Catching up, again

The Celtics clobbered the LA Lakers last night 131-92 to win their first NBA Championship in 22 years. The "Big Three", Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, were big indeed, but everyone contributed. Rajon Rondo had quite a night. Though he shot only 8-for-20 from the field, Rondo spearheaded Boston's superior defensive effort, finishing with six steals (including one monster rip from the hands of the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Lamar Odom) to go with his 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. For the Big Three, this was the first NBA title for each of them, and the first for the league's most-decorated franchise since the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish won No. 16 in 1986. Danny Ainge was the point guard for that team and the general manager for the one that won 66 games a season after winning 24 -- the biggest turnaround in NBA history. The Celtics join the 1975 Golden State Warriors and the '77 Trail Blazers as the only teams to win it all a year after missing the playoffs. Pierce was name the finals MVP - I would have given it to Garnett. Pierce had 17 points and 10 assists in the clincher, Garnett had 26 points with 14 rebounds, and Allen returned from a red-eye from the coast and a poked eye in the lane to add 26 points, including an NBA finals record-tying seven 3-pointers.

R.I.P. Jim McKay. I spent many hours watching Wide World of Sports and remember hearing McKay's best known broadcast, the 1972 Olympics. McKay and Howard Cosell are the two voices I remember clearly from the early days of TV sports.

This was the year Roger Federer was supposed to beat Rafa at the French Open. It wasn't even close, ending in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Assured of rising to No. 1 in the rankings for the first time, Ana Ivanovic collected Grand Slam title No. 1 by beating Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 in the French Open final.

Big Brown turned out to be less freakish than many had hoped and didn't have his usual power in the Belmont Stakes. Rather than risk any injury, Kent Desormeaux loped across the finish line in last place, far behind 38-1 shot Da' Tara, who lead wire to wire and won by 5-1/4 lengths. He was followed by Denis of Cork in second and a dead heat for third between Anak Nakal and Ready's Echo. Macho Again was fifth, followed by Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal, Icabad Crane and Big Brown.