The Will to Win....

As a coach, the most beautiful thing I can witness is seeing my team play with a passion and desire to compete and win. And if in that process, my players can brake our opponents will to win and force them to "check out" at somepoint, then I can't ask for anything else.

I've had both football and basketball teams achieve this point, forcing your opponent to give in mentally, but be there physically just get the clock to triple zeros.

I've seen Nick Saban's Alabama teams complete this task numerous times over the course of the last two years.

And last night, I witnessed the Boston Celtics complete this task for the second concescutive playoff series against the Orlando Magic. It happened to Cleveland also.

The Celtics took away Orlando and Cleveland will to win in each of these series. The happy go lucky Cavs and Magic, all smiles, full of team unity, having a good time when all is well, took some serious standing 8 counts from the C's in Game 5 in Cleveland and Game 3 against Orlando. When push came to shove, nither team could handle the situtation.

In each contest, the C's built a 30+ point lead and forced a chain reaction that caused a meltdown and making the King and Superman to check out and their fraud of teammates that make up the supporting cast to wilt away. (atleast Dawyne Wade always kept fighting, he just did not have anyone to help him)

True stars in NBA history never let their teams go down without swinging for back, even if they don't have their A game. Bird, Magic, Jordan, even Stockton/Malone, Tim Duncan, Reggie Miller always came out swinging against superior competition.

Last night, we witnessed a complete annihilation to the point that depending on NBA free agency, the entire balance of the Eastern Conference could shift for Cleveland and Orlando to the point that Boston could be back in this position next year and those teams could be non-playoff teams if the cards brake right.

As for the C's, they're clicking on all cylinders and now will have sufficient rest before facing the Lakers. Although they'll be an underdog to LA, I'm not betting against them.