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Boston Celtics (3-3, 15-8) at Los Angeles Lakers (3-3, 15-7)
Postseasonn Game #24 – Road Game #12
Thursday, June 17
9:00 PM ET
TV: ABC
Staples Center 
Probable Starters Point Guard: Rajon Rondo ---------------- Shooting Guard: Ray Allen
Center: Rasheed Wallace
Small Forward: Paul Pierce ------------------ Power Forward: Kevin Garnett
ReservesMarquis Daniels
Tony Allen
Glen Davis
Brian Scalabrine
Rasheed Wallace
Shelden Williams
Nate Robinson
Tony Gaffney
Oliver Lafayette
Michael Finley
Injuries:Kendrick Perkins (knee) out
Probable Starters Point Guard: Derek Fisher -------------------- Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant
Center: Andrew Bynum
Small Forward: Ron Artest -------------------- Power Forward: Pau Gasol
ReservesLamar Odom
Sasha Vujacic
Josh Powell
Jordan Farmar
DJ Mbenga
Adam Morrison
Shannon Brown
Luke Walton
InjuriesAndrew Bynum (knee) will play
Game NotesThe Celtics had a chance to close out the Lakers in game 6 but they didn't take advantage of it, playing without any energy or urgency. Now they have to face a game 7 on the road without their center and enforcer who went down with a knee injury in the first quarter of game 6.
Rasheed Wallace will probably get the nod to start at center because of his length and ability to match up better with the Lakers long front line. Hopefully Sheed's balky back will hold up under the additional minutes he will have to play. He will also have to avoid the foul trouble that has plagued him throughout the playoffs. If ever there was a time for Sheed to flip the switch into another gear, it is this one.
Big Baby will also need to step up with an energy game like he had in game 4. When KG was suspended for game 2 of the Miami series, Big Baby stepped in for him and scored 23 points and pulled down 8 rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Big Baby said that his alter ego "Ticket Stub" will come to play in this game and the Celtics will need all that he can give them.
We may see Scal get some minutes in this game but since he hasn't played since the playoffs started, we probably won't get much from him. The best that we can hope for is some good defense and that he will make some smart decisions.
This team has done a very good job of bouncing back after a big loss. After they were blown out in game 3 of the Cleveland series, they won the next 3 games. They were beaten in game 3 of the Finals and bounced back to take games 4 and 5. They have also proved that they can win on the road. Winning game 2 in LA after losing the first game there.
In the 1920's, Knute Rockne was the coach of Notre Dame and his star player was George Gipp. The story goes that Gipp fell ill and when dying he asked Rockne to promise that, when the team was up against it and the breaks were beating them, that he should tell them to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. It's time for the Celtics to come out and win one, not for the Gipper, but for Perk, who will be giving all he's got on the bench to encourage his teammates and wishing he could be out on the court to help them.
Remember the 1969 Boston Celtics World Champions. They were too old, came in as the 4th seed, and were counted out by everyone. They very improbably made it to the finals but were also still counted out by everyone. Yet that team reached down and pulled out their Celtic Pride and won that game 7 in spite of all the odds against them. This team must reach down and pull out that same Celtic Pride to win this game.
This is game 7 of the NBA Finals. It's all or nothing in this game. The talent in these two teams is fairly close. The team that brings more energy and more hustle and the team that wants this game more will come away the winner.
Key Matchups 
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Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
The Celtics must get a big game with a lot of energy from Rondo. When he is aggressive, he sets the tone for the rest of the team to also play more aggressively. Rondo received 17 stitches from the elbow to his chin by Ron Artest that wasn't called by the refs and this could rev him up even further to want to have a big game against this team.
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Kevin Garnett vs Pau Gasol
Gasol was a non-factor in the games in Boston but in game 6 came up big with close to a double double. Without Perk in there to intimidate him in the paint he was much more aggressive. Kevin Garnett is going to have to come up big defensively to limit Gasol and keep him away from the basket. He also must be aggressive on offense to make Gasol work on the other end.
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Paul Pierce vs Ron Artest
Ron Artest had his best game of the Finals in game 6. With Perk out, every player will need to up their defensive intensity and Pierce will need to increase his efforts on defense and on the boards as well. This is the perfect game for Pierce to come up big in. He is back in his home town on the NBA's biggest stage. Now is the time to prove that he is a clutch player and to cement his legacy as the Celtics Captain.
Keys to the GameRebound - Rebounding has proved to be the key to every game in this series as the team that has won the rebounding war has won every game. A big reason for this is that much of rebounding is effort and desire and the team that wants it most goes harder after the rebounds and the team that wants it more wins the game.
Defense - Defense wins championships. The Celtics' defense has been the key to every one of their wins in these playoffs. In game 6 it was the Lakers who brought their defense and the Celtics didn't react very well to it. The team that plays the best defense along with figuring out how to deal with the defense of the other team will come out on top. Defense has been the backbone of this team and even though they will be missing an important part of the defense, the remaining players must pick up the slack and give their all on the defensive end.
Run the Offense - The Celtics must move the ball and run their offense. They have so many weapons that if they share the ball and find the open man, they can get good shots, even against good defenses. They have to resist the temptation of trying to do too much individually. They must play as a team because teams win titles, not individuals. The Celtics must also make more of an effort to make their layups. They missed a lot of them in game 6 and they have to make those easy shots especially.
Bench Play - The Celtics bench must come through for them in this game. In game 6, the bench was nonexistent. They simply couldn't get it going. At one point the bench scoring was 23-0 before Nate finally hit a shot. The bench must give the Celtics more. We need them to bring energy and intensity and for them to play their best on both ends.
Hustle and Effort - A big reason for the blow out loss in game 6 was the Celtics lack of energy and effort and the Lakers increased effort and intensity. The Celtics must come out with energy and go after every loose ball and every rebound. They have to be the team that wants it more if they want to win this game.
X-FactorsOfficiating and Energy and Hustle
The officiating continues to be a concern in this series. If the game is called fairly, it gives either team a chance to win it based on their play. I would hate to see Game 7 decided by referees calling too many fouls on one team and getting key players in foul trouble. Hopefully they will let them play but call it consistently on both ends.
The Celtics must match the Lakers energy and hustle. They can't let them beat them to loose balls and rebounds and they can't let the Lakers be the team that works harder. The Celtics must leave it all out on the court if they want to win this game. If they do, I like their chances.
Individuals win games - Teams win Titles. Win this one for Perk. 
Topic: Celtics (3-3) at Lakers (3-3) Game 7 6/17 (Read 142546 times)