I hate to accuse Kobe of gunning, but the Lakers offense definitely got bogged down in the second half. Gasol only had 2 points after halftime, and Odom never really looked into the game. They both, Odom especially, need to really be more aggressive and look for their shot. When Gasol and Odom are threats (looking for 20 points from Gasol, 15 points & 5+ assists from Odom), it opens up the rest of the offense for the Lakers- setting up their shooters for open 3's, a big part of their regular offense that the Celtics were able to shut down in Game 1. Also, someone from the bench really needs to step up. I think the guy needs to be Vujacic, who acts like he's the man but sometimes has trouble delivering. Also, their point guard duo of Derek Fisher & Jordan Farmar got outplayed by Rajon Rondo (and a few surprising minutes from Sam Cassell), which can't happen if the Lakers want to win. Basically, the Lakers, as we knew, really didn't play well as a whole, and an improvement in any of these areas could really swing the game in their favor.
The health of the Celtics is a real issue going into Game 2. Pierce was able to gut out Game 1, but after 2 days for the knee to swell up, I think his mobility, especially on defense, is going to be a problem. After he returned from the injury, Pierce because strictly a jump shooter. I'd expect him to be mostly staying on the perimeter in Game 2 and to have real trouble staying with anyone on defense, something that LA will need to exploit. I doubt he'll see any time on Kobe in Game 2. Almost as big of an issue for the Celtics is the health of Kendrick Perkins. After leaving with a sprained ankle in Game 1, Perkins didn't return and sounds doubtful for the game tonight. Although he didn't play very well when he was in (1 point, 4 fouls), Perkins is still the best big man the Celtics have other than Garnett. If he can't give them his usual minutes, or play at all, it puts a lot of pressure on PJ Brown & Leon Powe. Both of them played well in Game 1, not having too much trouble against Turiaf like I had predicted, but they simply can't hold up over the course of a full game against Odom and Gasol. I'd look for Perkins to still start, and try to give them whatever he has, but most of his minutes will end up going to Brown & Powe. Also, Rivers went to the smaller lineup of Posey at the 4 and Garnett at the 5 down the stretch of the first game, so look for this lineup to get some more time in Game 2.
In Game 2, I'd look for Kobe to defer to Odom and Gasol early, and try to get at least one of them going. What made the Lakers so hard to defend all year was their ability to attack from anywhere on the floor with a variety of options. But the first thing to change needs to be their lack of aggression. As I mentioned in my comments immediately after Game 1, nobody on the Lakers came out and attacked, really tried to win the game in Boston. If the Lakers are aggressive and really try to grab the game, they can come back and steal Game 2 and home-court advantage. The Celtics will be ready, however, because if the series is tied at 1-1 going to LA, they know that they might not return to Boston. With Pierce hobbled, Garnett and Ray Allen (who played a very solid all-around Game 1) need to carry the load offensively and take whatever they can get from Pierce.
The bottom line, for me at least, is that the Celtics did almost everything right, winning the battle for almost every loose ball, getting the emotional lift from Paul Pierce, big numbers from the Big 3, and a clear advantage in the point guard matchup. The Lakers, on the other hand, did almost nothing right. I'm expecting another hard-fought game, but as much as Boston can't afford to be tied at 1 all, the Lakers really don't want to be down 2-0 going back to home. With 2 starters at least hobbled by injuries, I simply don't think the Celtics have the bodies to pull out the win. I'm predicting that the Lakers win a close one with Kobe scoring at least 10 in the 4th quarter.
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