BOSTON, June 17, 2008 -- When was it over?

It could have been when Kevin Garnett converted a falling-to-the ground, double-clutch, banked-in, and-one shot in the lane with less than a minute to go in the second quarter that put Boston up by 21.

Maybe it was done at halftime when two L.A. fans participating in a knockout competition had to be escorted off the court after the Celtics mascot, Lucky, held on to the ball of one of the guys wearing a Lakers jersey to prevent him from advancing. When the L.A. fan eventually got the ball back and knew he was eliminated, he flung it into the stands and was promptly escorted off the court by Garden security.

It was definitely finished when ESPN analyst Jon Barry was dancing in a club box at the end of the third quarter wearing a Gino t-shirt.

The Celtics led by four points after one quarter, 23 after two, 29 after three and, even though the final margin rested at 39, it felt like the lead was still going up even after the final buzzer sounded, sort of like how coins keep spitting out of the slot machine for a couple minutes after somebody hits the jackpot.