Lakers fans breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday night, as Los Angeles defeated Boston and stayed undefeated on their home floor in the post-season. The 87-81 victory was a testament to the will of this Lakers team and a classic win for the Kobe Bryant-led squad.
From the first possession, Kobe set the tone by driving relentlessly and repeatedly to the hoop. His aggression sometimes outpaced his concentration—jumping too high, dunking too hard, shouting too loudly at overzealous referees—but the message was clear: “We’re going to muscle our way to a win and nothing’s gonna stop us.”
The Lakers were the aggressors for most of the game, going up by as many as 11 and getting to the free throw line 34 times. They shot an embarrassing 61% from the stripe, but that was enough to slay the beast and the 4th quarter free throw shooting was vintage clutch.
Los Angeles’ defense was the foundation of the victory. The Laker D forced Boston to shoot only 35% from the field and held them to just 81 points. 81 points! Kobe Bryant can score 81 points all by himself, and that’s all that the Eastern Conference's best team could muster? Kobe was instrumental in the strong defensive effort, guarding Paul Pierce in crunchtime and holding him to 6 points all game. Pierce, who was the Celtics’ leading scorer in games 1 and 2, was helpless against KB24’s wise and constrictive defense.
Phil Jackson made some changes defensively to start the game, which proved problematic for Boston. Putting Kobe on Rajon Rondo allowed Kobe to roam freely and provide more help against the Celtics big men who dominated Game 2. It took a while for Rondo and his buddies to adjust to Phil Jackson’s new scheme, and by that time, the Lakers had opened up a sizeable lead.
From the first possession, Kobe set the tone by driving relentlessly and repeatedly to the hoop. His aggression sometimes outpaced his concentration—jumping too high, dunking too hard, shouting too loudly at overzealous referees—but the message was clear: “We’re going to muscle our way to a win and nothing’s gonna stop us.”
The Lakers were the aggressors for most of the game, going up by as many as 11 and getting to the free throw line 34 times. They shot an embarrassing 61% from the stripe, but that was enough to slay the beast and the 4th quarter free throw shooting was vintage clutch.
Los Angeles’ defense was the foundation of the victory. The Laker D forced Boston to shoot only 35% from the field and held them to just 81 points. 81 points! Kobe Bryant can score 81 points all by himself, and that’s all that the Eastern Conference's best team could muster? Kobe was instrumental in the strong defensive effort, guarding Paul Pierce in crunchtime and holding him to 6 points all game. Pierce, who was the Celtics’ leading scorer in games 1 and 2, was helpless against KB24’s wise and constrictive defense.
Phil Jackson made some changes defensively to start the game, which proved problematic for Boston. Putting Kobe on Rajon Rondo allowed Kobe to roam freely and provide more help against the Celtics big men who dominated Game 2. It took a while for Rondo and his buddies to adjust to Phil Jackson’s new scheme, and by that time, the Lakers had opened up a sizeable lead.
The big story of the night was Kobe’s 36 points. He was literally unstoppable. Setting the tone in the first quarter with 11 points, and charging hard in the fourth quarter to slam the coffin on the Celtics, Kobe controlled the game and wrote the script the way he wanted it. Whether it was Rondo or Ray Allen guarding him, Kobe met little resistance on his ‘put the ball in the hole’ campaign. The shots he made and the opportunities he created for his teammates in the fourth were the stuff of legends. After the “Kobe Bryant Halfcourt Trap” strategy for Boston proved as prostrate as FEMA after Hurricane Katrina, Kobe made Ray Allen’s 1-on-1 defense look infantile. I’m not saying Kobe’s a god, but he made Jesus Shuttlesworth look well…worthless. Boston, if double teaming him doesn't work, don’t make it worse by taking help away; triple team him!
The Lakers went back to their conventional style of victory: Let Kobe score a grip of points and hope a few other guys step up when he’s out to lunch. I’m obviously liking this Lakers win and I’m hoping that Thursday’s Game 4 brings more of the same. I’ll keep you posted.
Stay humble, stay hungry.
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