In their first visit back to the Staples Center since falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals, the Celtics proved that they are still a team that when healthy, should not be overlooked. After a sluggish first half, the Celtics came alive in the second half to top the Lakers 109-96 in front of their home crowd.
Although it doesn’t show up in the box score(he finished with only 4 points and 6 rebounds), the presence of Kendrick Perkins, who was absent from last year’s Game 7 due to injury, could clearly be felt. With his help and a healthy Garnett, now over a year removed from his knee injury, the Celtics were able to sustain a 49-38 rebounding edge on Sunday; a far cry from the 66-46 bombardment they faced in last year’s deciding game. Perkins was also pivotal on the defensive end, helping limit the Lakers big men Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to a combined 23 points and 13 rebounds on 8 of 19 shooting.
On this night the “Big 4” fired on all cylinders. Captain Paul Pierce was on absolute fire as he racked up 32 points on 11 of 18 shooting, including a perfect 7 of 7 from the stripe. Ray Allen dropped 21 on 8 of 12 shooting, dropping three more from beyond the arc. Rondo contributed 16 assists, the 11th time this season he has totaled 15 or more dimes. A fiery Garnett, who was seen dripping with blood in the first half due to an inadvertent elbow, proved he was healthy and the KG of old as he added a well-rounded stat-line of 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, missing only 3 of his 12 field goal attempts.
Kobe Bryant recorded his 27,000th point as he led the Lakers with 41 points, tying his season high. Odom scored 15 off the bench, but aside from him Kobe didn’t receive much help.
The win by Boston improved their record to 36-11, while Los Angeles dropped to 33-15. Although it’s still early, should the two teams meet again in the Finals, overall records would play a huge role, as home-court advantage could be the deciding factor in this year’s NBA Champion.
The Celtics are excelling against the league’s best, as they are 3-0 versus the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, the 2 teams viewed by many as favorites to compete in the NBA Finals. They have also beaten the San Antonio Spurs, who hold the league’s best record at 40-7. For a team who won the East last season, it has been as though the Celtics disappeared from the NBA, as there hasn’t been so much as a chirp about the Celtics. However, with their play today the Celtics made damn sure that teams know they are still here and are still a force to be reckoned with.