To CelticsBlog: Good Win

[Discoflux]

Congrats on the win.

My biggest fears (see any of my former posts) was KG dominating PAU in the paint.

Sure enough he killed us... and our #1 reason for losing was bad REBOUNDING.

Good overall Celtic defense was stifling, good team defense.  That is the way to play the Lakers if you want to win. 

The refs hurt us, not the reason for the loss, but they killed our momentum several times with ticky tack stuff. 

KG is the man.

[Redz]

One game.  A biggy no doubt, but one game. 

What I'd be most afraid of if I were a Lakers fan (besides the fact that I was a Lakers fan ), is that the Celtics have clearly gotten over their early playoff jitters, and don't seem at all phased by the pressure any more.  They feel like they're the better team, and they sure looked like it last night.

KG came out smokin' last night, and even when he got cold he was kicking butt on the other end.

[fan33]

Jolly good of you to, man-up as they say, sport! 

I was most impressed with the Zen Master and Kobes post game interviews!

As they say, nice little kick in the ass, as it were there

Should be an entertaining series, and especially now for us all, as we actually have facts to debate!

Odem getting into foul trouble began the unravaling, I suspect and I'm sure you agree.

As well as few 3 pt attempts and especially makes???

[Bahku]

Thanks ... but we played far and away from our best basketball, and we'll have to do better to expect to keep winning. Sloppy and lackluster first half, and not a great third quarter. Hope we see some of Eddie, and more of Powe.

[NicaraguanFan]

The refs hurt us, not the reason for the loss, but they killed our momentum several times with ticky tack stuff. 

Are you being serious about this.  If refs help some team it wasnt Boston.

[Bahku]

The refs hurt us, not the reason for the loss, but they killed our momentum several times with ticky tack stuff. 

Are you being serious about this.  If refs help some team it wasnt Boston.

Yup ... I think it's safe to say that the officials made just as many bad calls in favor of the Lakers as they did for us ... some bad calls both ways, as is often the case this year. We also got away with some obvious walks, as did the Lakers.

[nickagneta]

TP4U Discoflux for being man enough to come back with the same grace and integrity that you debated with us with in the first place. You are truly a gentleman.

Overall I think the refs did about as good a job as we can expect from NBA referees. There were some really crappy, ticky tack stuff called both ways. Gasol got screwed with bad calls twice and Kobe got no respect on that offensive charge with Cassell, as well as the backcourt against you and KG's save. But Boston got torched with some truly horrible calls as well with that Odom charge that turned into a 3 point play the other way, a Paul Pierce foul in the first half, and the numerous times the Lakers had their arms wrapped around the Celtics fighting for position and were never called.

Funny thing about last night's game is that I don't think either team played anywhere near their best and they both looked rusty from the layoff. The defense the Celtics played in the second half was the defense we had seen for about 17 straight halves. That first half defense was very lazy. And the Lakers missed a lot of wide open looks on the offensive end as well.

Should be fun going forward and I really think this series starts in earnest in game 3 at LA.

[Discoflux]

Both teams played sloppy, sappy Basketball.
That's a good sign for you when your sappy beats our sappy.  Not sure that makes sense, but I think so.

Game 2 will be very telling.
Game 1 we got outworked, outbrawled, socked in the chin. 
Game 2 we must respond, we must learn the lesson from Game 1.  If we get a split, we'll be in great shape.  If we're down 2-Love and Game 2 looks like Game 1, then we're in a lot of trouble.

I think the game when as we expected: Great Boston D vs. Great LA Offense... and the "defense wins" mantra prevailed.  Of course Boston Offense was effective too, not taking anything away, but the key is to start with Defense, and that definitely carried the day.

If I can be frank... I was very disappointed in our guys, I mean really upset at the mental frame they exhibited.  Credit to the Boston D, but just really 'too angry to talk about it' with how our guys came out. 

LA has to come way stronger in Game 2.  They probably will, if I know my guys.  The question then becomes does Boston elevate and keep the upper hand?  That will be very telling as well. 

Very, very frustrating loss... I am very interested to see the adjustments on Sunday.  Good luck!

[crownsy]

Both teams played sloppy, sappy Basketball.
That's a good sign for you when your sappy beats our sappy.  Not sure that makes sense, but I think so.

Game 2 will be very telling.
Game 1 we got outworked, outbrawled, socked in the chin. 
Game 2 we must respond, we must learn the lesson from Game 1.  If we get a split, we'll be in great shape.  If we're down 2-Love and Game 2 looks like Game 1, then we're in a lot of trouble.

I think the game when as we expected: Great Boston D vs. Great LA Offense... and the "defense wins" mantra prevailed.  Of course Boston Offense was effective too, not taking anything away, but the key is to start with Defense, and that definitely carried the day.

If I can be frank... I was very disappointed in our guys, I mean really upset at the mental frame they exhibited.  Credit to the Boston D, but just really 'too angry to talk about it' with how our guys came out. 

LA has to come way stronger in Game 2.  They probably will, if I know my guys.  The question then becomes does Boston elevate and keep the upper hand?  That will be very telling as well. 

Very, very frustrating loss... I am very interested to see the adjustments on Sunday.  Good luck!

you too disco, always good to hear from a high quality fan from the other side.

some of my favroite posts this postseason just about basketball in general come from mac in the clevland series.

I sincerly hope you and mac hang aroun during the offseason and shoot the breeze about basketball in general, not just our own teams.

[Chris]

The refs hurt us, not the reason for the loss, but they killed our momentum several times with ticky tack stuff. 

First, thanks for being a good sport.  It is a long series, and it is a good thing when fans of opposing teams can still be respectful of each other and have good debates.

As far as the refs go, I also think they did have an effect on the game, but I thought it was for the opposite reason.  In general, they seemed to let both teams play.  They allowed the game to become physical, and when that happens, it really favors the C's.

I certainly don't think the refs were biased, but they really can affect the outcome with the style in which they officiate.

[Cman]

The refs hurt us, not the reason for the loss, but they killed our momentum several times with ticky tack stuff. 

First, thanks for being a good sport.  It is a long series, and it is a good thing when fans of opposing teams can still be respectful of each other and have good debates.

As far as the refs go, I also think they did have an effect on the game, but I thought it was for the opposite reason.  In general, they seemed to let both teams play.  They allowed the game to become physical, and when that happens, it really favors the C's.
I certainly don't think the refs were biased, but they really can affect the outcome with the style in which they officiate.

More or less in agreement with this.  "Letting both teams play" affected both teams at times -- for example, there were some obvious no calls when Pierce was fouled driving to the basket, which he would normally get, deserved or not, and similarly there were no calls when Kobe was (possibly  ) fouled driving to the basket, which he would normally get, deserved or not. 

The one thing that is so frustrating with the NBA is the relative lack of consitency with how things are called.  Of course, it is a complicated game and these things are to be expected, and so what matters is how the teams respond to how refs are calling things.

Speaking of ticky tack fouls -- I think Perkins has some legit complaints for at least 2 of the fouls he got when he breathed on the back of Pau Gasol's neck.