Celtics-Lakers, Game Four, First Half: Not Quite Classic

The Bad Tooth over at the World Wide Lemur (you know, the one from Boston) predicted a game for ESPN Classic tonight. So far, that's only if they want to show Lakers' Greatest Runaways. I came in a bit late, and seem to have walked in on a different series -- the one I expected to watch, where the Lakers are having absolutely no difficulties. It's the largest lead ever after one quarter in a Finals game, and it's not even a Kobe Experience. Lakers 35, Celtics 14, with Lamar Odom goin six for six from the field. Ten to one in assists, 14 to 6 in boards, 10 free throws to one... it's an avalanche. Great googly moogly!

The simple fact for the Lake Show is that if Odom is on his game -- and six for six is very much on his game -- there isn't a team in the NBA that can stay with them. He's long, can hande the ball, and if he's finishing in traffic, just a nightmare to guard... and that also means that none of the Celtic bigs can give help, which just opens everything else up, too.

The second quarter opens with the Laker shock troops, and Trevor Ariza gets away with a push and o-board slam. Leon Powe is not getting the same love from the refs in Southern California, and Paul Pierce left his game in Boston... but the funny thing about NBA games is that there's always a run. Isn't there? Ariza continues to make an impact on the game with hardcore hustle defense plays, but the Laker bench is too sloppy to turn it into points (hint: less Luke Walton), and after four KG points, the game starts settling down a little... and then Walton finally makes an open 3, and it's 21 again.

ABC decides that what we need is Will Smith, and Michele Tafoya gets caught grabbing a post-fluff hug. Smith offered less resistance to that than the Celtics have to Odom, who just went to seven for seven... The Celtics counter with Sam Cassel, and a turnover soon ensues, though to be fair, it wasn't the ancient alien's fault. He did have just enough quicks to foul. Woo hoo!

Vujacic drains a 3, and it's 45-21. I'm guessing that the Celtics are kind of wishing this was 2-2-1-1-1 now, because the last 2.5 quarters in this series, they are -30 and counting... and the Celtics offense seems to be guys who can't shoot, lining up from 20+ feet away to prove the point. Normally, I don't think a 24 point first half lead is unassailable, but the Celtics are barely on a pace to score 24 points themselves for the half, and I don't like their chances at pitching a shutout.

KG and Allen score, cutting the lead to 19. and that's when Jackson takes the timeout. With four minutes left in the half, it's definitely go time for Green; if they can get it to 15 or less, you'd have to think they'd be thrilled, and Kobe might decide to force things. A Kobe miss is followed by Posey getting to the line, and the pattern continues. Another miss and a Posey 3, and the run is nine; it's followed by another turn. Pierce hits, and it's 12 after a 12-0 run. It's the NBA -- everybody makes a run! But Derek Fisher gets the old-school 3 to stop the bleeding, and it's back to 14 with 2:36 left in the half.

You never hear anyone in the Association talk about how a game was won or lose in the first half, but I submit that the next 2.5 minutes are that way for this game. A Lakers run, and the chance for extensive garbage time is strong. A Celtics run, and it's a more or less even game in the second half, with a lot of worried Laker fans. Status quo, and it's still a strong Laker half, but one with a much greater chance for pressure minutes in the fourth. It's all now.

An Allen 3 off bad looking Rondo penetration misses. The Laker bigs conduct a passing drill for a Gasol dunk. Allen hits a defensive 3-second technical. Posey hits another 3 -- huge -- and it's back to 13, with Posey having 10 in the quarter. KG gets away with goaltending, but Allen misses, and Fisher, having his best game of the series, gets to the line. Both free throws are made, and we're looking at status quo; 15 point Laker lead.

Bryant gets his third on a block, and Kobe sits for the rest of the half. Pierce makes two, and the Celtics are getting to the line. Lake turn, Pierce mises, and Fisher runs clock. Gasol rolls to the hoop easily and gets the old-school 3, and man, the Celtics bigs look horrible tonight. Rondo gets run over by Radmanovic on an idiotic play with 5.2 left, and the point guard follows his road woes with a miss and a make. Farmer rattles in a running 3 at the buzzer, and it's Lakers 57, Celtics 40 at the half. Odom has 15, 8 and 3, and when he's the best player on the court, the Celtics have insurmountable problems. More after the break.