Friday, June 4, 2010

Soft...S-O-F-T



There are many words that can describe the play and effort of the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals, but none better than soft (s-o-f-captial T….SofTTTTTTTTTT). If Game 1 was a sign of how the Celtics will play throughout the finals, they might as well give the hardware over to the Los Angeles Lakers and I’ll watch Lebron James on Larry King or Jimmy Kimmel. I highly doubt Game 2 will have the same outcome regarding the effort on Boston’s behalf and I look for both teams to play much better. Phil Jackson and the Lakers may be 47-0 when winning Game 1, but trust me; this series is far from over. Records are meant to be broken!
Even though the Lakers dominated the Celtics in every category, the Celtics were never really out the game. This 13-point win against the Celtics isn’t as powerful and decisive to me as it is to others. Even though cliché, the Lakers did what they were supposed to do, which is win at home. Game 1 does give the Lakers a lot of confidence heading into Game 2, but they shouldn’t get too cocky or laid back yet. Don’t forget, this is the same team, if not better than 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, which came back from a 24-point deficit in Game 5 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
It hurts me to even write this being a fan of Kevin Garnett, but he was the main catalyst of Boston playing soft. Garnett, known for his energy and enthusiasm, was non-existent last night and played as if it were an exhibition game. The Lakers, Pau Gasol, who I mentioned before in a previous blog had something to prove, destroyed and out-rebounded Garnett and the Celtics’ front-court combined. Gasol ended with 23 and 14 and will need to keep playing with this same intensity in pursuit of a repeat.
Kobe Bryant also played exceptionally well w/ 30 points, 7 boards, and 6 dimes. Kobe wasn’t really tested too much on defense due to Ray Allen’s foul trouble, but I’m sure the Celtics will adjust in Game 2.
Something that I would pay closer attention to as more games are played is the referee’s. This historic rivalry puts a lot of pressure on them as I saw numerous questionable or superstar calls in Game 1. I understand that they are trying to prevent any fights or quarrels from happening between each team, but they have to let them play as well. Obviously, easier said than done. Both Boston and L.A. are known for being physical, so something is bound to happen especially when you’re fighting for an NBA championship. (Hopefully not an Indiana and Detroit sequel) You can only prevent so much…

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