Celtics 103, Lakers 94 (Series tied 1-1)

“Whenever we lose a game, we’re too old, and whenever we win a game, we won because we have great experience.” – Doc Rivers after Game 1

After watching Game 2 in LA, I’m going to have to agree with the stereotype here. The Celtics won this game because of their experience. Boston did not look overmatched like they did last game. They used what they have learned in years past. They also had Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen – Game 2 difference makers.

Before the game started, Bill Walton gave the crowd an emotional speech to honor the life and passing of his former coach, John Wooden. Once the game started, it was owned by the Celtics. The Boston boys came out and played the kind of defense we all thought they would play. They were forcing LA into bad shots and the Lakers just stopped hitting. At one point, LA had 10 straight misses from the field. Not only that, but those three pointers that didn’t fall in the first game (1-10 in Game 1) started to fall. This allowed them to find a rhythm on offense and build a lead. They weren’t taking bad shots, which is what they settled for in the opening game as well.

However, the flow of the game was altered again because the refs made it clear that hard screens and rough play would still not be tolerated. Garnett picked up his second foul only three minutes into the game and Lamar Odom had three fouls before the end of the first quarter.

Did I forget to mention Ray Allen? One of the greatest shooters in the history of the NBA absolutely went OFF in the first half. Allen scored 27 points along with 7 three pointers in a row. No matter what angle he shot at or what spot on the floor he stood, he drained big buckets. Going into the game, one of the keys for Boston was to spread the floor for the other scorers on the Celtics. Well, in the first half, Allen was getting the ball and dropping buckets from everywhere. Once he hit another three in the third quarter, he broke an NBA Finals record with 8 three pointers (previously held by himself, Scottie Pippen, and Kenny Smith). Ray Ray finished the game with 32 points.

At the half, the Celtics lead had dropped to only 54-48 because the Lakers ended the half with some big buckets. Otherwise, the Celtics could have found themselves with somewhere around a double digit lead. That run the Lakers had to end the first half continued right into the second half, too. The Lakers made their comeback the same way the C’s did last game. The only difference is, the C’s had some open shots and they were missing them.

The game stayed extremely tight throughout because each team was playing great defense. Not only that, but the officiating stayed just as tight as the score. This prevented either team from making any consistent runs. Even when the Lakers would make a big block, the C’s scored. And when the Lakers got an offensive rebound, they would turn it over. The excitement wasn’t peaked, but the closeness of the game was what we expected all along.

In the final two minutes of the game, however, the Celtics were able to pull away to finish the game on a 16-4 run because they played smarter, more aggressively and they finished. Rajon Rondo was the leader down the stretch, proving his worth among the NBA’s best point guards. Rondo finished the game with a triple double (19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists). When he leads the way he did on Sunday night, the Celtics are a totally different team. That’s what makes them the experienced team, not the old one.

Keys of the Series Heading to Boston:

- Kobe Bryant was in foul trouble throughout the entire game. Unlike Game 1, that completely prevented him from feeling comfortable on offense and certainly not on defense either. He scored only 21 points, which is not a Kobe-like game from what we’ve seen this playoffs, mostly because he was 8-20 from the floor.

- Will the Lakers wake up from their Game 2 let down? Yes, this was a let down, based on the score. But it was more of a let down because of the energy the Lakers gave, which wasn’t a whole lot. They just didnt’ seem to have it this game, and they didn’t deserve the win in turn.

- Can the hot shooting continue for Boston? It was a real difference maker in this game because it was the complete opposite of Game 1. It seemed to catch the Lakers off guard making their comeback take a little longer. It took the air out of the Staples Center.

- Speaking of the Staples Center… This was the first game LA has lost at home this postseason. The Lakers better hope they get a chance to defend their home floor again, because no one in their right mind can think they’ll win all three games in Boston.

-Shooter