After Sunday night’s victory by the Boston Celtics, the 2010 NBA Finals just got very interesting.
The Celtics were led by Ray Allen’s 32 points, seemingly giving Boston and its fans a reason to believe while running past the Los Angeles Lakers for a 103-94 victory to tie the series up at one game apiece.
Allen’s seven 3-pointers by halftime tied the all-time mark set by another NBA Finals superstar in Scottie Pippen. Allen made history when he hit his eighth 3-pointer in the second half.
Boston relied on team fundamentals, with Allen benefitting from the play of teammate Rajon Rondo who finished the game with his fifth career playoff triple-double. Rondo scored 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. It wasn’t just the star-studded backcourt that kept the Celtics afloat in Game 2 as the duo received an extra hand from Boston’s bench. Rasheed Wallace, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis, and Nate Robison—acquired during a late season trade—contributed for 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Los Angeles looked like a completely different team from Game 1, stunned by the Celtics aggressive tone in the early goings of Game 2. Boston went up by as many as 14 points in the second half before the Lakers finally turned things around the bring the game to within six points by halftime.
Kobe Bryant, while solid, lacked the finishing punch we saw from him in Game 1. Going 8-of-20 from the field, Bryant, who was hampered by foul trouble for the entire game, finished the game with 21 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four steals while missing five 3-point attempts. It might be teammate Pau Gasol that controls the series for the Lakers, as the big man dominated Boston’s front line for the second straight game. Gasol finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, but it was his free-throw shooting and defense that really stood out.
The biggest story of the night however, may be the fact that the Celtics have a chance to end the series at home, in Boston without having to fly back to Los Angeles to finish the rest of the NBA Finals.
With Game 2’s victory, Boston is now set to have three games at home as the Lakers squandered their team’s home court advantage. That’s a very integral component of this series and a reason why Boston beat the Lakers during the 2008 NBA Finals.
As we wait for Tuesday night’s Game 3, there are several things to take away from Game 2.
How do the Lakers control Boston’s pick-and-roll that was so effective during the Celtics Game 2 victory?
Can Ron Artest and Derek Fisher give Los Angeles any kind of production seeing that they’re both starters for the Lakers?
Will Kevin Garnett ever show up for the Celtics or has he taken a back seat to teammates like Paul Pierce, Allen, and Rondo?
Whichever way you look at it, there is a lot to talk about regarding this year’s 2010 NBA Finals.
Get ready for Game 3.