NBA Finals Game 3 Celtics At Lakers 6/10 9:00 PM ET ABC

[FLCeltsFan]

  at 
Boston Celtics (2-0, 14-8) at   Los Angeles Lakers (0-2, 12-5)
NBA Finals Game 3 
Tuesday, June 10
9:00 PM ET
TV:  ABC
Staples Center



Probable Starting Lineup
PG:  Rajon Rondo   PPG 10.4 RPG 4.30 APG 7.0 EFF + 15.09
 SG:  Ray Allen   PPG 14.5 RPG 3.50 APG 2.9 EFF + 13.09
 SF:  Paul Pierce    PPG 19.5 RPG 5.00 APG 4.1 EFF + 18.05
 PF: Kevin Garnett   PPG 21.0 RPG 10.10 APG 3.4 EFF + 25.64
 C: Kendrick Perkins PPG 6.9 RPG 6.50 APG 0.5 EFF + 11.86

Off the Bench:
Eddie House,  James Posey, Leon Powe,  Big Baby Davis, Tony Allen,   PJ Brown, Sam Cassell

Injuries
Scott Pollard, ankle, out
Paul Pierce, knee, will play
Kendrick Perkins, ankle, will play
Sam Cassell, wrist, questionable   


Inactive
Gabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine




Probable Starting Lineup
PG:  Derek Fisher   PPG 10.2 RPG 2.50 APG 2.5 EFF + 12.65   
 SG: Kobe Bryant     PPG 31.4 RPG 5.80 APG 5.9 EFF + 28.76 
 SF: Lamar Odom   PPG 14.4 RPG 9.90 APG 2.8 EFF + 19.53
 PF: Vladimir  Radmanovic   PPG 8.4 RPG 3.90 APG 1.6 EFF + 9.41
 C: Pau Gasol PPG 17.5 RPG 8.90 APG 4.2 EFF + 24.12

Off the Bench
Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar,  Luke Walton, Rony Turiaf, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm

Injuries
Andrew Bynum, knee, out
Trevor Ariza, foot, day to day
Derek Fisher, partial tear in right foot tendon, will play
Kobe Bryant, torn ligament in finger, will play

Inactive
Coby Karl, Ira Newble 

Key Matchups
  vs 
Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
In games 1 and 2, Rondo out played Fisher on both ends of the court.  He used his speed to get past Fisher and set up the offense.    His 16 assists were the most for any player in the Finals since Magic  Johnson had 20 back in 1991.  In spite of Fisher's 3 rings and playoffs experience, Rondo has out played him.  The Celtics will need more of the same aggressive play in game 3 if the Celtics expect to win.  He can't be tentative because the Celtics depend on his aggressiveness to set the tone for the entire team. 

  vs 
Paul Pierce vs Lamar Odom
Paul Pierce has been huge for the Celtics in both games 1 and 2 in spite of the knee injury.  He is now going home and loves playing in LA.  I expect him to play even better in the games in the Staples Center.    Although by position he is matched up with Odom, he will probably be once again matched with Radmanovic who can't stay with him.  The Celtics are going to need the Captain to take control and be the go to guy in this game. 

Honorable Mention
Ray Allen vs Kobe Bryant
So far, Ray has done a good job on Kobe defensively.  He has held Kobe to 20-49 shooting in the first two contests.  At the same time, Ray has averaged a respectable 18 points a game.   The Celtics need Ray to continue to play solid defense on Kobe and also to take his shot when it is there to make Kobe work on defense as well. 

Keys to the Game
Play 48 Minutes   The Celtics were up 24 points when they inexplicably stopped playing defense and let the Lakers climb back to within 2 points.  They can't depend on having a 24 point cushion in LA and can't afford to let up against a team that is as offensively potent as the Lakers.   The Celtics must come out strong to start and keep up the aggressiveness until the final buzzer.  Every Lakers' possession must be met with swarming defense.  Every offensive possession must result in a good shot.  The Celtics must not let their focus waiver.  They are too close to the championship now to play any way but all out for 48 minutes. 

Defense Defense wins championships.  The Celtics have the best defense in the  league and the Lakers don't.  When the Lakers came back from that 24 point deficit, it was because the Celtics lost their defensive focus and let them back in.  The Celtics must play their swarming defense from the opening tip until the final buzzer sounds.  When the Celtics lost games on the road early in the playoffs it was because they suddenly forgot how to play defense.   Defense isn't easy and it takes effort, but it is what will win these guys their rings and so they must play it on every trip down the floor.  If they do, the Celtics will win. 

Rebound  The Celtics have held the rebounding edge in games 1 and 2, but just barely in game 2 as the Lakers made a concerted effort to crash the boards.  They are going to be even more aggressive going after the boards in game 3 and the Celtics must match that intensity and crash the boards, not allowing any easy put backs for the Lakers. 

Ball Movement  When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are virtually unstoppable on offense.  In game 2, they had 31 assists on 36 field goals.  They are going to need to continue that ball movement and unselfish play in game 3. 

Take Care of the Ball  Careless turnovers have hurt the Celtics in the first two games.  They must take better care of the ball and not make sloppy and careless passes.  Limiting turnovers will go a long way to helping them win on the road.   

X-Factors
Bench Play   In spite of all the "experts" declaring the Lakers' bench superior to the Celtics bench before the series, the Celtics bench has outplayed the Lakers bench in both games.   In game 1 it was PJ Brown coming up big for the Celtics.  In game 2, it was Leon Powe.  The Celtics will need more solid play from their bench if they want to win on the road.  Who will step up in this game?  PJ or Leon again?  Or, maybe Posey or House.  But the Celtics need the bench to produce and so far they have.

Officiating  With Phil Jackson and Kobe complaining so much about the refs, will the refs give the Lakers all the calls and limit the Celtics by calling them for ticky tack fouls?  Or will they call the game  evenly in spite of Phil's incessant whining?  If the Celtics get a fair shake from the refs, they can win it. 

[ACF]

BEAT LA!BEAT LA!

[wdleehi]

Go right for the heart of the Lakers.






Time for the Vets to step up big (Pierce/KG/Ray/Cassell/PJ/Posey) and lead on the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulgTU51q4yE

[Big Ticket]

I really hope Gasol catches KG with an elbow above the eye and cuts him.  I want KG to get mean.

[Mr October]

Lets go Celtics!!!!!

[Big Ticket]

I hope KG, Perk, and Powe can each play well offensively.  Jump shots seem to not fall as easily on the road.  Consistent buckets inside from those three will go a long way to ease any pressure to perform on the road.

Let's go KG, get angry!  "You gotta get angry!  You gotta get meeeean!"

[Redz]

This whole Karate Kid thing doesn't sit well with me, but it's working (I just miss Rocky)

[FLCeltsFan]

Joey Crawford, Bennett Salvatore, and Mark Wunderlich are the refs for tonight

[hpantazo]

we are taking game three tonight! I'm sure our guys just love being 9.5 point underdogs and having everyone against them. We will break the laker's will tonight.

[Big Ticket]

In honor of the Celtics 2 wins thus far, and as inspiration to fuel KG to 2 monster games and a clean sweep, I have changed my long standing picture of Timberwolves KG and the "Forever 21" caption to reflect his journey in Boston.  Here's hoping it has more than the likely 0 affect on this series.

(I know Roy, about time, right?)

[FLCeltsFan]

Lamar Odom could be the key to the rest of this series for two reasons. 

1.  From Curt Schilling's blog

Last night KG goes to the line, Lamar Odom (who I became a fan of last night) is saying “Hey KG why don’t you help on the ball down here?” Pointing to the paint, and I am guess referencing the fact that KG wasn’t down in the paint mixing it up. He says it again, loudly, KG doesn’t even acknowledge him, and sinks both. Impressive, total focus.

This is from the be careful what you ask for file.   It may not have affected KG's concentration on those FT's, but, KG may get to thinking "You want me, you got me" and take over the paint.   I can hope, anyway.

2.  Odom has come out with these shirts for Lakers fans

Let's hope that it fires up the Celtics.  Odom first tackles Ray Allen for no reason.  Then, he chides KG for not playing in the paint.  And now he comes out with these shirts.  I hope the Celtics come out with focus and are ready to let these guys have it. 

[Redz]

Kill em boys!  Kill em!  Eye of the fisher!

[ACF]

For you, Redz:






GO CELTICS, BEAT LA!

[Redz]

For you, Redz:






GO CELTICS, BEAT LA!

Thanks!  Now everyone will be blaming me if they lose

Here I'll counter it with something irreverent.

[Big Ticket]

I'm actually hoping, in addition to a 28-16-8 game from KG, that Ray Allen explodes.  It'd be great to see him dominate a finals game, he deserves it.  Maybe 35 points on 13-18 shooting, 6-8 from 3, and 3-3 from the line.  Nothing in this league silences a boisterous home crowd like the sweet stroke and swish courtesy of Sugar Ray Jesus Shuttleworth Sweetness Allen.