When Boston Garden is filled with died-heart fans, the Staples Center has their LA stars.
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE/Getty Images)
As expected, the Lakers play with agressiveness. By getting to the paint, Kobe who scores 36 points is able to either making play or drawing foul. By doing so, they are getting high-pecentage shots. Had not been the poor free-throw shooting, the L's could have pulled away much early.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)
Lakers have made adjustment by switching Kobe and Fisher to defend their counterparts. It creates a few mismatch opportunity early for their transition offence. It also enables Kobe to serve as help defence when he can temporary leave his man.
Kobe has done a better job in penetrating Celtics' defence scheme, by continue dribbing past the C's help defence into the gap and paint area.
Lakers' bench, Sasha Vujacic in particular, outscores Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined.
The Celtics, other than Ray Allen, has a poor shooting game. But their defence and Ray Allen's offence has kept it within striking distance. As poor as their shooting, they are still in the game with a minute left.
Pierce doesn't seem to have his quickness throughout the game, most possibly because of his knee still hurting. C's also misses Rajon Rondo down the stretch, bordered by sprain ankle.
