Celtics Hang to 2-0 Lead

With all of the questions of Paul Pierce's knee injury in Game 1, the superiority of the Los Angeles Lakers after a defeat, and so on, the Boston Celtics affirmatively sent the message that they showed better effort on both ends of the court.

For 40 minutes.

After leading by 24 points with less than eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Lakers stormed back, riding the coattails of Kobe Bryant's 13 fourth-quarter points. Bryant was also able to dish to his teammates for seven triples in the final period, tying a Finals record. With 38 seconds remaining, Bryant hit two free-throws to pull within 104-102. They got no closer. Paul Pierce hit two crucial free-throws with 22 seconds left to ice the game.

Ultimately, though, a quarter of excellent play did not compensate for three quarters of lackadaisical play. The Lakers go back to STAPLES Center with an 0-2 deficit going back home, a hole only three teams in the NBA Finals have dug themselves out of and won the series.

Although The Truth led Boston with 28 points, it was Leon Powe who was the unexpected hero of Game 2. Powe simply out-worked the Lakers, on his way to 21 points in merely 15 minutes. Powe shot a nearly perfect six-of-seven from the field, and made 13 trips to the free-throw line. With one of the most compelling stories of the NBA, Powe had a game to remember. Unfortunately, the Lakers had a comeback that will not be remembered.

Rajon Rondo led the way for Boston, with 16 assists last night. In addition, Rondo had his own highlight when Kevin Garnett gave Rondo a football pass for an easy dunk. The skinny 6'1" guard showed that he can get up there.

The Boston bench outscored the L.A. bench, 35-23. For all of the talk of a superior Lakers bench, it has come to no avail thus far.

Phil Jackson was visibly disgruntled with the officiating, saying that the calls were "unbelievable." The 28 free-throw attempt disparity between the two clubs is questionable at best. Kobe Bryant got into early foul-trouble, which was a major factor as to why the Celtics were able to jump out to an early lead. The refs should let the players that got the teams to the Finals play. A foul with minimal contact should not be called on the biggest stage in basketball.

Kobe Bryant had 30 points, but struggled the majority of the game. In fact, Bryant has not been able to go off on the Celtics at any point during this series. That is not a coincidence, it is a trend. In the 2004 Finals, Tayshaun Prince was able to hold Kobe Bryant on the ropes for the entire series, as he averaged just 22 points in the Finals. Like in 2004, the suffocating Celtics defense could have such a tight stranglehold on Kobe Bryant.

For the Lakers, there are a plethora of adjustments to be made. A better commitment needs to be made on both ends of the court. For the first three quarters, it appeared as though the Celtics were getting everything that they wanted. This was especially true in transition. The Celtics would get either a layup or an open three virtually every time. There needs to be more effort for the Lakers.

Any complaint the Lakers have about the officiating will not receive much merit. A championship team should be able to overcome things like bad officiating and bad shooting nights. In the first two games of the Finals, the Lakers have proven nothing. If they continue to whine and not show effort defensively, this may be a quick series.