Celtics-Lakers Game 2 Preview
Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
NBA Finals - Game 2
Sunday, June 6th - 8:10 PM ET
Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA
The first game of the 2010 NBA Finals was a complete train wreck for Boston. Coach Doc Rivers’ club never got into the flow of the action, as the Lakers posted a nine-point halftime lead and then blitzed the Eastern Conference champions for an 84-64 lead after three periods. The Celtics made a modest push in the fourth quarter, but never got within single digits of the Lakers, losing 102-89 in a rather lopsided affair. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong for the 2008 NBA champions, who were hoping to win Game 1 just as they did two years ago against the Lake Show in the Finals.
Ray Allen picked up two early fouls and racked up even more whistles when he re-entered the game later on. He had five fouls before the third quarter ended and didn’t hit a single three-point shot. Kevin Garnett looked slow and creaky, a shadow of the man who excelled against Cleveland and was solid against Orlando. Kendrick Perkins scored just eight points and grabbed only three rebounds. No one stepped up for the Celtics, who need a substantially better effort just to play the Lakers on even terms.
Coach Phil Jackson has to love what he saw in Game 1. It wasn’t just that his team won; the Lakers must be very pleased because they outworked Boston in the low post and near the rim. The Lakers hammered the Celtics on the boards, with Pau Gasol getting eight offensive rebounds, one more than the combined total of overall rebounds (offensive and defensive boards) snatched by Garnett and Perkins. L.A. won the points-in-the-paint competition by a substantial 48-30 margin. Even more telling was the fact that the Lakers earned 16 second-chance points while the C’s produced absolutely nothing. That’s right: The defending champions prevented the 2008 champs from getting a single second-chance bucket. Los Angeles clearly wanted the game a lot more and prevented Boston from ever getting any kind of foothold. It was partly like a give-away game in which the Lakers didn’t have to spill the tank. They won a game with minimal resistance, and can now stay fresh for Game 2.
The Pick:
The Celtics are in huge trouble. Garnett didn’t look physically liberated. Rajon Rondo’s back was tight during the game, and he didn’t orchestrate his offense the way his teammates and coaching staff had hoped. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points but didn’t dominate the proceedings. Why? Because he never really needed to. Ron Artest played a fabulous high-energy game for the Lakers and set a very positive tone for his team… not just in Game 1, but for the whole series. This is a different situation compared to 2008. The Lakers, not the Celtics, are the deeper team, unlike two years ago. The Lakers should take full control of the Finals on Sunday.
Pick: Lakers