3.08.2019

House was Money

June 2008

House was Money

LOS ANGELES - Here's what was going through the minds of a number of Celtics when Paul Pierce swung the ball to Eddie House in the corner with their team trailing 83-82 and 4:07 remaining last night.

``Money,'' P.J. Brown said.

``I'm upset when he misses,'' Rajon Rondo said.

``The man's going to make the shot,'' Leon Powe said.



Their confidence was well-founded. Despite being reduced to little more than a spectator for much of the postseason, House last night proved the value of having a savvy veteran in reserve.

With Rondo limited to 17 minutes thanks to a bum ankle, House stepped in and made one of the biggest shots in one of the biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history. The 18-footer gave the Celtics their first lead after they had trailed the Lakers by as many as 24 points, and his free throw completed the scoring in a 97-91 Game 4 victory that moved them within one victory of their 17th title.

``There isn't a shot Eddie House shoots that I don't think is going in,'' Brown said. ``It's just the way I feel. He's clutch with the ball in his hands. When he spots up and the ball swings around, I think it's going in every time.''

It's safe to say House has never hit a bigger shot in his life.

``I just went to go set a pick on Paul and after I set it, I slipped a little,'' House said. ``Paul hit me with the pass, and I knocked down the shot. Simple basketball.''

House is a basketball player, pure and simple, and his insertion changed the way the Lakers played defense. Whereas Kobe Bryant was able to sag off Rondo and play free safety, House's shooting ability forced his defender to stay home and improved the way the Celtics spaced the floor.

House scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and made a pair of huge 3-pointers during a 31-15 third quarter that sliced the Lakers' halftime lead from 18 to two entering the fourth.

``You just keep chipping away,'' House said. ``Our goal was to get it to 10. The next thing I know, it's down to two. And then it's like, `You know what, we're going to win this game.' ''

House has had a tough postseason. He spent virtually the entire year as Rondo's backup as the Celtics cruised to the league's best record. But when the playoffs began, he found himself benched in favor of even savvier veteran Sam Cassell.

But House lives by a credo: Stay ready so you don't have to get ready.

``It was a matter of not sulking in that situation,'' he said. ``I was the backup all year and then Sam came in and basically took my job for the playoffs. It would be human nature to say, `Damn, that's wrong.' But I didn't look at it that way. I looked at it like when my number is called, I have to be ready to contribute. That way I can't say I wasted the opportunity.''

There were no wasted opportunities last night. Just one miraculous comeback, keyed in large part by the guy who's always ready.

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