It’s said to win any NBA Finals series you have to know how to win on
the road and that’s exactly what the Botson Celtics did as they shocked
the Lakers, 103-94, this evening to even the best-of-seven series at
1-1.
Game 3 is set for Tuesday in Boston, where Games 4 and 5 will also be played in the Finals’ 2-3-2 format.
The Celtics took final control when they took a five-point lead with
less than two minutes to play on a 20-foot jumper by Rajon Rondo, his
eighth point of the quarter. In fact, the Celtics were on an 11-0 run
until Kobe Bryant hit a three to cut the lead to five with 52 seconds
to play. But by then it was in the books for the Celtics.
The win should have come more easily for the Celtics, especially after
Ray Allen put up 17 points in the second quarter as the Celtics rode
his three-point shooting to a 14-point lead. But, as the game
progressed the Lakers got back into it, eventually grabbing a
three-point lead with five minutes to play.
Allen was the game’s leading scorer with 32 points, 27 in the first
half. He set an NBA Finals record with eight three-pointers. Rondo had
a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
If there was any good news for the Lakers, it was the play of Andrew
Bynum, whose name was heretofore only connected to discussions of his
ailing knee. Bynum finished with 21 points.
The Lakers needed help from someone other than Bryant, who had to alter
his aggressive play when he kept picking up fouls. Lakers Coach Phil
Jackson even elected to keep Bryant in the game when he picked up his
fifth foul with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Bryant finished
with 21 points.
Pau Gasol was the high scorer for the Lakers with 24.
It was pretty clear from the start that the Celtics were a different
team than the one that was dominated by the Lakers in Game 1. And
that’s pretty much what Jackson suspected would happen.
“The response is usually from the team that took on the loss,” Jackson
said before the game. “It’ll be a lot more tight down the stretch. It
will be more highly charged but we are staying with what we do.”
In fact, even before tipoff, you knew it was going to be a night of
stark contrasts when a very heartfelt tribute to the late UCLA
basketball coach John Wooden by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton (in
with the old) was followed by an incredibly average rendition of the
national anthem by American Idol winner Lee DeWyze (out with the new).
The Lakers’ early strategy was to win the game in the paint with Gasol
and Bynum. In fact Bryant only scored two points in the first quarter
instead settling for five first-quarter assists. But, when they fell
behind by 14 in the second quarter the strategy changed until Bryant
got in foul trouble.
The second quarter is when Allen took over the game. He hit five
three-pointers to open the quarter and finally missed on his eighth
attempt of the game. (He was two for two on threes in the first
quarter.)
The Lakers were able to close the halftime lead to just six points and
with less than two minutes gone in the third quarter the Lakers had
regained the lead, 57-56. And from there it was the kind of NBA Finals
game you would expect down the stretch.
Celtics Coach Doc Rivers also foreshadowed a more competitive game and had to be happy with the outcome.
“We’ve had 48 hours to watch the film and get ready,” said Rivers,
clearly knowing what he was talking about. “We’re not going to make a
lot of changes. This is who we are.
“We do what we do. . . . At the end of the day you do your stuff. You can’t change or that would affect who you are.”
Right now, who the Celtics are is a home sweep away from the NBA championship.
john.cherwa@latimes.com
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