LOS ANGELES — The route to the championship began with the championship route.
It was in the offseason, and Boston coach Doc Rivers told his three all-stars to meet him at 8 a.m sharp. In the offseason, 8 a.m. is blasphemously early.
While the four waited, a bus rolled up, shaped as a boat.
“This is what we’re going to do this morning?” Kevin Garnett said. “Are you serious?”
It was the famous “Boston Duck Tour,” with a World War II amphibious landing vehicle driving across Boston’s historic streets — and floating across the Charles River.
Rivers explained to Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce that this was the parade route — and the parade vehicle used — for Boston sports champions.
“Doc said, ‘This is what we’re going to do if we win the championship,’ ” Pierce remembered. “It set the foundation. This has got to be our motivation.”
Tonight, if the Celtics win Game 5 of the NBA Finals, they will make Boston history — and return to Boston’s historic streets. (FYI, Doc, group reservations can be made by calling 617-267-DUCK.)
The Celtics’ “Big Three” carried the team through the first three victories, notably in Game 4’s jaw-dropping 24-point comeback.
“They’ve all played a long time for an opportunity,” Rivers said of his three veterans. “But at the end of the day you got to go finish it. Otherwise, you just had an opportunity.”
Their opponent, the suddenly mortal Los Angeles Lakers, seemed relaxed Saturday, making jokes, smiling after practice, disallowing the weight of tonight’s game to bring them down.
In basketball, two marquee variables are mental toughness and momentum. During much of the playoffs, notably their two double-digit comebacks against the Spurs, the Lakers showcased such toughness and snatched said momentum. But in these Finals, it has been the Celtics beating the Lakers at their own mind games.
“Physical toughness comes from mental toughness,” Lakers guard Jordan Farmar said. “If you’re mentally tough, ready and prepared to box out, take charge, do all the things that are physically tough in basketball, it all starts from mental toughness.”
For the Lakers, the message is clear. It’s win one game three times, because thinking about winning all three can be an overwhelming mind- set.
“You can’t be thinking about Game 6, Game 7,” said center Pau Gasol, who disappeared in the fourth quarter of Game 4. “Protect home court, take care of that, and go from there. You can’t get too ahead of yourself, and you can’t get too down on yourself because that’s not going to do you any favors.
“You try to build momentum, you try to gain ground by winning. Psychologically, that’s a big factor.”
Lakers leader Kobe Bryant, who played his worst playoff game in Game 4, found refuge at Hogwarts. He spent Saturday reading five chapters of a Harry Potter book aloud to his daughter. Of young Harry, Bryant said, “He had more problems dealing with Voldemort than what we have dealing with the media and the Celtics. So that was pretty awesome.
“This season is far from over. So for me to talk about that would be acknowledging defeat, and that’s something I just don’t do. Look at it as college basketball. It’s March Madness. It’s the Elite Eight now. So we’re ready to go.”
Rondo, Perkins to start.
Rivers said point guard Rajon Rondo (ankle) and center Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) will play hurt and start tonight for Boston.
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
