Ray Allen: Proven Veteran Lights Up the Finals

After dominating the regular season with an impressive 66-16 record, the Boston Celtics, led by all-stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, seemed poised to run away with the Eastern Conference title and advance to the championship. Not so fast. During what seemed to be an unbelievable turn of events in the first round against the 8^th seeded Atlanta Hawks, the Celtics choked on the road. While they blew out the Hawks in home games, the C's were unable to shake off a young, athletic Hawk teamed backed by thousands of loud, aggressive fans down South.

So after a painstaking series win over Atlanta, Celtic fans blew a sign of relief. However, something was off with their star shooting guard's jump shot. In the second round against Cleveland, Ray Allen's shooting troubles became clear to all. None of his famed three-pointers were falling. In Game 1, he scored 0 points (last time that happened was in his rookie season with the Bucks). According to ESPN, Allen averaged 9 points on 31 percent shooting from the last game of the Hawks series to the first game against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals.

So while the Celts once again limped to the next round of the playoffs after a grueling seven game series, everyone was left to wonder what happened to Jesus Shuttlesworth and his stroke? Against Detroit, discussion arose as to which UCONN alum was better: Ray Allen or Rip Hamilton?

During Game 2, Allen showed a glimmer of hope, scoring 25 points and going 8-for-13 from the field. Then in Game 4, he went cold on 2-for-8 shooting, shattering the belief his slump was over. It wasn't until Game 5 in Boston that Allen truly broke out with a 29 point explosion featuring 5-of-6 shooting from downtown and a clutch basket that kept the Pistons at bay in the game's closing moments.

After scoring a solid 17 points in Game 6, Allen and his teammates secured their place in the NBA Finals, where their triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers won't be quickly forgotten. It was in these Finals that Allen proved he's still got plenty of game. When Pierce and Garnett struggled in Game 3, it was Sugar Ray who carried the load, leading the team with 25 points.

In Game 4's epic comeback, Allen, who played all 48 minutes, delivered two plays for highlight history. Displaying Jordan-esque athleticism, Allen drove baseline for a double-pump reverse lay-up, avoiding the arms of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom in the process. Then, with less than 20 seconds left to go in the game and the C's up by five, Allen blew past defender Sasha Vujacic for a lefty lay-up that clinched the game. Not too shabby for a 32-year-old.

During the title-winning Game 6, Allen started off strong before being gouged in the eye by Lamar Odom on a baseline drive. Retreating to the locker room for medical care, the All-Star guard returned to score seven treys, tying a Finals record for most three-pointers scored in a game and setting a Finals record for most three-pointers scored in a series (He had 22). Let's not forget that after Game 5, Allen remained behind in Los Angeles, caring for his hospitalized son who had just been diagnosed with diabetes. Flying into Boston on the morning of Game 6, Allen didn't let jet lag slow him down, leading the team in scoring with 26 points.

In many ways, Allen was just as worthy of Finals MVP as Paul Pierce. He defied age, a family crisis, and negative press attention to lead his team to a championship. While talk of him slowing down will inevitably arise every season, Allen's career history suggests he is a consummate professional that will continue training to peak physical fitness. His contract with Boston is still good for another two years, but if he continues playing the way he did in the Finals, you can bet Celtic fans will beg management to keep this Ray of light around.