Celtics vs. Lakers Game 2 was nothing like Game 1 of the 2010 NBA Finals. In the Celtics vs. Lakers Game 2 on Sunday night, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen really came alive to lead the Boston Celtics to a Game 2 win. Unlike during Game 1 back on Thursday, the Celtics didn’t just take the punches and roll over, but instead showed that they do have something left in the tank to try and make this a more competitive NBA Finals.
Even though Boston won by nine points in the end, it was much tougher than the final box score will reveal. What Boston Celtics fans have to be pretty happy about is how Ray Allen carried them in the end, hitting eight three-pointers in a barrage of shooting that reminded us that Kobe Bryant isn’t the only great shooter in this series. Along the way, Allen set a new NBA Finals record, and with it was able to help the Celtics tie the series at one game each as they head to Boston.
During Game 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals, Boston came out much stronger than they did in game one, and at the end of the first quarter had a seven point lead. That didn’t hold up for very long though, as the teams were tied at the end of three quarters, but at least it proved that the Celtics weren’t going to give up like it appeared they had on Thursday. The game almost appeared to be the opposite of Game 1, as Boston shot better, out-rebounded Los Angeles, and shot way better from three-point range.
The biggest problem that the Boston Celtics had in Game 2 was the fact that they kept getting called for fouls. Through their rough play, they ended up sending the Lakers to the free throw line 41 times on Sunday, and Kevin Garnett was only able to play 24 minutes due to foul trouble. What that meant was that more of the offense had to flow through Rondo and Allen, and they both really delivered. Allen went for 32 points, while Rajon Rondo delivers a triple double of 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists on the night.
For the Los Angeles Lakers, they can’t really hang their heads about what took place on Sunday night. They were tied in the fourth quarter with the Boston Celtics, and Ray Allen just got too hot to contend with. Things like that can happen in the playoffs, and it is something that Lakers coach Phil Jackson can probably live with. He will want his big men to come back stronger in Game 3, he needs a better game from Ron Artest, and if the Lakers could just hit a few more shots, the Ray Allen hot streak wouldn’t have even mattered.
Lakers vs. Celtics Game 3 takes place on Tuesday, so the Boston Celtics don’t have quite as much time to rest up, and maybe that will play to the advantage of the Lakers. Has Boston expended all of their energy in winning Game 2? Or is this about to become one of the great NBA Finals series we have seen recently? It’s hard to say, but by the end of the first quarter on Tuesday, we will probably know if Game 2 was a fluke, or if Boston is ready to try and win the 2010 NBA Finals in Boston. The next three games are all in Boston, so they hold their own destiny right now.
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