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Celtics Big 3 Heavy With Playoff Mileage

BOSTON (CBS) - The first thing you do when you are trying to buy a used car is to take a look at how many miles it has. You find two great cars and you'll most likely take the one with the fewer miles if they are close in price. Now, that doesn't mean it will run better, but it usually will last longer. Unless you get a beauty with thousands and thousands of miles that just simply runs forever.

So, where am I going with this? Just pouting out something amazing about the Celtics Big Three as you watch them try to climb out of a 3-1 hole tonight in Miami.

The trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen have played nearly an entire extra season when you factor in how many playoff games they've participated in the past 3-plus seasons, including this one.

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Both Pierce (33 years old) and Allen (35) have now played in a whopping 72 play-off games since forming for the 2007-08 season. KG (34) missed one postseason with that knee injury so he has played in 57 games. Still, an amazing number.

And, to put that in perspective, take a look at the new Big Three of the Heat and what they've done in the same 3-plus seasons.

At 26 years-old Lebron James leads the way with 47 play-off games. Dwayne Wade (29) has played in 21 post-season games while Chris Bosh (26) has appeared in only 14, including eight this postseason with the Miami.

That has to take a major toll on the Celtics trio.

Makes it pretty incredible what they have been able to accomplish in a town where the regular season does matter as well.

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Yet, I still give this team a chance to come back in this series. Win tonight's Game 5 and everything changes. Doubt may start to creep into the minds of the Heat.

Back to the car analogy, Miami is still fresh off the lot. The Celts are like that 2000 Ford F-150. May be a little bit slower and with a ton of miles on it, but it won't let you down no matter what.

We'll see if the Celts can drive that route starting tonight.

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