Lakers vs. Celtics

In game 2 Boston's 2 players stepped up. Rondo had a triple double before the 4th quarter started. Allen finally gave Boston that outside shot which is the only way they can beat LA. He had 7 3's in the 1st half and 30 points before the start of the 4th quarter. Kobe had an off night otherwise we would have seen a great finish.

We'll see what happens in Boston for the next 3 games. Key for LA is to win 1 of the 1st 2 game there and at least have a split after 4 games to regain the home court advantage.
 
Did anyone understand the out of bounds call that went the Celtics way even though the replay was reviewed? It appeared to me that KG had his hand on the ball. That was a huge call because the Celtics then converted and either got a 5 or 7 point lead with minimal time left.
 
The refs need to start letting these guys play a little bit more. Ray Allen was in foul trouble all of game 1, and it was Kobe in game 2. These guys need to be on the floor, because those were ticky tac fouls.
 
Nah, Allen may hit 8 3's in a row next game instead of going 0-13.

I don't believe this series will be over until game 7.
 
what should be an excellent series being screwed up by refs who want to make their mark on the game. All 3 games have had crappy reffing.

This is just crap
frown.gif
 
To be fair, that game 3 had tons of calls where I thought to myself "Could go either way ... Man, I'm so glad I'm not the one having to make that call", much more so than during the average basketball game I watch.
 
Yeah there were some awful calls and non-calls for both sides. I think the Lakers are still showing that they're in charge of the series, regardless of how the games are being called.
 
I remember them taking looks at 3 calls last night. Each time they appeared to get it right. But maybe they missed one. Still they got most of them right. As far as the style of officiating goes....that will always be a topic of debate. I for one thought they did a good job of letting them play near the end. In game 2 the Celtics came up with the shots and plays at the end. In game 3 it was LA. Fisher stepped up in a huge way and that layup he made while getting fouled by 3 Celtics was epic. That may end up being the play of the series for me. Great interview with Derek afterwards...very emotional.
 
In my view, the Lakers won last nights game IN SPITE of Kobe. Gasol was on his game yet Kobe kept shooting ill-advised shots. Had Kobe passed the ball into Gasol more, I believe the Lakers would have won by 15+ points...

Fisher bailed Kobe out especially with that "It takes a man to play in the Finals" layup at the end.
 
The Lakes absolutely won in spite of Kobe, who spent the entire second half squandering the great first half the team played, and even the solid second half of D. His shot selection was ***. The guy is the best in the league, but last night he couldn't discern between getting his game going and balling like ***. Fish is on the squad and starting in the NBA all these years because he is that rare creature that can hold his responsibilities while playing next to a superstar and while maintaining the ability to see when it is time for him to take his shots. Rarer still, he often makes them when they really need him to. I love that guy, though he has his liabilities, as well.

Kobe was awful in the second half. D was okay. O was an amazing string of ***-to-mind decisions. Everyone else did their part.
 
Kobe didn't play a great 4th qtr. But to say LA won in spite of Kobe is just wrong. No doubt Fisher carried the team in the 4th. Both teams were just missing a bunch of shots in the 4th and one of the superstars stepped up.....this time it was Fisher.
 
Kobe shot horribly and passed up a hot Gasol too many times to count. He was forcing the issue. Had Allen not gone 0-13 which is unbelievable given his historical %'s, the Lakers would have lost.

Kobe had a bad game. 29 points means nothing when you have to jack up so many shots to get there. He played like AI....
 
The bench deserves this win for the Celtics - particularly Big Baby and Nate the Skate.

I've said all along this is going 7.
 
I don't think the NBA would have it any other way.

I said LA needed to win one of game 3 or 4 to get home court advantage back. They did that. Now they have one last game in Boston to steal and try and get an even bigger upperhand on this series. We'll see what happens.

For LA in game 4 it was apparent that they missed Bynum inside. He played sparingly and was not a factor at all. Odom played okay but he isn't going to help LA get back the rebounding advantage. Allen still looks ragged out there the last 2 games. He may get hot again and that would obviously benefit Boston.

Boston is showing how deep their bench is right now. They have the advantage there. They can play big or small. LA cannot play as big without Bynum.
 
The Celts looked a step faster in the 4th and Odom and Gasol got eaten alive on the defensive glass. Game 2 saw Rondo picking up long rebounds like acorns. some of that was luck and some of it was hustle, etc. Last night the Lakes did not box out worth ****. Second chance points killed them, along with undirected play for important spurts of the fourth. Also, the Celts were very physical in the paint when playing D. I hope they can take it up a notch because, though the Celtic stars look a bit worn, you have to think they are going to have one more hot shooting night.
 
Lakers bench was awful and the big guys got tired, especially with Davis bullying them around underneath. Robinson was good, but honestly he made his biggest impact when the Celts were already up.

I think Boston wins an easy Game 5 and Lakers push them around in Game 6 back home. I'd be shocked if this one didn't go seven.
 
LA def missed Bynum as witnessed by the offensive boards, second chance points, Big Baby's success... I thought the Laker starters still outplayed the Celtic starters in that game, and I like the Lakers' chances in game 5.
 
Kobe is pretty darn amazing when he heats up, but I think the rest of the Lakers get into that mode of just watching him do his thing and that is not particularly good for them.

The Lakers defense took the night off and gave up way too many easy baskets. I expect a much better defensive effort from the Lakers in game 6.

Celtics had a good plan running that pick and roll and they hit their shots to withstand the Kobe assault in the third.

Rondo makes some great plays, but some of his passes would make J'Covan Brown proud. The only thing that kept it close was the Celtics turnovers and of course Kobe going off.
 
Boston has done a very good job of keeping Kobe on the perimeter. This I think has affected his ability to drive inside and get his teammates involved. Jackson has not done as good or a job as Doc in making adjustments. Vujacic needs less playing time as an example. He is not making shots and thus I don't know why he would even be in there. Suprised that Brown has gotten playing time.

Artest did not have a great game at all. He made a couple of key mistakes near the end of the game. He didn't make 2 key FTs which could have put LA to within 3 and then he didn't foul on next Celtic possession on a layup by Rando which allowed Boston to swing it to 7. On another late possession he didn't foul Rando and then LA was forced to foul Allen a much better FT shooter. Just mental mistakes in my mind.

It will be amazing to see how different these teams look though when it gets back to LA. Gotta love the NBA.
 
Celts are being more physical than the Lakes and forcing the game outside. Gasol needs to get back to asserting and, frankly, while the Lakes also need Bynum to get some quality minutes, which he has, they really need Odom to step it up some more. I don't think that they win another game is Odom doesn't rise up in a noticeable way -- or someone else unexpected.

I expect one more hot shooting night from Allen, and Pierce has been finding shots that he likes, which were absent in games 1-3.

Lakes have to take their game up and beyond or its is over. Right now the Celts have wrestled the series into the type of game they prefer. I am not sure that the Lakes can simply change it back. They may have to get a little chippy AND hit some shots inside via Gasol and ODOM.
 
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