2 years ago Miami was down 2-0 in the NBA Finals

[Tricky Ricky]

Im not saying were Dallas, like its been said Dallas doesnt play D, we have Posey on this team who was on the Heat for this series so hes probably telling the guys not to be overconfident.

On the awful 4th quarter performance last night by us, I know its a bad thing but we did pretty much the same thing in game 5 against Det then came out and won Game 6 and the Eastern Conference in Det so hopefully we havnt lost sight and will win game 3!

[Kids Are Alright]

I agree PP talked about in the press conference. They have to ATTACK in game 3. But it's easier said the done. Roleplayers don't play as well on the road. The refs will start making home cooking calls for the Lakers. And you have to believe the league wants this to go 7..

Pete

you'll totally see that with Leon. He'll have an arm amputated in game 3 with no foul if the away Eastern playoffs are any indication....

[MyInsatiableOne]

We need to stick to our game and just flat out beat the Lakers. All the reffing in the world doesn't change the fact that they're soft and wimpy. Pound it inside, take advantage, and play our D.

One thing NO ONE MENTIONED other than Jon Barry last night, is that the Lakers got obliterated at the line because all they did was **** shoot jumpers!! The C's took it to the hoop EVERY TIME, especially Powe. Phil Jackson can bitch all he wants, but Powe took it hard to the hoop and the Lakers did not. End of story.

[TommyPoints]

Those only so and so stats mean little. Different teams played at different times in a different playoff format..

More then that I hate them because it just kind of sets up the other team as doing something dramatic. Just remember the Red Sox came down from 0-3. Its not over till it's over - always.

Pete

It does mean something though. There is a reason only 3 teams have done it. Sure, they can do it too or could be the first to ever come back from 0-3 if we pull out a win in game 3, but chances are very much against them. Our team is just so good and we have a lot of quality depth to throw at them.

I dont want to jinx us, but I just dont think LA is a great team. They have some great players in Kobe and Gasol and some nice pieces to go along with them like Odom, but I think most of their bench is overrated. I think they'll have some tough teams when they get Bynum back and attract some better free agents in the next couple of seasons. This series is far from over though.

[MyInsatiableOne]

^^Agreed, I think we'll win but it won't be easy. We win in either 5 or 6, methinks.

Can't believe some people are bringing up the Dallas Mavs-Miami Refs series. That series was given to the Heat/Wade with the atrocious reffing, which sapped the will of the Mavs as it went on. Wait until you see how screwed we'll get in LA!

[sully00]

The Lakers are in trouble for the same reason I will be shocked to see them lose Game 3. Teams this good don't go on losing streaks.

The thing I would be really concerned about in this series if I was the Lakers is that Odom was invisible in the second half again. Some of it is on him and some if that they don't find him. Gasol also did little offensively as well even though it seems we can't do to much to stop him.

The triangle is broken against the C's defense right now and if you are Phil you can't be real happy that the only real effective stretch for your team offensively was chuck and duck and let Kobe take over. At the same time you have to expect that those two guys and the Laker offense overall will be better back in LA.

[MyInsatiableOne]

^^But what an aberration! I mean, does anyone really think they'll hit 7 3-pointers in a quarter again? If you even halve that, we win by 15. And the fact is no amount of scenery changing or biased reffing will make them play good D. Maybe they aren't one of the teams "this good" to not go on a skid. They still scare me, but I think the hype put the cart ahead of the horse before this series began. And the C's, and KG and Pierce in particular, are stone cold killers who smell blood and want that ring...I see us winning at least 1 in LA, if not 2.

[seccom]

Right or wrong, justify or not:

Game 1: Boston +7 in FT attempts.
Game 2: Boston +28 in FT attempts.

Game 3: ?

[MyInsatiableOne]

Right or wrong, justify or not:

Game 1: Boston +7 in FT attempts.
Game 2: Boston +28 in FT attempts.

Game 3: ?

Even with the C's taking it to the hoop every possession and the Lakers doing nothing but shooting jumpers, Game 3 will look like this: Lakers: +4089756408754870548584587454 in FT attempts (just joking with that number...but only just)

I also expect the look-in foul to be dusted off by the refs, to be used to great advantage by Kobe. For those not familiar, this is similar to the reach-in foul, in where if a defender looks at a star like Iverson, Kobe, LeBron, Wade, etc, a foul is called on said defender. Celtics stars such as Pierce and Garnett are exempted from this treatment as per league request.

[TMU]

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I agree, seems that they won't have it any other way. As far as the "home cooking calls", I doubt it hell we've been screwed in Staples more then you guys think,

Kobe averaged 17 FTA against Utah at home. Enough said.

[cisco]

2 years ago Miami was down 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and went on to win the next 4 and the Finals. Be happy but its not close to being over, LETS GO CELTICS!!!

Dallas didn't have Paul Pierce.

[The Laker Kid]

It's blasphemous to even compare the Mighty Celtics to that year's Dallas. The C's is probably THE best team ever assembled PERIOD. C's are built to win it all this year. Don't hate on me, just telling it how it is.

[Rocky5000]

All we did by winning the first 2 games is guarantee that we'll return to Boston. If we had lost one of these games, the series could have ended in LA. We maintained our home-court advantage and that's it. Conceivably, we could still end up down 3 games to 2 before we come home. (which is why this format sucks!)

[MyInsatiableOne]

It's blasphemous to even compare the Mighty Celtics to that year's Dallas. The C's is probably THE best team ever assembled PERIOD. C's are built to win it all this year. Don't hate on me, just telling it how it is.

Somehow, seeing as you're from LA, I can't take ANY of your posts seriously and highly doubt your sincerity...

[sully00]

^^But what an aberration! I mean, does anyone really think they'll hit 7 3-pointers in a quarter again? If you even halve that, we win by 15. And the fact is no amount of scenery changing or biased reffing will make them play good D. Maybe they aren't one of the teams "this good" to not go on a skid. They still scare me, but I think the hype put the cart ahead of the horse before this series began. And the C's, and KG and Pierce in particular, are stone cold killers who smell blood and want that ring...I see us winning at least 1 in LA, if not 2.

Exactly they can't play the way they did in the 4th quarter consistently at the same time their role players such as Walton (who has 2 points in the series) and Turiaf will be better back in LA. That said Doc has 2 weapons that he has not used yet, at least not very much that the Lakers would have to adjust to and that is House and Davis who in their own way can really make teams pay for doubling which the Lakers seem to want to do.

I think winning game 3 will be a tall order but I figure we win game 4 and put their backs up against the wall.

[I love heinsohn]

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Even with the C's taking it to the hoop every possession and the Lakers doing nothing but shooting jumpers, Game 3 will look like this: Lakers: +4089756408754870548584587454 in FT attempts (just joking with that number...but only just)

I also expect the look-in foul to be dusted off by the refs, to be used to great advantage by Kobe. For those not familiar, this is similar to the reach-in foul, in where if a defender looks at a star like Iverson, Kobe, LeBron, Wade, etc, a foul is called on said defender. Celtics stars such as Pierce and Garnett are exempted from this treatment as per league request.

I think all the Celtics starters need to be real careful about foul trouble in the 1st quarter of game 3. After that, the game will settle in and things will be called in the flow, but it would be a shame to see any of those guys get in early foul trouble as well as give the Lakers extra incentive to be aggressive the rest of the game. I'd rather be down 4-6 points when Paul and KG take their 2nd quarter rest than be tied, but with each in foul trouble...

[Gomes3PC]

The thing that makes me feel good is that at the end of these games, if we hang with the Lakers until the 4th quarter, I don't see LA having the ability to make the necessary stops to put us away. We will have a chance to win all these games if we play hard the first 36-40 minutes. LA can blow teams out with their scoring, but we just have to keep attacking the basket. Several good things come from this:

1) Foul trouble
2) Quiets the crowd
3) Kobe gets pissed
4) The Lakers can't run on a FTM
5) Celtics D can set up on the other end

So long as we keep getting 30+ free throws a game, I think we will be in good shape. And I've seen nothing from the first two games to think that LA can just man up and defend us. They'll either stop fouling and we'll get tons of open looks or they will continue to foul and we'll get free points at the charity stripe.

I do agree with the general premise though. Two games guarantee nothing for either side. If LA can somehow win 3 straight at home, they will have tremendous momentum going back to Boston, and they were tied for 2nd in road wins during the regular season so I don't think they'd be fearing the Garden as much as we'd like.

As for the bench not showing up, Powe might not get as many FTAs but he will get points if he's in there. Posey plays the same no matter where. Cassell should feel comfortable at Staples with his time there. And PJ at the very least will bang and make LA earn the 6 fouls he can give out. I'm more worried about LA's bench going bananas then ours' not showing up. Farmar was hot last night and if he and Vujacic start clicking then LA goes from a 95-100 point team to a 110+ point team.

[Gant]

I think the difference is that Boston is defensively oriented where Dallas was an offensive team. Defense travels better, and the Celtics won two out of three in Detroit; they seem to have gotten over their road freeze-up.

LA is obviously a very capable team and can't be let up on. Their offense can become dynamite if the defense lapses. But that Miami team was better. Shaq of even two years ago is a lot more of a presence than Gasol.

So, while the story is yet to be written, I like the Celtics chances.

[Gomes3PC]

Well, actually the Mavs that year were a pretty good defensive team. I believe top 5 in the NBA. Not #1, historically good like the Celtics, but good nonetheless. That was the whole thing with that team- they still were fresh from Nelly-ball's great offensive scheming and they added Avery's defense. The longer they were away from Nelson, the more the scoring corroded, and Avery could not get them to continually play the kind of max-effort D they needed to.

[Gant]

They were good defensively, but the Celtics are possibly the best defensive team since the early 90's Knicks. It's a whole 'nother level.