-The Celts got it done last night, advancing to their second NBA Finals in three years. They can thank Nate Robinson. Buried in Doc Rivers’ doghouse, Nasty Nate dusted off the cobwebs and scored 13 big second quarter points to spark Boston past Orlando 96-84 in Game Six- finally putting away a series they led 3-zip. Say what you want about the two-time slam dunk champ but he’s instant offense creating mismatches. Good on the Celtic coach to finally play him, seeing big results in a must win scenario. No way did they want to chance it after seeing what happened to the Bruins. Now, Paul Pierce, KG, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and Co. will wait to see who their opponent is. Will it be another Boston-LA clash or can the Suns recover from that Ron Artest crusher to force a deciding game? We’re hoping so.

-Tough night for the Mets, who finally saw their scoreless streak end at 35 courtesy of a Corey Hart two-run walkoff blast, making the Brewers winners. With a runner on and two out in the home ninth, he went yard off Ryota Igarashi, who relieved Pedro Feliciano after he got Prince Fielder for the first out. The Japanese import gave up an infield hit to Ryan Braun, who just got his foot on the bag to beat Jose Reyes’ one-hopper. The Met reliever got big RBI man Casey McGee to pop out for out No.2. But he couldn’t put away Hart, who clocked a hanging splitter over the left field wall as Jason Bay could only watch- snapping the Amazin’s four-game win streak.

Despite another great outing from ace Johan Santana, who went eight scoreless (8 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K’s) tossing 105 pitches, the Mets couldn’t get to Milwaukee ace Yovani Gallardo, who went the distance for the rare shutout, throwing 121 pitches. The 24 year-old from Michoacan is one of the most unheralded starters in the game, pitching in obscurity for a poor ballclub. Last night, he went pitch for pitch with Santana, who tried to help his own cause with a double in the eighth. But just as he had all game, Gallardo snuck a heater which moved from the inside part of the plate to the middle at Reyes’ knees, freezing him. That kinda pitching was on display at Miller Park where the two hurlers were brilliant. Gallardo scattered eight hits while walking one and fanning seven. Early on, he escaped a bases loaded no out jam by getting Reyes to ground out 3-2 and inducing Alex Cora into an inning ending 4-6-3 twin killing. In the Met ninth with the guys from Queens threatening, he stranded two by getting Angel Pagan looking.

-Of course, the hot topic on the radio airwaves is why Manuel didn’t let Santana start the ninth. He probably could’ve. Instead, the much maligned Met skipper left it to a strong pen, opting to match-up. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned leading to the Mets’ first loss in five. Worse, they fell to 6-15 on the road- falling to a putrid team to start a six-game road trip which concludes at Petco Park against NL West-leading San Diego. Whether you want to second guess Manuel or not, his team needs to get some wins away from Citi Field. Especially if they want to be taken seriously. Good teams win on the road. We’ll find out how they respond later tonight when Fernando Nieve opposes Manny Parra.

-Meanwhile in the Boogie Down, the Yankees got a big night from Robby Cano, whose third career grand slam catapulted the Bronx Bombers past the Indians 8-2. Hitting in the cleanup spot with A-Rod sitting out, the All-Star second baseman went yard against Cleveland reliever Tony Sipp in the seventh to break open a tight game. It was his club-leading 10th home run and first since May 2. All part of a big Friday that saw him go 3-for-4 with the grand salami and three runs scored. With Mark Teixeira still struggling and Alex Rodriguez given a rare night off, Cano carried the load. Exactly what you want to see from the 27 year-old.

The Yanks got a nice bounce back outing from Phil Hughes, who went seven permitting two earned on five hits, walking a batter and K-ing eight for his sixth win. No doubt the soon to be 24 year-old former first round pick is starting to fulfill expectations. Possessing a fastball that can hit mid-90′s along with a sharp curve, Hughes is nasty. It’s got to be exciting for Brian Cashman who wouldn’t part with the tall righty for Santana.

-At least that helps the Yankee GM, who designated free agent bust Randy Winn for assignment while keeping up Kevin Russo. Russo is from West Babylon and has been a solid bat thus far going 5-for-20 with a pair of doubles and four knocked in since being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Maybe the former Baylor standout can provide some versatility off the bench.

-Combined with the Rays falling a third straight time this time to the lowly White Sox, the Yanks cut the lead to 3.5 games. C.C. Sabathia will try to make it two in a row and four of five when he takes on David Huff at 1 PM. We’ll see how the former Indian Cy Young winner fares along with his teammates.

Will Donnie Walsh's big gamble land LeBron or D-Wade this summer?

So, the Knicks did what they had to do clearing enough space to ready for this summer and chase the dream LeBron and D-Wade. That’s all well and fine moving forward for a dysfunctional franchise that hasn’t been taken seriously for a decade. Maybe Donnie Walsh will luck out. He’s essentially throwing all his eggs in one basket, sacrificing future No.1 picks (’11, ’12) and draft flop Jordan Hill in a desperate attempt to lure King James to Broadway.

Will it work? You probably have a better shot at dating Ana Ivanovic. James, Wade and other prospective big names Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire have to decide what’s best for their careers. With a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Knick roster, can they win right away in the Big Apple? A pro outlook would be that young guns Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are solid ballers who should only improve. Adding T-Mac who’s off to a decent start in his Orange and Blue debut donning Starbury’s No.3, is low risk. If he performs, maybe they convince him to stay thinking he can convince a couple of big names to team up. Whatever happens, McGrady’s contract comes off regardless.

Adding long distance threat Eddie House to the mix is wise as he’s proven it in the spotlight helping the Celtics to an NBA title. The 31 year-old 10-year vet will be a perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s system. Hey. They rid themselves of self-serving Nate Robinson, who despite talent needed a change of scenery. Perhaps going to Beantown under Doc Rivers with demanding stars KG and Paul Pierce will pay off as Boston takes another run at the brass ring. Good luck! An added bonus for Walsh is that he got a No.1 pick conditional second rounder back for a player who was a team headache and wasn’t returning. Big ups for the former Pacer executive.

What about “Mr. Double Double” David Lee?!?!?!?!?! No question the late No.1 pick under Lord Isiah has been a good pro earning his first All-Star appearance even if it was due to injury. It’s hard not to admire the 26 year-old former Gator who’s improved every year. The undersized starting center gets 20.1 pPG and 11.5 rebounds along with a career high 3.5 assists. All excellent numbers which make him a staple of D’Antoni’s offense. However, he can’t play a lick of D frequently getting beat up inside. Unfortunately, playing out of position against stiffer competition has its drawbacks. He’ll be a free agent again after the season looking for a nice raise. Last year, there wasn’t any market. So, he stayed put and has been a good soldier. As sufficient as he is offensively, it’s doubtful the Knicks re-sign him.

Let’s say they land LeBron or Wade. Would Lee take less to stay or does he move on? Buyers also might ask if he’s a product of the system. Valid question. Honestly, he would be better served on a team boasting a legit big which would alleviate pressure.

Based on what we’ve seen from McGrady, who’s got a team high 19 along with three dimes in the first half versus Kevin Durant and the Thunder, he’s shown flashes- finishing strong scoring the last five on a trey from the left key plus a bucket putting the Knicks on top 57-52 at the break. He’s 7-of-12 from the field with a trey and 4-of-4 from the line in 17-plus. A nice debut yet there’s still two more quarters to go. At the opening press conference, he did indicate he’d consider taking less if they could land a big fish. But let’s also remember this is a former top star playing for a contract, who’s back from microfracture surgery with his career at stake. In short, he has to do what’s best for T-Mac.

If there’s a negative, it’s that both Gallinari and Chandler hardly touched the ball, combining for only six points in the opening 24 minutes. Not what you want to see. Sergio Rodriguez and Chris Duhon both have goose eggs with just three assists. For as much attention as what the organization has done for the Class of 2010, the glaring weaknesses of no true PG or center are still apparent. Unless Spanish Chocolate or MIA Tony Douglas prove otherwise, that’s a huge hole.

Walsh also failed to move Al Harrington, who’s still in the rotation. Sure. The former St. Patrick’s star has been a solid Knick putting up respectable numbers. But he’s taking away minutes from a kid. Al’s not part of the future. So, it doesn’t make much sense.

Then again, it’s easy to forget that the franchise is still run by Jazzy Jim. One thing that’s lost is that Dolan wants the big names to make the team a hot ticket. He doesn’t necessarily care about winning championships. It still will be intriguing to see how the big summer plays out. For now, the offensive-minded Knicks play out the string with few part of the plan.

We’ll see if the big gamble pays off.

-If that’s what all the talk is about with Greg Oden a year finally back from micro fracture reconstructive knee surgery, then he should permanently change his name to Greg Olden. At least it would help explain the lack of production (no FGs, no Pts, 5 rebs, block, 2 fouls in 13 mins) before leaving a season opening 96-76 blowout loss to the Lakers with an ankle sprain with an MRI later today.

It looks like the Blazers former 2007 No.1overall pick is going to be rusty and more of a project than most expected. Especially with how poor his finishes were around the basket badly misfiring on four attempts while showing that his hands still need improvement.

For now, Portland might be more concerned with what the MRI reveals cause it’ll help determine how long the 20 year-old former Ohio State star will be out. They should heed on the side of caution based on what we saw.

As for the rest of his teammates who are expected to compete for a final playoff berth, they stunk it up against the defending Western Conference champs getting taken to school in both ends. Offensively, with the exception of promising Spanish rookie guard Rudy Fernandez (5-of-10 FG, 16 Pts, 4 assists), they were way too stagnant forcing up shots leading to the Lakers’ vastly improved transition attack which had good results.

Pau Gasol had some nice finishes in a strong first half netting all 15 while rating league MVP Kobe Bryant slowly picked apart the Blazers to the tune of a game high 23, 11 boards and five assists. With Metuchen, New Jersey’s own Andrew Bynum (8 pts, 3 BS) back healthy in the lineup, Christ The King product Lamar Odom came off the bench in a new Sixth Man role combining with ex-Knick Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar to help a strong Lakers second unit score 36 of their 96 total.

Not bad production from arguably the deepest bench in the league which is a big part of why they should go very far next Spring.

-In the other two league’s openers, the defending champion Celtics got past LeBron and the Cavs 90-85 on championship ring night in Boston. Paul Pierce made up for running mates’ KG and Ray Allen’s struggles by scoring 27 and got bench help from Leon Powe (13 big Pts including couple of jams) and Tony Allen (11 Pts).

LeBron paced the Cavs with 22, seven rebounds and eight assists with new teammate Mo Williams getting 12 including three treys.

-It was a much better debut for Derrick Rose, who helped lead the Bulls past former coach Scott Skiles’ Bucks 108-95. The 20 year-old former Memphis star who Chicago took No.1 overall finished with 11 points, nine assists, four boards and three steals in over 32 minutes leading a balanced attack which included Tyrus Thomas’ double double (15 and 10), Drew Gooden’s 13 and 8 (6 offensive) along with Ben Gordon’s 18 (three treys) and Kirk Hinrich’s 15 and 7 off the bench.

If they’re going to bring both Gordon and Hinrich off the bench, that’s going to be a huge edge for the Bulls because they could start on most teams. The move by new coach Vinnie Del Negro helped Chicago score  46 bench points. Not bad.

Michael Redd paced the Bucks with 30 on 10-of-19 shooting including four from downtown. In his Milwaukee debut, former Net Richard Jefferson was held to 5-of-17 from the floor for 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in 38-plus.

-We haven’t made any league predictions yet but here’s one tip for Knicks and Nets fans. Your teams aren’t as good as the Celts, 76ers and Raptors. Loose Translation: Enjoy fighting for the Atlantic cellar with non-playoff rosters.

We’ll have some picks later with seeds and teams contending for the lottery. Stay tuned.

Copyright Getty Images

Alright. I’ll readily admit that I didn’t believe in this Boston Celtic team which sliced up opponents during the regular season to a league best 66 victories. When Danny Ainge who most Bostonians wanted as far away from Massachusetts as humanly possible made the blockbuster draft day trades a year ago for Kevin Garnett with an assist from former teammate Kevin McHale and Ray Allen, I openly pondered if adding two superstars to a lineup which featured Paul Pierce could work.

Would the vaunted “Big Three” put their differences aside for the betterment of delivering a 17th NBA title back to Beantown? Almost immediately, they gave a strong reply jumping out on the rest of the league blowing out opponents in embarrassing fashion. Just ask team Dumb and Dumber.

Sometimes, when you have three stars on a basketball court, it doesn’t work because there’s not enough touches for each and eventually, one tunes out and begins complaining. However, the three veterans proved to be the polar opposite sacrificing shots and more points to lead a once proud franchise rich in history and tradition back to the promised land.

It was back in Round One that you wondered whether to take this group of Celtics seriously when they couldn’t win in Atlanta being forced seven before blowing them out of the building. The second round wasn’t much better as LeBron and the Cavs put up a tremendous fight with each team again holding serve. Even with the man child scoring at will, Pierce who is the one holdover since entering the league a decade prior wouldn’t allow them to lose.

So, here they were having won the first couple of rounds without winning once away from TD Banknorth Garden with the experienced Pistons standing in the way. When Detroit bounced back to gain a split, suddenly the Celts knew they had to win on the road or it meant everything they worked for this special season. More determined in Game Three, they went out and took home court back without much of a push from the Pistons.

Ultimately, when push came to shove at 2-2, Boston was too tough taking the final two games including an amazing fourth quarter which helped them comeback to oust Detroit.

Now, they would be faced with an old familiar foe from the past bringing back images of those classic 1980′s battles between Magic and Bird. It was the 11th ever meeting between LA and Boston for all the marbles. Most including this space liked Kobe’s Lakers who had breezed through their conference including an impressive five games over the defending champion Spurs. The West had always been perceived to be tougher. But all year, the Celts had beaten up on it including sweeping the purple and gold during the regular season.

Still, I didn’t feel it was a good measure for what would take place in the NBA Finals as the Lakers were playing much better with key acquisition Pau Gasol playing well and Lamar Odom doing the job. With them owning the best player in the game and league MVP, it seemed like a no-brainer to take LA in six.

Maybe the Celts who were playing not just for pride and all those ghosts which still include Hall of Fame legend Bill Russell and his trademark white beard in the front row realized that they couldn’t allow that to happen under any circumstance. What would Red Auerbach think up above if Phil Jackson passed him with a record 10th NBA championship at his team’s expense?

Almost from the outset, you could tell which team wanted it more. The Celts spread the ball around working the pick n’ roll to perfection and finding wide open three-point shooters all series long. It was as if the Lakers had suddenly morphed into the Knicks on the defensive end. When it came to locating the open man from the perimeter, they didn’t seem to bother. Pierce, Allen and sharp shooters James Posey along with even Eddie House ripped up LA.

Whenever they needed a big bucket, someone stepped up. Conversely, the Lakers struggled offensively due to a ferocious Celtic D which played physical and forced an ineffective Kobe into tough shots. He never could get into rhythm due to all the double teams he saw which came high forcing him to give up the ball. Most of his shots were rushed and explained why he never shot well.

Still, I wonder how this series would’ve played out if Kobe and ‘mates had had more edge when they got out to that big 21-point first quarter lead which even extended to 24 in the first half of Game Four. What if LA had more of a killer instinct instead of letting a focused Celtic squad outscore them 57-33 in one of the most amazing turnaround in playoff history?

Think Michael Jordan would’ve allowed that to happen to one of his Bulls teams on their own home court?

For whatever reason, Boston wanted it more and played like a lion ready to do battle and claw their way to victory. As a frustrated Magic pointed out following Game Two, it was the players wearing the green and white jerseys who got to most of the loose balls, rebounded with vigor destroying the guys in purple and gold on the offensive glass for second and sometimes third chances. They were the aggressors going hard to the basket while their opponents played soft looking disinterested at times.

How disappointing was last night’s Celtic coronation where they did whatever they wanted hammering the Lakers 131-92 for the largest margin of victory in a clincher for the Larry O’Brien Trophy? There’s not enough words in the English dictionary to describe how overmatched LA looked.

This series disappointed. While it went six, you never really got the sense that the Lakers were ever in it and could win. They easily could’ve been swept. At least during the Stanley Cup Finals, the outmanned Penguins pushed the Red Wings before losing in a much closer and competitive six games.

The Lakers should be ashamed with how they played.

Still, it was amusing watching an emotional KG kiss the Celtic floor and then basically be at a loss for words even flirting with ABC sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya screaming at the top of his lungs:

“Anything seems possible!!!!!”

The gatorade bath Pierce gave Doc Rivers -who has always been one of the classiest former players and now coaches who finally won one being haunted by a couple of those great Celts teams when he played point for the Hawks- was really cool stuff.

Why shouldn’t they have had fun after how badly they outplayed their opponents? It almost looked like a scene out of a video game.

Garnett had dreamed of this moment and you could tell how much it really meant. This was what he was brought over from Minnesota for. Though I did feel Tafoya stuck with him too long when it was obvious the former T-Wolve big man couldn’t contain himself acting like a kid in a candy store. Still, it was pretty cool. How often do you see professional athletes lose control from the joy of winning like that? There wasn’t anything fake about it a la a Terrell Owens press conference.

For a franchise which had become a laughingstock recently, this was what Ainge envisioned as they completed the greatest turnaround in NBA history. Their record 17th NBA championship and first since 1986 when Larry Legend, McHale and Parrish beat the Rockets was truly a special moment.

They never stopped playing either toying with the Lakers. Impressive to the very end.

It’s late and I don’t feel like recapping the Celtics’ blowout of the Lakers for championship No.17 at this moment. I’ll certainly give them their due later on.

However, that performance or lack there of by Kobe and the rest of his teammates was truly pathetic. They should be embarrassed by how they performed. In fact, even their two wins weren’t much to speak of. The Celtics easily could’ve swept them because that’s how much superior and more determined they were in these NBA Finals making history for the greatest turnaround.

While Finals MVP Paul Pierce who was really “The Truth” like his nickname along with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and super shooting subs James Posey and Eddie House were so intense on both ends of the floor playing a great brand of basketball, Kobe and his teammates were soft and at times looked uninterested. Have you ever seen softer options than Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom?

Clearly last night in from the middle of the second quarter on, one team wanted it while the other went through the motions and tossed in the towel. Never before had there been such a telling difference between the NBA’s two elite franchises during the Finals. You would never have seen a Larry Bird or Magic Johnson-led roster quit.

That’s what was most disappointing about this series. When you saw Phil Jackson basically speechless in the locker room begging and pleading for his team to “give themselves a chance,” it told you all you needed to know.

It was a sad sight and an even more pathetic second half by the Lakers who apparently forgot that they nearly erased a 24-point fourth quarter deficit in Game Two.

Kudos to the Boston Celtics for having the killer instinct to make history winning their first NBA title in 22 years. A huge thumbs down to Los Angeles for not even bothering to show!

Copyright Getty Images

 

The Lakers survived on Father’s Day. That’s really all it was about despite all of ABC NBA analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy’s hoopla due to them looking shaky closing out the Celtics to win Game Five 103-98 at Staples Center and extend the series back to Boston.

No team has ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit winning the final two on the road in Finals History. The Celtics will return home where they’ve only lost once in this postseason and have two more chances at winning their 17th NBA title.

Maybe if Kevin Garnett didn’t tank down the stretch tonight, the Larry O’Brien Trophy would already be theirs. Despite a heroic 38-point performance from Paul Pierce (10-of-22 FG, 16-of-19 FT), Boston fell just short of taking the series in five despite a solid defensive effort. They once again forced Kobe Bryant (8-of-21 FG, four treys, 25 pts) into a poor shooting night. After a strong start, he was only three for his last 13 but one of those included a huge swipe and breakaway jam in the final 45 seconds extending LA’s lead to four instead of Pierce and Co. having a shot to tie or even take the lead.

The Celts were right there trailing by a deuce with KG at the line for a pair but the ex-Timberwolve didn’t even come close on either attempt showing nerves with an elusive championship within grasp. He also couldn’t putback a Ray Allen miss from in close which would’ve cut it to two. Still, Boston had opportunities due to a money Eddie House trifecta from the left baseline which cut the Laker lead to three. A near fatal mistake during an in bounds almost led to a turnover and a chance for the Celts to tie it. But Bryant saved the ball and got it to Derek Fisher, who split a pair at the charity stripe to make it a two possession game. The veteran guard hit on 8-for-11 from the line en route to 15.

Bryant’s supporting cast stepped up with their backs to the wall getting double/doubles from Pau Gasol (19 and 13 w/ 6 assists) and Lamar Odom (20 and 11).

Los Angeles also got a big performance from Jordan Farmar, who contributed 11 on five-of-nine shooting off the bench. The Celtics still held a 28-17 bench edge with vet Sam Cassell posting nine along with House and Tony Allen each adding six.

Still, the series will go back to Beantown Tuesday with Boston having a second chance to close it out. They once again fought back from an early hole climbing back from 17 down after the first to be right there in crunch time.

But the Lakers did just enough to stay alive. Now the pressure squarely is on the Celts who will get the chance to deliver in front of a home crowd with plenty of legends on hand to see if they can win their first NBA title in 22 years.

At the very least, it’s going six and that’s good for the league. Now we’ll see if Kobe and the Lakers have what it takes to push Boston the limit.

Stay tuned.

Copyright Getty Images

 

Don’t call it a comeback. A determined Celtics team rallied from 21 points down after a quarter to stun the Lakers in Hollywood 97-91 last night pulling within one game of a 17th world title.

The stunning reversal saw Boston comeback from as many as 24 down in the first half outscoring Los Angeles 57-33 in the second half. Just how much of a turnaround was it? Considering that LA led 35-14 after a quarter, the Celtics from that point went on to outscore them by 27. It was the biggest turnaround according Elias Sports Bureau since 1971. Previously, no team in the NBA Finals had ever overcome as much as a 15-point first quarter deficit.

So, what the heck happened to a hyped up series which looked headed to 2-2 with a pivotal Game Five on Father’s Day? Apparently, the Lakers stopped playing thinking they had it after 12 minutes. Did they not realize that the next 36 counted?!?!?!?!?! There are 48 total minutes in an NBA regulation game the last I checked at least.

So, while I was out doing a three mile workout, the Celtics were busy getting back in the game with better defensive intensity and big contributions from bench long range bombers James Posey and Eddie House. Somehow, these two combined for six three’s and 29 big points. By themselves, they outgunned the entire Laker bench by 14 (29-15). The Celtics held a 20-point bench edge which was the biggest reason for the historic comeback.

How in the world is it possible to let those two guys beat you on the world’s biggest stage when your season is basically on the line with a 3-1 death sentence which nobody’s ever comeback from in NBA playoff history?

I wish I knew the answer. To say I was stunned when Posey and House were knocking down big three after big three in crunch time would be an understatement. How could a Kobe Bryant-led Laker team blow a 24-point lead on their home court? It had to be one of the worst scripts ever written in Hollywood. This wasn’t supposed to be how it would go.

So much for expectations. Yes. This series has severely disappointed thanks to weak performances from Pau Gasol and even the league MVP who wasn’t in form shooting a dismal 6-of-19 with only 17 points despite still handing out 10 assists. As for Gasol, that was the weakest 17 and 10 hands down. Where the heck was he in the final quarter? I liked that one sequence where Lamar Odom (19 pts, 10 rebs, 4 assists), who had a decent game fumbled the ball to the ex-Grizzlie who didn’t even bother diving on the floor to get it beaten by a hungrier Celtic. If that didn’t epitomize this series, I don’t know what else could.

Just pathetic. On a night where all five Laker starters hit for double digits and spread the ball out with eight more assists than the Celts, it didn’t matter because they panicked once the game got close and couldn’t execute against a more physical opponent who when push came to shove, wanted it more.

Paul Pierce had another solid night finishing with a team high 20 points and seven assists. Kevin Garnett picked up his play in the final 12 minutes showing the fire to finally win a championship by hitting on at least three tough buckets while playing excellent D on his way to a double/double (16 and 11) with three assists and two steals.

Ray Allen also continued his turnaround hurting the Lakers for 19 on 6-of-11 shooting with a couple of treys while grabbing nine boards. The ex-Sonic had the biggest hoop in the final 60 seconds taking and beating Sasha Vujacic one-on-one for a reverse lay-up which gave Boston a four-point lead to help salt it away. It was a great call by the Celts spreading it out and allowing the quicker Allen to take advantage of the mismatch. Why didn’t the Lakers come to help. There’s no way he should be allowed to go coast to coast for such a backbreaking bucket. In that situation, you can’t allow that to happen. Brutal to say the least.

I definitely am very disappointed in Kobe this series. He just hasn’t been able to impact these games the way you want a big superstar to. If this was Michael Jordan, he’d will his team to victory. No way would these Celts have stood a chance down by that much.

Now Boston stands a game away from going from a laughingstock to another huge winner in their city. Will the Lakers fight? We won’t know till Sunday.

Copyright Getty Images

 

It wasn’t pretty but the Lakers got the job done tonight to get back in the NBA Finals against the Celtics defeating them in a must win Game Three 87-81 at Staples Center. They now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game Four Thursday.

Los Angeles was led by Kobe Bryant and money shooter Sasha Vujacic. Bryant finished with a game high 36 on an efficient 12-of-20 shooting while the super shooting sub added 20 including three trifectas with one huge dagger coming late which essentially put the game away for Phil Jackson’s more desperate club.

With their backs to the wall, not surprisingly the Lakers came out with better energy playing more aggressive getting to the hoop early and often. Unlike Game Two where Boston sub Leon Powe had more free throws than the entire team, the Lakers got to the line 12 more times than their opponents taking 34 to the Celts’ 22.

A determined Kobe took 18 all by his lonesome but much like his team didn’t shoot a good percentage misfiring on seven to leave the door ajar for Boston to steal this game and take a commanding 3-0 lead. The Lakers as a team shot 61.8 percent missing 13 from the charity stripe. Following Game Two, they complained plenty about the free throw discrepancy (38-10). This time, they got the benefit of the whistles even if NBA commish David Stern didn’t want to lead credence about Tim Donaghy alleging to have fixed series. Oops. Nevermind!

If they had connected on more freebies, no way would this game have been so close because only one of Boston’s Big Three showed up ready to play. If Paul Pierce was the best player in the series first couple of games, he was the worst one by far tonight shooting a woeful 2-of-14 from the field including 0-for-4 from downtown with three turnovers and only six points in 31-plus. Kevin Garnett wasn’t much better finishing with just 13 (6-of-21 FG) though he did add 12 boards, five assists and three blocks.

Third option Ray Allen kept the Celtics in the game with splendid perimeter shooting nailing five of seven triples and 8-for-13 overall to pace the Eastern Conference winners with 25.

Amazingly, KG’s 13 was the only other Celt in double figures exemplifying how stingy the Laker D was. By switching Kobe on Rajon Rondo (16 Game 2 assists), they kept the speedy point guard from getting in the paint and finding open teammates. Instead, an ineffective Rondo finished with eight and only four helpers while getting into foul trouble in less than 22 minutes. That’s cause Bryant wisely played off the ball using his length to bother the second-year player out of Kentucky.

Despite playing more inspired D, the Lakers made it tougher on themselves by not putting away the Celts in the first half. They somehow allowed Doc Rivers’ club to stay within striking distance down six at halftime. Maybe if Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom bothered to try, it wouldn’t have been so dangerously close to a Celts’ comeback win which would’ve put a stranglehold on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Alright. I’m a bit mean. At least Odom and Gasol were more aggressive in crunch time with the latter finishing off two putbacks of Odom misses for huge hoops to at least hike his total to nine. And hey. The former Grizzlie did grab 12 rebounds including three on the offensive glass. As for Odom, the former Christ The King star again struggled hitting just 2-of-9 from the floor for four while grabbing nine boards and dropping four dimes including a vital one to a wide open Vujacic who increased a Laker two-point lead to five with a trey from the left corner which at least made an antsy Jack Nicholson relax a tad. He seemed to want this game pretty badly. Maybe he should be asked to give them a peptalk for the next game!

Watching Jack on the sidelines standing and even looking at the heavens as if to say, ‘Please let them prevail’ was entertaining in itself. How could you not love the legendary actor’s fire? It was pretty freaking classic.

Believe it or not, the Celts took a five-point lead thanks to Allen and some inspired play from sharp shooter James Posey (9 pts, 6-of-6 FT, 7 rebs). KG was also a little better late even though still not good enough to get his team within a game of the NBA title.

Overall, Boston had too many possessions where they forced bad shots resulting in nothing. Part of that was due to the Laker defense which was much better and kept the perimeter-oriented Celts at bay even though they still connected on 8-of-18 treys. The Lakers’ intensity was better.

Still, the Celts were right there despite two of their three big scorers having ineffective nights. So, they can at least take that out of this one. Heck. They even had a chance to tie it but Eddie House’s shot wouldn’t fall. A couple of money buckets by Kobe with Allen single covering him put the game out of reach. Why he was single covered deserved explaining.

Jordan Farmar was solid off the bench providing 20 effective minutes filling the stat sheet with five pts, four rebs and five dimes. Even one-time Knick Trevor Ariza got off the bench for eight minutes and hit two shots helping supply the Lakers with an eight-point bench edge (29-21). Vujacic remember had 20 of those or one fewer than the entire Boston bench. Not a bad night’s work.

With Derek Fisher (6 pts) still struggling and Vladimir Radmanovic reduced to the bench despite one early three, the Lakers bench needed to come up strong and did.

In order for them to get this series knotted and make believers out of Hollywood, they must get better performances from Gasol and Odom. Most nights, a combined 13 points and eight turnovers from options B and C won’t get it done. You can’t expect Pierce to be as off next time out and figure KG to play better.

Still, at least LA gave ABC something to talk about. Now Game Four at least means something. And that’s very good news.

[yahooMagic Johnson rips Lakers]
Magic Johnson knows a thing or two about winning NBA championships. The former Hall of Famer who led the Lakers to five titles had plenty of harsh criticism for how his team has performed thus far against the Celtics in this year’s NBA Finals. As most know, it’s the 11th meeting between the historic clubs and first in 21 years. Boston has won eight of the previous 10.

With the Celtics leading 2-0 and the series shifting to Hollywood starting tonight for hopefully the next three, Magic gave some excellent insight into why they were in an 0-2 predicament. The Celts have been the more aggressive team shooting many more free throws while also outhustling the Lakers getting more rebounds and loose balls. LA’s refusal to close out on Paul Pierce and Ray Allen from three-point range hasn’t helped the cause. They’ll need to be much better in all facets to make this a series.

We’ll see how they respond in a little over half an hour on ABC.

This is supposed to be a “great NBA Finals.” Not the dud it’s turning out to be thanks to a dreadful display of basketball from the Lakers who have proceeded to get blown out by the much better Celtics in Game Two tonight on ABC.

If this is truly the greatest NBA rivalry renewed, how come only one team showed up tonight? Paul Pierce is everywhere on the court and Rajon Rondo suddenly has morphed into a combination of Steve Nash and J Kidd. What’s most disheartening though is the lack of passion and team unity exhibited by the Lakers. They got out to a decent start taking a five-point lead but since have shown no composure forcing bad shots early in the shot clock and failing to get out on the Celtics’ big gunners from the outside. Pierce and Ray Allen have been allowed to drain big three after big three.

What’s most stunning is how much more intensity Boston brought to the table than Los Angeles. I would’ve thought the Lakers would come out better and more determined but that’s far from the case which is why this has been about as watchable as the first pair of games of the Stanley Cup Finals. At least the Pens showed some pride and made that a series forcing the Red Wings to earn a six-game triumph for a fourth Cup in 11 years.

Can the Lakers bounceback from this kind of blowout? The good news is the next three are on their more friendly home court at Staples Center. The bad is that if they don’t win all three, they most likely have little chance of coming back to take this superhyped series.

How in the world do you let reserve Leon Powe slice and dice you for more than 20? Heck. He has attempted a few more free throws than the entire Laker team. Just disgusting.

Kobe Bryant has definitely struggled and really had to work for his points. Every shot is being contested and he’s seeing plenty of doubles by a very aggressive Celtic bunch who has done the job. The problem is the league MVP isn’t getting enough support from second and third options Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Sure. Gasol has scored tonight but he’s also played soft and failed to block out at key instances allowing even the miniscule Rondo to get an extra possession for the Celts which turned into an uncontested trey.

Even though the Lakers are making a last ditch effort with less than four minutes left erasing a 23-point second half deficit to 13, they’re going to come up short and be down 0-2 with the series shifting to Hollywood.

There’s so much they can do better like executing in the halfcourt and not turning the ball over. How about playing the sort of D they have until this series. The Celts have over 30 assists and have nailed nine triples on only 13 attempts. That’s ridiculous. They’re making it look like a video game. This isn’t NBA 2K8! It shouldn’t be that easy for Boston to score. We’re talking easy looks from the perimeter and plenty of lay-ups in transition.

Kevin Garnett has a double/double but hasn’t even had to carry the load in this one because that’s how well the rest of his teammates have played being very unselfish spreading the ball which is what wins at this crucial time of year.

So, can LA get back in this? They sure better get it figured out in a hurry before Tuesday because otherwise, this is going to turn into a complete dud.

Shocking Update: Somehow, the Celts have managed to turn a laugher into a close game. The Lakers have outscored them 29-9 cutting a once huge margin into a four-point game with 63 seconds left. Only in the NBA could something this improbable happen. They were down 24 with seven and a half to go.

Let’s see how this plays out.

Rondo misses an open 17-footer and the Celts foolishly foul Kobe while in the penalty with 38.4 ticks still remaining. He makes both to remarkably make it a two-point game.

The Celts do the wise thing putting the rock in Pierce’s hands and letting him get to the bucket and draw a foul. Their best player knocks both down to make it 106-102 with 22.8 to go.

LA is unable to get the ball to Kobe who is covered tight instead forcing it into Sasha Vujacic, whose three-pointer is blocked with 13 seconds left. James Posey sinks a couple of more free throws to ice it.

The Celts hang on for a 108-102 win. So, can the Lakers gain something from this? Their confidence should at least be up after getting badly outplayed for two-plus quarters until a furious rally which fell short.

ABC sure hopes they can get back in it or this will amount to a disappointing Finals despite all the fanfare. I have to figure the Lakers will rise up and make this a series. They got too much pride and can play much better.