All right. It's been about 90 hours since the tip-off to the NBA Finals. Everyone was excited to see a rematch of the 2008 championship round between the Celtics and Lakers. Nostalgia bubbled up from the classic clashes of the '60s and '80s. But with all the anticipation, there were several conflicting things that I couldn't wrap my mind around ... and they started well before the Finals were set.
I've been confused by the Celtic run throughout the postseason. While others expected a fantastic showing, I thought the luck and youth of the Leprechauns were fading. Now we know it was less the age catching up to the Big Three than it was Doc Rivers being a quasi-genius. Kevin Garnett averaged 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during the Eastern Conference playoffs. Paul Pierce regained his scoring touch with 19.1 ppg and seven 20-plus point tallies during that same time.
I was confused on how L.A. went away from their big men for stretches of time. That does have something to do with the opposing defense, and this issue has been a theme in the past with the Lakers. But with a healthier Andrew Bynum than was the case in past seasons, and Pau Gasol's 20-point, 11-rebound efforts, it still puzzles me that Kobe and D. Fish don't force-feed the post a little more.
Game 1 came and went Thursday night, with the Lakers pulling ahead for an early series lead. This should put a comfort level on which team might win the series. I mean, Phil Jackson is 47-0 as a coach when his squad's take the first salvo in a series. But the outcome still had me puzzled.
There was confusion about the hosts, who seemed to have learned from the 2008 Finals. They punched and kicked and scrapped, out-fighting the Celtics ... out-"toughing" them. Sure, Kobe got his groove on in the third quarter, ending with a game-high 30 points to accompany 7 boards and 6 dimes. However, it was Gasol's numbers (23 and 14) and domination of K.G. that made the difference. His skill and physicality was too much for Boston's lane dwellers to deal with.
The was confusion about the visitors and their crash back down to Earth. After showing the form of a champion against Miami, Cleveland, and Orlando, the Celtics didn't look like they took advantage of their five-day rest. They couldn't keep up with the Lake Show and appeared more old than wise. Rajon Rondo had little impact on the outcome, as he had throughout this postseason surge and the 2008 trophy chase.
Boston very well might have been in a must-win scenario Sunday night. You figure that if the team couldn't win this game on the left coast, how could they take advantage of any opportunity in Games 6 or 7? Turns out that the Celts were able to steal home-court advantage with a late fourth-quarter push. If you thought I was confused before, my brain is just fried now.
How did the East Coasters hold the Lakers down under 100 points for the second time since April 27th (14 games)? Three Lakers scored more than 20 in the contest, including the oft-injured Bynum. The easy answer to the question would be that those three Lakers (Bryant and Gasol included) were the only ones to hit double-digits. But can they hold the role players down again in L.A.? Can they even pull that trick multiple times in Boston?
How did Ray Allen go nuts from the field? Sure, he's one of the best sharpshooters of the generation. He's made a career out of lighting fools up like Christmas trees ... and has even done it at times over the last few weeks. He went a step further Sunday. His 8-of-11 beyond the arc (which included hitting his first seven attempts) conjured up images of Air Jordan against Portland in the 1992 Finals. All it needed was an incredulous shrug. Is Jesus Shuttlesworth due for another swish show? If he doesn't, will either of the other Big Three lead the way?
How did the Lakers bench not show up on their home floor? For the second game in a row, they were held to 15 points and outscored by Boston's reserves (a total of 40-30 in the series). Rasheed Wallace has doubled the scoring output of Lamar Odom, and "Big Baby" Davis has outscored the Lakers' sixth man. Will this get worse in Boston? Can the Lakers survive a series without significant help for the starters?
As the Finals shift to the Fleet Center, so many issues are up in the air. Maybe the Celtics keep the hot shooting up and take control of the series. Could be that Kobe Bryant brings out his unnecessary scowl as a dagger to the Beantown faithful. There might even be a tweak or pull that shifts the series one way or the other. Only one thing in this whole argument is certain. Any reception that I usually receive to make sense of things has gone on the fritz.
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