THE BOSTON CELTICS DESTROY THE HEAT WITH EASE AND ADVANCE TO THE SECOND ROUND!!

Brian Babineau. Getty Images.

It doesn't get much better than that folks. Complete domination like you read about this entire series. It took a franchise record prayer 23 3s in Game 2 but we all knew that shit was fake. The days of the Heat's black magic are over, and after blowing out the Heat in Games 3 & 4, to then come home in Game 5 and hand them the biggest ass kicking of them all is EXACTLY what we needed to see from this team. No screwing around. No playing with your food. End this thing and get these losers out of the playoffs so we can focus on more important things.

Considering this was another wire to wire win with another massive lead

I'd say that's exactly what we got. This was the wagon we've been watching since October that obliterates everything in their path at the Garden. This was the team that plays the right way and is devastating on both ends. You think I give a shit that the Heat were missing players? Fuck no. This is the playoffs. Celts just lost Porzingis, shit happens. What doesn't change is the fact that every single Celtic who stepped on the floor tonight was out for blood. There was no letup from anyone. The Jays leading the way and being engaged early, Derrick White with another incredible 25, Sam Hauser with 17 off the bench in like 20 minutes, Luke Kornet having Bam in hell, the list goes on and on. It was as complete as ass whooping as we've seen the Celts give all year.

And you know what? It tells us something. This is what we all wanted to see. Can this team show the maturity and progress that is required to win an NBA title. You know how you do that? You end the series when you get the first opportunity. You do not allow your opponent to have hope for even a second. The Celts came out swinging, landing a couple of haymakers early and it was a wrap from there. It was their way of showing us that they are ready, because just last year we saw the Celts lose this exact game vs ATL. That's probably my favorite part of this win. Sure sending the Heat home will always be fun, but it was seeing this team answer the challenge that we all had for them. They dropped Game 2 and what happened? They didn't crater. They didn't screw around. They reasserted themselves and kicked ass the rest of the way through the series

Look, everyone predicted this was going to be a short series. The end goal is certainly not to beat a shorthanded Heat team. But given the history of this matchup, it does mean a little more to finally get over this hump in such dominant fashion. Joe was great all series, the Jays weren't put under the Spo spell, and now they have a chance to potentially have 6 days off if ORL/CLE goes 7. 

We'll regroup in the morning to dive through it all, but for now, enjoy the moment. This is going to be a long ass battle with much tougher obstacles as the Celts continue on this journey, but the team I just watched for 5 games looks like a team that is ready to win the whole goddamn thing.

4 down, 12 to go

P.S.

What a perfect way to honor the legend that is Mike Gorman. It still doesn't even feel real and frankly it won't ever feel right.