 5? What did Garnett say immediately after the game? "We cannot come back here. Point blank." And did they? Nope. The Celtics closed out the Cavaliers at TD Garden in Game 6. The same thing applies here, even if K.G. did not directly say it in his postgame interview with Doris Burke after Boston's victory over the Heat in Game 5.

The Celtics know exactly what is at stake tonight. They completely understand what this win would mean, and if they do come out on top (and I think they will), it will be the most special trip to the finals that they have had as a group. You think they are going to let this opportunity slip through their fingers?

Miami is actually a 1.5 point favorite in Las Vegas, and numerous analysts and talking heads are actually picking the Heat to win this game.

I guess the C's will just have to prove everyone wrong again, and when they do, I'm sure all of the talk will be about what the Heat did wrong instead of what Boston did right.