Games 1 & 2 showed the two teams feeling each other out, with the Celts getting the upper hand. Game 3 showed the first real strategy shift with Kobe playing off Rondo, acting as a floater. Game 4 showed Doc stabilizing on a lineup to beat that defense with House and Posey playing with the Big 3. Using that lineup, the Celts overcame deficits of 24 and 20 in game 4 and 19 and 14 in game 5. To their credit, the Lakers were able to hold on late in game 5 despite having trouble against that lineup.
Now the Lakers have to win 2 more, on the road, against a lineup they didn't fare well against in LA. The Lakers' bench has been outplayed the entire series, moreso in the first two games in Boston. Will the young guys on LA shrink on the road again? Will Odom disappear for long stretches, especially on the road, again? Gasol played great in game 5, but he did that without having to bang bodies with Perkins half the time; Will he be able to play a strong 4th quarter if Perk comes back for game 6 or 7?
The Celts had some great stretches of defense in games 4 and 5 to get back into games. Those great runs keyed by defense were met with silence by the LA fans. Imagine those runs being met with loud cheers to remind the Lakers each time of their failures each time down the court. The Celts are going to feed off the home crowd and the Lakers are going to wilt, especially guys like Odom, Vujacic and Radmanovich.
My only concern in game 6 is if the Celts, especially Paul "48 mins" Pierce, are a bit gassed with the short turnaround time between games and the cross-country flight (west-to-east...the worst kind). Even then, they should be fully acclimated for game 7 if need be.
Regards,
Chris
