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Boston Celtics (3-1, 15-9) at Los Angeles Lakers (1-3, 13-6)
NBA Finals Game 5
Sunday 6/15
9:00 PM ET
TV: ABC
Staples Center 
Probable Starting Lineup 
PG: Rajon Rondo PPG 10.1 RPG 4.10 APG 6.7 EFF + 14.42
SG: Ray Allen PPG 15.1 RPG 3.80 APG 2.8 EFF + 14.25
SF: Paul Pierce PPG 19.0 RPG 5.00 APG 4.2 EFF + 17.42
PF: Kevin Garnett PPG 20.5 RPG 10.30 APG 3.5 EFF + 25.04
C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 6.8 RPG 6.20 APG 0.5 EFF + 11.67
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
Rajon Rondo, ankle, will play
Kendrick Perkins, shoulder, day to day
InactiveGabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Probable Starting Lineup
PG: Derek Fisher PPG 10.2 RPG 2.40 APG 2.4 EFF + 12.16
SG: Kobe Bryant PPG 30.8 RPG 5.70 APG 5.9 EFF + 28.21
SF: Lamar Odom PPG 14.1 RPG 9.90 APG 2.9 EFF + 19.32
PF: Vladimir Radmanovic PPG 8.2 RPG 3.80 APG 1.5 EFF + 9.11
C: Pau Gasol PPG 17.1 RPG 9.20 APG 3.9 EFF + 22.95
Off the BenchSasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Rony Turiaf, Ira Newble, Chris Mihm
InjuriesAndrew Bynum, knee, out
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
In spite of starting off 7-7 in game 4, Odom disappeared in the second half. On the other hand, in spite of a slow start, Paul Pierce came on big in the second half and along with shutting Kobe down he scored 20 points and dished out 7 assists. Each of these players will again be key to the success of their respective teams.
vs
Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant
Ray Allen played the entire 48 minutes in game 4 and still had enough at the end to blow by Vujacic for a layup to put the dagger in the Lakers' hearts. He out scored Kobe 19-17 and pulled down 9 rebounds too boot. Ray Allen's play has been crucial to this series so far and they will need him to continue playing at this level for the Celtics to close out this series. Kobe will come to play and Ray and Paul and the Celtics have to be ready for it.
Honorable MentionRondo, House, Cassell vs Fisher and Farmar
Whether it is Rondo, Cassell, or House, the Celtics need good play from their point guards. So far, the Celtics point guards have out played the Lakers' point guards and they need to continue to do so for the Celtics to get this game.
Keys to the Game Defense! This series will be won on the defensive end. In game 4 once again, the Celtics proved that defense is what wins games and what wins championships. The Celtics held the Lakers to 34% shooting in the second half as they made their historic come back. Hopefully in game 5, the Celtics will come out right from the beginning and play their brand of swarming defense and put this one away early.
Play 48 Minutes So far in this series, the Celtics have blown a 24 point lead but hung on to win and overcome a 24 point deficit to win the game. The Celtics need to play 48 minutes. Come out strong to start the game and play strong until the final buzzer sounds. No let ups whether they are ahead or behind.
Focus and Intensity The Celtics have to win just one more game to close out this series. The Lakers will be playing with their backs against the wall and will be fighting to keep their season alive. The Celtics must come out with focus and play with intensity and take over this game. The close out game is the hardest to win and it will take a focused team playing with intensity for 48 minutes to do it in the Lakers' house.
Rebound The Celtics have to be aggressive going after rebounds and limit the Lakers' second chance points. In the first half of game 4, the Celtics were out rebounded by 10 and were behind by 18. In the second half, the Celtics out rebounded the Lakers by 9 and won the game. They have to control the boards if they expect to win this game.
Play Inside In the first half of game 4, the Celtics were settling for jumpers and the Lakers were going to the hoop and the Celtics were getting crushed. In the second half, these roles were reversed and the Celtics started going to the basket and the Lakers settled for jumpers and the Celtics made an epic comeback. The Celtics have to be aggressive in going to the basket and getting the ball inside.
X-FactorBench PlayThe Celtics bench has been the difference in their wins and in their losses. In the games they have won, at least one or more bench players have stepped up. In the game they lost, their bench was out played by the Lakers bench. The Celtics need their bench to continue to produce.
Topic: NBA Finals Game 5 Celtics at Lakers 6/15 9:00 PM ET ABC (Read 86070 times)