Lakers demolish Celtics to force Game 7
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Before you say, “Well, I had them winning in seven anyway,” let’s put last night’s horrific events in proper perspective.
This is not the way you want your team heading into a winner-take-all seventh game on the road, not after getting out-hustled, out-worked, out-rebounded and out-manned from start to finish by a desperate opponent with nothing to lose.
For lack of a more sophisticated explanation, the Boston Celtics basically got their teeth knocked out last night in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center. This might go down as the worst beating in the city of Los Angeles since Rodney King took on the LAPD.
With a chance to wrap up their 18th world championship, the Celtics unraveled quickly in an 89-67 loss to the Lakers and, to make matters worse, might be shorthanded Thursday night in Game 7 after losing Kendrick Perkins to a knee injury in the first quarter. In a series in which post play has been so critical, not having Perkins for the most important game of the season could severely hamper Boston’s chances of winning the title.
The Celtics fell short in every statistical category. They got out-rebounded, 52-39, and literally got nothing out of their bench through the first three quarters (zero freakin’ points) until the game was well out of reach. The sad part is the Lakers didn’t even need Andrew Bynum, who was supposed to be the key to Los Angeles’ success. With Kobe Bryant (26 points) and Ron Artest (15) draining shots early and often, the Lakers raced out to a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter and a 20-point cushion at the half, allowing Bynum to rest his injured knee for most of the game, which should leave him fresh for Game 7.
Last night was a clear case of one team playing with more effort than the other, which should never happen when you’re one win away from a title. The Lakers needed it more, but the Celtics should’ve wanted it just as badly considering how predictable a Game 7 on the road can be – especially when you factor in how easily Los Angeles won the sixth game with its back against the wall.
After struggling in Game 5, Pau Gasol feasted on Boston’s defense once Perkins left the game, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. As for the effort – or lack thereof on Boston’s part – that could be seen throughout the night with the Lakers simply pushing harder for loose balls and attacking the basket on offense, whereas the Celtics played timid and just settled for shots.
This was nothing like the Boston team we saw in Game 5 – no battling for second-chance points or miracle shots by Rajon Rondo under the basket, just a sluggish effort in a game that should’ve demanded more from everyone who stepped onto the floor. The Celtics shot 56 percent from the floor in Sunday’s win and just 33 percent last night. They hit just five of their 23 3-point attempts and only got to the free-throw line 10 times. You can argue that the air left Boston’s balloon once Perkins got carried off the court – and the numbers would back up that claim – but that’s no excuse for what transpired the rest of the game. Adversity is supposed to bring out the best in a championship-caliber team, not the worst.
Boston’s bench, which came through swimmingly in Game 4, absolutely disappeared last night, and that’s a troubling sign knowing the Celtics will need all they can get if Perkins cannot play on Thursday. Rasheed Wallace was the first player off the bench when Perkins went down and he responded with his worst game of the series, finishing 0-for-7 from the floor, including 0-for-6 from 3-point range. Wallace might still think he’s a perimeter player, but he does the Celtics no good by hoisting up six threes at a time in which they need a low-post presence with Perkins out of the linuep.
The combination of Wallace, Tony Allen, Glen Davis and Nate Robinson got out-classed by Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic, who combined for 17 of the Lakers’ 25 point off the bench. The fact Sheldon Williams logged 14 minutes for Boston last night tells you all you need to know about the way this game unfolded.
What happens Thursday night remains to be seen. Game 7s are tough to call because they’re unlike any game you see during the regular season. This is everything you work for during the summer, which means all hands are on deck. Unlikely heroes are often born in games like this. Small-time players make huge impacts. Someone like Robinson for Boston or Jordan Farmar for Los Angeles could rise to the occasion. The sheer unpredictability of a winner-take-all finale is the main reason you don’t want to get that far if you have the opportunity to avoid such a nerve-wracking scenario.
Did the Lakers recapture the momentum by beating Boston handedly last night? Are the Celtics still the favorites knowing they can’t play much worse than they did in Game 6? Most of us thought this series would come down to the wire before it began, but I doubt anyone would’ve predicted such a terrible effort from Boston with a chance to choke the life out of Los Angeles’ season. That’s a major red flag. We’ll soon find out whether or not it was a precursor to an even uglier finish Thursday night.
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