If you watched game one of the NBA Finals you were a little disappointed, mostly because like me, you thought Boston was going to put up more of a fight. Instead, the Lakers steamrolled their way to a game one victory in a game that was over midway through the third quarter. If Boston is to have any chance in this series, they need to win Game 2, in fact, I’m going to go as far and say that game 2 is a must win game for Boston especially because of the format of the finals, which heavily favors the Lakers.
The 2-3-2 format of the NBA Finals totally favors the team with homecourt advantage. This late in the season, it’s so rare to be able to beat a team of championship quality and caliber three times in a row. It’s damn near impossible, the 0’6 Heat are the last team I can remember that were able to accomplish the feat. It’s hard enough to beat a team twice in a row, but three times is basically asking for a collapse.
The NBA should go back to the 2-2-1-1-1 format for the NBA Finals, it’s more exciting to watch in my opinion, and it allows the team without homecourt advantage in the series; a chance to hold serve on their home floor. Look at Boston right now, the chances that they beat LA three consecutive times in Boston are slim. That’s why I say game 2 is a must win, because if they don’t win game 2, they’re likely to be coming back to LA down 3-2 in the series, that is if they make it back to LA at all.
For Boston to win Game 2, a number of things need to happen. Firstly, they need to rebound, because the Lakers absolutely hammered them on the glass, and for the most part outworked and out hustled the Celtics, something that is supposed to be their calling card. Ray Allen needs to stay out of foul trouble and they are going to have to change up their strategy on how their guarding Kobe Bryant, because what they are doing right now is not working. You have to take something away from Bryant, usually the best option is to try and force him to be a high volume jump shooter, as Boston was able to in 2008. But in game one Kobe was able to get to the hole at will, in fact, he Boston allowed Kobe to do whatever he wanted out there without so much as even a hard foul, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen need to step it up big time for Boston to win game 2 or this series is all but over. The odds already go against the Celtics after letting Phil Jackson take game one. For the record, I believe he’s something like 47-0 after winning game one of a playoff series. Celtics fans don’t need to ask what their chances are if they let Phil win both games 1 and two. Forget about it.
