Article:The Celtics Beat the Lakers, and It Looked Like a U2 Album

I recently became obsessed with the compilation of singles by rock band U2. I've always liked them immensely, but only fully came to appreciate how emotional, how powerful, how hauntingly beautiful their songs were. After watching/falling in and out of sleep during last night's game, thoughts were flying through my brain. And I found some perfect alliances between U2 lyrics and this NBA Finals game, this magnificent comeback, and being on the verge of a title.

''Through the storm we reach the shore. You give it all but I want more. And I'm waiting for you. With or without you, with or without you, I can't live, with or without you.'' ~From "With or Without You" To Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who out-coached and out-Zened Phil Jackson in Game 4. He never panicked, and as a result, his players didn't panic. They just relaxed and played, just like he told them to. He will always have his doubters who will attribute the team's turnaround this season to KG and Allen, and continue to note his lack or rotation or killer instinct. I don't care how good you are...you can not be the sole reason why a team won 44 more games than the year before. You just can't. Give Doc credit for weathering the storm, the seven-game playoff series, the doubters. Like it or not, the Celtics would not be where they are without him.

''Lover, I'm on the street where the bright lights and the big city meet. With a red guitar, on fire. Desire.'' ~From "Desire"

To James Posey and Eddie House, who came off the bench and scored 29 points huge points, shooting nearly 50% from the field. Posey came in when KG was in foul trouble, played his usual solid defense and knocked down four 3s. House came in for an ineffective Rajon Rondo, and his jumper in the fourth gave the Celtics their first lead of the game. Hopefully this will be the end of the Sam Cassell era. These two bench guys came in and gave the Celts a great burst of energy and offense they had been lacking all night.

''I know I got black eyes, but they burn so brightly for her. I guess it's a blind kind of love. Oh, the sweetest thing.'' ~From "The Sweetest Thing" This one goes out to Ray Allen's gorgeous hanging layup near the end of the fourth. I haven't been able to legitimately watch the Celtics all season until the Playoffs, so for all I knew, up until the conference finals, Ray Allen was a streaky shooter who thinks he's as good as he used to be. Turns out he just had a cold streak in the first two series, but heated up when he needed to. That shot was the sweetest thing I saw all night.

''Did I ask too much? More than a lot? You gave me nothin' now it's all I got. We're one, but we're not the same. Well, we hurt each other then we do it again.'' ~From "One"

This could go to every Laker not named Kobe Bryant or Lamar Odom, but I have to give it to Sasha Vujacic. It's too easy. I think Sasha has seen He Got Game one too many times, and got star-struck when Jesus Shuttlesworth blew by him twice in the fourth quarter for easy layups to ice the game for Boston. The best part? Vujacic going NUTS on the bench, yelling and shoving off the assistant coach trying to console him. Too bad he didn't show that much fire on the court.

''I have climbed the highest mountains, I have run through the fields, only to be with you. Only to be with you. I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls, these city walls, only to be with you. But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.'' ~From "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

To Kevin Garnett, who has played his ass off his entire career, only to be surrounded by inferior talent, until this season. He has waited his entire life to play for a championship, and now that he's playing with Allen and Paul Pierce, he has that opportunity. He is aware more than anyone that the job is not finished (although he worried me last night when he said he could taste it), but there's one other Celtic who I want to win the championship more than KG.

''You love this town, even if that doesn't ring true. You've been all over, and it's been all over you. It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away. It's a beautiful day.'' ~From "Beautiful Day"

To Paul Pierce, who in ten years on the Boston Celtics, has never complained. He has seen the highs and the lows, the peaks and valleys, and through it all, he has never once asked for a trade, bitched about his teammates, or undermined his coach. He's the anti-Kobe. He deserves this more than anyone. On Sunday, he has the chance to reach the pinnacle, in his hometown. It's almost too perfect. Almost. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I know if they close it out on Sunday or any other day, the Truth will be set free.

''Tough, you think you've got the stuff. You're telling me and everyone you're hard enough. You don't have to put up a fight. You don't have to always be right. Let me take some of the punches for you tonight. Listen to me now, I need to let you know, you don't have to go it alone. And it's you when I look in the mirror. And it's you when I pick up the phone. Sometimes you can't make it on your own.'' ~from "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"

This one goes out to Kobe Bryant, who else? Remarkably, the Lakers built their 18-point lead at the half without Kobe making a basket. He passed the ball well, and his teammates knocked down shot after shot. But in the second half, they went cold, and Kobe couldn't compensate. Does anyone else find Kobe's post game reaction immensely entertaining? The ferociously darting eyes, the smarmy sarcasm, the palpable frustration, the seemingly insurmountable anger. I'm not getting my hopes up for Game 5...hell hath no fury like a superstar scorned.

This whole article has been based on U2 songs. But the most telling song of all is "Heart of the City" by Jay-Z. It boomed through the Staples Center during the Lakers pre-Game 3 montage shown on those sheets falling down from the Jumbotron (inexplicably, they replaced this song for Game 4 with some instrumental crap and referred to the Lakers as "brothers"...I knew this was a bad sign for them). ''Ain't no love in the heart of the city. Ain't no love in the heart of town...'' There is certainly no love in LA right now.