NBA Finals Game 2 Review
(Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers)
Game 2 of the NBA Finals was a must win game for the Boston Celtics. Everyone is aware of the stat that a Phil Jackson team has never lost a playoff series after winning game 1 of the series just like in this current series. This game was a back and forth contest that ended up with the Celtics being victorious. All it took was Ray Allen to shoot his way into the record books.
In game 2 of the NBA Finals, Boston jumped out to a first quarter lead. The Celtics lead by 7 at the end of 1. In the 2nd quarter the Celtics still seemed to have this game in complete control. Towards the end of the first half, some sloppy play by the Celtics let Kobe and the Lakers back into game. The Lakers actually outscored the Celtics in the 2nd quarter to build tremendous momentum going into halftime. The Lakers will still down at halftime but thought they had turned the corner in game 2. Ray Allen hit 7-3-pointers in the first half to tie an NBA Finals record of 7 made 3-pointers in a game. Ray Allen hit only one 3-pointer in the 3nd half but finished the game with a NBA Finals record of 8 3-pointers in a game. Rajon Rondo had a terrific game 2 but his performance was lost behind Ray Allen's record night. Rondo finished the night with a triple double (19 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists). After the game Rondo said it best, "The best part about getting a triple-double is getting a win," Rondo said. "That's pretty much it. It would be pointless to get a triple-double and lose the game."
The Lakers did themselves in with foul trouble the whole game. Ron Artest fouled out of the game but he wasn't effective while playing in the game. Artest was just 1-10 from the floor with 3 turnovers. Big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol dominated the Celtics front court with their combined 46 points, 14 rebounds and 13 blocks. Lamar Odom wasn't much help off the bench because he was limited to just 15 minutes because of foul trouble. Kobe Bryant did score 21 points and had a pretty solid all around game but his foul trouble kept him out of the game at key moments and also forced him to play less aggressively.
The stars of the night for the Celtics were Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. They didn't get much help from Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. All that matter is the Celtics are going back to Boston for game 3 with the series tied at 1 game apiece. Foul trouble for each team has caused each team to lose a game. This series could come down to who can stay out of foul trouble.
By Steven Spector
