| Allen chips in 16 in loss | Sunday 6/15, 11:53 PM CT |
|
Ray Allen chipped in 16 points (which is a series low for him) in Sunday's 103-98 loss to the Lakers in Game 5. He also tallied two boards, two assists, and a block.
Our View: The Celtics let the Lakers off the hook tonight, but the series goes back to Boston for the final two games, where they have only lost once during the playoffs. |
|
| Garnett records double-double in loss | Sunday 6/15, 11:41 PM CT |
|
Kevin Garnett recorded a double-double in a losing effort on Sunday, as Boston fell to Los Angeles 103-98 in Game 5. Garnett racked up 13 points and a game-high 14 boards, with two steals. The Celtics failed to pull the plug on the Lakers tonight, but still lead the series 3-2, and have two chances to end it at home.
Our View: Garnett has notched a double-double in all five games of the finals, and is averaging 16.6 points and 12.8 boards. |
|
| Pierce scores game-high 38 in loss | Sunday 6/15, 11:33 PM CT |
|
Paul Pierce scored a game-high 38 points in Sunday's 103-98 loss to the Lakers in Game 5. He also chipped in six boards, eight assists, and one steal. The Celtics could not close out the series tonight, but still lead 3-2, and will have two chances at home to get the job done.
Our View: 38 points was his highest total of the playoffs, since he scored 41 in Game 7 against the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. |
|
| Odom collects another double-double | Sunday 6/15, 11:26 PM CT |
|
Lamar Odom helped the Lakers live to fight another day as he recorded a double-double in Sunday's 103-98 win over the Celtics in Game 5. Odom scored 20 points and 11 rebounds, along with two assists and a game-high four blocks.
Our View: That was his second straight double-double, and his highest scoring output and rebounding total of the finals. |
|
| Gasol helps keep Lakers alive | Sunday 6/15, 11:19 PM CT |
|
Pau Gasol helped keep the Lakers alive as he notched a double-double in Sunday's 103-98 win over the Celtics in Game 5. He scored 19 points and 13 boards, with six assists, one steal, and two blocks. The Lakers climbed back into the series at 3-2.
Our View: He reached his highest rebounding and scoring total of the series tonight, and will have to stay hot in Game 6 if the Lakers are to have a chance to tie the series at 3-3. |
|
| Kobe wards off elimination with 25 pts | Sunday 6/15, 11:14 PM CT |
|
Kobe Bryant scored 25 points with seven boards and four assists in Sunday's Game 5, and helped the Lakers ward off elimination in a 103-98 victory over the Celtics. Los Angeles now trails in the series 3-2.
Our View: Bryant is averaging 26.4 points per game in the finals against Boston, who were notably the top defensive team in the NBA this season. |
|
| Perkins ruled out for Game 5 | Sunday 6/15, 7:56 PM CT |
|
Kendrick Perkins has been ruled out for Sunday's Game 5 against the Lakers due to his shoulder strain, according to the Boston Globe. Perkins said, "If somebody bumped me right now, there's a lot of pain in there. So I knew I couldn't go tonight. I felt that yesterday. But hopefully we can close it out. I will play on Tuesday if it goes that far. Hopefully we close it out tonight. That's the biggest thing. I'm focused right now for the guys."
Our View: Leon Powe is going to fill Perkins' spot in the starting lineup. The team is still in good shape as Powe scored 21 points against the Lakers in Game 2. |
|
| Celtics won't over work Pierce | Sunday 6/15, 2:33 PM CT |
|
Despite the outstanding job Paul Pierce did in the second half of Game 4 guarding Kobe Bryant, Rivers told the Boston Herald, that he plans to rotate defenders on the league MVP in Game 5. Ray Allen, Posey, and Pierce have all taken turns shadowing Bryant.
"One guy will not guard Kobe Bryant," said Rivers. "It's just too hard. It's too much work, and it takes all the energy out of that one guy. We basically have used three guys. We're capable of using four with Tony Allen, and it'll probably stay the same."
Our View: The Celtics are not going to overwork Pierce, not with a tender ankle, and especially not with a 3-1 lead in the series. The worst case scenario is that Boston returns home and has two games to win a championship. |
|
| Kobe positive heading into Game 5 | Sunday 6/15, 2:04 PM CT |
|
Kobe Bryant isn't concerned about his team's mindset as they face elimination against the Celtics in Sunday night's Game 5 of the NBA Finals, this according to SI.com.
"I borrowed Phil [Jackson]'s peace pipe. We had a big kumbaya meeting," he joked on Saturday.
"No, everybody's fine. Everybody is in the same mood that I am. Everybody's ready to go. We're excited about the opportunity." The Celtics are up 3-1 in the seven game series and could earn a championship with a win tonight.
Our View: Leave it to Bryant, the most negative of the Lakers' players during the offseason, to put a positive spin on a team that has underperformed during the Celtics series. They also face a task that has never been accomplished in the NBA playoffs, coming back from a 3-1 deficit. |
|
| Perkins 50-50 for Sunday Finals | Sunday 6/15, 8:28 AM CT |
|
Kendrick Perkins told the AP prior to Saturday's practice that he'll be able to play tonight in Game 5 against the Lakers. But the report noted that judging from the way he shot at one end of the floor, using strictly his right arm while being careful not to move his left shoulder, the Celtics may be better off resting their starting center.
Our View: Asked if he would have played if the game were to have been played today [Saturday], Perkins said, "Probably not. Right now I'm probably about 50-50." |
|
|
|
