Jackson is newest villain to Celtics

BOSTON -- Enter the dragon.

Just think, the Boston Celtics and their fans had already hated the Lakers and vice versa for almost 50 years before Phil Jackson became part of the rivalry.

Until now, the most objectionable person associated with the Lakers people here could think of was Jack Nicholson, an actor who just roots for them.

Nicholson’s face is still everywhere, on banners, on T-shirts, on the TD Banknorth Garden video screen as a Marine colonel, snarling, “You can’t handle the truth!” which Celtics fans love since Paul Pierce’s nickname is “the Truth.”

I’ve got good and bad news, Celtics fans.

H-e-e-r-e’s Phil!

Anyone else would have let the Celtics have their little moment in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, even if Paul Pierce’s return wasn’t really as dramatic as Willis Reed’s.

Nevertheless, Pierce knocked down a couple three-pointers in a row, fans chanted Reed’s name and the next thing you knew, it was a folk movement.

Of course, Jackson was a teammate of Reed’s with the New York Knicks and knows exactly what happened.

More to the point, he’s Phil Jackson and no force on Earth can stop him from having fun at the expense of whomever.

Reed tore a muscle in his right thigh in Game 5 of the 1970 Finals against the Lakers, which his teammates then won in an improbable rally from 16 points behind.

Reed missed Game 6, had his thigh shot full of painkillers before Game 7, dragged his numb leg out in a crazed Madison Square Garden, made two early jump shots and started the Knicks on their 113-99 rout.

So if Pierce’s moment was a little mythic, it didn’t actually measure up to that of Reed, who played two full seasons after that and retired at 31.

“Paul got carried off and was back on his feet in a minute,” said an amused Jackson.

“I don’t know if the angels visited him at halftime or in that timeout period that he had or not but he didn’t even limp when he came back out on the floor.

“I don’t know what was going on there. Was Oral Roberts back there in their locker room?”

That broke up the interview room although, it should be pointed out, his comments weren’t received as well anywhere else in New England.

For his part, Kobe Bryant, asked about “the Paul Pierce drama,” burst into laughter before turning serious, saying he worried about Pierce, who’s a friend.

In came the Celtics, to be informed of Jackson’s skepticism.

“Phil was skeptical?” said Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, feigning wonder.

“Oh, I don’t care. Aren’t we skeptics anyway now about everything? So what the heck.

“Let it begin. Let it begin. Lee Harvey Oswald did it.”

Then for the sincere, wounded perspective, there was Kevin Garnett.

“He hurt,” said Garnett of Pierce. Of the Lakers, he said, “It’s not up to them to approve or disapprove or to judge.

“The man got carried off the court. I mean, that’s pretty significant. That’s what it is.

“I don’t know what they’re doing over there. I’m focused on what we’re doing over here. . . .

“He made it probably look a little easy but at the same time they weren’t over there, seeing him grimacing, the massaging and on the bike and ice and that stuff.

“When you don’t know what’s going on on the other side, you just make up stuff.”

The respectful Garnett has been in precious few controversies in his career.

Of course, he’s never been a Celtic playing the Lakers.

Pierce, told about what was now a raging controversy, said only, “I don’t know what to say.”

(For the Gotham perspective, the New York Daily News’ Mitch Lawrence suggested a tabloid-style headline: Reed It and Weep.)

The Celtics’ physician has told Pierce he has no structural damage, which is as much as he wants to know at present.

“I was scared,” said Pierce. “Man, I was scared.

“When you’re laying there [with] pain going through your knee, I mean, I see it all the time. I see it in football, baseball, basketball, guys hurt their knees, it’s not good.

“Once I felt a sharp pain, you know, I didn’t know what to think. The worst came to mind.

“And it still could be worse. . . . I mean, I’m not planning on getting an MRI until after the season so I mean, it could be bad. But right now I’m just getting treatments and see how I feel on Sunday.”

Unlike the teams of the ‘50s and ‘60s who were identified with Coach Red Auerbach’s luster, or the ‘80s teams with Larry Bird, one of the game’s great trash talkers, these Celtics are as humble as they come.

On the other hand, they’ve never played the Lakers in the Finals with Jackson as coach.

It’s too bad Red and Phil couldn’t have coached at the same time.

We’re only one game into this. Assuming the Lakers hold up their end and win a game soon, imagine the possibilities.

It has already begun.

--

mark.heisler@latimes.com