Live Blogging: Lakers vs. Celtics, Game Five

Here I am – sorry for being late!

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1st Quarter

9:12 Why do the Celtics always start the game so poorly?

9:13 And the Lakers come out shooting once again. Where was Fisher’s jumper at the end of game four? Bos: 2 LA: 10

9:14 A little overacting by Kobe, some complaining by Fisher and Pierce for three … only he missed. Rondo saves the rebound, Allen throws up another three and Rondo rebounds yet again. This time he’s fouled. Whew … what a sequence. I need a timeout.

9:15 Where’s Walton been this entire series … oh yeah, he sucks. Another miss by the Celtics and Gasol fights for a rebound, hits and is fouled. Good finish … too bad he didn’t play with this much aggressiveness last game.

9:17 The Celtics are shooting almost as bad as they did in game four. Is it me or do the Celtics like putting themselves in game challenging positions?

9:19 Thank God for T.V. timeouts – it gives me a chance to run to the bathroom!

9:21 Pierce hits a jumper … let’s go on a run guys!

9:22 Or not. Kobe hits another three. Guess he means business. House answers with a three of his own. Bos: 10 LA: 21

9:23 Oh what would we do without Michelle Tafoya’s ever-insightful sideline updates. (I’m a fan, really but come on … some of the comments are just plain silly.) Kobe hits ANOTHER three. I’m thinking he wasn’t too happy with the critiques of his performance last game.

9:24 One rule of Live Blogging thumb – never eat a Popsicle while trying to type on a laptop. Bryant heads to the line for two. He makes one out of two.

9:26 Either the Celtics are giving the Lakers some much-needed confidence or the Lakers are kicking some major butt all on their own!

9:27 “The Celtics have them right where they want them,” says one announcer. Hey, this might be true. The Celtics game plan seems to be this: play like crap in the first half, come out and take names in the second half. And since when does Gasol block shots?

9:30 Bos: 15 LA: 31 – Enough said.

9:31 Another inspirational side bit on Kobe. OK, we get it. The guy is the Lakers leader, he’s their go-to guy, he’s got talent, he’s not going to give up, ever – we get it! Garnett picks up his second foul and we’re not even in the 2nd Quarter yet.

9:32 You know you’re playing bad when Vujachic steals the ball! Bos: 19 LA: 35

9:34 The Celtics are doing this on purpose. They really are. I’m sure Doc Rivers told them to go out and play like crap for a little bit just for the fun of it. Or maybe they just want to win the series back in Boston in front of their own home crowd.

9:35 Pierce picks up Bryant on defense. We’ll see if this has any impact. PJ Brown is called for goal-tending. And the hits just keep on coming …that’s the end of the 1st Quarter. Bos: 19 LA: 37

2nd Quarter

9:40 Simmons was right – Rivers and Tafoya do like to flirt during their sideline interviews. Anyways, back to the game. Someone name Chris Mihm is in the game now … who the heck is he?

9:42 It’s up to a 19-point lead. Here we go again. Even with the lead, the Lakers can’t be feeling too secure. YAY – Walton’s in the game. (Good for the Celtics)

9:43 So that’s why they brought in Mihm – to foul Pierce. Pierce drove hard to the basket and now he’s at the line for two. Walton’s out of the game already … darn. Here’s comes that Ariza character again.

9:44 A blatant foul by Vujacic on Pierce during the rebound was rudely ignored. Lakers have the ball and Mihm shoots an air ball. The announcers try bailing him out, telling us that was “his first shot in weeks.”

9:46 Pierce takes it hard to hole again! The Celtics steal the inbound pass and get the ball back. Bos: 32 LA: 43 “Here comes the run, do doo do doo, here comes the run…” Laker timeout.

9:49 Phil Jackson decides to put the players whose names we actually know back into the game. Good call.

9:50 Van Gundy tells the Lakers, and us for that matter, how they should be guarding Pierce.

9:51 Odom throws the ball away. Cassell kicks it out to Allen for a bucket. Bos: 34 LA: 43

9:52 Posey takes a charge and it’s the Celtics ball once again. Pierce misses a fall away. Gasol and Garnett are both back in the game and Garnett gets called for another foul. That’s three on the big guy.

9:54 After analyzing the foul from a few different angles, the overall consensus is that yes, it was a foul. Thanks guys. And Pierce walks right down the lane for a layup. Where’s the D?

9:55 12 straight points by the Celtics. Make that 15 – Pierce for three!

9:56 Fisher forces up a shot and here come the Celtics again. Pierce misses a three and then Kobe throws the ball away at the other end (which he blames on Gasol’s lack of speed in getting to the ball instead of the fact that he threw a wild pass that not even Superman could have gotten to in time in the first place).

10:00 Cassell makes a bad pass and here come the Lakers. They only have four points in this entire 2nd Quarter (39 in the 1st). Fisher bricks a three and PJ Browns saves the rebound. Cassell misses a shot but Gasol knocked the rebound out of bounds. But Cassell misses yet another shot. (Can we get Allen back in the game Doc?)

10:03 Odom ends the Celtic run with a nice inside layup off the backboard.

10:06 After a timeout, we’re back to the game. Jackson tells his team to “find their way to the offense” in so many words. Um … what? How about letting them know how to get there? It might be easier.

10:08 Odom seems to have understood what Jackson was saying. He scores another basket and Radmonvic (sp?) gets called for a technical because he complained to a ref. Allen hits the shot and Tony Allen slides down the lane for a bucket.

10:09 Odom scores again and has a chance to make it a three-point play at the line. He does. Bos: 42 LA: 50

10:10 Farmar shoots an air ball from three-point range. We see a glimpse of Garnett sitting on the bench and then Allen hits another three. Farmar redeems himself and actually hits the three this time.

10:12 Double technical called on Fisher and Allen. It looked like a polite exchange of words to me. Wow – Odom looks possessed out there! He has nine points in the 2nd Quarter alone. Bos: 47 LA: 55

10:14 Allen gets mauled on his way to the hoop but no foul called. PJ Brown hits with the clean-up off a Pierce miss. Bryant loses the ball out of bounds, but once again – it wasn’t his fault, someone knocked it out of his hands … honest.

10:15 Speaking of Bryant, he hasn’t scored in the last 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Pierce hits another three on the last shot of the quarter. Nice comeback for the Celtics again. How come the Lakers can’t sustain 10-plus-point leads??? Bos: 52 LA: 55

Halftime
The Lakers just can’t seem to put the Celtics away when they have the lead. Pierce is having another incredible game. Bill Walton joins us for the halftime show and he’s never at a loss for words. He basically says what we are all thinking – what the heck happened to the Lakers??? With a huge lead, Jackson decided to put in Mihm and a few other no name players while Kobe was out of the game to help sustain the lead … right, that wasn’t such brilliant move there, Phil. Even I know that. If the Lakers don’t get their shiznit together, you’re going to see a bunch of unhappy Gucci-wearing, blackberry waving, hey, look I’m on T.V.! bling-blinging fans leaving the Staples Center.

We’re experiencing technical difficulties due to a thunderstorm – stay tuned.

3rd Quarter

10:39 The lights flickered and the power went off momentarily, but I’m back on line and watching the game. (I also suffered a mild heart attack because I thought I was going to miss the rest of the game). Allen ties the game with a three. And we’re back ladies and gentlemen!

10:40 Kobe misses another shot. If there was ever a moment where he needed to take control of this game and put his team on his back that time is now. Instead, he fouls Pierce and sends him to the line.

10:42 Kobe makes a three-point play and the Lakers are back on top.

We’re experiencing technical difficulties again

10:52 And I’m back in time to see Bryant pick up his fourth foul … uh oh! Bos: 64 LA: 65

10:53 Stupid foul by Rondo on Fisher as he was taking the shot. Fisher hits the ground and the ball banks off the backboard and sails though the net. Three-point play.

10:54 Bad pass by Rondo (take him out of the game Doc and put in the guys you had in the 2nd Quarter! Ever hear the phrase: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it???) and Rodmanovic (sp??) hits a three at the other end. Bos: 64 LA: 70
Timeout Celtics.

10:59 Great move by Pierce out of the timeout for a bucket.

11:00 House gets called for a foul on Fisher, though I’m not sure what he did exactly. Bos: 66 LA: 72

11:01 After some sloppy play on both ends, Allen get fouled on his way to the basket. He’s at the line for two.

11:02 After the camera guys focus just a little bit too long on House’s boo-boo, Fisher gets fouled on a jumper and heads back to the line.

11:04 Cassell finally hits a jumper. Wait, why is he back in the game? Garnett makes a steal and Cassell (feeling a bit overconfident if you ask me) misses a three-pointer.

11:06 Allen misses a three but Posey gets the rebound. He’s fouled and it’s the Celtics ball out of bounds. Allen misses another three, Garnett kicks out the rebound. The ball gets back to Allen but he steps out of bounds. Poor offensive set that time.

11:09 Posey dives to the floor to block a pass. This guy doesn’t quit! He just got another rebound off of a Bryant miss.

11:10 Missed shots on both ends and the Lakers are still ahead by six. Wait! Walton is back in – hooray! Let’s take advantage!

11:10 Great move by Odom and the Lakers lead by eight. Bos: 70 LA: 78

11:11 Walton on Pierce??? Pierce gets by him easily and kicks it out to House who passes it to Allen for three … and he missed. That’s the end of the 3rd Quarter.

4th Quarter

11:16 Here we go folks, this is it! Pierce gets to the line for two free throws. Take them where you can get them, Paul.

11:17 Nice drive by Farmar for two points. Walton is still guarding Pierce? Interesting match-up. Timeout Celtics as Odom just hit a three. Crazy … absolutely crazy. It’s back up to a 12-point lead. I’m a little nervous.

11:20 What a move by Pierce! He took Bryant straight to the basket!

11:22 And Farmar answers on the other end for two. Bos: 74 LA: 86

11:23 Vujacic commits a silly foul on Posey after he missed a three. Poor offense on the other end for the Celtics. The lead is back up to 14 points.

11:25 Nice shot by Cassell posting up Farmar. Bos: 76 LA: 88

11:26 Vujacic flops around like a rag doll by the 38-year-old Cassell and makes a fool of himself for the sake of the crowd. Jump ball.

11:27 Farmar misses a lay up. Cassell hits a three and is fouled!!! Smart move. Very smart move. Bos: 79 LA: 88

11:29 Kobe hits a jumper and Cassell drives for two on the other end.

11:30 Walton commits a dumb foul on Pierce. He basically fell on the floor in front of Pierce and looked absolutely ridiculous doing so.

11:31 Not surprisingly, Walton is taken out of the game. Pierce hits both free throws. Bryant loses the ball out of bounds again at the other end.

11:32 I love Posey!!! Three-pointer from the corner off a pass by Pierce as he was falling down. What a shot! What a play! Bos: 86 LA: 90
Timeout LA!

11:33 Rivers emphasizes “mental toughness.” We’ll see if it sinks in. Pierce is fouled on his way to the hoop. He can cut the lead to two. He does!

11:38 Where’s Kobe? For those of you who compare him to Jordan – would MJ disappear in a Finals game like this? Did he ever? No … he took the game on his back.

11:39 And we’re tied off of a Garnett jumper!

11:40 Nice move by Gasol under the basket and the Lakers are back up by two.

11:41 Garnett is at the line for two. He misses the first but hits the second.

11:42 Bryant continues to pick up his dribble for some reason. And Garnett is called for his fifth foul. This isn’t good. Crap – Pierce is called for his fifth foul. Can someone say, conspiracy!

11:43 Great pass by Bryant to Odom who gets fouled going hard to the basket. He makes them both. Three point game.

11:47 Kobe strips the ball from Pierce and Fisher picks it up. He’s fouled going to the bucket. Fisher misses the first and hits the second. Bos: 91 LA: 95. Three minutes remaining.

11:48 Pierce gets inside easily once again and gets fouled down the lane. He makes both free throws.

11:49 Great defense by Garnett. With five fouls, Gasol went at him hard but he stayed his ground. Gasol missed and fouled Garnett after he had grabbed the rebound. Garnett misses them both.

11:51 Mark Jackson makes a comment which is pretty similar to the one I made before about comparing Kobe to MJ and how MJ would have taken this game into his own hands. Soon after Kobe gets to the line and hits both. (I should also mention that Kobe is 7 for 20 on shooting) Four point lead.

11:52 Pierce misses a shot and can’t grab the rebound.

11:53 Kobe misses a three and Odom is called for an over-the-back foul on the rebound. Pierce goes to the line. He hits them both.

11:55 Poor offensive set by the Lakers but Kobe makes a steal (looked like a reach-in to me) on Pierce and puts his team back up by four with under a minute left to play.

11:57 Allen misses on the drive and Garnett’s tip in won’t go! Argggghhhhh!

11:59 Lakers inbound the ball and Fisher is fouled right away. He misses the first. And he hits the second. Five point game. Bos: 95 LA: 100

12:02 House misses a quick three. Kobe gets the ball and he’s fouled by Allen at the other end. All Kobe has to do is make these free throws and it’s pretty much over. I guess my prediction was wrong. I’m still not impressed with the Lakers play. This game was lost by the Celtics, not won by the Lakers. (Surprisingly, Kobe missed the second free throw so the Celtics still have a chance … however slight.)

12:05 House hits a three and the Celtics almost steal the inbound pass. Fisher gets fouled and he makes the first. The game is over. I’m going to bed.

We’re headed back to Boston on Tuesday night!