ProbableStarters PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 10.7 RPG 4.20 APG 6.6 EFF + 14.86
SG: Ray Allen PPG 14.4 RPG 3.60 APG 2.9 EFF + 13.10
SF: Paul Pierce PPG 19.1 RPG 5.00 APG 4.0 EFF + 17.52
PF: Kevin Garnett PPG 21.2 RPG 10.00 APG 3.4 EFF + 25.95
C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 6.9 RPG 6.60 APG 0.5 EFF + 12.00
Off the Bench:Eddie House, James Posey, Leon Powe, Big Baby Davis, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell
InjuriesScott Pollard, ankle, out
Paul Pierce, knee, probable
Kendrick Perkins, ankle, probable
InactiveGabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Probable StartersPG: Derek Fisher PPG 10.3 RPG 2.60 APG 2.4 EFF + 12.81
SG: Kobe Bryant PPG 31.4 RPG 5.90 APG 5.8 EFF + 28.75
SF: Vladimir Radmanovic PPG 8.1 RPG 3.50 APG 1.6 EFF + 8.88
PF: Lamar Odom PPG 14.6 RPG 10.10 APG 2.8 EFF + 20.00
C: Pau Gasol PPG 17.6 RPG 8.90 APG 4.2 EFF + 23.94
Off the BenchSasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Rony Turiaf, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm
InjuriesAndrew Bynum, knee, out
Trevor Ariza, foot, day to day
Derek Fisher, partial tear in right foot tendon, will play
Kobe Bryant, torn ligament in finger, will play
InactiveCoby Karl, Ira Newble
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
In game 1, Rondo got the better of this matchup. He set the pace and out played Fisher on both ends of the court. The Celtics will need Rondo to continue to be aggressive on defense and in taking the ball to the hoop and to take the open shot when it is there. Fisher is a veteran, though, and will come back strong in game 2 and Rondo has to be ready for it.
vs
Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant
Ray Allen did a good job against Kobe in game 1. The Celtics held Kobe to 24 points on 9-26 shooting in 42 minutes. Ray also made Kobe work on the defensive end as he finished with 19 points. Containing Kobe will be key, but they also must be sure to stop his teammates as well since he will look to find him if his shot isn't there.
Honorable MentionPaul Pierce vs Vladimir Radmanovic
I expect Pierce to play in game 2, but we don't know how well Pierce will be able to move with the knee injury. He should still be able to have his way with Radmanovic. The Celtics will need Pierce to be aggressive and play well so hopefully he will be healthy.
to the game
Energy and Intensity The Lakers are going to come at the Celtics with a vengeance from the start in game 2 and the Celtics must be ready and match their intensity. The Celtics have to go for all the loose balls and they have to run as much as possible. The Celtics have to come out with intensity to start the game because the Lakers will and if they don't they will end up in a hole very quickly.
Defense The Celtics' defense wasn't up to par in the first half of game 1 as they allowed the Lakers to shoot 50%. But the Celtics clamped down on defense and held the Lakers to just 34% in the second half. It was defense that won that game and defense will be the key to this game as well. They have to do a better job defending the pick and roll, though.
Rebounding The Celtics out rebounded the Lakers 46-33 in game 1 and they must continue to crash the boards and limit the Lakers' second chance points. I expect Gasol and Odom both to work harder for rebounds and the Celtics have to be aggressive in going after them. Hopefully Perk will be healthy for this game as they will need his rebounding.
Ball Movement When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are hard to beat. When they over-dribble and try to do too much one on one, they are out of sync and that is when they struggle. Doc needs to keep Rondo on the court as much as possible. Eddie House would probably be a better choice than Sam at backup because he knows the offense better and keeps it moving. Sam usually shoots every time he gets the ball. They must also take the ball inside at every opportunity and not settle for jumpers. This is especially true for KG. He could easily post up every time and he will need to look to get inside.
X-FactorsBench Play. The Celtics bench out played the Lakers bench in game 1 and they will need solid contributions from them again in game 2. With Perk's status uncertain, they will need big games from PJ and Leon again. Posey's defense is also key.
Coaching Doc Rivers won round 1 of the coaching matchup. Phil Jackson has been here before and will make adjustments and so Doc must be ready to counter them. In the Finals, coaching becomes even more important. Doc has proved that he is up to the task and hopefully this will continue.