Miami holds on to 88 - 86 win

Poked in the eye in the first quarter which resulted in a swollen eyelid, shooting horribly during the finals as he went 4-22 in Miami and 6 for 17 for most of the game and more importantly letting Dirk Nowitzki blow by him for the game 2 game winner, Chris Bosh had all the reasons to be written off in the 2011 NBA finals. But the beauty of basketball is that when the opportunity to turn it all around comes, you should grab it. Bosh sank the most important shot of the evening, a 16 foot baseline jumper with 39.6 seconds that proved to be the game winner and enough cushion to give the Miami Heat an 88 - 86 win over the Dallas Mavericks to take a 2 - 1 series lead in the 2011 NBA Finals.

Dwayne Wade is still the man in Miami

On the other hand, Dirk Nowitzki scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter including Dallas' last 12 points. Nowitzki scored the game winner with a left handed lay-up in Miami against Bosh and was squared to sink the game tying shot. But with a few adjustments Nowitzki turned from hero to goat as Miami learned its lesson by putting on Udonis Haslem on Nowitzki in the final seconds to give a better stand against Nowitzki as he was forced to take a difficult fade-away shot that missed.

Jason Terry had 15 points

The Heat vowed that they will be in attack mode and made that promise true as they capitalized on 14 Dallas turnovers by scoring 19 points off them and more importantly dominating the paint with a 40 - 22 margin with eight of them coming off dunk shots. Point guard Mario Chalmers was 4 of 6 from downtown and led the bench scoring with 12 points. Dallas played catch up most of the time as they needed an 11 - 2 run in the first half and another 17 - 3 run in the third quarter and another 6 -0 run in the last two minutes of the 4th quarter but eventually lost steam in the final minute as Miami found ways to finish them off in the last quarter.

Lebron on another dunk

Dwayned Wade continued where he left off as he scored 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Lebron James had 17 points and 9 assists including the pass to Bosh who nailed the game winner, Bosh had 18 points. Jason Terry had 15 points, Shawn Marion added 10 while Jason Kid had 9 points, 11 assists and 4 turnovers, the same number that Jose Barea had. The Miami defense has obviously stymied the high scoring Dallas offense as they gave them only spurts and limited them to an 88 point average, a far cry from their 105 ppg average against OKC and 102 ppg average against the Lakers.

Veteran battle

Statistics does not favor the Dallas Mavericks since the 11 times that the series was tied 1 - 1 going to game 3 of the finals, the winner of game three won the title 11 times. But then again stats can be proven wrong as the Mavericks are very much in the series with games 4 and 5 still to be played in the American Airlines Center. Braze yourselves for another epic game 4.

Dallas steals one in Miami

Wade misses the game winner as Mavs celebrate

Mario Chalmers scrambled under the basket and found a cutting Dwayne Wade who sank a three-pointer to give the Miami Heat a commanding 88 – 73 lead with 7 minutes and 14 second left in the fourth quarter of game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals. Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle sued for time and the Miami Heat with Lebron James and Dwayne Wade were fueling the crowd’s cheers as the Heat sense a commanding 2 – 0 lead in the series. But then again the celebration went way too early as the Mavericks uncorked a paralyzing 22 – 5 run that ended with a Dirk Nowitzki lay up to escape with a 95 – 93 win and even the series at one game apiece.

Lebron celebrates

Dejavu, that sums up the 2011 Playoffs for the Dallas Mavericks as their vaunted offense finally came to life in the last six minutes of the game with Jason Terry waking up from his game 1 nightmare to score eight points as he presided over an 8 – 0 run by the Mavs after Carlisle’s time out. The early celebration might have defocused the Heat as their offense suddenly sputtered as Wade, James, Bosh and Chalmers all missed their jumpers in that stretch which allowed the Mavericks to comeback. The Mavericks have been in this situation in the conference finals as they wiped out Oklahoma’s 15 point fourth quarter lead to win in overtime but this one tops it all.

Dwayne Wade was almost unstoppable

While Terry ignited the rally, Nowitzki finished off the Heat with his fourth quarter clutch shooting as he scored seven points in the last minute to give the Heat their first home loss in the play-offs which some say might be their last game in Miami. Nowitzki score off a jumper and a three pointer but none was bigger than his lay up with 3 seconds left to give the Mavs the victory. It was rumored that Nowitzki might have a hard time scoring since he tore the tendon in the top knuckle of this left finger late in game 1. But as they say heroes rise to the occasion as his winning shot was a left handed lay up over Chris Bosh.

Shawn Marion was all business

It was a sorry loss for the Heat moreso for Dwayne Wade who finally exploded as he led all scorers with 36 points with James adding 20, Mike Bibby scoring 14 and Bosh 12 points. Nowitzki’s 24 points were all hard earned and he got great support from Shawn Marion who scored 20 poinyts on 9 of 14 shooting. Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler scored 16 and 13 points respectively. As they say whenever a team wins on the road the series becomes a little more interesting which is what the next three games in Dallas will be.

Nowitzki's game winner

Miami wins Game 1

The Heat's tenacity is embodied in this Lebron dunk

The Dallas Mavericks are out to avenge their 2006 loss to the Miami Heat, unfortunately they started on the wrong foot. Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points but that was not enough for the Mavericks as the Eastern Conference Champions put a clamp on the rest of the Mavericks to escape an easy 92 -84 win at the America Airlines Arena. Lebron James led the Heat with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, one steal and only one turnover while Dwayne Wade who was the MVP of the 2006 NBA Finals was somewhat content on his supporting role but eventually reminded Nowitzki and Jason Terry what he can do by scoring 7 fourth quarter points. The Mavericks never recovered.

Jason Terry is the only other Mav from the 2006 cast

Prior to the game streaks were on hand and both teams were looking at what streak will end. Dallas has never lost a regular season game to the Heat since the 2006 finals. The Mavericks are on a 5 – 0 road streak while the Heat are the only team still unbeaten at home. As they say the importance of game one lies on the balance since 73% of teams that won the first game go on to win the title. At the same time 77% of teams with homecourt advantage in the finals eventually comes out as champions. The Heat have shown that they can win even wihtout that advantage since they bested the best team in the regular season in the Bulls. This is the first time in the playoffs that the Mavericks doesn’t enjoy the homecourt edge.

Chris Bosh quietly scored 19 points

The Mavericks and Heat battled toe to toe in the first half and when the Mavericks seized the opportunity to break the game open the Miami Big three would put the game beyond recall. Lebron James capped his remarkable four of five three point shooting with a buzzer beater that put the Heat up for good 65 -61 and used taht cushion to get the win. The Heat defense was so good that they limited the playoffs topscorer to just 39 % shooting. At the same time the Heat defense spelled the difference considering that the mavericks averaged close to a hundred a game but the Heat limited them to just 84 points.

Dwayne Wade is reprising his old role against the Mavs

The Mavericks reserves will star in the next magic show in Miami since most of their reserves made a disappearing act in game 1. Jason Terry scored 12 points but was 3 for 10 and his points barely mattered, Peja Stojakovic, Jose Barea and Brendan Haywood comb ined for five points. Nowitzki was adequate while Tyson Chandler had more fouls than rebounds. Miami actually shot poorly but found a way to win through their defense. The big three accounted for 70% of the Heat offense with key reserves Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller combining for 25 points. The Heat outrebounded the Mavs 46 – 35 and as Heat President Pat Riley said then, “No Rebounds, No Rings!” On to game 2.

Dirk kept the Mavs in the game with 27 points

NBA 2010 Finals: Purple Reign Part 2

In a game of wills, the team that is aching to get back at their tormentors made the more difference. The LA Lakers overcame a 13 point third quarter deficit to beat 83 – 79 the only team that has tormented their franchise consistently, the Boston Celtics. Kobe Bryant led a balanced attack by the Lakers as he scored 23 points and also had 15 rebounds. Pau Gasol churned in monstrous numbers as he added 19 points and 18 rebounds with 9 of those coming from the offensive end. The other game 7 hero is Ron Artest who sank a pivotal three pointer in the last minute to quell the last rally staged by the Celtics. Derek Fisher added another 10 points.

Celtic legend Bill Russel congratulates Kobe Bryant

The Celtics started the game like they were a team on a mission as the green team opened up a 23 -14 first quarter lead as the Lakers started the first quarter with a 22% shooting clip on 4 of 18 shooting from the field and 4 of 7 from the line. Kobe only scored 3 points in the first quarter which is usually your gauge if he will score tons of points. The Celtics still managed to hang on till they erected a 49 – 36 lead with 8 minutes and 23 remaining in the third quarter. The Lakers refused to give up as they uncorked a blistering 17 – 8 run that cut the Boston deficit to four 57 – 53 at the end of the third. Bryant, Gasol and Lamar Odom helped hands to cut that lead. In the fourth, the Lakers went to Bryant and Gasol to take the lead 66 -64 with 5:56 left in the game and the Lakers never looked back.

Artest's defense prevented Pierce from brining

back his 2008 heroics in this series

It was a sorry loss for the beantown team since a lot of firsts were registered in this loss. It was the first time the Celtics lost to the Lakers in a games 7. It was also the first time multi-titled coach Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant beat the Celtics in the finals. As Kobe Bryant said “How can I become the greatest Laker ever if I don’t beat the Celtics!” Now it can be said….and they can do it again next year.

Davis and Artest battle for a rebound

Good defense prevailed this time as the Celtics vaunted All-Stars shot poorly with Paul Pierce shooting 5 of 15, Rajon Rondo 6 of 13 and Ray Allen a disappointing 3 of 14. After his record breaking game 2 shooting spree he was never the same as he went 0 for 16 in Boston and 4 of 12 in the last two games at the Staples Center. He shot 36% in the 7 game series. It seems like since his numbers went down, Boston had no other weapon to go to outside. He was shut down by the Lakers defense. Talking about Lakers defense, the unsung hero in this series is Ron Artest who in a way limited Paul Pierce to numbers that he is not comfortable of. Yes Pierce was dominating in some games but not as spectacular as he was in 2008. Lastly, the Celtics failed to capitalize on the horrendous shooting of Kobe Bryant who went 6 of 24 in this game 7. Obviously the Celtics made it all the more difficult for Bryant to score so he found other ways by sinking 11 of 15 free throws, most of them in the pay off period.

Kobe does the worm dance

Three years ago Kobe Bryant was asking the LA Lakers to trade him to another team for he was unhappy with the LA Lakers. He felt that he doesn’t want to be a part of Lakers rebuilding process. Asked where he wanted to play he said he could even play in Pluto if need be. Luckily for the Lakers he stayed on and then the best thing happened, the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol and they went to the 2008 NBA Finals. We all know what happened in that series and this win is the culmination of that rebuilding process that the Lakers were trying to do. Like what they say, you can rebuild by being competitive. The Lakers have time and again traded for the big names and the ones who can contribute to the them winning a title. Remember your Lakers history – the acquisitions of Kareem Abdul –Jabbar from Milwaukee and Shaquile O’Neal from Orlando gave the Lakers 8 titles, Gasol is in the same boat as he has now contributed 2.

2nd Finals MVP for Kobe

Congratulations to the LA Lakers. Kobe Bryant was voted the Finals MVP and he deserves the accolade very much for he is the most consistent player in the finals as he averaged 28 pts per game, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. At the same time his scoring was somehow not that high because most of his shots were contested and the degree of difficulty on each shot taken was on the “highly difficult mode” but he converted most of them. Now the next thing in the minds of the Lakers after Revenge has been done – will the Purple Reign extend into a dynasty. See you next year.

Tears for Pierce and the Celts as they lose bigtime

Pau Gasol rattles off a pass to Shannon Brown and Brown elevates with his face almost in the ring dunks the ball. Paul Pierce drives to the hoop and his dribble was bothered by Sasha Vujacic, he eventually loses the ball and Lamar Odom gives a forward pass to Jordan Farmar who dunks the ball over a trailing Kevin Garnett. Sasha Vujacic sinks a three pointer and so does Ron Artest. Finally the supporting cast that Kobe Bryant was longing for when they were in Boston came alive as the Los Angeles Lakers returned to Hollywood with a morale boosting 89 - 67 win over the Boston Celtics which sets the stage for fourth game 7 battle between these two teams.

Kobe Bryant played his usual role

Reminiscent of game 1, the Celtics were literally outrebounded, outhustled, outworked by the younger Lakers who got a new lease of life. Led by the ever reliable Kobe Bryant, the Lakers played like a well oiled machine and took advantage of the many miscues by the Celtics. The Celtics were playing like kids and never knew what hit them. At one point, the Celtics were missing on point blank range shots with Glen Davis and Ray Allen missing a couple. The 67 points that the Celtics scored was their lowest output in this year’s play offs.

Three Lakers go for the ball

No one would have imagined that the always resilient Celtics would be blown away like this. Imagine Ron Artest who came to LA to provide a defensive presence outscored 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce 15 to 13. He was just doing it at both ends of the court. Artest was 3 out of 6 from beyond the arc. Another one providing the needed spark for the Lakers is Lamar Odom who scored 8 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, 2 block shots and one steal. Sasha Vujacic on the other hand rediscovered his shooting touch as he went 2 of 4 from three point range to score 9 points. The big revelation for the Lakers was Pau Gasol who resurfaced with a near triple double by scoring 19 points, 13 rebounds and a career high 9 assists. The Lakers coasted with the win after leading by as much as 27 points. Game 7 is now a reality.

Bynum Squeezed

Let’s give a little history and trivia here. The Celtics are gunning for # 18 while it’s going to be # 16 for the Lakers if ever. Boston lost by twenty points to Cleveland and Orlando and in each of those losses the Celtics rebounded with a big win. Phil Jackson has won 10 NBA Titles but this is the first time he will be coaching a game 7 finals game. The Celtics and Lakers have figured in 11 finals matches with the Celtics winning 9, on the other hand 4 of those went the distance with the Celtics coming out victorious in all four. If the Lakers win it this time this will be the first time the Lakers will win a game 7 against the Celtics. Not even the great Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson won a game 7 against the Celtics. History is on the side of the Celtics but momentum is on the side of the Lakers – the plot thickens. Who will win game 7? Lets get it on guys.

Farmar Hacked

Celtics take 3 - 2 lead with game 5 win

Now the real Boston Celtics are in town and they all came to play. After their second stringers helped them big time in their morale boosting Game 4 win, the Celtics relied on their All-stars to counter the incredible shooting of Kobe Bryant as they scored a 92 – 86 win against the Los Angeles Lakers and take control of the series for the first time with a 3 – 2 lead. Coming to the play-offs the Celtics who were seeded fourth in the East were not given a chance to make it to the finals, but now they are one win away of securing their 18^th title.

Pierce led the Celtics again

The first half was a prelude to the shoot-out that was about to ensue in the second half. The Lakers started the game missing their first six shots that the Celtics took advantage of by leading 6 – 0. Andrew Bynum returned and combined with Derek Fisher to take a 15 – 14 lead. Paul Pierce on the other hand countered by making shots that gave the Celts a 22 - 20 first quarter lead. Pierce then combined with Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo to put the Celtics on top after 24 minutes of action with a 45 – 39 advantage.

Kobe scored 23 straight points for the Lakers

The third quarter was a sight to behold as Kobe Bryant took on the entire Celtics team in a shoot-out that is one for the books. Paul Pierce scored 9 points, Kevin Garnett added 7 points while Ray Allen added another 6 points as these 22 points were matched by the Laker Superstar. Bryant scored on a jump shot, a fade away jump shot, a turn-around jumper, an almost botched alley hoop, two free throws and three three-pointers with one almost 3 feet away from the three point line. The fun part of it was that every time Bryant scores the degree of difficulty of his shots became harder and harder but he still nailed it. Unfortunately that was not enough to bring back the Lakers as his scoring was matched by the three Celtic superstars until Pau Gasol scored with 2:16 left in the quarter. Bryant scored 19 of the 26 Lakers 3^rd quarter points.

Tony Allen made good contributions

The Celtics fended off all tries by the Lakers to cut the lead as Bryant got more help from Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. Unfortunately the Celtices always had an answer for every spurt that the Lakers were trying to put up. The Lakers last stand came after Rajon Rondo scored on a put back after Paul Pierce missed on a three pointer. His put back put the Celtics on top 87 -75 with 3:56 to go in the game and the Celtics fans celebrating. After that , Bryant would score 5 points while Gasol and Artest would nail one free throw each as part of a 7 – 0 run for the Lakers to close the gap to 87-82.

Pierce crosses the logo

The Lakers had one final chance to move closer as Pierce fouled Ron Artest after Garnett lost out on a jump ball that created a fastbreak situation for the Lakers. Artest had a chance to cut the lead to three but muffed both free throws. After that miss, Pierce who was trying to break away for a fastbreak was fouled by Bryant and the Celtics sued for time. During the inbound play the Celtics almost turned the ball over but Pierce found Rondo dashing to the basket whom he hit with a pass and Rondo made the shot. That sequence killed the Lakers chances of turning the game around. This is the first time that the Lakers are trailing a team in a series. The Thunder and Suns equalized but lost out in Game 5 which the Lakers used to as a hinge to win their series. Now they are going back to LA needing two more wins. This time, the plot thickens once again. If game 5 is an indication, Game 6 will be another shootfest.

Celtics even series 2 - 2!

The 2010 NBA Finals is down to a best of three affair with no team wanting to blink. So far it has been a game of reactions as the Boston Celtics reacted to their game 3 loss by answering other matters that they lacked in game 3 -bench scoring. The Celtics bench outscored their counterparts to give the Celtics a complete team approach on the game as they came out on top again 96 -89 against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers to even the series to two games apiece.

Glen Davis ala Barkley move

Three Celtics superstars were defended well once again by the Lakers as Ray Allen missed all his 4 three point shots which makes him 0 - 12 at the Boston garden and 0 of 13 if you add his game 1 stats. He has been on a slump after his game 2 shooting clinic. Kevin Garnett shot 38% on the floor, a bad figure for a big man who instead of mixing it up inside is content to just shoot the jumper. Rajon Rondo on the other hand was not his persistent self as his court presence made another houdini act. So how did the Celtics win - the answer is Glen Davis and Nate Robinson.

The beasts celebrate

Time and again these two warriors has shown that they can make the big plays when given the opportunity. Glen Big Baby Davis scored 18 points in 22 minutes while Nate Robinson added 12 in 16 minutes of action. Those bench points were enough to stem the tide while the Lakers were resting their big guns. Unfortunately for them Andrew Bynum rested his knee after playing for only 12 minutes. That development made Davis run berserk as he was close to being an immovable unstoppable force beneath.

Ray Allen is still scoreless beyond the arc

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 points despite shooting 45% from the field and turned the ball over 7 times. Pau Gasol was his usual intimidating self as he scored 21 points after being held to 13 in game 3. The only problem for the Lakers was the third and fourth scorers who just contributed measly numbers which eventually led to them scoring their 2nd lowest points total in this year's play-offs. Sasha Vujacic has been a disappointment so far while Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and game 3 hero Derek Fisher were far from what was expected of them.

Kobe was 6 for 11 from 3 point land

On the other hand, six Celtics scored in double figures which gave the Boston team a balanced offensive attack. Pierce led the scoring with 19, Davis added 18 big points, Kevin Garnett had 13, Ray Allen and Nate Robinson 12 and Rajon Rondo 10 points. Now how can you contend against a team that has 6 players score in double figures. If there is one thing that excites me is the fact that I know that games 5, 6 and if ever 7 will be another classic battle.

Garnett vs. Gasol - who gives in first

Lakers get back at Celtics homecourt

" Imagine, we might not go back to this venue once again" Those were the words at the back of the minds of the Los Angeles Lakers as they came to the TD Banknorth in Boston with fire in their eyes and vengeance in their hearts. This fire helped them relive the LA Lakers of the 80s as they beat the Boston Celtics in their own homecourt 91 - 84 that assured LA Fans that the series will indeed go back to Los Angeles.

Kobe dropped 29 points this time

Ray Allen shot a record 8 three pointer in game 2 of the NBA Finals and was rarin to duplicate the feat in their homecourt but unfortunately it was a total reversal as Allen would miss ALL 8 of his three pointers and all his field goals which got him to score only 2 points. At the end of the first quarter the Lakers have already built a lead which was predicated on good defense as both teams did not turn the ball over much. The Lakers led 26 -17 after one quarter and 52 - 40 at the half as Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom led the Lakers with Kevin Garnett as the only bright spot for the Celtics.

Effort propelled the Lakers to victory

In a finals game, a Celtic believer will have to pray for another Boston comeback and the Celtics really came back. Glen Davis and Tony Allen helped resurrect Boston' sagging fortunes as Ray Allen was having an off night while Paul Pierce was in foul trouble, Rajon Rondo on the other hand was silenced and the only bright spot was Kevin Garnett. The Celtics would come to as close as 69- 70with still 9 minutes to play as Big Daddy Glen Davis and Tony Allen joined hands to rally the Celtics - Davis scored 12 points off the bench while Allen got 7 points. The Celtics last stand came with 2:03 left as they threatened LA 78 - 80 with 2 minutes left. After that , LA superstar Kobe Bryant scored on a jumper as the Lakers closed the Celtics out with a another 7 - 4 run to finally get back the home court advantage that they have enjoyed.

Derek Fisher lifted the Lakers to this victory

Much can be said about Kobe Bryant, Bryant scored 29 points but then again he shot 10 of 29 and missed 5 shots in the fourth quarter. Most of Bryant's shots were in the third quarter so when the fourth quarter started the Lakers were running out of steam at the height of the Boston rally. Time is winding odonw and with the odds not favoring the Lakers, they turn to their old hand to deliver the killing blows - Derek Fisher. Fishers scored 11 fourth quarter points as he single handedly carried the offensive burden of the Team as he showed why he is the team's veteran playmaker.

Rajon was shut down again

The play of the game came with 1:00 left in the game with the Lakers holding an 84 - 80 lead. Ray Allen got free and Rajon Rondo managed to get the ball to him, but just like what I mentioned it was not Allen's night as he missed the basket which was rebounded by Derek Fisher. After getting the rebound Fisher held on to the ball for another 2 seconds, dribble it, ran the whole length of the floor as the slow moving Celtics realized that a fastbreak was about to happen which made them smother Fisher who made the shot and got the foul - game, set , match for the Lakers.

Celtics win at Staples

Playing like the messiah, Boston Celtic's Ray Allen led is team to then promised land as he reprised his role in the 1998 movie "He got game!" Allen played the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth in that movie, the most sought after High School player. This time in the 2010 NBA finals, he is the most hated person in Los Angeles as he led the Celtics to a 103 - 94 win over the defending champion Lakers. This was the first time the Lakers lost at the Staples Center and is in danger of not going back at the famed gymnasium.

Ray Allen sank 8 three pointers - an NBA Finals record

After looking at how the Celtics won, it was an effort all together by the whole team as Ray Allen took the lead in the first half, Paul Pierce pitched in his share of ten points while Kendrick Perkins added 12 points inside. The reserves did a nice role as Glen Davis added 8 points while Rasheed Wallace and Nate Robinson each had 7 points each. This bench production more than made up for the off night of Kevin Garnett who was in foul trouble most of the night as he took only 5 shots for 6 points but also chipped in 6 assists. The big story for Boston besides Ray Allen was the rejuvenated Rajon Rondo who woke up from his nightmarish Game 1 experience to bounce back with a triple double! Now that is a great statement to his detractors.

Pau Gasol had another monster game

Pau Gasol was again an immovable force inside as he torched the Celtics with 25 huge points as the Lakers relied on the big guys with Andrew Bynum chipping in 21 points to compliment his game 1 good game. It clearly showed that the LA big men were outclassing their Eastern counterparts as Gasol and Bynum outscored Garnett, Perkins, Pierce and Wallace combined. It just shows that there is a gaping hole in the middle of the Celtics defense. On the other hand, the Celtics were lucky that Kobe Bryant had a miserable shooting night as he scored 21 points on 8 of 20 shooting. It was bound to happen and unluckily it happened at the Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant was human after all

The defense by the Celtics forced the other Lakers to ease out of their comfort zones. In game 1, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Ron Artest combined for 39 Laker points and all them faltered as they could only contribute 24 points, a far cry from their game 1 confidence building win. In the first half it was all about Ray Allen as he sank a record tying 7 three pointers ad he went 7 for 7 before missing his first three pointer. That clutch shooting gave the Celtics a 14 point lead as they were unable to find an answer to the impeccable shooting display of Allen who has torched the Lakers since the 2008 series. Ray needed just a little ray of light for him to set his jumper as he nailed his 8th triple in the second half that gave him the record of the most three points made in an NBA finals, he finished the game with 32 points.

A rejuvenated Rajon

During the third quarter, the Lakers were able to gain ground and equalize as their vaunted inside game came to play. At the start of the fourth quarter the Celtics needed another spark as Allen began to tire and Rondo was sent to the bench to rest. In came Nate Robinson who was 2 for 2 on the field and 2 for 2 on the line as he scored 7 points in six minutes. That lift helped the Celtics stem the tide enroute to the endgame heroics of Rondo who got four offensive rebounds and scored 8 of the team's final 10 points. Rondo finished the game with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists - his second triple double in the post season. As they say, an NBA series gets all the more exciting when a team wins on the road, lets see what happens when the series shifts to the East. See you in Game 3!

Lakers draw first blood

Fact 1: The Los Angeles Lakers have been known as a team with a very potent offensive weapon with a system that creates more scoring opportunities

Fact 2: That system includes a good and sound defensive system that frustrates opponents, forces them to turnovers which eventually leads to instant offense.

Fact 3: The Lakers would have not made it to the finals if its only strength is its offense, its usually a mix but their defense is underrated.

Fact 4: The Los Angeles Lakers used their superb defense and impeccable offense to beat the Boston Celtics 102 - 89 in game 1 of the Best of 7 2010 NBA Finals.

Kobe Bryant played his usual unstoppable role

Now it can be said, that the Lakers are for real, that their defense is much more underrated than their offense and for any team to beat them, they would have to go mano a mano against the man using the name Kobe Bryant. It was another all around performance for the best player on the planet as he scattered 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block to lead his team to victory. As I have mentioned in my previous blog entry, for the Lakers to be unbeatable, Pau Gasol should churn out monster numbers which he did - 23 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal. It looks like Kevin Garnett will be outplayed again for the second series in a row. Pau was just cruisin by in the 2008 season as he was just traded to the Lakers back then and was just fitting in. Two seasons from that performance he is close to being called unstoppable.

Rondo was hounded by KB

Paul Pierce once again led the Celtics assault but unfortunately the supporting cast was far from how they played in the Magic and Cavaliers series. The Celtic offense was on its standard mode but it was what they did best that had an off night - their defense. It was only the fourth time that the Celtics allowed a team to score more than a hundred points on them and in all those occasions they lost. Ray Allen was in foul trouble and never really got going as he scored 12 quiet points and had no rebounds nor assists, Kevin Garnett scored 16 points but shot 7 of 16 (36.35%) which is not good as far as the finals is concerned. Lastly, Rajon Rondo was shut down! Kobe Bryant took on Rondo and he had a hard time penetrating as he was even rejected by Odom and Gasol. At the same time the transition defense specially on Rondo was great as his fastbreak points were limited. In the previous series Rondo usually gets points on the break at least 6 times but now it was checked by the Lakers. Lastly, the Lakers had 16 second chance points to none for the Celts and the Lakers had more rebounds 42 -31 which just shows the kind of effort the Celts put up.

Gasol outplayed Garnett big time

Now that the feeling stage is over both teams would definitely make adjustments to gear up to the second game of the series. There is no secret to the game of the Lakers its just that they move great and execute well and fast - before you know it they have scored on you. The Celtics on the other hand need to find the fire that gave them emotional victories against the Cavs and Magic. They are usually tops when it comes to effort and that attitude motivates them to play well. It looks like game 2 will be a better fought game - so Monday (Sunday in the US) is the day.

Coach Phil explaining the play