HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Eddie Johnson

Why the Lakers won Game 5? Here’s why…

Lakers showed off their Big Three

Finally the Lakers got production from Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol in unison. They were outscored 67 to 64, but it was close enough to make a role players’ game and the Lakers won the battle 39 to 31. Boston’s top two role players, Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, are banged up and L.A. took advantage.

Backs against the wall

The Lakers are the mouse in the corner and they have no choice but to fight. And they did. They were extremely physical against a beat up Boston team and they took advantage early and late in a game they had to win. Their energy was huge again and this time despite another Boston comeback they held on in Game 5.

Garnett foul trouble

Kevin Garnett picked up quick fouls because the Lakers attacked the rim. Gasol and Odom were extremely physical with Perkins out of the lineup. That put a lot of pressure on Garnett and he picked up two quick fouls and was a non-factor the whole game because of the fear of fouling out. The Lakers got big hoops at the rim because of it.

Kobe aggressive at the start

I think this is imperative that Kobe gets going first. The Lakers cannot afford to allow Kobe to coast into any more games. The Celtics’ defense gets better as the game goes along. Hence coming back from two large deficits in Games 4 and 5 and Kobe being held to 10 points after scoring 15 in the first quarter. Those 15 points got the Lakers in a better groove than they had when they did it without him in Game 4.

Picking up 94 feet

The key to beating Boston is to make them use a lot of the shot clock getting into their offense and the Lakers have done a great job in the last two games. This takes away options offensively for the Celtics and has forced Paul Pierce to run the offense, which will tire him eventually if this series goes to a seventh game.

Star of the game: Pau Gasol took advantage of not having to battle Perkins and Garnett because of injury and foul trouble. He had his best stat line of the series: 19 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. This will have to continue if the Lakers want to win in Boston.

Turning point: Kobe Bryant’s gamble defensively on Paul Pierce was huge. If he does not execute that defensive move, Boston probably ties the game and we could be talking about the Celtics winning another banner today.

Unsung heroes: Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar share the honors in Game 5. Fisher’s 15 points helped the Lakers role players have a plus 8 in scoring and Farmar’s pressure defense on Sam Cassell and Eddie House forced Doc Rivers to use Pierce and Allen to bring the ball up the court.

Who needs to step up in Game 6?

Boston Celtics:

Leon Powe and PJ Brown have to play huge in Game 6. Kendrick Perkins takes up space and allows Garnett to guard Odom. The Celtics signed Brown for this sole purpose and he has to play big and consistent. Powe teased everyone with a huge game early in the series and has disappeared since.

Rajon Rondo has given into injury and confidence issues. The Celtics need his energy at home. That’s the difference between a Paul Pierce on a bad knee and a young player with a tender ankle. Experience means everything.

Los Angeles Lakers:

Sasha Vujacic has struggled after a great Game 3. He needs to find his rhythm and bring productivity off the bench in Game 6.

Vladimir Radmanovic is due to have a huge game. He does not get many looks, but look for him to get some shots in Game 6 if he can stay out of foul trouble.

Game 6 strategy

Boston Celtics:

- Get off to a good start in the first quarter.
- Get Rondo to attack the rim early against Kobe Bryant’s scrambling defense.
- Post Garnett early. They seem to get great looks when they do.
- Continue to squeeze Bryant and make things difficult.

Los Angeles Lakers:

- They will look to speed the game up with Boston looking like the tired team.
- They must get some production from Radmanovic and will look to maybe work.
- Paul Pierce early on the defensive end.
- Kobe coming out ultra aggressive to settle the young Lakers.
- Attack Garnett especially if Perkins is out for Game 6.

Prediction

It’s hard to fathom the Lakers pulling off two wins in Boston, but they can definitely get Game 6 if they get off to the kind of start they have in the last two games. Bryant still has not had the type of game megastars
have to secure a huge win and he is definitely due. The Celtics know that they need to finish this off now or they face the challenge of having to win a Game 7 with a tired, beat up team.

I expect the energy to be ferocious with the hyped crowd and if the Celtics keep it close in the first quarter, they will win by double digits.

The Celtics will celebrate in Game 6 and make me look as if I knew what I was talking about in my preview article.

Why did Boston go up 2-0 in the series? Here are the keys…

Celtics hold the Lakers to 61 points in first three quarters

The Celtics are playing lock-down defense on every player in a Lakers uniform. I thought going into this series that the pressure perimeter defense would work against the young Lakers and it has in the first two
games. The Lakers are a good shooting team, but the Celtics are keeping them out of big runs with one exception – the fourth quarter. The Celtics run at every shooter with great rotation. So even a head fake cannot give them an avenue to get layups or attack the basket and draw fouls. There is a serious reason why this team won 66 games and critics who chose the Lakers to win this series better take notice. They are so good I saw them switch four players off on Kobe Bryant on one play in the fourth quarter. They are determined to force the Lakers’ others to beat them and so far the plan has worked.

Leon Powe huge off the bench

Historically the team that wins a championship has a player that gives them a great game when least expected. Powe was the guy in Game 2, scoring 21 points. Powe sent a message to every young player in America and that is “Always be ready to play.” He was huge with his scoring and ability to get the Lakers in foul trouble. Powe shot more free throws in 15 minutes (13) than the entire Lakers team (10).

Consistent Big Three

Another 60-plus combined effort is huge by Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Pierce was the best player on the floor, especially early when the Lakers where trying to get a big lead. Allen, who struggled in the Eastern playoffs, has regained his touch and confidence. He has also made Kobe work extremely hard for every basket. Garnett has effectively opened up the middle for uncontested drives with his shooting. If this continues, the Lakers will find it hard pressed to win one game.

31 assists on 36 baskets

Wow! Although Doc Rivers can’t be happy with the Celtics meltdown in the fourth quarter, he has to be ecstatic with the ball movement and unselfish play spearheaded by Rajon Rondo, who had 16 assists.

Star of the game: Leon Powe. Leon Powe was spectacular in 15 minutes. He changed the flow of the game and gave the Celtics’ bench another victory over the more touted Lakers’ bench coming into this series. This despite not even knowing if Doc Rivers will use him or Big Baby Davis from game to game. You want to cheer for Powe, who fought odds beyond basketball to put himself into this position. A wonderful accomplishment for a young man who grew up in foster homes with his siblings when their home burned to the ground and just one parent to care for them. Hooray for Leon Powe!

Turning point: Leon Powe entered the game with the score 22-21 with 11:21 left in the second quarter. The physicality of the game increased and the Lakers seemed to wither under the pressure. With Powe getting to the line and putting pressure on the Lakers frontline, the lead grew to double figures and the Lakers were climbing up hill all night long.

Unsung hero: PJ Brown has become the huge pickup the Celtics thought he was. His defense on Pau Gasol has been solid and has allowed Garnett to keep Lamar Odom under control.

Who needs to step up? I am not picking on Lamar Odom, but he’d better step up quickly or he will be fodder for every critic with a pen. Odom must know now what Scottie Pippen felt like playing next to Michael Jordan. The difference between the two is Scottie figured it out and performed. Odom seems to be headed in reverse.

Gasol can’t be left out. He shot one free throw in Game 2. He is as soft as they come, but showed some heart with a few strong moves. The Lakers need more.

Game 3 strategy

Boston Celtics:

- Doc Rivers will treat this game like a Game 7. He knows if his team goes up 3-0 it’s over, so expect a hungry Celtic team for game 3
- The Celtics have realized that the Lakers cannot beat them if their bench matches the Lakers.
- They must continue to make the Lakers shoot jumpshots. They had a 38 to 10 free throw advantage in Game 2.
- Run the offense through Paul Pierce. The Lakers have no one who can guard him except Kobe and Phil Jackson would be making a huge mistake if he tried that matchup early in Game 3.

Los Angeles Lakers:

- Get Odom some post-ups and isolations early
- Double Paul Pierce early and often and live with Allen and Garnett taking jumpshots.
- Find a way to make it a fast game, although Rondo has been great with his pace.
- Hit somebody in the mouth and play Ronny Turiaf more minutes, especially since Luke Walton has been AWOL.
- Kobe needs to take 30-plus shots if that’s what it will take.

Prediction

You would expect the Lakers to pick it up at home, but it doesn’t matter where you play if you don’t fight. The Celtics have slapped them around despite a fourth quarter meltdown in Game 2. I honestly think the Celtics will take more from that fourth quarter than the Lakers because they won Game 2 and will go into Los Angeles and win Game 3. No way I would be thinking this could happen before the series started, but as I stated in my preview article, the Lakers are a soft unit and the Celtics are sensing it and will go up 3-0 in the series.