The first two games of the Celtics-Knicks series has been terrific theatre, certainly a hell of a lot better than Spider-Man on Broadway (and unlike Spidey on 42nd street, no serious injuries, either -- unless you count the coaching reputation of Mike D'Antoni).

Celtics 183, Knicks 178 has been 96 swell minutes of basketball. Hall of Famers hitting game-winning shots, superstars carrying teams on their backs, plenty of that chippiness you like to see when it's clear that two teams don't like each other a whole lot, all that stuff.

As great series go, it isn't in the league of Celtics-Bulls 2009, yet -- need a true epic and a couple of wins from the Knicks at MSG to start that conversation -- but it's been plenty entertaining.

What it hasn't been, though, is a convincing case that this Celtics team is anything close to championship caliber.

“We didn’t play well," said Doc Rivers. "We didn’t execute very well. I’m extremely happy — I think you can tell that — that we won the game, that we’re 2-0 in the series, and that’s what you have to be. But we have to be better.”

He doesn't mean the Celtics have to be better to win two more games in this series. They're going to do that. Doc's going Big Picture on this one -- he means the effort you and I saw in Game 1 and Game 2 isn't going to get it done against the Heat or the Bulls.

Look, I'm willing to give the Celtics a pass in Game 1. My long-standing belief has been this: The road team almost always has a chance to steal one of the first two games in a series, no matter the seeding. Happens all the time. Throw in the idea that Amar'e Stoudemire -- a nightmare matchup for this team -- was at his best and you could comfortably write Game 1 off, take it as further proof these guys just know how to win, and hope for something resembling a statement game on Tuesday night.

Didn't happen.

Toney Douglas (who might have played the worst defensive half by a point guard in the history of basketball on Tuesday. In the first half, he was Michael J. Fox before he turned into the wolf). Jared Jeffries. Shawne Williams. Bill Walker (0-11 and counting). Roger Mason. Five guys that'll never be a subject of a John Feinstein book, but five guys who didn't just play but played significant minutes down the stretch in a playoff game that was a Kevin Garnett (the new Mr. Clutch?) jump hook and two mental failures by an otherwise brilliant Carmelo Anthony away from being a Knicks win.

No Chauncey Billups. Just 17 minutes from Stoudemire, who left in the first half with back spasms and did not return. 

This was a team begging to be blown out. A great team -- think the 2008 Celtics -- never lets Carmelo and the Mediocres stick around. Would never happen. But, as of right now, this isn't a great Celtics team.

As we keep waiting for the 2010 switch to be turned on (Game 2 of the first-round last year? Celtics 106 Heat 77, without Kevin Garnett), here's something else to worry about: The Celtics haven't played badly in the first two games. The stars, for the most part, have shown up. Rajon Rondo was a rebound and assist short of a triple-double in Game 1 and put up a 30-7-4 in Game 2. Two double-doubles from Garnett. Ray Allen is 15-of-23 from the floor. Paul Pierce dramatically outplayed Anthony in Game 1 and made some key shots in the fourth quarter on Tuesday. 

The bench has been brutal. I'm talking late 80's Celtics, Mark Acres and Dirk Minniefield bench-level brutal. Are we ever going to see the Jeff Green we were told was the best player in the Kendrick Perkins trade (17 invisible minutes in Game 2)? Spike Lee -- and a quick note to Comcast, no one cares about Spike Lee anymore -- got more time on camera than Nenad Krstic. I was a supporter of the Perkins deal and suppose I still am, but absolutely nothing from Green/Krstic and a 53-37 rebounding edge in Game 2 for the Knicks has to give anyone with the smallest sliver of impartiality some pause when it comes to this trade and the title prospects for the Celtics.

It's not difficult to put together a couple of scenarios that would have the Knicks up 2-0 right now. If Garnett -- shooting 37 percent in the series -- doesn't make that jump hook. If Ray Allen misses the 3-pointer in Game 1. If the referees don't call that offensive foul on Anthony in Game 1, or give Garnett that time-out -- a truly atrocious call -- instead of a jump ball at the end of the game on Tuesday. If Anthony tries to spilt a double-team instead of passing to Jared Jeffries (averaged 1.8 PPG this season) on that final possession (the equivalent of Larry Bird giving up the ball to Fred Roberts). If Billups and Stoudemire are on the floor. If Mike D'Antoni hadn't kicked away all his time-outs in both games, which led to a terrible final possession in Game 1 and a 90-foot heave (instead of the ball at half-court) following the two Delonte West free throws with .6 seconds left in Game 2. 

(I should give D'Antoni credit for keeping the Knicks competitive with four D-Leaguers in Game 2, but he's been getting his clock cleaned by Doc in crunch time. Have you ever seen a team so confused in huge spots? The Knicks clearly had no clue they were out of time-outs after Allen hit the 3-pointer in Game 1 -- watch the replay and you'll see every one of them looking at the bench -- and the failure to foul West immediately is an all-time boner (no, that's really what it means). I've never seen that happen in a one-point game, the clock nearly running out. Don't know how that happens, but the coach has to take a hit.)

Lots and lots of ifs, but when we look at just this series all that matters is 2-0. Survive and move on.

But when we look at winning a championship? For now, the Celtics are still title pretenders.