Story of the first half: assist to turnover ratio. Celtics 8/8, Lakers 14/4.Story of the second half: assist to turnover ratio. Celtics 12/5, Lakers 7/4.
Big win. Big 2nd half for Paul. Troubling disappearance by KG in the 4th. Good game by Ray. Doc: Rondo is your point guard. Not Sam. Sam: pass before shoot. Definitely the best D the Lakers have seen so far in the playoffs. They shot 50% in the first half, just 25% in the 4th quarter. Kobe and Odom will both play better in game 2. But game 1 is a solid win. So. I won't be an insufferable bastard this weekend.
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8 comments:
I know I'm echoing what Van Gundy was saying but don't you think KG was settling for too many jump shots in the second half which weren't falling instead of taking Gasol to the hoop? He was playing a little off of him but Garnett is more than a step quicker than him.
What is the over/under for Mark Jackson saying "Magic Johnson was the best point guard ever"? I say 10. It's like he's working on commission.
I'm probably ripping off Bill Simmons by saying this but Doc seems to want to pull a Grady Little sometimes by leaving Cassell in for too long after his play is clearly hurting the team. I'm not remotely worried about how many minutes Rondo plays. The tv timeouts are so ridiculously long that Rondo should be playing at least 40 minutes a game.
Garnett's rebound dunk in the 4th had me on my coffee table despite being alone and sober. I love those cathartic baskets.
Well, isn't that the sometimes troubling reality of KG - that he's a jump shooter at heart? That's his game. He'd always rather be hitting that long two than setting up down on the block for a little hook or a McHale dipsy doo. But I agree. I'd love to see him posting up more doing that Hakeem Olajuwan triple fake thing. He should be destroying Gasol on the offensive end.
How is it that ABC has Magic doing analysis and not a former Celtic? Doesn't Magic work for the Lakers? What about getting Cousy up there?
I agree re Rondo. As odd as it sounds, the worst thing that could have happened was Sam going out there and hitting his first three shots. That validated Doc in his ridiculous point guard rotation ... "theory"? And it made Sam think he was 10 years younger and "in the zone". He promptly jacked up five misses without even trying to run the offense to KG or Ray and he got to stay in there way longer than he should have. 4 for 9 - big deal. Eddie could've done that. Rondo should be playing unless he has foul trouble or is playing particularly badly.
And Perk, if you do come back and get major minutes, please for the love of God, go straight up with your shots. Everyone in the world knows you're going down for one dribble and then back up. Go straight up quick. or if you have to bring it down, how about a pump fake once in a while. These Lakers have ridiculously long arms and are going to be blocking like crazy down there. Hopefully Perk will be back and effective though. He told Doc he could give him 60% after he came back. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would pussy out in the Finals. That ankle might be in trouble.
KG posterized that ninny Gasol.
I stood in my living room for at least 2/3 of the game. I had more adrenaline pumping through me than Paul Pierce's knee.
Does any bench player do more of what is asked of him than Leon Powe? In less than 10 minutes in the second half he had 4 rebounds (2 offensive)2 for 2 on the line and 1 for 1 from the field.
I love Leon.
I almost called you at halftime, dewy24, to have you talk me down from my paranoid delusion that Pierce (1 for 4 at the time) was throwing the series for his boyhood favorite team. Obviously paranoia since he's averaged 27 points a game against LA in his career and since he came out and torched them on a sprained knee in the third quarter. I was in a state.
It is funny that you say that because after seeing 4 replays of the Pierce/Perk collision when Paul went down with the knee I didn't see anything that looked bad and my thoughts turned dark. Although I was thinking that the Latin Kings told PP to throw throw the game. Ridiculous, of course, but this is how I think when stressed.
Latin Kings have plenty of presence in Massachusetts too. Ever been in the Springfield bus depot?
Doc feels Sam is some security blanket if Rondo struggles or the pressure gets to him in my opinion this is stupid and could prove to be a magor fuck up.
I agree KG needs post up more, Gasol is pussy and won't be able to control KG down low, having KG in low post will require Phil Jackson to shift his defense and might allow for better looks for PP& Ray.
Lamar Odom talks tough but Perk if healthy can shut him down provided he won't foul out in 2nd quarter.
Go Celts!
With Paul's limited mobility from the knee injury, he's going to need those open looks. Most of his scoring in the 2nd half was from outside shots or from the charity stripe, not from his trademark Pierce slashing, spinning, and banging down the lane.
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