Records: Lakers 39-9 (1st in the West) Celtics 41-9 (1st in the East)
Offensive ratings: Lakers 114.6 (1st in league) Celtics 110.9 (5th in league)
Defensive ratings: Lakers 105.4 (7th in league) Celtics 100.2 (1st in league)
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol
Celtics Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins
What does it really mean: I think a lot of debate on this site and others about this (and the Christmas) Lakers v. Celtics game comes down to this:
How much does it matter come June?
Certainly the win has importance in the tight home-court race (more on that in a minute). But what about psychologically? There are some Lakers fans who think the team needs these wins to gain confidence they can do it when it matters. Myself and others think that this game has virtually no impact on the Lakers (or anyone elses) psyche come the Finals.
I just don’t think the Lakers will put that much into a loss. They are playing their fifth game in seven days, second night of a back-to-back, without their star center. Win or lose, if these two teams meet in the Finals things will look different. (Maybe the Celts will have a player with a star tattooed on his head.) I think for professionals, this game may mean more than last night, but it does not mean as much as the first round of the playoffs.
We fans don’t like to see it that way, by the way, we tend to take the wins and losses harder. But we don’t have to wake up in the morning and start preparing for Cleveland.
Still, far smarter people than myself (say Roland Lazenby) seem to fall on the other side of the fence:
Yes, they beat the Celtics in Los Angeles on Christmas day. That has helped Jackson’s young players in dealing with their profound embarrassments of the 2008 championship series against Boston.
But those bad memories linger and will continue to do so.Here’s the hard part: The Lakers will never put that series behind them unless they win the championship series this year. It would help if they claimed that title with a win over the Celtics. That’s all getting way ahead of the task at hand, of course.
Before they win another title, the Lakers have to emerge from a challenging field in the Western Conference.
Still, that doesn’t set aside the psychology of all this.
Home court will matter, and a new Celtics blog called Celtics Hub takes a detailed look at the remaining schedules of the Lakers, Celtics and Cavaliers. They see a tight race between the Celtics and Cavs, which is interesting only because the Lakers play fewer good teams. Check out the data and reach your own conclusions.
Keys To The Game: The Kobe & Pau show the last couple of nights has been impressive — the Lakers two biggest players steppeed up when the team needed tnem most. But it will take more than that tonight.
Remember back to the Lakers being up 24 points in a Finals game last year? Remember Christmas? The Lakers did that by ball and player movement. The Celtics try to keep the triangle on one side of the floor, not allow the ball reversals and quick cuts that make the offense hum. When the Lakers have fought through that they have exposed KG for his wanderlust on defense. Last June they just didn’t do it consistently, but tonight they get another chance.
On defense, the Lakers did a great job on Christmas with Kobe on Rondo, sagging off and helping while turning the PG into a jumpshooter. That is key — when he gets in the lane he is a threat to pass and score, but from 18 feet out you let him shoot all he wants. The Lakers need to play the screen and roll well with Pierce (they like to run a double-screen, one on each side of him from each big, so he can choose how to attack, that could be a problem).
The guys on the Lakers bench are really going to have to bring it.
Where you can watch: 5 p.m. on TNT. The good news about that is for a change the Lakers are part of the first game of the double header, so we’ll get to see the entire first quarter.
PeanutButterSpread says
RAWR! Go Lakers!!
Please avenge, for the sake of the team’s psyche, that horrendous Game 6.
That’s all I ask.
Oh yeah, win it for Drew!
Drew needs to send psychic good waves of fortitude over to Pau and LO, the Lakers are going to need to be strong.
Kobe and Fish’s shot selections have to be great, no wasting possessions with PUJITS and crazy fade aways please
Luke and Vlad, please please make your rainbow threes RAIN. No spacing out.
Trevor, do your THANG.
Sasha, no stupid fouls or hasty threes please. MACHINE AUTOMATIC FOR THE WIN.
Jordie, uh …. represent the bench mob plz?
Josh and Chris, time to STEP UP and be super subs!!
Oh sigh, it’s going to be a difficult game.
PeanutButterSpread says
oh yeah, that pic looks so wrong on so any levels.
First it looks like KG’s humping Pau, combined with Pau’s expression, it screams, “caught in the action.”
lil' pau says
The analysis on Celtics Blog (which concludes with essentially discounting the Lakers chances at HCA relative to Bos/Cle) is based on the statistic that teams win the 2nd game of a back to back only 43 percent of the time, without any specific inquiry into how *specific* teams perform in that situation. Why the writer didn’t account for the fact that… uh, say, the lakers for example, have a terrific record in the 2nd games of back to backs while other teams may or may not is downright bizarre.
Like anything from the mouth or pen of a C’s fan, take it with a grain of salt (or apply your superior purple and gold intellect).
Bryan says
One thing to consider: KG missed the past two games with the flu. The guy gets up for every game, but let’s see what his body allows him to do tonight.
Between this and the Cleveland game on Sunday, I expect some thoroughly entertaining basketball to be seen, and am looking forward to it.
lakerade says
Obviously, it’d be better to have Drew there, be at full strength. Since he’s not, however, it was really interesting to hear Kobe’s comments about how this game can be a good measuring stick for the team from last year (with the addition of Ariza, of course). After the Raps game he said that it would be good for the players who were there in the Finals to go back and try to get that bad taste out of their mouths. That’s more than he said before the Xmas day game, so at the very least I sense that he has confidence in the team to go ahead and note the importance of big matchups. Also, I hope Powell gets some good minutes, he can body up Perkins a bit while Pau stays out on KG, something that worked really well on xmas day when Bynum allowed Pau to not have to play center. Go Lakers, show the flow!
P. Ami says
Kurt,
I beg you. Do something about that pic. At least sub in a shot of Rondo humping someone’s leg like a chihuahua or something.
T34 says
Excited to see how our guys play, but as you mentioned in the post I’m really not putting much stock in either a win or a loss. Sure, a win would be nice for our guys, but they all know it means nothing until June.
I think we will be up for the challenge tonight, though. I just had a feeling throughout the entire Toronto game that our guys were looking ahead a bit.
Should be good.
Joe says
The Evil Empire lmao….I like it. Its gonna be really hard to win this game without Bynum in the lane. The one area that the Lakers got an advantage over the Celts is the bench. So the bench has to really come through and people like Sasha and Rod will have to hit 3’s. Ariza will need to make big energy plays. Most importantly, the Lakers cannot win this game if they play at the Celtics slow paced grind it out style. Lakers need to create turnovers and really push the ball and create good movement to win this game. With this being a back to back game and not having Drew, and nowplaying a hungry Boston team who will want revenge this game, I think its gonna be too much for the Lakers to handle. Boston will win by 8 to 12.
chris h says
I wonder why PJ doesn’t suit up DJ Mbenga? I’d rather see him get some minutes over Sun. I think Mbenga! would be a better body to push and shove and wear out Perkins. I think we should save Powell for Powe, remember he lit us up last year and that alone could have been a difference maker for 1 of the games. powe wasn’t much of a factor on the Christmas day game, but we need to be sure he stays ineffective. I think PJ should bring in Josh to match up against Powe all night, neutralize him.
nomuskles says
Perhaps because of the lesser amount of ABC/ESPN hype, I don’t know that this game is quite as big as the Christmas day matchup. The Lakers already proved they could beat the Celtics in a regular season game, if they lose on the downhill side of a back to back and the fifth game of an east coast road trip and without Andrew Bynum, well, a loss might happen. If the Lakers win, I imagine they’ll feel pretty good about it, but know that doing it today doesn’t mean the same thing as doing it in June. I wonder how Boston feels. Are they looking to avenge the loss from December? Or confident in their decisive Finals victory? My guess is most players and fans in Boston are feeling the latter.
Mark Sigal says
Well, I think this game matters from the “measuring stick” aspect (as lakerade noted). Psychologically, it would be big on the road against C’s, game 6 of 7 on road trip, 2nd night of back to back (haven’t they won all of these type of games this season) on same trip where lost Bynum with a home win against C’s in bank already. A win tonight and they affirm some fortitude. A loss will mean little to them, though.
GoLakes says
Lakers are going to do it tonight fo sho especially look for dfish to go off dude launched new web site today http://www.derekfisher2.com
Fan says
One thing that worries me is that KG may still have a bit of the flu, which might have spread to the team. There was a report that Ray Allen had some flu like symptoms too.
I hope the Laker players don’t get sick after this game.
aB says
I don’t know about you guys but every game versus Boston is important. In fact, it is damn important! Whether pre-season, regular season, or Finals.
Losing by 38 points is unacceptable and we should be salivating at an opportunity to play them again on their home court and exact our revenge!
I hate them so much that I won’t even do anything related to green today (whether that’s wearing green, writing with a green pen, picking/puking green, or even recycling). In fact, I’ll be using my credit card all day today instead of cash!
WE WILL WIN!
GO LAKERS!!
Worthy J. says
7. I agree with everything. It’s alot harder to make Rondo a shooter when you don’t have the big guy in the middle to dissuade any penetration. If everything doesn’t go exactly right for the Lakers, Celtics will probably win by 3-4 possesions.
Brian says
I really think this is no-lose situation for the team. If they lose this game, the second night of a back-to-back, 5th game on a long roadie, without Bynum, what does it matter in the grand scheme of things? We’ve already proven we can beat them with both teams at full strength.
But if we win? Given all of the above-cited factors that has to be good for the ole psyche.
Maybe I’m just setting myself up to not be bummed, I don’t know. And I certainly hope the team doesn’t go into the game thinking that way.
Darius says
X’s and O’s wise, one thing to look for is how Boston plays our P&R with Kobe/Pau. In the Finals, we built that huge lead by running that play frequently. Kobe would take the double team, LO would flash to the high post, and LO would then make the play. He’d either hit a diving Pau, pass to the wing for an open jumper, or he’d make a play for himself. Boston adjusted to this by going small and putting Posey on Odom and having Posey deny Odom’s flash to the high post. This lone action broke down that entire play and then the Celtic’s standard D (like Kurt described above) took hold and we didn’t execute and they did. Case closed.
I bring this up, because the Celtics no longer have Posey and don’t have a player that can defend Odom in this same manner in a small lineup. This means that they’ll have to either play their standard big line up more or they’ll put Big Baby or Powe on Odom. In any case, our P&R set is going to be a vital one tonight. I expect that we’ll try to run our standard sets and that Boston will deny ball reversals and make us go one on one with Pau and Kobe even more than they normally do. So, like I said, our P&R will be a key set because it is one set where we can dictate what the Celtics do. If they trap Kobe and can’t deny Odom the flash to the high post, they will be in trouble tonight.
Ryan says
Darius good analysis that will be something that I look for tonight now.
chibi says
The Cavs and Celts don’t have to worry about Elton Brand anymore this year. Season-ending shoulder surgery, according to Marc Stein.
clutch824 says
First thing, I fully expect the Lakers to win tonight. Period. No built in excuses.
Second, fantastic recap and preview. Player and ball movement got them a 24 pt lead. Standing around and people getting scared and running away lost it all. The bench has to bring it. LO has to bring it. Nobody has to be perfect, just make good decisions and be effective. And play with passion defensively. This is going to be sweet.
Celts Nation says
Suffice to say we’ve all been waiting for this game since Christmas. Personally, I’m bummed that Bynum isn’t playing – it gives the Lakers a ready made excuse.
That said, it’s always great to see Boston beat LA, as will happen tonight. Laker fans watch out for Big Baby Davis’ new and improved jumper!
Darius says
Another thing I should point out is that Fisher is going to have his hands full if we go to our Finals matchups of Kobe/Rondo and Fish/Allen. Ray’s been playing quite well lately and his height advantage means that he will be able to get his shot off easier. I trust Fish to chase Allen off screens, but Ray’s quick release and ability to shoot over smaller players is a concern. I would not be surprised to see us deploy our SSZ some in order to have ready made rotations available when we try to run their shooters off the 3pt. line.
I should also add that House has been shooting lights out lately and we must contain him when he subs in for Rondo. In the X-mas game, we did a great job of neutralizing House by exploiting his suspect ball handling by pressuring him with Sasha. I’d like to see that same strategy tonight. House is not a strong passer and is prone to over dribbling when he feels pressure. If we can make House work as a ballhandler and then make the C’s bleed clock before they get into their sets, it will only fuel our defense as they rush to get a good shot against the clock.
Despite what many fans think, both teams have advantages over each other. They’ll use their rugged interior defenders to get our guys off their spots and out of their comfort zones. But they do not have reliable ball handlers outside of their starting 5 and if we play our pressure defense tonight, we will force turnovers because the Celtics are prone to giving the ball away. The other night against Philly, Ray Allen even commented that one of the reasons that Philly was able to control the game was because of Boston’s casualness with the ball and Philly getting out and running off TO’s. We can do the same thing tonight.
T34 says
I think we’ll just blame the officials like a bunch of Boston fans did after we beat you on Christmas.
As far as matchups, I’m wondering who we’re going to match Ariza with. He can be vital in stopping some of Rondo’s drive/dish stuff, but I also think he could be fairly solid on Pierce.
jxhan says
I know this one’s a bit dated…but just had to watch ld2k’s video again…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkV0B_GeUuo
wondahbap says
I’m one of the people that thinks this game matters.
I said we need a win in one of these next two games. While I’m going to back off that statement some, I still think these games, especially this one, is huge towards psyche. For both teams.
I want the Lakers to show that they can take anything the Celtics want to throw at them, chew it up and spit it back at them. On their court. Especially without Bynum.
The Celtics collapse when they get a dose of their ow medicine.
wondahbap says
That being said. That doesn’t mean I think thee next two games are the end all, be all. But they can help big time.
the other Stephen says
so basically, having a second los angeles vs boston game kind of feels like having a second Christmas. anyone else get that feeling?
exhelodrvr says
The Lakers are in an enviable position re these two games. Between Bynum’s injury and the extensive road trip, as long as they don’t get blown out these losses aren’t that bad, while wins would be very big psychologically.
wiseolgoat says
13: +1. I have a hilarious image of KG coughing into kobe’s face during timeouts.
the other Stephen says
other than winning this for honor, pride, revenge, justice, and our awesome hometown, winning this for andrew is a pretty practical goal–in other words, winning it for a teammate and friend who’s going through quite a setback.
Brian Tung says
Psychology is what the players make of it. And being human beings, I suspect they’ll make the best of it. In other words, if they win, they’ll take it as a psychological boost; if they lose, they’ll forget about it.
Deen says
Last 10 games the ‘evil empire’ is shooting 48% from 3pt range with House and Jesus shooting over 50%. That is the power of the dark side.
Adam T says
I’m with wondahbap on this one more. Kurt, while I agree this game does not hold relevant bearings over what will happen come June, I do think that a win tonight will spur a hell of a lot of Laker momentum. We can take that momentum into Cleveland and maybe, somehow, get out of this trip undefeated.
We need to play passionate basketball. Period. I want us to play with no excuses and scrap for every loose ball, close out hard on every three-point shooter, and hit the glass for ferocity. I want us to make Boston fans leave the arena pissed off.
If we can leave with a victory tonight, we will have a legitimate mental edge over Boston (whether the world believes it or not). To add to that, the mental edge should even increase come playoff time if/and perhaps when Bynum can come back and be a presence inside for us.
As a fan, I am sure I am dramatizing and overreacting a little bit, but I do think this game holds significance in foreshadowing the future. If we can play Boston tough now and not show any intimidation – play tough and pull out a win – well I really, REALLY like our chances of doing it 4 games out of 7 in the finals (granted, jumping ahead) where our depth leading up to that point is a major advantage vs. a team centered around three older vets.
Go Lakers – hoping my fraternity’s rush event ends early so I don’t miss much of the first half!!!
MannyP13 says
No offense folks, but the only reason people are saying that “this game does not matter as much as December 25th” is because Drew is out. If Drew was in, the chant would be more like “now we can show them how different things would have been.”
Truth of the matter is that this game *must* “matter. All Laker players not named Kobe must treat this as a statement game and must come prepared for a battle – and a win. To take this game lightly means that we did not learn from our mistakes last year. Plus, there is no guarantee that (1) Drew will be back this season and (2) that he will be back to the same form when he left. Based on this, this is a “win-or-die” game – but its a game the team *must* try to win.
MannyP13 says
Oops… I meant to say that this is NOT a “win or die” game but its a game the team *must* try to win.
Adam T says
I’m right with you Manny –
“To take this game lightly means that we did not learn from our mistakes last year.”
I think that about sums it up…
Yohim says
I cannot forget about that last 2 minutes of the Celts – Lakers clash in x-mas… Pau with the clutch… so awesome…
…can’t wait for tonight’s game!
Go Lakers!!!
Mimsy says
Good summary Darius. One more thing to add: If the Finals were traumatic to us fans, they must have been even more so for players in gold and purple, especially the last two minutes of the last game, with Boston fans singing and rubbing it in.
That sort of thing stays with you, especially when you come off a back-to-back on the road, and when the guy that really made a difference when you finally got your win is out with a knee injury. We beat them when they came to visit us, sure, but that was then and this is now.
I have no doubt that the entire city of Boston wants blood tonight, and that the players are going to do whatever is required of them to win. We’re walking into a very tough fight here. It’s a good thing we have mentally tough players this year, because they’re going to have to fight hard for every point they get tonight. More importantly, they need to fight even harder to avoid giving up points. As usual against good teams, the best defensive effort is probably going to win.
It’s a good thing professional athletes are mentally tougher than the rest of us…
Kurt says
One thing I didn’t really bring up that the Lakers need to do tonight is transition defense. And it better be way, way, better than last night.
Perkins and KG run the floor well, Rondo can penetrate on the break or off a drag screen, and if you collapse down Allen and Pierce and House go bombs away from three. The Lakers have to get back and pick up a man.
sT says
sT agrees with aB.
PeanutButterSpread says
Not to mention, the Boston fans roughed up their bus WHILE the Laker players were inside.
Imagine how that must have felt.
So yeah, this is the chance for last year’s lineup for “redemption,” even if it’s only in February.
At least, that’s how the players should view it, not only as a measuring stick, but as some sort of mental satisfaction (if it’ll help the team gell better on defense and offense).
MannyP13 says
FOR THIS GAME I WISH….:
For Chris Mihm to get more than a 3 inch vertical – at least once.
For Mbenga to play and be physical (and maybe score once)
For Kobe to be Kobe
For Lamar to be inspired
For Ariza to shut down whoever he gets assigned to
For Sasha not to let his emotions get the best of him
For Farmar to punk KG (small PG, half white – you know KG won’t be able to resist taunting him, but unlike Calderon farmar looks like he can scrap)
For my Lakers to play with heart the entire game
For a win!
dx says
I usually don’t “gear up” until the playoffs (2000 Championship Locker Room Hat, old school Forum-style KB8 jersey, generic Lakers leather jacket) but I’m putting it all on for tonight. Christmas was great and all, and the media did a good job making a big deal out of it, but I actually find this game to be more important. It’s in a more critical part of the season when we really need to start practicing championship rhythm (I like to be going into the All-Star break at a higher gear, not try to gun the engines afterwards) and it’s on the road, where real men win championships. And I fully expect to hear the words “playoff atmosphere” a few times. The Christmas game was more about last year to me; tonight is more about this year. So which is more important again? (Not rhetorical, I always welcome a discussion!)
Mimsy says
The Ball Don’t Lie sports blog has an interesting comment on tonight’s game:
“The defending conference champions get to play each other twice a year, and you do NOT schedule a game for either of them the night before either re-match. You just don’t do it.
Doesn’t matter the proximity, the level of opponent, or if one of the teams gets to return to play at home for the second game. Don’t do it. The fact that the road team had to play pretty far away in Toronto, to through customs, and then show up for tonight’s rematch just makes it so much worse.”
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Game-to-pay-attention-to-Lakers-vs-Celtics;_ylt=AolWUryTZoxJQo0NSnnGCL68vLYF?urn=nba,139286
J says
#5 – I was thinking the same thing as you regarding Powell. I would love to see Powell get some minutes at C and leave Pau/LO to stick with KG.
Powell is active and quicker than Perk, he can force Perk to keep up with him on the boards. Powell can also hit the 12-15 footer if he’s open forcing Perk to come out and opening up lanes.
Powell can also race down the court with Perk and beat him.
Perk outweighs Powell by about 60 pounds so there’s some liablity in the post if they pound it in. But that’s not Perk’s game and it would completely throw Celtics off if they do that.
I’d love to see how that lineup would work.
magiclover says
It would be nice if they win tonight,but playing well is more important.Hope the 2nd unit kicks ass
Mimsy says
#43:
The most important game is the current one, regardless of who we are playing. 😉 So tonight, obviously. Besides, a win on the road in a hostile arena is more of a statement.
Yusuf says
I hope mihm can regain some of his form he looked real sloppy last night. Powell was a great pickup. I’d be extremely happy if we cud lock him up for a real cheap contract for 3-5 years. He looks like he can become our version of Charles oakley.
chris h says
yusef, how about horace grant?
chris h says
or..AC green?
chris h says
and trevor will become our new Michael Cooper!
Mimsy says
And as usual I have to stay late at work… I will rely on the commenters here to let me know what is happening in the game. 🙂
Anonymous says
Any links to video feeds?
specialM says
http://albaaa.altervista.org/watch.php?id=104
Armogeddon says
Hey All
I’m a Lakers fan from Toronto and for some lame reason, this game is not nationally televised here!!!
Can anyone hook me up with a video feed?
wondahbap says
Darius,
Good analysis.
specialM says
um…look up.
tonystarks says
And here. we. go.
Derek says
was that not goal tending?
Armogeddon says
Got it specialM – thanks
It’s working well
emh101 says
For being a “tough” team, the Celtics sure like to flop.
emh101 says
The Lakers had a few rough, beginning moments, but they have settled down and are getting their shots in the flow of the offense.
Ryan says
Good start to the game. A little sloppy for the first few positions.
How was that not a moving screen by Perkins on that last 2 by allen?
Darius says
Kobe is picking his spots early, which is nice. Powell’s ruggedness is going to be useful against a team like Boston. He may not be the most athletic player, but he plays a position game and fights for every inch on defense and on the offensive glass. Pau should go more to his mid range game early to draw out Perkins and then use his first step to attack the rim when he can get a step. I don’t like the open 3’s that they’ve gotten so far, but I do like our interior D and our rebounding so far.
emh101 says
I thought Pau should have gone to the basket on that last play and not passed it out to Powell.
Darius says
Boston’s half court D is not nearly as sharp as it has been in the past. They’re allowing penetration from Kobe that they did not allow last year. If we could start hitting some of our jumpers, we could extend our lead.
Andreas G. says
Craig’s words are sweet music to Laker-ears=)
emh101 says
Kobe’s shot is off.
Anonymous says
Nice little 1st quarter.
Love Powell’s presence fighting Perkins to a standstill
Lets hope Garnett’s disappearing act continues
Adam T says
To go w/ Darius – I think Kobe is putting more pressure on the defense by penetrating into the middle. He’s keeping them off balance.
chris h says
that first possession for us and the ‘block’ was a goaltend.
Ryan says
Did Vujacic even hit pierce there?
Yusuf says
Kobes getting to the rim at will, his shots off. These next few minutes are big. Pierce against Ariza and our second unit.
And Horace grant is perfect
Ryan says
Nice cut and basket by Ariza. That is certainly something he does that none of our other 3’s can do.
Adam T says
Has anybody else noticed our jumpshots seem to be off long. This is probably a sign of anxiousness and excitement. Which I think is a good thing, I just hope our shooters settle in.
emh101 says
Great transition layup, Fish.
Joel says
Boston’s bench has been dismal again so far.
Adam T says
And we have a Chris Mihm sighting
Mimsy says
Finally home… Fisheeerrr! I knew there was a reason I liked that guy. 🙂
emh101 says
They are leaving Ariza open. He needs to hit those shots or dribble in and create something nearer the basket.
Ryan says
Can’t be sloppy.
Adam T says
If Sasha was actually hustling back on defense instead of feeling sorry for himself, Eddie House would not have been wide open
Kurt says
Damn Mimsy, I’m still at work. I thought we were in this together.
emh101 says
Great job, Sasha.
Ben says
Two straight ugly TOs by Sasha and the Celtics score five. Yuck. Our second unit should be overpowering theirs.
Armogeddon says
Two back to back numbskull plays by Sasha…get in the game dude!
J-tag says
With all Sashas hatred for the Celtics you’d think he will in the game mentally.
Mimsy says
Sorry Kurt. I would stay and suffer with you, but the HDTV is at home, and that pesky work firewall won’t let me watch video feeds anyway. When it’s a game against the Celtics, sacrifices must be made.
And Sasha needs to stop being angry and start to focus… I like his passion, but his temper always seem to get the best of him.
Adam T says
I knew he was making that before he shot it……….
Ryan says
Goal tending?
Ryan says
Can’t leave House open for 3
Adam T says
I don’t know why we have Kobe guarding House though…..complete opposite scheme of Rondo. Fish should be on House
pb says
I hate Eddie House!
Joel says
Does KG really need to be doubled every time he touches the ball?
A-Town says
I wanna see Josh Powell jawin at KG by the end of this game
Andreas G. says
I hate to sound like a broken record, but man does Pau ever draw a lot of fouls?
chris h says
that boston run was a direct result of sasha’s 2 bonehead plays
and that’s 2 missed goal tending calls blown tonight
so far!
Ryan says
This is a fast paced game. Both teams are trying to run. I think this tempo favors the Lakers.
Kurt says
Ryan, the conventional wisdom is to run on a team in the second night of a back-to-back. Wear them down.
Ryan says
need to rebound the ball
Kurt says
Plus, the way the Lakers transition D looked against the Raptors, I’d run on them now too.
J-tag says
Fisher cant make a good fast break decision to save his life
sT says
How did we give them a chance at the last shot, when we had the ball with just over a second left before the end of the half.
Armogeddon says
I think Luke has a lot of brain cramps in big games…if that 3 went in that would’ve been a huge swing
The Dude Abides says
Man, if Fish had just driven hard to the basket and done a jump stop, Pierce would have flown right by and he would have had an easy layup or pass off. Four-point switch….ugh.
Mimsy says
Ugh. Can we start making good decisions on defense some time before the fourth quarter, please?
Joe says
Just as I tried to tell everyone, Boston is just too tough for the Lakers, they are killing them on the boards. Not having Bynum is really hurts. Two things need to happen for the Lakers to win. They have to keep Boston out of the paint and they must take care of the boards. Also, the Lakers have to be careful not to get stagnet on offense, they have to work their offense quick and efficient. Lastly, they must make their open jump shots, they will not get as many points in the paint. Though the way it looks to me, I think Boston will break this game open in the second half.
chris h says
the postives-
kobe, of course,
pau, again, of course
POWELL, good first half considering the circumstances
the negatives-
sasha’s bonehead stretch
lamar’s no show
jordan’s in the middle, some poor decisions
mihm’s just not ready, rather see Mbenga!
gotta put a big, tough body on porkins, that guy plays rough, and kind of dirty too.
for the second half-
want to see trevor shut down pierce
pau shut down KG
Powell neutralize Porkins
fish stay on allen
lamar, famar and sasha make up for the poor first half showing
inwit says
The Celts are killing them on the boards. How many second chance points?
Why double team Garnett every time before he has hit even one turnaround? He’s been sick, make him work.
the other Stephen says
when is trevor going to be confident enough to stop passing up threes? this happens all the time.
Joe says
Yea it aint just the Celtics defense, they got deadly shooters. Cant give House and Allen wide open 3’s, absolutely not.
inwit says
And easy transition points from turnovers and bad shots. Boston is not impressive in the half court offense, they live off transition as Doug Collins noted.
Darius says
We’ve had too many mental lapses on D. It’s not about effort, it’s about playing your assignment correctly. Kobe left House and had Powell and Rambis asking him about it. We let Pierce go the opposite direction of the screen and get a free run at the basket. On our rotations to the penetrator, the backside guard has to fight his tail off to body up the crashing big man. I know we’ve given up a lot of offensive rebounds, but half of those have come from no one covering for the helping big man deterring shots at the rim. Also, KG and Perkins are big bodies that will get their fare share of offensive rebounds just because of their length (KG) and bulk (Perkins). This means we need our guards to come down and help on the glass rather than looking for our bigs to get them an outlet pass.
But all is not lost. We made plenty of mistakes, but the Celtics could not break this game open. They’re not playing great ball either. We need to make their defense move and set good off ball screens because it’s leading to open cutters and shots at the basket. Also, Odom needs to get aggressive with his scoring. He attacked the first time he caught the ball and has looked to pass every other time he’s touched it.
pb says
The way “Joe” writes reminds me of Charles Barkley. “First of all, the Lakers have to keep the Boston out of the paint. First of all, they also need to take care of the boards. First of all, they need to not get stagnet (sic) on offense….”
You said two things need to happen for the Lakers to win and then listed two more things. 2+2=4.
It’s one thing to be a paranoid and pessimistic (glass half empty) fan. It’s quite another to be negative… it’s quite annoying to read your predictions and analysis with very little logical support.
I don’t care if Boston is too tough for the Lakers. There are many components (skilled, athletic, strategic, toughness, etc.) to being a good basketball team, and the toughest don’t always win. When the Bulls of the 90’s finally beat the Pistons, it wasn’t because they were tougher than the Pistons, but because they were BETTER (more talented, athletic, smarter, and skilled)
Celts are clearly a better DEFENSIVE team overall, but the Lakers are BETTER team overall when they keep up their defensive intensity. I hope they prove it tonight.
Adrian says
Ball movement is non existent.. Kobe’s forcing shots, but he’s without legs right now..
Adrian says
We’ll take the lead now.. Rondo will learn a tough lesson here.. Never mess with Kobe..
Ryan says
Lakers playing with some energy finally in the 3rd quarter
lesha says
wow, rondo already behaves like garnett… kobe´s gonna eat him alive
Kurt says
I tell you now, regardless of the outcome of this game, this thread is not going to devolve into an idiotic debate about “toughness.”
Mimsy says
Garnett has a bit more of a resume, he can get away with being a jerk. Rondo has… one ring?
A-Town says
Odom keep stepping up man, don’t back down to KG’s intimidation BS
Ryan says
They finally called a moving screen. There has only been 1 of those every time boston sets a screen.
A-Town says
And now they flop haha, un bleepin real…atleast the refs know the difference
BlizzardOfOz says
Gotta love the “entitlement outrage” of the Celtics and their fans.
lakeshow says
lamar with the KG butt pat!!!
Ryan says
Someone needs to knock Perkins on his ass. Too bad Bynum’s not here.
Adrian says
Guys, are the in game announcers also the ones in the radio broadcast in NBA.com? My ears are bleeding now.. They seem to think that their guys are being fouled in every possession..
What happened to the “tough” label that these boston guys are brandishing..
inwit says
Signs of life!
mike says
the lakers aren’t being aggressive enough.. twice this game they’ve gotten boston in the penalty early in the quarter but haven’t capitalized on it… and kobe w/ONE FT the entire game?
chris h says
rondo better watch out!
pb says
NO MORE HOUSE PLEASE!
svr says
i think our guys are tired
Ryan says
Oh come on. That was a bad call.
pb says
Rebounding is 28-31 (8-8 offensive) so far. The biggest difference is 7-12 (.583) and 3-11 (.273) on 3s. If the percentages even out for the rest of the game, I like the Lakers’ chance tonight, but they have to react better and not over-help on D!
magic says
their energy level is looking pretty tired. good thing boston isn’t running the court.
lesha says
i swear to god: the laker defense right now… im proud. and gasol tonight… he looks very, very good. i think we win this if kobe can hit his freethrows and keep on doing a great job on pierce
Ben says
12-20 FTs. We’re killing ourselves here.
emh101 says
Wow, Lakers. Hit some free throws.
Mimsy says
…and if we were able to make our free-throws we would be ahead by now. That needs to improve, we can’t keep playing physical basketball and then miss our free-throws.
Tony says
are missed free throws a result of back2back fatigue?
lakeshow says
134. the free throw percentage isnt helping either
pb says
We can’t lose to HOUSE!
WE HAVE SASHA!
magic says
ugh, hope ariza is ok. this is not last year.
Ryan says
Tony, I think so and Kobe’s shot is a little flat tonight for the same reason.
wiseolgoat says
i hope he didnt get his head dinged up again
bruinsfan says
It seems to me like the team is playing defense exactly as they would if Drew were playing. I don’t think we can get away with that, because Drew does a pretty good job of erasing or hiding mistakes and Pau is just not a shot blocker.
Tony says
House is fire, 4-5 on 3s so far… any ideas how to douse it?
Armogeddon says
We’ve let up big time when it comes to closing out quarters – Boston’s closed the past 2 quarters. Not sure if it’s fatigue, but on two occassions, Sasha then Kobe, we’re not playing D with their feet…too many risky reach-ins and their guys are blowing by us!
emh101 says
Farmar!
Tony says
I hope this 2nd unit stint can light a fire under Lamar, he’s way overdue
rhybread says
The Lakers need to stop leaving House open and pick him up in transition. That’s really all it’ll take to keep him quiet.
emh101 says
Free throws!
Adrian says
147
Tell Sasha to stick with him..
emh101 says
Do the Celtics flop every time down?
Ryan says
The Lakers are getting to the foul line, but they need to make some of them.
emh101 says
Make your free throws!
Ryan says
Everyone was expecting Rondo to pass that ball and no one contested his shot.
Adrian says
These radio guys are talking about excuses.. They’re enumerating the possible excuses that we might use in case we lose..
JONESONTHENBA says
Anyone got another feed. This one stopped working?
http://albaaa.altervista.org/watch.php?id=104
Darius says
I can’t believe our defense right now. We’ve fought hard this game, but we’re making simple mistakes. Going OVER the screen on Rondo? Helping off shooters like House and Allen? A Mark Jackson saying is going through my head right now…bad times.
J-tag says
Farmar’s brain is not sufficiently capable of simulating defensive situations. He lets his man shoot an open three or drive to the lane…aarrrgghhhh
Jonathan says
11 missed free throws? In a 4 point game…solid. Blah
emh101 says
I think the Lakers need to fall to the floor more often.
magic says
come on pau. let’s get going. we need you.
emh101 says
Wow . . . free throws.
Ryan says
OMG anothe missed FT. Unbelievable.
Mico says
Darn it we can’t seem to get over that 2 point – 4 point hump
Tony says
ahhhh! freethrows, come on, Kobe!
magic says
odom! nice!
emh101 says
Odom drives to the basket! Great job!
Ryan says
Odom!!! Finally got his head in this game.
J-tag says
You know its a bad day when Kobe is missing FTs
magic says
yes and the free throws too. lamar odom.
Mico says
i predict a three point attempt by sasha or kobe in one of the next 3 possesions
emh101 says
Kobe has six minutes to get his shots to fall.
Jonathan says
Why would Kobe pull up there? He had Pierce beat and settles instead of going to the bucket and probably getting fouled.
Tony says
Kobe’s 7-21, Gasol’s 7-10. Let’s pound it inside more, yeah?
Ryan says
Kobe always has a hand in his face. Its just that Kobe is missing those shots, whereas in the last few games he was making them.
inwit says
Kobe makes these shots against everyone but the Celtics.
magic says
that’s a pretty good prediction. i would put money on that.
Ben says
Nine missed free throws and we’re still within three. Amazing.
Yusuf says
I dunno how the Lakers are gonna do it… if they pull this off… I’ll be amazed
Yusuf says
KOBEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Adrian says
Now i know why some celtics fan behave the way they do.. If you keep hearing these radio guys every game, you’ll really think that your players doesn’t commit a single mistake..
Mico says
we should have put money on it hahaha
Ben says
Garnett fouling out. Pound the inside people.
magic says
yeah. you’re a seer.
emh101 says
Good flop, Fish!
mike says
KG IS OUT!
Ryan says
I would be kind of upset with that call if I was a Boston fan. Garnett was fouled first.
Adrian says
Bye bye KG..
magic says
no more turnovers. that’s 3 on pau in the last 4 plays.
Adrian says
nice luke..
magic says
wow kobe.
Ryan says
Kobe!!!!
Adrian says
Is Joel there?
Stop! Kobe Time!
BlizzardOfOz says
oh. my. god. UN. BE. LIEVABLE. The calls that Pierce gets. D-Flop in his prime did not get that call.
Joel says
Come on Adrian, you can’t keep stealing my thunder!
Mico says
didn’t notice it at first, but rondo is having a near triple double
lakeshow says
wow…terrible call on fish
magic says
we can’t win if every other possession ends in a turnover.
Joel says
That was a soft call. I mean really now.
emh101 says
That looked out on the Celtics.
Adrian says
Sorry dude, won’t happen again, haha..
Adrian says
shut up joel
Jonathan says
The foul on garnett was a flop by fish so it evens out
Joel says
Huh? Is Adrian schizophrenic?
magic says
can we get ariza on pierce again?
Adrian says
No, I’m just sick of you
magic says
kobe!
Ryan says
Kobe!!! wow!! just wow!
Joel says
Stop! Kobe time (again)!
Tony says
KOBE KOBE KOBE!
J-tag says
We have a chance…YES WE CAN!
Yusuf says
WOWWWW
Adrian says
Hey, are duplicate nicks allowed here? i’m not the one who said it.. maybe someone got annoyed because im posting too much.. whoever it is, sorry..
Joel says
I know you didn’t post it. It’s very easy to impersonate someone on here.
Joel says
It was me dude
Ryan says
Oh come on. That was a bad call. And you have to get that rebound.
Ben says
People choking at the line. Wow.
magic says
damit. this is too close of a game. giving me health problems. no turnovers or (o)dumm plays.
Mimsy says
At least we didn’t give Allen the 3
Ryan says
Good D, by Pierce, but Kobe looks kind of winded out there right now.
Joel says
Wow Kobe, that was a tough one even by your standards.
Mico says
ray allen at the corner for three
J-tag says
We need to get out of the habit of jacking up jump shots at the end of games. We need to force the defense to react and hopefully even get on the line
magic says
that’s a good bet too mico.
Ryan says
Good D by Kobe now. THis has been a great game.
Joel says
Excellent D by Kobe.
Matt says
Could this have ended any other way? Overtime!
j. d. hastings says
This game is bad for my health.
Ben says
Solid D on Pierce by Kobe. Overtime is 1) Kobe time 2) Gasol time. Pound it inside. Gasol or Odom should be able to score on Davis. Let’s go people.
coolrunnings says
232.
No KG either so its looking good for us.
JONESONTHENBA says
Feeds?
Anonymous says
After the way the calls have been going and how we’ve missed so many free throws, im happy no matter the turn out of this game.. we worked hard, and its the second night of the back to back, and third in 4 nights.
magic says
Out starters outscored theirs by 6 and their bench outscored our bench by 6.
j. d. hastings says
RIGHT HANDED hook by Odom!
Mimsy says
I’m happy with nothing less than a win. It’s gone this far. It can’t fail now.
Adrian says
jump shots jump shots jump shots jump shots jump shots jump shots jump shots jump shots
magic says
bad call there. that was out of bounds on the celtics. robbed.
Ryan says
Kobe’s tired and he is settling for too many J’s
j. d. hastings says
That ball was entirely off Davis
magic says
Pau! Pau Pow!
jay says
what happened to ariza?
Ryan says
What the hell happened there.
j. d. hastings says
THERE you go, Kobe. Get yourself fouled, like at the end of the NY game.
mike says
what D-fish!?!? step back and throw kobe the lob already!
emh101 says
Our free throws are killing us.
Joel says
FT shooting could cost the Lakers this game. 15/27 is not good enough.
Matt says
I think Kobe really needs to stop forcing these contested jumpers. Pau and Lamar have had success down low, give them the ball.
Tony says
Im following this game online, so can someone explain why Rad hasn’t played a minute?
magic says
imagine if we made those ft’s. this game would be over.
Joe says
3rd time this year I have seen Gasol choke from the line
Ryan says
Too many missed FT’s
j. d. hastings says
Wow, Joe, you’ve seen Pau miss 3 FTs? What a loser. Nevermind all those clutch baskets during OT and the closing minutes of regulation.
Ryan says
Need to run a Kobe/Pau PNR.
Ben says
Oh man. Odom make your free throws. This is your moment. We will forgive everything with two makes here.
magic says
come on odom. make them free throws.
emh101 says
Whew!
Joel says
Leave it to Odom to hit BOTH his FTs in the clutch…
Ryan says
Odom with the clutch FT’s thats not something you see every game.
emh101 says
Great block by Pau by the way.
JR says
Re: Free throws and Pau etc. They are just really tired, second game of a back to back in overtime does that to you…
Joe says
im just stating the facts, how does that make me a loser?
Ryan says
Wow good thing the Lakers had a foul to give.
j. d. hastings says
Ha! Odom!
magic says
allen in the corner or rondo drive or pierce js?
Andreas G. says
No matter what happens – great game!
rhybread says
What happened to Ariza by the way?
Joe says
i have no life
j. d. hastings says
Fish tripped over someone’s shoe. Not sure if that matters. I think Pierce took everyone by surprise shooting so early.
Joel says
PAU!!!!!!!
emh101 says
Pau!
magic says
YES!!! WE WIN!
mike says
thats 2 clutch blocks by gasol on allen this season..whooooo
Andreas G. says
Pau Pau Pau!!!
So much for not being clutch;)
rhybread says
Oh man, what an exciting game.
J-tag says
LAKERS!!!!
Mimsy says
I guess the Celtics just weren’t tough enough.
P. Ami says
yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!!
Ryan says
GAAASOOOOLLLL!!!!!!! Didn’t Gasol block an Allen 3 at the end of the Christmas game too. Amazing game. The Lakers gutted that one out, they were really tired at the end there. Not sure why House was not in there during overtime, he was shooting lights out the whole game.
Kurt says
That was the win of a veteran team, a mature team.
Bottom line, we don’t win that game last season.
magic says
AMAZING. Amazing game. i can’t believe we pulled it out in the last few seconds. I’m proud. That seemed like a Celtics win all night, until that last shot. Amazing.
scum says
yahoooooooooo!
Ben says
GO FISH! HELL YEAH! THAT’S HOW WE DO IT!
Joel says
On second viewing I’m not sure Pau actually blocked that shot, but whatever.
wiseolgoat says
Can’t believe I’m saying this, but props to Lamar with the clutch FTs. And a great foul by Fish (inadvertent or not) on rondo with 3secs left
rhybread says
The whining about refs/Lakers/Kobe/etc. has already started at the Celticsblog forums.
P. Ami says
I love it, “We won and we didn’t play our best. Not at all.”
Different year Lepers.
Adrian says
I’m listening to a boston broadcast.. of course, they think allen was fouled..
Joe says
Well Garnet fouled out, we got lucky! hahaha
wondahbap says
Great win.
Man, we did everything to gve that game away and still came away with it. Missing free throws, dumb shots, and fatigue.
We fought. We manned up. We won.
BIG boost for the psyche.
chibi says
peanut butter jelly time
wiseolgoat says
To be fair, Fish was definitely reaching as allen was dribbling, but that’s a good no-call in a situation like that. Definitely no foul on the shot.
wondahbap says
Joe,
We got lucky? Luck?
You can’t be serious.
Ryan says
Now lets give the Crabs their first lost at home on Sunday.
Joel says
291
“Tough” luck for them huh?
Tony says
amazing game, i can finally tell my heart to stop pounding so hard
hertagnism says
I was just satisfied with how the Lakers played tonight, win or loss.
Okay I lied.
I’m a bit more satisfied with the win.
Pau is coming up big after all those Kobe jumpers late in the game. You could tell he was fatigued. He had no lift on those shots. To win this game with a fatigued Kobe was huge.
Pau! Pau! Pau! Remember the Xmas game it was Pau and his crunch time defense that won that game for us. And it happened again tonight.
Mimsy says
I am now very happy.
For trash-talking purposes, it doesn’t matter why we won. What matters is that they lost, against a team that was missing an important starter and couldn’t make free-throws to save their lives.
At least Garnett fouled out. It would have been even worse to not have an excuse.
T34 says
How any fan would want a foul call on that last Allen 3 is beyond me. No call 100% of the time.
Great game by our guys, Pau is a new man. Absolutely great to see.
So since we were supposed to use no Bynum as an excuse, what’s the Celtics fans excuse? No Scalabrini?
Craig W. says
Now I want to hear the Celtic bloggers come over and try to lord it over us. Yeah!!!
R says
“Celts Nation wrote on February 5, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Suffice to say we’ve all been waiting for this game since Christmas. Personally, I’m bummed that Bynum isn’t playing – it gives the Lakers a ready made excuse.
That said, it’s always great to see Boston beat LA, as will happen tonight. Laker fans watch out for Big Baby Davis’ new and improved jumper!” < — riiight!
magic says
another bonus to this win, we broke their streak again! i love it. love my lakers.
Wagner says
Joe, please admit already you’re a Celtic fan. We won’t think any worse of you than most people here already do.
Adrian says
We didn’t get lucky.. It’s a PURE win.. KG fouling out just evened out the situation due to the fact that we’re missing drew down low..
Joe says
Ok. I WILL admit this team really proved to me that they DO have some “toughness”! No Bynum, missed free throws all night, gave up offensive boards, Kobe had an off night, and on a back to back night, we somehow managed to get a win…I have to admit, thats impressive. Ok so come on, rub it in my face lol
magiclover says
Gee, that was fun.Don’t think the Celtics have as much talent as last year.And we have more.Refs sucked as usual.
m_mattimeo says
Odom with HUGE free throws late. About time somebody got em both haha. Oh man I’m pumped, a few chokes in OT but very clutch.
Kev says
Fish did foul him, but I’ll take it lol. I can’t believe the refs had the balls to call KG for his 6th foul, good job.
Joel says
305
To be fair, the Celtics were also missing a key player in Brian Scalabrine, as Doug Collins pointed out… 🙂
fanerman says
Just imagine how big that win would have been if we were a tough team!
emh101 says
Pau really gained his confidence against Boston the last few minutes of that Christmas Day game. He played great and confident tonight.
j. d. hastings says
Wow. OMG, if any boston fan seriously believes Allen was fouled, they are delusional. Pau wasn’t within a foot of him and Fisher didn’t contact him half as much as Kobe was constantly by everybody and backed off as the shot went up. Second time this season we beat the celtics with help from a timely Pau block of a 3 point shot.
Let’s be serious- The Lakers had more excuses to lose than justifications to win this. They won despite Kobe giving out after hitting some clutch 3s to get us into OT. That is huge. He needed 29 shots to get 26. I don’t care how much you want to slobber over Paul Pierce’s defense, that’s not typical. But Pau and Odom stepped up to take the reins (did anybody else score in OT?).
I call that hard. Diamond hard.
Wagner says
“Toughness” eh? Guess the whole Laker team has to cannibalize a single Celtic each before they even sniff the word “tough” in their own vocabulary.
Please. This is getting old already.
Adrian says
Aww c’mon.. Not this “toughness” issue again..
Change topic..
I mentioned a while ago that i’m listening to a boston broadcast.. now they’re saying that the celtics don’t look like the real celtics.. crap..
exhelodrvr says
Kurt – “Bottom line, we don’t win that game last season.”
Absolutely – and this was without much from Ariza, who I suspect is still suffering from the effects of the concussion.
wiseolgoat says
anyone know why ariza wasn’t on the floor but luke was? I hope it’s not another concussion from that charge he tried to take on pp…
Craig W. says
Most of the comments on the Celtics blogs is about the officials. Why can’t those people come up with something original? The is always, always their excuse.
Maybe they just got beat.
Joe says
Yea if the Lakers were a tough team they would have won by 20…ashame lmao!!!!
P. Ami says
Where are the Celtic trolls?
Andres says
No way is that a foul…especially at the end of the game. Come on Celtics fan.
Craig W. says
Gutless Celtic fans!!!
Wagner says
317. There was one amongst us all this time. I guess you already know who he is.
rhybread says
I give it a few days before Celt’s Nation makes his next comment.
DB says
Man what a win. How did we do it? Terrible free throw shooting, Sasha & Trevor couldn’t throw a pea in the Pacific, and for some reason we kept forcing jumpers after KG fouled out. But we didn’t back down an inch all night long. Matched those guys hit for hit–amazing. I am so proud of the Lakers tonight.
Craig W. says
We snapped the two longest win streaks in the NBA this year — and they were both against the Celtics. Now that is poetic justice.
wondahbap says
They tried to intimidate, but it couldn’t work.
It didn’t work when we played the 5th game in 7 days, IN Boston, in overtime.
Wagner says
And yeah, no way that was a foul. TNT even ran a replay of that last play… Pau’s hands were NOWHERE near Allen’s hands, or heck even the ball, when the shot was chucked up.
So he landed on Allen afterwards… he was looking backwards at the shot!! What did they expect him to do, teleport? Man..
T34 says
I would love to know what was said between Garnett/Lamar, and Rondo/Kobe.
Also, thank you Kevin Garnett for being such a dirtbag that you even managed to make Lamar Odom angry.
What a fire he lit under L.O., absolutely love it.
Gr8 Scott says
What a finish!! We are now in their heads!! Celts Nation – enjoy the cold ride home!!1
Adrian says
“Joe, Toughness Personified”
That’s a compliment..
I salute you man for coming into this blog and standing up for your team..
Your “toughness aura” will certainly get to a higher level if you’ll admit that you’re a celtics fan..
emh101 says
The Celtic fans are saying the foul occured before the shot. They say that Fisher fouled him.
Anonymous says
Does anyone know why Ariza didn’t play the 4th quarter and OT?
Joe says
You talking about me Wagner? Hey I always root for the Lakers, but I wasnt gonna give them all the props that you guys do until they could prove to me that they were more than a team that was just loaded with talent. They turned my mind around a little bit tonight. Now I am not saying they have to beat the Cavs to but, I at least wantto see them put up another great effort.
Craig W. says
When you live by the tough it is only right that you die by the tough!
A-Town says
Complaining about the refs is pathetic…Pierce did the same thing to Kobe when he had to force up an ugly jumpshot a 2 possessions before. Was it a foul? Probably in most circumstances…but not there and that is not an excuse for a loss…
At least I got my wish: Boston fans left the arena pissed off!!
Gr8 Scott says
Joe – I’m glad that it took this kind of win for you to realize that we can contend without Bynum and we can beat the Cs! I’m not going to rub it in – but just stay positive, this team has more surprises yet to come.
G1 says
Golly, I wish we would have won that game.
…OH WAIT
j. d. hastings says
Fisher did not contact Allen any more than the Celtics body up anybody themselves on defense on any given possession. Theyre stretching. They want to answer for the extra possession the Celts got in OT when the ball went off Davis’s hands but they gave it back to the Green? They didn’t get anything from it, but it was a bad call. Or go look at the 24 second violation at the end of regulation. Ray Allen reaches in on Pau with both hands. He lunges in from like 4 feet away.
Kobe shot 4 fts on 29 shots- but seriously the fix was in for the lakers.
Yeah.
Worthy J. says
323. and 324.
Yes and YES.
The Celtics might act tough but if you don’t back down, they just get whiny and start breaking down. They can dish it but they can’t handle it.
The fact that both of the wins ended their streaks makes this even sweeter. Here’s hoping that the Celtics go on another losing streak now.
wondahbap says
Craig. W,
Joe may very well be a new Laker fan. Either way, he’s just not a person who knows anything.
I thought we all agreed to ignore trolls?
Gr8 Scott says
Wore my purple Kobe MVP shirt underneath the business attire all day for good luck and wow was that great. I know it’s only the regular season, but what a win.
One question – does anyone else wish the Finals were 2-2-1-1-1? 2-3-2 needs to go.
hansoulfood says
I hate Celtics.
I hate Paul Pierce and how he plays and everything he stands for. It’s disgusting that nearly 80% of the time he’s playing, he’s trying to get the call by whipping his arms and flinging it’s head. This guy does not even play basketball anymore, he’s playing the whistles….and as a basketball fan…it’s atrocious.
I hate Rondo now. Before, he was the only guy I didn’t hate, but after messing with Kobe, you’re an enemy of the state.
HUGE WIN for the Lakers. We overcome three things with this win:
-The extremely free throw shooting. We can’t always win like this.
-The refs payrolled by the Celtics (or just that one that keeps calling ticky tac fouls on one side and not the other). Ya I’m going to go there. Let’s put it this way: There’s homecourt advantage, and then there’s Celtic’s homecourt advantage. I’ve never seen the hometeam gets so many calls. This is why people think the game is rigged. (I do admit we got a way with a few in the end, but karma is a…you know.)
-No Bynum. How huge would Bynum be to enforce the paint tonight? Garnett and Perkins would’ve gotten destroyed. And let’s not forget the toughness he brought.
Might I add, Lakers did not play their best. Kobe did not play his best. And I think this team can do better against the Celtics.
kwame a. says
Alright. All the people who had their “LO never shows up” post typed and ready to post, please re-write the post and give the dude his props. Great second half from LO, and I love how he went hard at KG.
Walton-Great D on Pierce down the stretch!
Powell and Farmar-A big 12 points when they were needed.
Great effort
wondahbap says
Fouls were 24 us to 28 them, but it’s David Stern’s fault?
Joe says
And Craig, you can hate me about my beliefs and what you dont agree with, but how bout you try not judging someone who you dont even know. I have watched every Laker game this year despite my busy schedule. I have cheered heavily when they have won and have punched the wall plenty of times when they have lost, you got no idea what kind of fan I am so watch it when you want to judge people
Jonathan says
Besides the missed free throws, this is the most you can ask of a team on a travel back to back with 5 games in the last 7 days. Great WIN!
wondahbap says
Not to Kobe:
I understand your tired. I understand you hit great shots, but when your fatigued, you don’t have to take every 3 you mind fancies. It’s tired along with your body, ignore the impulse.
My heart can’t take it.
wondahbap says
**Note
wondahbap says
P.Ami,
They’re emailing David Stern.
Wagner says
Joe,
A lot of people here feel the same way you did in your last post (331), heck, we always rag and complain about the Lakers every now and then.
But aside from being the nitpicking fans that we are, we still find it in ourselves to actually enjoy the positives that our team has… something which apparently is strange and foreign to you.
I just can’t see how you are fan of any team with with that kind of attitude. Maybe you’re just weird? I don’t know.
j. d. hastings says
Wondahap- look at the bright side: Kobe now has tape of the shots not to take when Pierce guards him late in the games.
Joe says
And Wonda, just because I underestimated the Lakers doesnt mean I dont know anything, yea I aint a expert on the team, but I know more than you think. I just tend to be negative, just in my personality.
busterjonez says
Watching Kobe is simply amazing. We are truly blessed to be witnessing such greatness.
Powell is a godsend. His toughness and nastiness gives the Lakers an edge I haven’t seen in a long time.
Craig W. says
kwame a.,
Ok, I will give LO his props tonite – even tho I did a lot of “No, No, No, yes!”. You are right, I had a comment ready after the 1st half, but he really did come back in the 2nd half.
Props to you too!
Samy says
LO came through big and I agree with 332, Powell is a G…
We is on da quest now motha-f%$*s!
Wagner says
Props to Jeff at CelticBlog for putting the game recap in a way on how it really was. He’s about the only Celtic fan I respect right now.
Joe says
Wagner, maybe I just expect more out of this team than you do. Yea, I will admit I dont appreciate enough of how good of a team they are. I am a spoiled fan, but the point is, whether I am negative about the team or not, I root for them every night and have a passion for this team. If you want to complain that I expect too much out of them, then thats another story, but dont judgeme and say I aint a fan.
Zephid says
Extraordinary win, easily the best game of the entire season. Now for the notes…
1.) I loved, absolutely loved all the confrontations in the game. When Rondo shoved Kobe, Kobe went right back at him with a “get the **** out of my face, kid” finger point. Then when KG got in Lamar’s face, Lamar didn’t back off an inch. Even Pau Gasol and Josh Powell didn’t put up with Big Baby’s and Perkins’ crap. This team just showed a truckload of heart; they really deserved this win.
2.) Right when we needed him, Lamar showed up huge. It was right after he got into an “eye dance” with KG that Lamar got hot. He made a couple threes, took it to the hole, drew a couple fouls on KG, and capped it all off with 2 super-clutch free throws at the end of the game.
3.) Our bench played a rather uninspired game. Excluding 22 good, hard minutes from Josh Powell and 4 good minutes from Farmar in the 4th quarter, our bench just did not bring it.
4.) Yes, Luke had a ticky tack foul on Pierce at the end of the 4th, but he also played some great defense in the overtime. Pierce always throws back his head whenever he gets contact, but Luke was able to back off him enough so that Pierce wasn’t getting foul calls, and then Pierce couldn’t readjust and make the shots.
5.) Sun Yue looked really good in his suit.
Best win of the entire season, by far. Our team met all the Celtics crap and threw it back in their faces. Anyone who ever claims the Lakers are not tough need to re-watch this game. And no one is ever, ever allowed to say that Pau is soft ever again. The way he was screaming out “let’s go!” as he ran back up the court, the way he and Lamar went at KG, Perkins, Powe, and Davis, and the two huge blocks at the end of the game, MVP of the game goes to Pau Gasol.
Craig W. says
The Celtic fans really punished the Laker fans last year, when we lost both games to them. This year we took the games and I think that we are better this year than last and they may not be, but I won’t make the mistake of saying the Celtics are road kill.
They are one of the best teams in the NBA and will be a worthy opponent for anyone in the playoffs.
It is just that WE WON TONIGHT!
LJ says
It was hard for my heart, but at the end was worthy.
There’s something though that troubles me, Gasol’s minutes since AB got injured are over 41 min/game; not so sure about him being able to deal whith that kind of playing time.
Joe says
I am also from the Philly area. Thats where I get the negativity from, Philly fans are really negative.
S.Nicholson says
To win this game, without Bynum, in Boston, on the 5th road game over 7 days, on the second of back to back games, in overtime, after missing all those free throws, is just amazing!
It’s great to snap another Celtic streak! Let’s just hope it has the same affect as last time.
This Lakers team is on a mission!
Now it’s time to go break another streak on Sunday and keep the best record!
Aqzi says
Interesting side note-we stopped the Celtics without stopping (at least statistically) Rajon Rondo. 7/16, 16 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists.
Usually the blueprint for beating the Celts is force Rondo to make turnovers and take them away from their offense-he finished with 2 turnovers (Pierce had 5) . Once again, great sagging defense by Kobe, but there were a couple easy layups by Rondo or created by him.
j. d. hastings says
Still want to know what happened with Ariza…
Wait wait- think about this- we won a game where Luke Walton was guarding Paul Pierce in extended crunch time minutes!
Kev says
I may be wrong here but I think Kobe shooting long range shots was an adjustment by Phil. In the first half the Celtics were running out and getting easy baskets when Kobe would drive in and miss. Notice that the Celtics were not fastbreaking in the second half because because the Laker guards were getting back. I do agree that when the Celtics big men Perkins/Garnett got in foul trouble the Lakers should have drove to the rim more though.
wondahbap says
Joe,
I feel you underestimate the Lakers because you don’t know them. You say you know more, well enlighten us. Because all we read is recycled rhetoric. You say we’re not tough. You say if we are tough we’d win 70 games. You doubt them every game. But yet, you say you watch every game?
If you did, then it shouldn’t surprise you.
If in fact you have this knowledge, the please enlighten us. So far, we get nothing but negative rehashes of played out story lines.
We all want the Chip, but unlike you, we take positives and see the potential in them as to why we will win. You look for reason why we can’t. You’re a sadist. Not a fan.
Wagner says
Nice one wondah. What I couldn’t the proper words for, you filled in for admirably. +100.
R.J. Abeytia says
There are wins, and there are WINS. This was the latter.
Crucial sequence, under nine in the thrid quarter, Kobe Rondo double technicals, you could see the Lakers toughening up in front of our very eyes. the difference: Boston got the Lakers angry, the Lakers got Boston frustrated. Huge mental leap for the Lakers, to say nothing of win number 5 on the road trip, another win on the back to backs, and a season sweep of Boston. No trophies dished out in February of course, but still:
Yeahhhhh!!!!!!
theshmoes says
fantastic win. the lakers are best when they have a chip on their shoulder and angry. (Lamar Odom, specifically. someone should pee in his cereal before every game. jk.. sorta)
Anonymous says
i love how the celts fans were saying if they won this game the laker fans would use “not having bynum” as an excuse to why we lost
and now they use the run of the mill excuse that the reffing was rigged… right.
and its not like foul calls helped us any since we shot so poorly from the FT line
Anonymous says
Wondahbap,
BITE ME!
Zephid says
Ariza played a horrible game. He couldn’t make a shot to save his life, he had a couple very bad decisions driving to the hole, and he committed several stupid fouls on Pierce over the course of the game. It is amazing to say that Luke Walton did a far better defensive job than Trevor Ariza, but it is true.
And yes, Kobe almost shot us out of the game at the end. I hate it, absolutely hate it, when we go to the Kobe isolation play at the end of games. When we run the PNR with Gasol, then flash Odom to the high post, good things happen. Yes, the C’s read it a couple times, but Kobe has four options on that play: He can either hit Gasol on the roll, give to Lamar at the free throw line, throw it across the court to Fisher, or rise and fire. Either way, I’ve always seen that play being much more effective than Kobe isolation on the wing. It gives us better movement, better rebounding position, better percentage shots, and better spacing. Whereas Kobe isolation gives us no movement, horrible rebounding position, a Kobe-low-percentage jumper, and no spacing on the weak side. I can’t see how PJ can let Kobe call that play.
Kurt says
If somebody writes something you find annoying, just move on. This debate is about to evolve into how to be a proper fan, which is about as easy to pin down as religion or politics.
Wagner says
Stern is a Laker fan? It’s funny what some people come with sometimes. XD
Celtic Nation says
I hate myself.
wondahbap says
Kurt,
Fair enough. My apologies.
cinz says
i like that kobe didnt back down from rondo.
powell didnt back down from forget who it was (have i mentioned just how much i love powell)
and lamar didnt back down from kg.
lamar really was great tonight, for all his not so smart plays he finally got it right, even if he goes back to his old LO self ill still love him for this one.
and the clutch 2 blocks 1 on big baby and then the other on allen.
now gotta end the cavs record, 5 down 1 more to go. can we go 6-0 on this road trip?! not to mention not having drew for more then half the trip!
cinz says
* meant to say the 2 clutch blocks by pau, haha
wondahbap says
Zephid,
I agree. I didn’t like his shot selection down the stretch either. Even the ones he hit, but thank God, he’s Kobe.
If he didn’t have the legs to drive to the basket, when there was space to, then he should have made an effort to move the ball. Especially with Big Baby out there. The Celtics just didn’t have the people out there to buckle down and close off the lane and take away our ability to pass.
Some Guy in San Diego says
Zephid..
Love the comment on the last plays. We needed to do that two years ago.. not anymore. Run the offense and good things happen.
Celtic Nation.. props to you for manning up! But your team’s in trouble… big trouble!!!
chris h says
it was powe that powell got into it with.
I actually wanted powell to match up against powe tonight, (read about 300 comments up) but even if he really didn’t outplay or neutralize him, he did come out of it OK, and better prepared for June.
we are going to need powell down the stretch.
Yusuf says
Overtime game on the 5th game in 7 days? Think the Lakers are goin to enjoy the two days off?
Loved the way we gutted this one out.
Tremble says
Wow wondahbap, nicely constructed words.
Anonymous says
Why are the Celtics in trouble…oh wait, wait….big trouble? They lost to a great Laker team. They still are the best team in the East.
Ben says
Interesting DNP-CD on Vlad. I guess he’s more of a defensive liability than Luke on Pierce. Still, surprising that Phil didn’t even give him spot minutes. Is this a sign of things to come, or should we consider this an aberration caused by matchup issues?
lolsaangkeleesr says
Time to keep the race for the best record in the East even.
Yusuf says
The Lakers DONT BACKDOWN!!!!!
magic says
I still can’t believe it. That was simply an amazing game. I agree that this is just one game, one win in a long season, but I definitely disagree about it not meaning anything.
That win was great and the affects are definitely positive and will help the team and of course myself to feel proud and happy.
Other effects of this seemingly insignificant win:
1. YES WE CAN: builds confidence in that we showed we can play great d for nearly the whole 48 minutes against “tough” teams without Bynum.
2. WE ARE BETTER THAN TONIGHT: proves we can do a lot better considering the bad free throws, kobe having a not so great game, the whole team fatigued from 5 in 7 days in a back to back on the road.
3. TOUGH: we took it to them and never backed down, kobe v rondo, lamar v garnett, powell v powe/perkins. no one to push around.
4. BREAKING OF THE LEPERS: beating the lepers and breaking all the hearts in the garden in the last minute. breaking their streak. now we wait to see what kind of trauma effect they suffer. will they go on another losing streak?
5. LAMAR: just got himself many more fans tonight from all those (fans and players alike) who can’t stand KG’s trash talking and bullying. making all laker fans and odom critics happy with the clutch 2 for 2 fts.
6. BELIEVE: plus all the little things that everyone contributed helping the team believe in themselves and continue to improve and realize the championship.
I love it.
Anonymous says
Nice to see the Celtic Anonymous hasn’t lost his spirit yet. I respect that.
emh101 says
I hope the Lakers take this energy and confidence into Cleveland and come out with a win.
j. d. hastings says
You aren’t a real laker fan unless you’ve had their logo tatooed to the bottom of your tongue, where nobody can see it, but it colors everything you say.
Goo says
Here’s hoping the Lakers can feast on some King Crab Legs and pull off a 6-0 road trip
CavsCat says
Alright, Lakers get ready to meet the beasts of the East!
chibi says
#389 yeah, it was great to see Odom get under KG’s skin.
j. d. hastings says
If the Lakers beat Cleveland tha would be the ultimate statment. The team looks exhausted right now. They still haven’t had time to adequately absorb the Bynum news with some normalizing practice sessions. If they could tie the franchise high sweep of a road trip (if memory serves) in this state, it would be nothing short of amazing.
Worthy J. says
374. I agree that Kobe iso at the end is sometimes frustrating, but the thing is, the triangle and alot of the things we run just aren’t very dependable in the last 2 minutes of the game. I forgot who said it but the triangle is a 3 quarter offense. We all saw how hard it was for us to get a decent shot of in the Bobcats game with Kobe out. When we do try to force it, often times it ends up in a to and we can’t afford that at the end of games.
The Kobe iso is something that we can always get, has a low chance for a turnover, and puts the fate of the team on the best player on the court.
sT says
Wasn’t that just a fun game to watch, and the Lakers ended up winning in the end, great huh.
I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. – Stephen Leacock
P. Ami says
Anonymous,
My take, as currently constructed, the Cavs are better then the Lepers. I thought so before this game. I think we are going to have our hands full against LBJ with Bynum out. Bynum keeps Rondo from making those lay-ups and tear-drops but, as we have seen, it didn’t matter much. Bynum was huge in helping on LBJ and that man is a killer.
One of the big reasons the C’s are not as good as last year, teams have figured out they can get in KG’s head. Did anyone notice the Lakers let KG take his 18-20 ft jumpers with little contest? Dude is not clutch. He is a bully and you know the saying about that type. LO and Pau did what they needed to and after that KG was a lesser factor.
I believe Joe is a real fan and loves the Lakers. I just want to lay down some advise. We can all handle negativity if you back it up with some substance. Think about what you want to say. Comment on specific plays or a trend you have noticed. Try to challenge your own point before you even type it out. Let your idea breath. We have all been in the situation where our gut told us something and when we put our mind to it we found there was something lacking. Then there are times when our gut points us in the right direction. I often go weeks without commenting because I have nothing to add. You might want to step away from the keyboard champ. Sit some of these threads and see if watching the game helps you figure it out a little.
Damn you Goo, I literally hit submit on Turiaf only to find you beat me to him.
Redd, Drew, Wallace, Bogut, Brand, Nelson.. this game is freakin brutal.
magic says
Love these quotes:
Gasol – “Nobody backed down,” he added. “We were as physical as anybody.”
BCH says
Anyone else notice how the officiating tightened after the Kobe/Rondo double technicals? I thought it worked in our favor because Boston is so much more physical than we are, we were able to pick up a few quick fouls on them and it forces the Celts to back off a little. Possibly an advantage come playoffs?
magic says
Kevin Garnett banged his fist on the table in agreement, and then interjected a reminder that seemed to be intended for the locker room across the hall: “We’re the champs, man.”
“Coming down the streets, staying at the same hotel, I was up last night thinking about the game — wondering how my teammates would respond. It all came back,” Bryant said. “Enough is enough. We were able to match their physical play.”
Gr8 Scott says
Still in awe.
MannyP13 says
Great game! But I think the officiating needs to be tuned up a bit. Lots of inconsistency. Sometimes they called repeated “ticky-tack” fouls (as Reggier Miller said), and others they don’t call any “hard fouls.” Go figure.
Also, I did not get the double T when Josh Powell got tied up. If he is not the instigator, then why T-him up? Makes no sense.
The Dude Abides says
397-Mr. Worthy…I agree with you about the triangle down the stretch, but we’re not saying we want them to run the triangle. The pick and roll with Pau (or pick and pop) is a much better option than a Kobe iso resulting in a contested jumper. Pau has proven himself to be clutch down the stretch, so why not work the Kobe-Pau devastating combo when it counts?
JD says
Great win. You could tell the guys were a bit gassed in overtime, yet they still found a way to pull it off. Gotta hit the free throws with more consistency, but I’ll take the W any way possible especially against the C’s.
chibi says
when kobe started taking those long jumpers, the celtics never really got their transition game going again. is there a correlation? i remember van gundy or fratello doing that to slow games down.
Matt M. says
Interesting note…Kobe was a -3 for the game, all other starters in the positive. That says even more about what a gutty win this one was…
Travis Y. says
Wow… what a game! I know it’s raining here in LA but man it sure looks clear from where I’m standing.
We struggled with some mental lapses which led to turnovers and missed defensive rotations (House and Allen) but we had enough positives to carry us through this game. Odom started out slowly, didn’t quite have a feel for the game. He had two missed free throws and that turnover trying to force the pass to Kobe…Fast forward to the 4th and overtime and I am incredibly impressed. He had strong drives he defended well, AND he hit those two clutch free throws. Needless to say, he brought his A game tonight.
Pau was a beast. He still put up a few softies, but overall his effort on the defensive end was stellar. He boxed out and kept to the game plan of making them hit outside jumpers. His effort on offense was outstanding, that turnaround fade away on Baby Davis was Kobesque. I’m so proud of the way he played.
Kobe was Kobe… I wish the team would stop trying to force the pass to him when obviously the defense is catered to cheat on him. Make it a high percentage pass and not telegraph everything. The end game iso has been talked about and I agree, wish we could get something better than that. But he made up for his bad shot selection by playing tight D on PIerce.
One thing I noticed…Sasha is still struggling. He did hit that clutch 3 pointer to get us back into the game, but otherwise he didn’t look like the key bench player we are used to. I’m not sure if it’s the sprained ankle not being completely healed yet or what. But I’m hoping he gets his game back on.
Farmar was awesome, just the sparkplug we needed when Kobe and Pau were resting. Thank goodness he’s got confidence to step it up, b/c everyone else was hesitant. That’s the problem when both Kobe and Pau are out of the game.
Can’t say enough good things about the Lakers, so I’ll just leave it at this… way to man up tonight.
Chise says
@387: I don’t EVER want to see Radman on the court again. I cannot stand him and a DNP sounds just about right to me. Honestly, I’d rather have Powell or Sasha guard Pierce.
Anyhow, great win tonight. I love how LO and Gas came up big tonight. Kobe was Kobe (when it counted) but LO and Gas came up huge. Fish was great too, but LO and Gas really stepped up. I guess LO was watching the halftime show where Karl and Kenny were trashing him bigtime. Good for him. I am glad LO finally came up big in crunch time. Five wins, no losses on this roadtrip have me feeling pretty good right now.
1331 says
about odom…
he started the game by missing his first two FTs
and closed it with two super clutch FTs…
maybe odom is the two-face of basketball…
i just hope that against the cavs, the super two-face will show up.
GREAT WIN!!
Mimsy says
Kobe was right. We didn’t shoot free-throws well at all, his game was off all night, we were tired from playing in Toronto yesterday, and we are missing Bynum. We can play so much better than we did tonight.
Muahaha. Fear us, Cavs. Fear us.
MannyP13 says
DID SOMETHING HAPPEN TO ARIZA? I heard that the did not play the 4th (I was on the road) and I did not see him at all in OT.
Mimsy says
I’ve been googling Ariza since the game ended, and there is nothing released on him yet. He was knocked over and seemed to be in pain… I’m guessing he was out for that reason.
Reed says
While basking in the sweet afterglow of victory, I will kindly disagree with Kurt’s statement regarding the meaning of the game and join with Lazenby.
Psychology does matter in sports. A great deal. The mystery is that, because we are disconnected from the players, we can’t accurately identify when an influential swing in psyche has occurred or why. But the swings do occur and they do affect the outcome of games on the court.
Why did the Lakers get blown away in game 6 of the finals? Were they suddenly less talented than the team that blitzed the West or that hung tight with Boston the first 3 games? No – it was pure psychology. Boston broke their spirit in the game 4 comeback and that was that.
Why did LA destroy Toronto last January on the day they announced the Gasol trade – with no Drew and almost too few players to suit up? Psychology.
Why did Dallas lose 3 games in a row to an inferior Heat team (besides the refs…)? The pyschological burden of being up big in game 3 and blowing the win crushed them.
Why do Horry and Fisher consistently make clutch shots while more talented players (Christie, Malone, Peja, Nick Anderson, Bryon Russell) shrink? Psychology.
Why did the Celtics lose 7 games immediately after winning 19 in a row this year? Did they sustain an injury? No – it was the pyschological swing of falling from the top of the world to being beaten by bitter rivals on the public stage.
Now, the hand of psychology can only be accurately identified in hindsight, not predicted. LA might come out of this win overconfident and complacent, or confident and focused, or the same as before; Boston might get fired up and go on another win streak, or sustain another temporary fall, or neither. But, whatever happens, I think the psychological fallout of this game will be a factor. The players, coaches, even fans were heavy with desire, focus, and emotion. The result may not technically matter come May or June, but it will practically matter a great deal then – indeed this win might be a source of critical resolve in some critical future playoff test, when the players dig deep and realize they have faced adversity before and conquered. Odom may calmy approach key free throws, rather than nervously smile; Pau may embrace a crunch time post up, rather than expectantly look for Kobe.
A win is a win, but sometimes it is more. Tonight seemed to be one of those nights. LA will come out of this stronger and Boston weaker. I expect a swing of psyche for both.
specialM says
so sweet. so sweet.
I can only hope that this loss sends the celts into another tail spin.
I will sleep very well tonight.
magic says
Reed – spot on. Totally agree.
Multiple things factor into every game. Skill, talent, physical fitness/athleticism and psychology.
This game will go a long way to helping us in the Finals if we face the Lepers. The sweep also gives us home court advantage in a tie.
Great win.
JR says
Re: Psychology, I also think it crushed the Sun’s the year before the last after the Spurs’ loss. It was all about perception as well, the Sun’s were percieved to be the more talented team or at least as talented and it became all about the ‘system’ that was being run, a kind of idealogical battle. In retrospect though does anyone else think that in reality the Spurs’ just had better players?
I definitely think now that Manu, Timmy and Tony are the better three out of Shawn, Steve and Amare. I find it very sad that currently people have been dumping on Nash because of his two MVPs without remembering that that guy was the business. He made that team and whilst whether or not he should of won is debatable, its not debatable that he was at the very least a top candidate. He was amazing. Now Nash is slowing down I think we’re seeing how good he made that team look, so good that we thought they were far better than they were…
Kurt says
I think Ariza didn’t play late simply because he was clearly off and Walton was doing the job. You go with the hot hand in big games (or the playoffs) and it was not Ariza. Just one of those nights.
drrayeye says
I have a great deal to say, but this is not the time. For so many reasons this is an especially great win for the Lakers. Let’s enjoy it and think about it for awhile.
Darius says
So much has been said, I don’t have much to add. (after re-reading my comment, this is a lie.)
On a lot of levels I agree with Reed…players get up for games and when they win those games it matters. Whether or not those games affect the standings takes a back seat to how the players feel about themselves after. That’s why there are such things as moral victories and wins that really feel like losses…it’s all in how your mind deals with the outcome.
As for this game, I’m with Kwame: Odom came up huge. At halftime, I really wanted Odom to go into attack mode and he answered my prayers with his second half effort. He was active on both ends and his exchange with KG just took him to another level mentally. After that, you saw his focus narrow and he was doing (almost) everything right. Good on him. That’s my guy.
I also agree with Kurt. This was a win that only comes from the mentally tough, veteran team. I think back to the SA game that we lost on Fisher’s foul earlier this season and think this is the same exact type of game only there was no foul and/or made bucket at the end. Against the Spurs, we were down nine points in the 4th quarter and we battled back to take the lead. Against the Celtics, we fought the entire 4th quarter and battled on every possession. Sure, it took some Kobe heroics (that 3pointer that gave us the lead is an impossible shot..really, Pierce was right on his shooting hand). And sure we missed some FT’s and gave the ball away when we should have been more careful. But SO WHAT. We battled, came back, took the lead, and then in overtime made the plays. Soft teams don’t do that. Mentally weak teams don’t do that. If any national media member, any LA Times guy, any person on these boards plays the toughness card after a game like this, I really don’t know what team you’re referencing. Even if we would have lost this game, I would have been proud of the way we fought. I will sleep easy. Even though my fiance thinks I’m crazy for yelling at the TV for 3 hours tonight.
bruinsfan says
The talking heads will continue to pull the toughness card because that is their story line for our season.
As much as I hate on Walton, he played some good D on Pierce down the stretch.
LO is hands down the reason we won this game. It was really cool to see him get fired up and then go into attack mode. If we can find a way to get tonight’s LO consistently, watch out.
Kurt says
New post up.
MdT says
wow, that was something special again. wasnt mentioned so far, but we have the upper hand on the c´s now because we hold the tiebreaker in our hands (if the records are the same at the end of the regular season). we are tough and we can bang, no question about that anymore. light up odom and pau and bring in powell and then we cant be intimidated by those boston fatty-faces aka porkins, powe and davis.
i hope kobe takes a crap in lamars closet and pins a note saying: “best regards, the crab king!”, on it. just to make sure he will show the same attitude against the cavs. LO will be a hughe factor against them, he is the one who will have to bother james with his length and strength.
i am so pleased with this win and i am so proud. not to mention i am so glad i dont have to read about the lakers lacking toughness, heart and what not, …
jiiiie-haaa.
Yohim says
What a game… Pau wasn’t that brilliant in the regular time, but he was outstanding in the OT with that 2 crucial blocks (same he did on Christmas blocking Allen at the end)… just awesome!! and that 10-14 in FG was good too… i think Pau needs to shot more in the games… Kobe did 10-29… i think it’s very significative… anyways… we won… thats the main thing!
Lakers 2009 Champions!!!
robinred says
Have not read the thread yet.
I stopped by Celtics blog, and they are mostly complaining about the refs and Jeff Clark is lecturing Laker Fans who showed up on manners/banning them.
The outcome was satisfying, but the physical/play attitude–particularly on the 5th game in 7 days–is a nice, and perhaps more important, positive.