Back in Boston

After the Celtics tied up the series in game 2 with a victory in Los Angeles, they were back in Boston last night in front of their home crowd. Believe it or not, the Celtics actually have a better road record than home. Boston is probably the first team to have road-court advantage in the NBA finals. In game 2, Ray Allen had himself quite a performance with a total of 32 points and eight three-pointers (which is a NBA record). Ray looked like Michael Jordan. However, Ray Allen was ice cold from the floor in game 3. He was 0-8 from the three point line and 0-13 overall. He had a forgettable night, but if one Celtics' star struggles, another player picks him up. That was not the case in game three. Both Allen and Pierce struggled all game to find their shots. Boston's shooting was terrible, but Kevin Garnett did rise to the occasion and had himself a monster game with 25 points. After two miserable games in Los Angeles because of foul trouble, Garnett found himself at the top of his game in Boston. He electrified Boston early with the first six points of the game for either team. The crowd was into it early when the Celtics took a 12-5 lead in the first quarter. Although, Phil Jackson took a rare timeout for the Lakers early in the first. After that, the game belonged to Los Angeles. Kobe had a struggle shooting the ball for most of the game, but he ended up leading all scorers with 29 points on 10-29 shooting. The star of the game was not Bryant. The star was point guard veteran Derek Fisher. Fisher is the vocal leader of the Lakers team. He finished with 16 points and had an impressive fourth quarter that gave the Lakers a 91-84 win. Derek Fisher was the show stopper. With his effort in the fourth, the Celtics' late game run came to a halt. The defining moment of game 3was when Fisher ran the length of the court to make a very difficult layup with three Celtics contesting the shot. Derek stepped up in a huge way to give the Lakers a 2-1 series lead, and the Lakers stole back home court advantage. Phil Jackson now has 223 career wins in postseason history. This number is one shy of the most wins in the postseason in all of pro sports. He has ten NBA championships (Bulls and Lakers). Jackson is a hall of fame worthy coach. There is no doubt about that. Just watch him on the sidelines. He is very tall. He is very silent, and he knows how to keep his composure during intense, pressure situations. The 2010 NBA finals are not only showcasing the best players, but it is also showcasing two of the best coaches, Doc Rivers and Phil Jackson. Both coaches know how to motivate their respective teams, and they know how to keep their teams on the right track. In game 3, both teams played exceptional defense, but the Lakers' defense was just a little bit better. Defense wins championships. If this is the case, expect Boston to bounce back and even the series at two games a piece in game four. More important, the Celtics' bench needs to keep finding ways to contribute because these players have done a phenomenal job all series long and throughout the entire playoffs of producing valuable minutes. Look at guys like Nate Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen, and Glenn Davis. The Lakers have a good bench too, but these players are going to have to play a bigger role if they want to win this series. Kobe is not the only person on this team. The Lakers cannot expect Bryant to do everything. Other guys have to be willing to step up and make some plays on offense and defense. This is the biggest rivalry in basketball, and both teams have not disappointed. This has been a fierce, aggressive, intense, and an explosive series so far. The Celtics and Lakers are going to battle this out to the end. Expect a game seven in Los Angeles. Buckle up because this series is about to get crazy and out of control. Boston. Los Angeles. Two teams, one dream. Who wants it more?