Before my analysis, I want to bitch about every NBA Finals game ending at past midnight in the eastern time zone and every single one was on a school/work night too. BOO David Stern and I hope the ratings suck like your refs.
Twice the NBA has waited from Thursday to Sunday night to play the next game while teams were in the SAME city but when the location changes and teams are forced to travel across country, they play the next game on a Tuesday night after a Sunday night game.
It makes absolutely zero sense for the players, coaches, and fans but we know their interests always are behind those of TV honchos counting up their ad dollars.
After a monumental choke job in Game 4, the Lakers scrapped out a Game 5 victory. I want to publicly eat some crow and be held accountable for my Finals prediction of the Lakers winning in 5. The Celtics simply are a better team and they will easily close this series out at home in one of the two remaining games.
The Lakers have no answer for Paul Pierce and even Kobe is having hard time checking him. The crisp offensive execution and lock down defense that I saw out of the Lakers in series wins over Jazz/Spurs has been non existent.
Shockingly the Zen master is getting out coach by a 500 career coach in Doc Rivers, who seems more like a cheerleader than a coaching tactician. Rivers still puzzles me with his subbing patterns but sitting Rondo for long stretches helped win game 4 and the same decision almost pulled out game 5 too.
Surrounding KG and Pierce with shooters is a key coaching move by Rivers. Posey and House have been instrumental in hitting big shots and making Kobe stay on his man, which prevents him from playing roaming help D that he does while guarding Rondo.
Phil has not found a great subbing mix and Vlad Radmanovic should be ridding pine, not playing matador defense on the Celtics best player. The Lakers seem unwilling to take a charge and that is a direct reflection of coaching.
The Lakers rode their big 3 to save themselves from the brink of elimination. Although the Mamba will not go down without a fight, I see the Celtics big 3 feeding off the energy of their home building to win the championship.
BTW, Crow tastes the same as how Kendrick Perkink's untucked dress shirt looked, awful.
Props to Getty Images/Yahoo Sports for the pictures.
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