LAKERS -at- CELTICS - 2/10 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

[DancingBarry]

Party Crashers... You hear voices again. Words from above registering somewhere in the sleepy dream state of your mind. Someone discusses going Pulp Fiction on your ass and jabbing a needle full of adrenaline into your heart.

Instead, they settle on slapping you silly. Smack... Smack... Smack...

"Wake the hell up!" rings a familiar voice deep within your head. You know that voice. It's Little Larry O'Brien.

Like a gunshot waking you in the middle of the night, you snap to. You gasp for air like it's your first breath in several minutes.

You expect to see people around you. Instead, there are none. You stare across an empty hospital room at the familiar glow of the Chosen One, Little Larry.

On the floor next to your bed is a shriveled up mylar balloon with a green clover on it. It looks as if it's been there for months. You read the attached card. It's from DancingBarry:

"The Four Horsemen were here. They crashed the party. Grab your stuff. The keys are under your pillow. It's time to get going.

I will continue to track them..."

They were celebrating early in Boston. Ray Allen had just tied and set a record for the most threes in a career. Boston had a double-digit lead. It was going to be a night to remember at the Lakers expense.

The two-time defending champs had something else in mind.

Wearing the gold jerseys and down 15 again brought back memories... Remember game 7? There's nothing like a comeback win over the Celtics.

The Lakers locked down to hold the Celtics to 15 points in the third and 18 in the fourth. They have flexed their defensive muscle in three straight wins on this roadtrip.

Kobe played a brilliant two-way game. He disrupted the Celtics offense with his roaming off Rondo. There was no domino effect on the D like last game when Phil tried to remove Artest from the equation and slide Kobe off the PG position.

Instead, Kobe helped pack the paint, rotate on help situations and keep the Celtics playing the donut offensive game that the Lakers have driven them to in the last two years. L.A. would win the battle of the paint 50-32 by keeping the Celtics out of there.

Offensively, Kobe played a measured game unlike last time. He involved his bigmen early and then closed the door late on the Celtics with several scores on way to the 92-86 victory -- the biggest win of the season.

Defense was the story in the two games against the Celtics this year. L.A. scored 96 against Boston the first time they played, 4 more points than tonight's game. If you don't get stops, you don't get rings.

Three down. New York is next.


Kobe -- -- He waved off the screen as the clock wound down. You know what he was thinking? No, this won't be your night, Ray Allen. Kobe went between his legs to his right, crossed Allen up by going between his legs back to his left again, he rose up and swished the 10-footer in the final minute. He then stared at the Boston crowd as he strolled back to the bench. Game over. No, this would not be Ray Allen's night. Unlike the previous game where we didn't run the offense, Kobe worked to get his teammates involved early. He then sliced and diced up the Celtics D in the second half. Kobe too old? Too slow? No, not yet. Same Kobe that took the ring last year. He just did it in a much more measured, team game tonight than the 41-point burst last time. Defensively, Kobe got the Rondo assignment and completely disrupted the Celtics. I'm not sure I've seen someone so in another player's head than Kobe is in Rondo's. He took away passing lanes and cuts by sagging off. Rondo bricked from outside. On the one time he tried attacking Kobe off the dribble, Kobe rejected him. Great two-way game from Kobe, some brilliant rotations and help. Keeping him on Rondo is critical as mentioned in the Boston recap previously. Tonight, Rajon led the Celtics with a team low -11. Even though he stole the night, Kobe had kind words for Ray afterward for his accomplishment. The Stats: He scored 23 points on 9-17 shooting (0-1 from three, 5-6 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in 38 minutes. He was a +12. The Action: He attacked off the three line and missed, but Drew cleaned it up. He hit Pau for a short jumper in the lane. He hit Pau off the two-man game for an 18-footer. Quick attack immediately off the pass and he scored a layup. He missed a wing jumper, trying to create something for a struggling offense. He attacked and set up Pau for FTs under the hoop. He worked off the Pau screens and pumped Wafer into the air for FTs, he made one. He had just 3 points on 1-3 shooting and 4 assists at the half. Second Half: He blew past Allen and hit an And-1 layup at the front of the rim, he made the FT. He iso'd and blew past Allen again for a layup next time down. He missed a wing jumper with the shotclock low. He was called for a travel after scoring a layup (seemed like a weak call, then he got a tech for his reaction). He recovered on Rondo and rejected him badly on a drive. He got Allen into foul trouble after 5 minutes. He posted up Wafer and hit the turnaround. He attacked, drew the D out of the lane, hit Pau, who then hit Drew for the slam. He missed a long wing jumper having to create with the shotclock low. He attacked Wafer, spun, kept going and banked an And-1 between a couple players, he made the FT. He attacked and missed a short one in the lane. He missed a long turnaround from the wing. He drew FTs off a backdoor lob attempt, he made both. He was called for a travel off a jumpstop, then pivot. He was then called for a push off foul trying to create a little space at high speed (Rondo kind of flopped). After a 7-minute rest to start the fourth, he backed down Allen and hit the turnaround. He popped out behind the weakside screen from Pau, took the pass and hit the open 17-footer. He froze Allen with a hesitation move and scored a layup. He missed a baseline turnaround. He attacked baseline, drew Baby and hit Pau for the layup. He missed a dagger three. He iso'd with the clock winding down, changed directions twice between the legs, elevated and hit the jumper.

Gasol -- -- He took a head to his jaw to go with that black eye. The more the guys taste blood, the better. They are digging in and fighting. Pau and Drew were a rebound away from both posting double-doubles. Surprisingly, you would think the size advantage would have allowed them to impose themselves on the offensive glass, but that wasn't a factor in this game for the two of them. Pau actually had more offensive boards in the last match up against the Celtics. They just played more principled ball on defense, challenged shots, boxed out and did their jobs. The Lakers won the points in the paint by keeping the Celtics out of there. Better challenges by Pau and not the good position for KG in this game, also. Offensively, Pau got more touches this game. They came mostly off the two-man game, but he did have a few post ups. They could have gone to him more, actually during some stretches. The Stats: He scored 20 points on 8-13 shooting (4-6 from the line) to go with 10 boards, 4 assists, 1 block and 4 fouls in 37 minutes. He was a +13. The Action: He swished a 12-footer off the Kobe bounce pass. He missed a long jumper. He drained an 18-footer off the two-man game with Kobe. He missed an elbow jumper with the clock low. He dunked when Fish found him alone at the rim. He was fouled on a turnaround with no call. He missed an 18-footer off the pick and pop. Rare low post touch and he kicked out to Shannon for a three. No box out and he gave up an offensive board. He was hacked on a score in the lane when Kobe found him with a bounce pass. He drew FTs on a Kobe drive and dish, he made both. Another rare low-post touch and he hit the running hook across the lane. He had 12 points on 5-9 shooting and 7 boards at the half. Second Half: He hit a turnaround in the lane over KG. He hit a high-arching bank from the wing. He found Bynum under the hoop for a dunk after Kobe kicked to him. He couldn't secure a defensive board and it led to a three. Perkins went over his back and Pau drew FTs, he made one FT. He drew FTs getting blocked out of bounds from behind by Wafer, he made just one again. He missed a short one in the paint, but Lamar tipped it in. He scored a layup off the drive and dish from Kobe.

Bynum -- -- "We came to play today, the guys inside. It made a difference," Bynum said. The rumors have swirled for days about Melo and the Lakers with Bynum being they key part of a deal. Regardless of public denials, all the questions, comments and buzz surrounding those rumors had to make their way to Drew on some level. More dramatic fans might even say Bynum was possibly playing for Laker career in this game. Heck, Phil said he'd like to wait and see how the team responds on this road trip before making any major moves. So that was the backdrop for Drew's game tonight. Pressure was on. He played aggressive, battled hard and anchored the defense. It wasn't a spectacular game, but he did seem to elevate his intensity. He worked for low position and did most of his scoring in the first half as we looked more to our post. He clogged up the paint defensively as we packed it in. When shooters had to be respected, he challenged. He and Lamar held down the fort bigtime when Phil sat Kobe and Pau for the first 7 minutes of the fourth. The Stats: He scored 16 points on 6-10 shooting (4-5 from the line) to go with 9 boards, 1 assist, 1 block, 4 turnovers and 2 fouls in 34 minutes. He was a +9. The Action: He tapped back in a Kobe missed drive. He was shoved out of bounds with no call. He bricked a jumphook badly in the middle of the lane. He dunked after Fish attacked baseline and lobbed to him. He hit an And-1 turnaround in the lane over Perkins, he missed the FT. He had an And-1 erased with a poor charge call (Bynum took the pass and wasn't given room to come down). Great recovery to reject Perkins out of bounds. He drew a foul getting held on the offensive glass, he made both FTs. He was blocked on a layup. He thought he was whistled for a phantom foul on a block on Perkins. He was called for three seconds not going up quickly on the entry pass. He hit a lefty jumphook on the left block. He was fouled trying to power up over KG, he made both FTs. He had 12 points on 4-6 shooting and 3 boards at the half. Second Half: Nice challenge on Allen's three to force a miss. He stripped Perkins on iso D. He slammed off the Kobe-to-Pau-to-Drew passing sequence that had the Celtics defense scrambling. He posted up off the double-screen play for Fish, took the pass and hit a 10-foot turnaround in the middle of the lane. He missed a jumphook on the right block. He stalled the offense with poor position and it led to a long miss from LAmar. He missed a 3-footer when Blake spotted him on the weakside.

Artest -- -- Oh, Twitter, athletes are why you exist. "Offense is overrated," Ron tweeted after the game. "I make your greatest players look like auntie Anna." The numbers Pierce put up tonight were more similar to the physical battle the two had during the playoffs. Yeah, Pierce had the flu, but did he in the Finals last year? Must have, right? Pierce scored 15 points on 6-15 shooting. No Luke on Pierce, no Kobe unless they had a rare switch...even then, guys were able to help off Rondo. Phil didn't sit Artest and the team was able to hold the line instead of folding up badly like they did in the second half last time they faced. Ron also came up with one of the bigger stops of the night, poking a ball away from Pierce from behind on a drive down the paint in crunch time. When the D won't collapse from Rondo or Pierce, we have more of these low-scoring defensive battles like we saw throughout the playoffs. He's been more disruptive defensively the last several games since all the trade rumors. The Stats: He scored 4 points on 2-6 shooting (0-2 from three, 0-1 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 2 fouls in 39 minutes. He was a +2. The Action: He missed a long wing jumper. He attacked in early offense, spun and had his layup goaltended. He had to take a foul on Perkins who was left alone under the hoop. He missed a three out of the timeout. Unforced turnover pass on the perimeter, right out of bounds. He overpowered Pierce on a drive off the handoff, he scored the And-1 layup and missed the FT. He drew a perimeter foul on Perkins fighting through a screen. He missed an open wing three. He was blocked on a layup from behind. He gave up a layup to Pierce on a final possession of the half. Second Half: He knocked a rebound away from KG. He collapsed the D in transition as Pierce went down and he hit Pau for FTs. Great reach from behind on Pierce's drive and he poked the ball away to get a stop.

Fisher -- -- Allen led the Celtics scoring with 20 and had the crowd in a chowderhead frenzy when he tied and set the NBA record for threes in a career. That was tough environment for Fish and the Lakers to dig in and overcome that early game surge from the Celtics. They weathered the first half storm and the wear by Kobe and the continued smart D from Fish brought Ray back down from his personal high. Offensively, some pretty good passing from Fish despite a near disaster turnover late in the game. You could see how well he understood some of the Celtics overplays when he set up a couple bigmen for scores after dribbling across the baselines in the first half. Very steady game in a hostile playoff, environment. That's what you hope to see with him in the playoffs. Of course, having to cross-match at the PG spot defensively makes Fish's abilities to stay on the court possible. The Stats: He scored 7 points on 2-6 shooting (1-2 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 1 board, 5 assists, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls in 31 minutes. He was a +13. The Action: He attacked baseline and lobbed to Drew for the dunk. He missed a teardrop in the lane. He missed a corner three. He attacked baseline and turned back around to hit Gasol for a dunk. His bounce pass on the two-man game was stolen for a dunk the other way. He was fouled attacking off the three line, he made both FTs. He attacked off the three line again and hit the hanging jumper in the lane. Second Half: He swished a three from the top of the arc to start the half. He missed a short jumper in the lane. He got lucky with a bad perimeter pass that was stolen, then thrown away (that could have cut it to 3 with 2 minutes left).

Lamar -- -- Pau with the black eye, Ron with the bloody lip and nose, now it was Lamar's turn. He and Pau collided, Pau's jaw, Lamar's forehead...Lamar got the worst of it with blood streaming from his forehead. Gary Vitti was back in the corner working like a cut man again. Early in the game, he was attacking crowds versus clean triangle spacing. Not terribly effective in that. He was one of the keys to the fourth quarter, however, as we rested both Pau and Kobe. Lamar had 6 points in that fourth, again making an impact in those first several minutes. The Lakers were able to rest Kobe and Pau for 7 minutes during that stretch (a little too long). Although we talk about the Bynum/Pau size advantage, Lamar was the guy who gave the Celtics more problems on the offensive glass. A few were off his own misses, sure, but he also got the Lakers some more legit second chances. He also had some great defensive rotations and saved a few hoops with shotblocks. Good job battling in the paint. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 4-12 shooting (1-2 from three, 1-2 from the line) to go with 12 boards (6 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover and 4 fouls in 24 minutes. He was a -8. The Action: He was stripped on a drive into traffic (bad spacing on the Tri). He was blocked on a putback, but hit on the follow. He didn't hit rim on a drive left. He forced another runner and missed. He rejected Davis on one end, pushed it out and was blocked on a layup. Second Half: He hit Kobe on a lob backdoor for FTs. He tipped in a Pau miss. He drained a wing three to start the fourth. He swatted Perkins from behind to save a hoop. He attacked the lane, took contact and drew FTs, he made one. He lost KG with a step toward the passer, before quickly spinning for the backdoor lob from Shannon. He missed a long three attempt with the shotclock about to expire. He stripped the ball away from KG under the hoop. Great hustle around KG to pull down a Kobe miss and reset the offense with a minute left.

Blake -- -- Blake and Brown had serious issues defensively last time we faced the Celtics. Blake seemed to pick up where he left off in the first half. He was involved in three And-1s and the Celtics were rolling. A couple were in scramble plays, but again one was to Rondo after giving up penetration. He hasn't learned that the same tight defense he plays against other points is not what you want against Rajon. In the second half, Phil changed things up. He put Shannon on Rondo as the first guard off the bench. He then had Blake defending the SG spot. That switch helped both guys. Blake played Allen strong and understood our defensive rules against him much better. Brown took care of the PG spot. Some very good defensive plays, including hitting the floor to fight for a loose ball. Offensively, Blake had a couple nice passes, but missed two pretty open shots. Got to make those. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-2 shooting (0-1 from three) to go with 3 boards, 2 assists and 3 fouls in 12 minutes. He was a -9. The Action: He missed an open corner three. He gave up an And-1 layup to Rondo, covering him too tight again. He fouled both Baby and Wafer for And-1 layups. Second Half: He and Lamar blocked a drive and Blake controlled it. He crashed the defensive glass to help his bigs, going to the floor to take it away from a Celtic. He biffed what looked like an easy layup off the glass. Tricky backdoor semi-lob pass to Shannon, who spun and then scored after coming down with it.

Brown -- -- A much more controlled game from Shannon. The offense cycled through options better versus early offense chucks from him. He did his damage mostly off the ball versus trying to create. That's what the team needs unless it's a low-clock, bail-out situation. We even saw some very good D, as well. Phil gave him the PG assignment since Blake and Fisher can't handle it. He gave them very good minutes in that match up. We even saw some Kobe/Shannon backcourt duo for extended minutes. Phil will make notes should they meet again. The Stats: He scored 12 points on 4-6 shooting (1-1 from three, 3-3 from the line) to go with 1 board, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers and 1 foul in 23 minutes. He was a -1. The Action: He coughed up the dribble, unforced in transition. He swished a wing three on a kickout from Pau. He was fouled on another three from the same spot, he made all three FTs. He was called for an offensive foul trying to create. He swiped the ball from a big on the perimeter and took it in for the pumping slam. Second Half: He traveled on an outlet pass to start the fourth. He tipped in a Bynum miss crashing the glass. He didn't draw iron on a quick-fire 22-footer. He lobbed to Lamar off the ball reversal and backdoor spin. He hit a short, one-handed turnaround off the backdoor pass from Blake. He missed a jumper with the shotclock low.

Walton -- -- Sure hoped we wouldn't have to see Luke in this one. The Celtics love when he's on the floor. They've feasted when he's out there. Phil limited it to just 2 minutes tonight. Luke managed to miss the open three the Celtics will let him shoot all day. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-1 shooting from three, had 1 offensive board and no fouls in 2 minutes. He was a -1. The Action: He missed an open sideline three. Second Half: Did not play.

Phil -- -- He wants to see how the team does on this 7-game roadie before making any moves. So far, they've responded. Still, Phil had a sports psychologist talk to the team about outside distractions before the game... In a pregame strategy video, the Lakers interspersed scenes from Lamar's fragrance with scenes from their last loss to the Celtics... He sat Pau for Lamar with 3:21 left in the first quarter, down by 3... Down 5, Phil sat Artest and Fisher for Blake and Brown... Allen hit his record breaking threes during the quarter, getting the Celtic fans into a frenzy... The Lakers trailed 27-20 after the first quarter... Phil opened the second quarter with a Pau, Lamar, Artest, Brown, Blake unit... Phil had to sit Blake who picked up 3 fouls (all And-1s)... They were down 12 when Kobe returned for Fish... Phil sat Ron for Luke and Shannon for Fish, down 12 midway through the quarter... With the Bynum, Pau, Kobe, Shannon, Fisher lineup as Pierce sat, the Lakers went on a 10-0 run to force a timeout... He brought in Artest for Pau and Lamar for Drew to run a small ball lineup when Pierce came back in at PF for a final possession... The Lakers trailed 53-45 at the half. The Lakers shot 44 percent (1-6 from three). The Celtics shot 51 percent (3-8 from three). The Lakers won the points in the paint 28-10 and second-chance points 10-2 at the half... The Lakers picked up where they left off and quickly took the lead on a 10-0 run in just under 2 minutes... They gave up a 7-0 run and trailed by 5... The Lakers went on another run to force a timeout after taking a 1-point lead. Kobe was much more aggressive in this quarter... Up by 2 with 3 minutes left, Phil went to Lamar for Bynum and Shannon for Fisher (slight modification with no Blake at PG)... The Lakers held the Celtics to just 15 points in the third. Well done... The Lakers led 72-68 heading into the fourth... Phil started a Bynum, Lamar, Artest, Brown, Blake unit. Phil put Blake on Allen... They extended to a 9-point lead... Out of a timeout, they executed a nice ball reverse and backdoor lob sequence to Lamar... The Celtics cut it back to 3... With the offense grinding to a halt, Phil kept the reserves in. Finally, the timeout came with 5 minutes left and the Lakers up by 3. Would Phil make a wholesale sub now in the middle of crunch time? How would they respond? He sat Shannon for Fisher, Brown for Kobe, and Bynum for Pau... Three stops followed by three makes from Kobe and they had a 9-point lead with 3:11 left. Excellent response... Too big a lead for the Celtics to overcome... The Celtics shot 13-43 and scored just 33 points in the second half. Lockdown...

[City_Dawg]

THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE LLLLLLAKESHOOOOOOOOOWW!!!!!
_________________
*sighs*

!...

[Cutheon]

second!!

THANKS

[Thugnomoe]

[Cutheon]

My night is complete now, haha.

[Bynum4MVP]

Great recap. Spot on analysis of the night's goings on.
_________________
Before Lamar trade: Lakers-57 wins (2011)
After Lamar Trade: Lakers 41 wins (2012)
Lol, people actually thought trading LO would be a GOOD thing

[Tanlentueux]

thanks

[A Mad Chinaman]

Big Thank You to DB!!

Glad to see what makes the Lakers special
* The Black Mamba
* Drew/Pau/LO
* Artest's "D"

I highly respect Emplay's views on "Melo" - however, a Melo/Pau/24 "Big Three" just makes us the third best "Big Three" behind the Heat and Celtics while eliminating what makes all teams fear the Lakersj.

Would a Melo/Pau/24 "Big Three" beat the Celtics on Thursday?

Would Melo shut down Pierce and/or outscore him?

[AceFresh]

Thanks Again DB!

I know we all express our appreciation for the work you do, but it's truly amazing.
Sometimes you're up late night/early morning doing these write ups and regardless of the outcome they're still written well. - And you've been doing this for years now.

Never seen such great in-depth analysis/commentary on any forum - truly remarkable DB & makes me appreciate this forum even more..
Thank you & great win!

On to the next one.

[mhan00]

excellent win. pau had a great game, but his best move of the night was slamming his chin into lamar's forehead. lamar was completely invisible prior to that, and after the head blow he returned to the excellent form he's had all season. maybe we've discovered a cure to lamar's inconsistency?

[BLP711]

Thanks DB!!

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

Thanks again DB!

So nice to see the Lakers dominate the Celtics in rebounding. I hope it stays that way.

Great win!!!

[thurloly]

Our bigs (Gasol, Bynum, Odom) with the best closer Kobe showed up to play tonight. That is the thing of basketball beauty.

Honor mention that Fisher, Brown, and Artest also did a solid job tonight.

[Arbitrary]

Best birthday gift (February 10) of the day!

[E=MC²]

Best win of the year and an impressive road trip so far!

[prisma8slg]

thanks DB.


I know it's only one of 82, but this was a big game. love that they were able to come back from being 15 down on the road
_________________
"I define success by championships, by winning..." Kobe Bryant

"I've seen it all. Sasha dunked on somebody," Kobe Bryant said. "I'm ready to retire now."

[Paillard]

[limchrc]

thanks

[Rick12322]

Thanks, DB. Much needed good times. The Laker's are going in the right direction, but they're not there yet. I hope they realize that and keep pressing toward the mark.

[Lakersneuron]

as always DB. I am waiting for Kobe to light it up in the Garden next.

[Klone_dd]

Can we now agree that the lightswitch is in the "ON" position?

Very satisfying game despite being down double digits in the 1st half. Much of that was due to the overwhelming emotion over RayRay. The Lakers dealt with it and responded in true championship form. Memo to the Chowds: LA has won 3 of the last 5 @ the Garden.

Love Kobe's measured game. It was like he was taking inventory all night. Get bigs involved early - check. Play off Rondo, disrupt Celts offense - check. Get aggressive in 3rd - check. Score, playmake, close game in 4th - check. Remind RayRay who's boss - check.

Didn't realize Fish was a +13. His 3 to start the 3rd was huge as was LO's to start the 4th. With Pau and Bynum playing big and RonRon being a clamp, hopefully the lightswitch stays in the on position until the end of June.

[GoldenThroat]

Nails as usual, DB. A couple of observations...

-I can't help but wonder if Barnes would turn our normal rebounding advantage over them into something that's almost insurmountable.

-They're an ideal matchup for us defensively, especially on the perimeter. If I had to describe the kind of player I'd like each of our starting 5 to guard, it would be as follows:

Kobe: Someone he can play center field against, and doesn't have to chase around screens. He's at his best when he's disrupting passing lanes.

Fisher: Someone who isn't going to beat him off of the dribble with quickness and athleticism. His best defensive attribute is his ability to navigate screens.

Artest: A wing scorer who relies on strength and guile in order to be effective, and someone that can't overwhelm him with exceptional athleticism.

Gasol: Someone that isn't going to physically push him around.

Bynum: Someone he doesn't have to guard away from the hoop, and someone he can help off of when we give up penetration.


I just described Boston's starting lineup. That's the one thing that rarely gets discussed when it comes to last year's series. When our backs were against the wall in Games 6 & 7, they just COULD NOT get good looks against us.

[lakerjoshua]

Kobe with the bald head and throwback jersey.........Almost thought it was 1996!!!! And loved every second of it

[DancingBarry]

[Purp and Yellow]

thank you!