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Boston Celtics (2-1, 14-9) at Los Angeles Lakers (1-2, 13-5)
NBA Finals Game 4
Thursday, June 12
9:00 PM ET
TV: ABC
Staples Center Probable Starting Matchups Point Guard vs
Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
Shooting Guard vs
Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant
Small Forward vs
Paul Pierce vs Lamar Odom
Power Forward vs
Kevin Garnett vs Vladimir Radmanovic
Center vs
Kendrick Perkins vs Pau Gasol
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, will play
Kendrick Perkins, ankle, will play
Sam Cassell, wrist, will play
Rajon Rondo, ankle, game time decision
InactiveGabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Off the BenchSasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Rony Turiaf, Ira Newble, Chris Mihm
InjuriesAndrew Bynum, knee, out
Trevor Ariza, foot, will play
Derek Fisher, partial tear in right foot tendon, will play
Kobe Bryant, torn ligament in finger, will play
InactiveCoby Karl, DJ Mbenga
Key Matchups vs
Paul Pierce vs Lamar Odom
Both Pierce and Odom struggled in game 3. Paul Pierce has been playing excellent basketball up until this past game, even though he was injured. Odom has struggled throughout the finals so far. The Celtics need Pierce to pick up his game and have a big game in game 4 to win it. He has always played very well in LA and hopefully he will continue that and take over game 4.
vs
Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant
Ray Allen had his offense going in game 3 and the Celtics will need him to continue shooting the ball well. It is puzzling that Doc went away from Ray in the fourth quarter after he was so hot all game. Doc also chose not to double Kobe at the end of the game and Ray was guarding him one on one. With Kobe looking to be more aggressive, Ray's defense is even more important than his offense.
Honorable Mention - Every matchup is key at this point of the series
Kevin Garnett vs Vladimir Radmanovic
KG must get his offense going in game 4. He has to be more aggressive going to the hoop and stop settling for quick jumpers. KG will be key to the game for the Celtics if he would be more aggressive and go to the basket. It is hard to imagine both Pierce and Garnett having two bad games in a row. I expect both to snap back and play well in this one.
Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
Rondo has had a great series so far. He had his way in games 1 and 2 and then in game 3, Phil Jackson switched Kobe on Rondo. and he wasn't quite as dominant but still held his own in spite of having Kobe on him until he sprained his ankle. Rondo says he will play in game 4 but Doc has said that he won't play him unless he is 100%. Hopefully he is a fast healer as the Celtics need him on the court.
Kendrick Perkins vs Pau Gasol
Perk has been playing great defense and is one of the reasons that Odom and Gasol are both struggling. Perk needs to continue to play that kind of defense and the Celtics can look to get him the ball inside for some easy offense.
Keys to the GameBe Aggressive The Lakers were the more aggressive team in game 3 and they got the majority of calls. The Celtics need to turn the tables and be the more aggressive team in game 4. They must go to the hoop every chance they get and not settle for jumpers. This may be the most important key to the game. They have to aggressively attack the basket. They also have to be aggressive in going after loose balls and rebounds. and they have to be more aggressive on defense.
Play 48 Minutes The Celtics have to come out strong and not let up. The Lakers can put up points very quickly and if the Celtics let up, they will take advantage. If the Celtics want to win this game they must go all out for 48 minutes and leave it all on the court.
DefenseDefense wins championships plain and simple. The Celtics must play swarming team defense that made them the best defensive team in the league this season. They can't outscore the Lakers for the most part and so they have to get stops and prevent the Laker from getting easy shots.
ReboundThe Celtics out rebounded the Lakers by just 1 in game 3 and they have to be more aggressive in going after rebounds. The Lakers got way too many second chance baskets. Playing Perk and Powe a little more might help in this area. Perk was playing very well in game 3 and yet Doc didn't play him in the 4th and Powe played only 6 minutes.
Ball Movement The Celtics must move the ball and find the open man. In game 3, it was the Lakers with the good ball movement. The Celtics seemed to hold the ball too long and it seemed as though players were trying to do it themselves. Sam must run the offense instead of shooting every time down. That really seems to kill the offensive flow. They have to get back to moving the ball and and playing unselfish ball.
X-FactorsInjuries The injuries to Pierce, Perk, and particularly Rondo may be a factor in this game. If Rondo can't go or can't play 100%, this would be huge for the Celtics. Pierce and Perk have been playing with their injuries but these may also have been aggravated by the plane trip and playing on them. The Celtics need Rondo, plain and simple.
Focus and IntensityThe team that comes out more focused and plays with more intensity will win the game. The games that the Celtics have lost in the playoffs have been the result of their lack of focus and intensity rather than the other teams beating them. If the Celtics come out focused and play their game, they will win.