Winning in the NBA Finals is about getting big play from your stars and great plays from an unsung hero.
Enter Kobe Bryant and Sasha Vujacic.
It was Kobe’s aggressiveness from the tip until the end that led the way. He was a man possessed, determined to win this game no matter what. In that first quarter he was hell bent on getting to the line or getting a layup. There were no cute fadeaways or jabsteps in the first quarter. No, no. Kobe Bryant was on a mission, and he succeeded. 18 foul attempts (only made 11). Ladies and gentlemen the only way that Kobe Bryant can beat the Celtics is by getting to the line 10+ times. Tonight was a near perfect example of what I meant by that. If he gets to the line that’s less shot attempts. So instead of 26 points on 24 shots, he’s getting 36 on 20 and looking unstoppable when it comes Mamba Time.
All that being said…Lakers don’t win this game without Sasha Vujacic. His onslaught on Ray Allen in the second quarter helped them build the lead and his big shots in the fourth helped them come back and seal the deal. I told you the NBA Finals is all about the “ordinary” guys doing the “extraordinary” and tonight it was Vujacic. He wanted the ball and he was determined to keep shooting. He must have watched tapes of Ginobili cause he had ice in his veins.
With all of that being said…the series is 2-1, and despite Kobe’s best performance (and what could be his ceiling against Boston) and Sasha’s breakout night. This was a game the Celtics could have easily won if a couple things had happen.
For one…if Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett had played worth a damn, the Celtics win this game. KG failed to show up for his second straight game, so he actually has not played well since the first half of Game 1. 6-21 shooting, 13 points, 12 rebounds is not going to cut it. Pierce’s knee must have been acting up because he played like Casper the Friendly Ghost out there. 2/14, 6 points. Half of that had to do with LA’s defensive adjustment (aka Rover Kobe) but still. That’s 19 points from 2/3 of your master equation. Not acceptable for guys so hungry to win a title.
The other? If Doc Rivers had kept Rajon Rondo on the bench. Nothing against Rondo and not too much against Doc. But subbing him back into the game with 7:58 left in the game, up 1 made no sense. With Eddie House in the game the Celtics had come back and taken the lead. Not only that but they forced the Lakers to make adjustments. House spread the floor, no longer could Kobe roam around and double team penetration at will. So what does Doc do? He puts Rondo back in for who knows what reason. What happens when Rondo comes back?
- KG misses an 18-footer. Noticeable because of the fact that he was posted up, Kobe came and doubled and had to jack it up before the shot clock expired.
- Rondo gets beat on dribble penetration by Luke Walton. Celtics defense sinks to help. Kick out to Kobe who hits an open three.
- Fouled Derek Fisher which led to two free throws.
- Fouled Kobe Bryant which led to two free throws.
- He made a layup.
The damage was done. And now the spotlight for Game 4 is going to be on Rondo and how the Celtics adjust. Boston has to find a way to make Rondo effective. As helpful as House will be this series, they are still going to start Rondo and obviously after tonight end with Rondo. So now Doc and crew have to come up with a way to make Rondo effective. Because if they don’t figure it out, they can’t win with him on the floor. It’s as simple as that. Props to the Zen Master for that adjustment.
All that being said the Celtics had the game in the grasp of their hands and let it fall out. It’s clear that Boston can’t come from behind against LA in the 4th. It’s not happening. You hand Mamba a 5 point lead and it’s a death sentence.
Now the question is this…can the Lakers really be that encouraged by tonight? Lamar Odom is clearly not ready for the NBA Finals, just a terrible performance. 5 fouls, 5 turnovers, 4 points on 2/9 shooting. Is this is the #3 guy. Pau Gasol put up not-so-bad looking numbers (9 points, 12 rebounds) but looked soft, lacked aggression, couldn’t finish, wouldn’t flash middle and couldn’t make a free throw. He played like Margo Dydek. Derek Fisher looks like the Derek Fisher from Utah in last year’s Conference Finals and Radmonovic is clearly not going to be doing anything in the Finals. I maintain that the Lakers cannot win if its just Kobe. Vujacic, as well as he is playing, cannot score 20 a game. They desperately need Odom and Pau if they want to win this series, because to be honest with you they’re luck to walk out of Game 3 with a W.
And sadly…no one is going to talk about great Ray Allen played. He’s the main reason Boston stayed alive. So now the conundrum begins. Does Boston feel good because they played like crap, got nothing from KG and Pierce and still almost won? Does LA feel good because they finally got to the line and won? Or do they realize it was all Kobe, Vujacic hit shots and no one else played well.
By the way…this was not an MJ-like performance by Kobe. All MJ/Kobe talk is banned until Kobe stops bitching all the time about calls, dying on screens and calling for help and looking like he wants to murder his teammates. I mean honestly. The combination of the bitching, his “i’m irritated” halftime interview with Michelle Tafoya, the terrible “puff piece” at halftime and his fake mad kick of the ball when he missed a three-ball means he’s as unlikeable as ever. Trust me I tried. I mean at least MJ hid his a-holeness.