Rudyard Kipling left the building some 81 years ago, but that hasn’t stopped us from quoting him more than Jordan Mickey the last two years. And now it seems the opening words of his perhaps best known poem hold the most critical factor for the Celtics as they move on to face Washington in the second round of the NBA playoffs today.
“If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs . . .”
It was a battle on this front throughout four regular-season games between the Celts and Wizards, with both word and deed crossing the line of civility on numerous occasions.