Kevin Garnett’s Future Looks Brighter Despite Hitting Low Point in Loss to Heat

Kevin Garnett has never been one for pleasantries or going through the motions, so when the time came to congratulate the victory and to face the media on Saturday, he hit the road. Every ounce of energy he had was left on the hardwood at AmericanAirlines Arena, and probably the last thing he wanted to do was assess the aftermath of the Celtics loss' or to contemplate his immediate future.

Garnett's contract situation will be one of the Celtics' first orders of business once he and his representatives are ready. Garnett is certain to have a number of suitors on the free agent market after his resurgent 2011-12 season, depending on the type of money he will seek.

Although Garnett, 36, has steadfastly refused to talk about anything beyond this season and bristles at any mention of his age, the Celtics' 101-88 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals was played under a pall of uncertainty. Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen each addressed the possible end of Boston's "Big Three" era in his own way, with Allen citing the "privilege" he felt to play for the storied organization and Rivers saying he would always look at the three stars as a collective, not as individuals.

Garnett said nothing, though. He made a beeline for the tunnel as soon as the buzzer sounded, trailing Rajon Rondo to the locker room while Pierce, Allen and the rest of the Celtics hung around on the court to congratulate the victorious Heat. He would not wish LeBron James and company good luck in the NBA Finals, not if he did not mean it.

Yet the Heat, who in the words of coach Erik Spoelstra had "dirt thrown on their face before they're even dead" after Game 5, had only complimentary words for their vanquished foe and the player once known as "The Kid" coming out of Farragut Career Academy in Chicago.

"You want to talk about someone getting dirt thrown on them?" Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "They get dirt thrown on them all the time. Everyone said, 'Down 2-0, they can't do it again.' They've been saying that for three years now, and they continue to come out and prove they're going to be there.

"Kevin Garnett is 36 years old, but you can't tell. He looked amazing. He had an amazing series, all them guys."

Garnett, a 14-time All-Star and former league MVP, turned back into a force in the postseason, upping his per-game averages to 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds. With his reinvigorated play and the Celtics' lack of depth in the post, it would seem that Garnett's return next season makes sense for Boston. He would have to take a considerable pay cut from his $21 million salary this season, but under the right circumstances the team could have enough money to sign him, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass (who has a player option but could opt out and get more money as a free agent) and possibly Allen, although the latter's return is considered unlikely.

If Saturday was the end of an era, Garnett did not play that way. As he has for most of the last five months, Garnett looked highly capable of doing this again another year or two, even if he has to get by on guts and guile.

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