Lakers Borrow a Page from Boston’s Playbook in Game 1 Win

Friday, June 04, 2010

Mike Parente, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

The outcome didn’t surprise me as much as the road traveled by both teams.

You had to figure the Lakers would come out firing last night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals since, after all, they hadn’t lost a game at home in the postseason and were playing with a Texas-sized chip on their shoulders after getting wiped out by Boston in the Finals two years ago.

Still, it shouldn’t have been this easy.

The Celtics have been phenomenal on the road in the playoffs, yet it appears they forget their toughness at the baggage claim upon arriving in Los Angeles. The Lakers were far more aggressive on both sides of the ball. They attacked the rim offensively, crashed the boards on missed shots and played the same type of in-your-face defense the Celtics perfected en route to the Finals, which, in essence, is the equivalent of beating Boston at its own game.

Garnett

Kode Bryant and Kevin Garnett

Expect for a brief run in the second quarter in which they trimmed their deficit to two points, the Celtics offered little resistance to Los Angeles’ aggressiveness.

The Lakers were faster and stronger, and ultimately cruised to a 102-89 win to draw first blood in the 2010 Finals.

Some of the storylines emanating from Game 1 paint a disturbing picture for the Celtics as this series presses on. Drained knee and all, Andrew Bynum was a force underneath and Pau Gasol – considered too soft to bang heads with Boston’s big men – absolutely dominated in the paint, finishing with 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. While Bynum only played 28 minutes, his mere presence altered Boston’s game plan in the paint. This may turn out to be a key factor in this series, since Bynum’s absence in 2008 is still considered a major reason why the Lakers lost to Boston the first time around.

What should really worry the Celtics is how easily the Lakers attacked the basket. No wonder they shot 49 percent – every field goal was either a layup or a put-back from a miss. When they didn’t score, the Lakers were busy cleaning up the glass, out-rebounding Boston by an alarming 42-31 margin.

Unable to get stops defensively or rebound consistently, the Celtics couldn’t do what they do best, which is run the floor with Rajon Rondo controlling the ball. By no means is Rondo a mediocre point guard running a half-court set, but he’s much easier to contain under those circumstances. He benefits from chaos, and the players around him are better when he’s running wild on the break.

Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were equally ineffective. Garnett didn’t hit his first field goal until the 7:06 mark of the second quarter and Pierce shot an ugly 6-of-13 from the field (including 0-for-4 from 3-point range) while battling foul trouble – a reoccurring theme for the Celtics throughout the night.

And let’s not forget Kobe Bryant, who led all scorers with 30 points and scored 14 in the third quarter as the Lakers broke the game open. We already know he’s the best player on the floor, but the Celtics can still win this series as long as their “Big 3” is better than everyone else.

What the Lakers did last night is equivalent to the Miami Dolphins beating the Patriots in a blizzard or Alex Rodriguez driving in the winning run on a suicide squeeze. That wasn’t a finesse team on display in Game 1. The Lakers looked every bit like the gritty, aggressive team we expected Boston to be.

Was this a one-shot deal or the start of a reoccurring trend? Thanks to the NBA’s ridiculous scheduling, we won’t begin to find out until Sunday, but even if you still like the Celtics’ chances despite the outcome of Game 1, you have to be somewhat concerned about last night’s surprising role reversal.

These aren’t your kid brother’s Lakers. These actually looked like your father’s Lakers for a change – the tenacious, mid-‘80s Lakers, to be exact – and that’s a whole other can of worms for the Celtics to worry about.