The one thing the Celtics knew when they entered the arena Tuesday afternoon was that by any means necessary they had to avoid a Game 7. As it is, Game 5 amounted to a dropped third strike for the Celtics.

Game 6 was a pitch that shouldn't have been. Even though the Celtics' defense drove Bryant nuts, you still don't want to give him an extra at-bat, even as much as an extra pitch.

The Celtics weren't giving away anything Tuesday night. They weren't about to let Jackson surpass Auerbach in titles won on the ancient parquet floor. The old Celtics knew no mercy; they dropped no third strikes.

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However cuddly Russell and Tommy Heinsohn and Havlicek look now in their 60s and 70s, they were a cold, heartless bunch back when they wore the green. They choked off the Lakers' Elgin Baylor, the Kobe Bryant of their generation. These Celtics took a page from that book, sort of, defending Bryant with as consistent an effort as he has seen in his career. First Tracy McGrady, then Dwyane Wade called this Boston defense the best they'd ever faced, and Kobe found that out the hard way over six games. He couldn't see an open space, much less find one through which to drive.

Yes, the Celtics are professional basketball's top dog again, even if they're not New England's No. 1 sporting attraction . . . or No. 2 for that matter. (You can tell by the way the Celtics' game operations folks kept putting the camera on Bill Belichick whenever they wanted real noise.)

The Celtics fell from their perch in the 22 years of dormancy, and they're still going to be a distant third in New England's hearts, behind the Sox and Pats, in that order. But at least folks here now have something to talk about between the Patriots and Red Sox.

Regardless, there's no No. 3 status in basketball circles for these Celtics. From last to first, from worst to winners, they stand alone as champs after, relatively speaking, an unspeakably long absence. After looking on as the Lakers won five championships, as the Bulls won six and as the Spurs won four in their 22-year championship drought, the Celtics stopped being basketball outsiders Tuesday night. They became relevant again, champions again. Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Rivers, they all became champions for the first time, joining an intimidating fraternity that expects to beat the Lakers, that expects to hang banners, that expects to be the last team standing and the very last celebrating.

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