Celtics 108, Lakers 102: Instant Analysis
Ray AllenWhy the Celtics won: Long-range shooting. Ray Allen went 3-for-6 beyond the arc, Paul Pierce went 4-for-4, and Kevin Garnett knocked down several 18-20 footers that opened up everything else for Boston offensively. Every big Celtics run was either sparked or punctuated with a three, as Ray, Paul and James Posey consistently knocked down timely daggers.
Why the Lakers lost: They were soft. The most Kool-Aid drinking of L.A. fans will blame the refs and say they took away the Lakers’ aggressiveness, but really their team just looked intimidated by the Celtics (until the last few minutes). Was this really the same team that beat Utah and San Antonio earlier in the postseason? Pau Gasol played like a man in the first half, but in the second he disappeared. Lamar Odom was weak all night. Derek Fisher had nothing for Rajon Rondo, and no one in purple wanted any parts of Leon Powe.
Key numbers: Kobe Bryant (30 pts, 8 asts, 3 stls); Pau Gasol (17 pts, 10 rebs); Leon Powe (21 pts); Kevin Garnett (17 pts, 14 rebs); Paul Pierce (28 pts, 8 asts); Rajon Rondo (16 asts, 6 rebs); Assists (BOS 31 asts, 36 FG’s)
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June 8th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Big Freeze says:
Has a win ever felt so much like a loss? The Lakers scored damn near 50 points in the 4th. Wow. Lakers have tons of confidence going into game 3. Either way, Powe was the MVP tonight.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
alaskan_fire_dragon says:
get my hopes up
and break my heart
lakers
June 8th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Big Freeze says:
ok 41 points isnt “damn near 50,” but you get the point. KG pulled a David Blaine in the 4th quarter cuz he just disappeared into thin air.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Kudabeen says:
Leon Powe played with the kind of aggressiveness I thought we’d see from Garnett. There is no excuse to allow a team to come back within two from being down 24 within 6-7 minutes. Horrible. But a W is a W. 2-0 is huge and LA is going to have to get 3 at home, but maybe Doc is wising up and will give bench guys a look. Maybe Eddie House gets some time and gets 15 (all threes) in a win in LA…
The calls didn’t seem as balanced, but LA (KOBE) was a little too focused on the Refs. When LA stop crying about calls they started balling and hitting shots. At home they will get the calls they didn’t in Boston.
Pau dunked on KG and KG didn’t even go to the post. He was just standing still on offense at times. Very disappointing… Pierce played hard…Leon Powe had a flash back…Good game.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Stiletto says:
what a bs by the Celtics at the end i was dieing
June 9th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Soopa says:
Damn, I knew something was gonna happen when I saw Pierce and Doc laugh and having a good time when PP travled on that long 2 he hit. I mean as a player you can get caught in the moment, you’re up 20 and feeling good. But as a coach?! Theres a reason a team needs a coach! Think you’d see Phil laugh in such a situation?
June 9th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Soopa says:
Btw KG is my all-time favorit player, but would you PLEASE Mr. Garnett attack the basket more then once every game!!!
June 9th, 2008 at 12:07 am
Kudabeen says:
Understand about it feeling like a loss, because of the comeback, but at this level in a blowout, you are never as good when your up and the opponent is never as bad when they are down. This is why you keep your foot on the gas. Celts went in cruise control. Pierce laid back, KG stood and watched on offensive. Celts offense is very frustrating at times.
Do LA blowout Celts or do Celts win a close game 3?
People will probably get to hype about the ALMOST comeback and predict 5th times the charm and Kobe will crush the Celts, but I think it will be a closer game. again a W is a W. Being up 2-0 in this 2-3-2 format is a huge advantage. Hopefully for Boston’s sake they don’t start feeling themselves like they did in game two and figure out how to close…
ABC (Always Be Closing)…
June 9th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Joel says:
I thought it was interesting that the Lakers comeback seemed to start when Powe left the game. Or is it just me?
June 9th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Dagomar says:
No win should feel like a loss in the Finals.
Boston got it done tonight, one way or another. The Lakers were hot in the fourth, but then every team will make their run – especially a title contender.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Big Freeze says:
Remember when The Mavs went up 2 games to none against the Heat a couple years ago? Same thing might happen again this finals.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Kudabeen says:
No Powe was the only one attacking for a strech and everyone else got comfortable. I’m usually defending KG, but he looked like he was waiting to see who was next to play well, rather than being that guy. LA did just start to hit shots too. They looked more focused than they looked the whole game. Kobe set the stage with a few assist and then started attacking. Boston went in to this wack BBall version of the prevent defense and it ALMOST cost them the game.
Maybe they learn and come back more focused and steal game 3. If I was a gambler, I’d be putting dough down on Celts stealing game 3.
Is Powe up for a contract this summer? Not that he doesn’t always play hard, but dude could have made himself a lot of paper…
June 9th, 2008 at 12:19 am
rob says:
I think the ref’s gave up some horrible calls,but by no means was that the deciding factor. Celts took the momentum from the non fouls and ran away with it.
is it me or does Vlad get worked on defense by everyone he is guarding. And i swear he had more than 1 TO.
but the celts did they job…to LA they go.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:20 am
C says:
“no one in purple wanted any parts of Leon Powe.”
Could that be because they got whistled for breathing on him???
June 9th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Duke says:
After tonight’s game, everyone of the Lakers went out and got Leon Powe’s name tattooed on their lower backs.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Coach T-sun says:
Vlady cost the team big time momentum swings at the end of the 3rd when the lakers were making a run to slice the deficit, missed shot, turnover, bad pass. It made the lead got up to 20. Phil excellent paitence in trusting him again in the 4th WOW, what a job this is the 3rd youngest team in the nba and they play with such poise despite powe and the celtic’s tried to embarrase them.
Doc almost shit his pants when they were back 4 points he sucks he better watch out, Kobe needs to stop respecting the boston D and DRIVE he finally attacked the paint in the 4th quarter too many mid-range jumpers thats starting to become a habit hes the best in the game he should be able to do what he wants out there not take what TT gives him.
Where da hell was gasol in the 2nd half? well they stopped going to him more than he dissappeared he started out strong and missed a couple then they just lost confidence in him which is really the team’s fault not his. I don’t think people realize that the lakers are just a deep team not really star-studded gasol is only a one-time all-star and these playoffs have really showed hes not a all-star caliber player he doesn’t impact the game like a all-star whereas The truth TAKES the moment but he gets viewed as one.
Odom… hes always been the new tony kukoc to me both lefty, put the ball on the floor, shoot the 3, post, handle it in the triangle hes more talented cause hes more athletic and again he doesn’t impact the game like a ray allen.I am going to call out that phil is gonna bench him next year and he’ll win or challenge ginobili for 6th man of the year, they WILL NOT START bynum, gasol AND odom in the frontline
Boston’s 3 are superstars guys who were franchise players for their respective squads (milwaukee, seattle for ray, Minnesota for KG, boston for Pierce) so i don’t understand why heading into this series Lakers are favored. Still love the lakers though to win it all if not Big Bynum comes back and we go again and maybe bynum can emerge as a true impact star because gasol and odom are probably the best complimentary pieces in the league but Star-player? Questionable.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Kudabeen says:
4th quarter scoring
Powe – 7
Garnett – 6
Pierce – 5
Posey – 5
Allen – 2
Posey’s 5 came at the most crucial and of course Pierce 2 FTs.
Kobe 13pts and 5ast…
June 9th, 2008 at 12:49 am
krip says:
Leon Powe’s full court charging dunk past the whole laker team was pretty sweet… summed up his performance: nobody wanted to get in his way.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:50 am
fallinup says:
Lakers need to start attacking the basket. Bar none, they are playing like a bunch of sissies. Being out hustled and out muscled in two games now. It was like a 38-10 free throw advantage for Boston. I admit, some were some boneheaded calls for the refs, but mostly the difference is there because L.A. has turned into a jump shooting team.
Where’s the quickness and fluidity that we saw against San Antonio??? And who on earth is going to step up and guard the damn basket??? The lack of interior D is gonna bury the Lakers.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:50 am
krip says:
and Rondo deserves major kudos for those 16 assists, the LA guards need to realize that Rondo can’t shoot for beans and back off when guarding him.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:53 am
fallinup says:
Rondo 16 assists…2 TURNOVERS…that’s man numbers there.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:55 am
Mikee says:
Have people so soon forgot that the Celtics played this same way against the Hawks, and the Cavs? We’ll see what happens in LA when the calls(hopefully) will go against them. Got to give it to them for hitting shots and getting second chances, but where was the heralded ‘D’ in the end game? Too much celebrating too early almost cost them this one. Big ups to Big Freeze for mentioning the “unstoppable” Mavs from a couple years back.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:57 am
krip says:
Notes: Paul Pierce was faking it, KG and Gasol are a pair of soft titties, and Leon Powe is a MAN.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:07 am
LSM says:
wow vlad looked so bad in the end of that run, and kobe took some terrible shots
but nice comeback
i officially have zero idea what to expect game 3
June 9th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Marcel P. says:
If the Celts win the title, the Leon Powe story has potential to reach TV Movie of the Week stuff. I’m a cynic, but even I was almost getting teary eyed watching that halftime story. If I was getting emotional, imagine all of the women seeing that on TV, especially mothers and people who have struggled in life.
We need to hear more positive stories like that instead of the usual, unhappy athlete stuff.
As far as the game, Lakers need to find some heart. I picked Lakers in six, but I may need to switch teams and keep the number of games.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Mikee says:
I think I will show my colors here, but Phil Jackson told Jeanie Buss to have a check ready for $25,000 because you know he’s going after the refs after this one.
June 9th, 2008 at 9:01 am
doc says:
After the first 2 games all you can say is defense.But for la you can say Lamar “baby ass” Odom need to step it up.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Steve says:
How the hell we let rondo look like an all world point guard. Homeboy was scared to shoot the rock all night. Make him shoot the damn ball!!!!!!!!