What do the Lakers need to do in Game 7

[crisoner]

OK...we did have a good game 1 because we won etc, but what can the Lakers improve on? I know the Celtics will be coming out strong etc. and of we really want to take a hold on the series we need to take game 2.


I think defense on screen and rolls will be key. I hope the Lakers stay focus on defending this because this is what Rondo, Peirce, and KG will be doing game.

Keep up the intensity. The Celtics lead by Robinson and Wallace cut a 20 point lead to 9 in the 4th. The Lakers can not let up for one second on this Celtic team they are too good for that.

Rebounds Rebounds Rebounds...the team that wins this match up will win each game mark my words Lakers need to keep this up and carry on to game 2.

Our bench play....Lamar, Farmar, Brown, and Sasha need to contribute big in game 2. We need these guys to come in and play big minutes if we want to defend home court.

If you guys have anything to add please do.

Go Lakes!!!!

[gts]

good thoughts..

pace. i'd like to see the lakers use their speed advantage a little more, not saying take a page from d'antonis playbook but the lakers have a clear advantage in team speed and i think pushing the pace will have a positive effect and create some easier baskets

[Doranku]

A lot of it is just hoping for more of the same. I really liked that Farmar and Brown made a few quick moves to the basketball. Love to see more attacking the inside like that from them opposed to jacking up long jumpers.

I also didn't like how we kind've fell asleep at the beginning of the 4th. Up 20, there's just no excuse to give the Celtics any hope in that situation. It felt like we started to settle for some tough jumpers and the effort on defense seemed to dip as well. Can't have that, we know what happened in Game 4 just two years ago against this same team.

One thing I noticed also was that Pierce played Kobe fairly well throughout the game. I feel that when the games are close and Pierce starts checking Kobe during crunch time, we should start running Kobe/Gasol P&Rs. That forces other defenders to step up and can free up the rest of our guys when the defense collapses.

Other than that, there's not much to same. Just more of the same effort and intensity and hopefully we'll head to Boston with a 2-0 lead.

[kobesabi]

Bait KP (Perkins) to get another technical foul with DJMbenga...so KP can sit out for 48 mins on game3 :) I know ...i know...who cares...the Celtics would do it anyway to the Lakers without mercy...so why not?

Bait Rasheed to get another Technical Foul and another one after that if possible...so he sit out on game 4 or 5. I know...i know...this is Lakers vs Celtics no mercy game so again who cares...would you be surprised if Celtics use these tactics on your team if they know you are volatile and easily agigated?

Top Technical Fouls Leader
1 Kendrick Perkins Bos 18 25.4 66 3.7 1 6 1
2 Rasheed Wallace Bos 18 15.8 59 3.3 0 5 0

3 Matt Barnes Orl 14 23.3 28 2.0 0 4 0
4 Kevin Garnett Bos 17 34.0 49 2.9 0 4 1
5 Dwight Howard Orl 14 35.5 59 4.2 1 4 0

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/sortabl...State=playoffs

[alexthegod]

More of the same! The Lakers played a pretty clean game. They dominated the boards, second chance points, took advantage of Boston turnovers and got easy buckets off them, got the rim at will, moved the ball extremely well, and out muscled them.

We surprised Boston in the first game, they didnt expect us to play as hard, fast, and physical as we did. They were stunned after taking a couple of good blows, but the bell rang and we'll see a more focused, harder playing Boston team next game. Rondo look like someone stole his girlfriend in the second half and Allen was saddled with foul trouble all game. KG struggled. They have a LOT of room for improvement in game two.

Keys for game two:
1. Pau has to win the battle with KG again.
2. Bynum needs to play 20-25 min.
3. Expect Boston to pack the paint a little more. I think they are going to dare us to beat them with open long jumpers. The Lakers need to stay patient, move the ball crisply and continue cutting to the hole off the ball. Dont start chucking 3 balls!
4. Continue to dominate the boards.
5. Push the pace at the right times. the Celtics are turnover prone and we are better than them in the open court, take advantage of their miscues and push the pace.
6. Artest needs to stay out of foul trouble to take care of Pierce

HUGE game. 2-0 is even more important in a 2-3-2 series than in the traditional 2-2-1-1-1.

Lets get it on!

[zizozain]

good thing is that lakers know that they haven't accomplished anything by taking game 1
let's see what the Celtics need to win Game 2 and work against it

expect Boston to come out with intensity and several adjustments
they will fight for rebounds (damaged in game1)

they will go for Pierce and they will try to free him from Artes.

same effort in game 1 is not enough to get same result. focus focus
Lakers stepped it up during the playoffs and now this is the home
stretch. they can’t take their foot off the gas

remain like a 2010 toyota camry with a stuck gas pedal


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[SoCalMike]

thank goodness someone finally wrote a pragmatic post about the finals series for the lakers... well done crisoner..it just proves to me that you can never retire!

my biggest concern is that lakers get caught up in the euphoria of fools like JA Andande (flip flopped on his pick) and loose focus.

personally, i think the only thing that could have been improved was the pace. there were times when they got out of control and did not manipulate the pace/clock the way they should have... but honestly, it is a nit. they played the perfect game against the celtics and used everything they had to their advantaged and exploited everything that the celtics did not have. there were very few times that i was upset with the lakers play.

ONE GAME AT A TIME!!!! ENJOY THE JOURNEY.

[D-Rose]

Yeah I hope the team doesn't get complacent after one damn win...

Keep them off the boards and loose balls because you KNOW that doc rivers will have them motivated.

I want to see more from LO, he can definetly contribute more.

Other than that, more of the same, play tough and rebound.

[tumer_t]

I think Fisher need to find more open spaces to take 3's.

But i must say that he guards rondo very well.

And i think artest need to do better job with pierce.

[Lakers_Kobe_Fan]

I am watching the game 1 again right now....

Too much kobe ball....they need to run their offense

lo need to show up.....

They need up their aggression and rebound...rebound and rebound....

I also noticed that the lakers came up really sloppy in the 1st qtr...too many TO's. I know it was the 1st final game...but the lakers need to come out more strong

[momo]

The obvious thing to me is keep Lamar out of foul trouble and get him productive. Lots of guys had foul problems, but it really limited LO.

And I agree they can push the pace and run the C's legs off without just being a stupid quick shot team.

[LakersLaLaLand]

I expect the gameplay to be completely different.

Quick hockey assists were the Lakers most effective inside play. Celtics help(double) defense closed in far too quickly on the triangles pivot point. And the 2nd help defender(weak-weakside) was non existent. Slashing Bynum, Odom or Pau feasted on easy layups from touch passes. Deflating the entire Celtics momentum from time to time. Celtics can adjust by moving slower to double the Lakers high-mid post. Seriously the Celtics do not give up easy layups.

For the most part the Celtics were in the game. Staying within 6-9 points throughout the game. Until the Lakers exploded to a 20 point buffer.

Lakers bigs must continue to draw fouls leading to free throws . Lakers big shoot above average ft% compared to most NBA bigs. Other than Odoms measley 66% avg. Gasols 78%(6.2 ftattempts playoff avg) and Bynums 65%(2.1 fta) are good. Bynum avg'd 74% during the regular season. The Lakers could pad the points at the stripe.

Rondo shoots a crappy 67% with impact 5.6 free throw attempts. Perkins continues the craptastic free throw parade with 58% ft avg on 2.4 fta. Garnett shoots an excellent 81% with a lowly 2.1 attempts. Garnett and the celtics could use more fta. Also don't expect to see Garnett brick 3 layups. I don't think the big ticket has bricked 3 gimmes since 3rd grade. Whatever. i prefer more of the old ticket.

Sidenote: Lakers are -5.5(line has not moved) Over/under is 191.

LaLaLand prediction: Under 191. Lakers by 3. 93-96.

[EllEffEll]

I think Boston will do a better job of spacing the floor so that Rondo can be more effective driving to the hoop and either isolate Fisher//Kobe/? or kick out to the open man if the Lakers give help. I don't think they did this to their advantage in Game 1. That made it too easy for the Lakers to give help without paying the price.

I also saw many times when the mismatch was created and somehow Boston failed to exploit it. I expect that to change so the Lakers have to be careful to limit that. Work on their pick-n-roll (which has improved in general) defense because it wasn't consistently good in Game 1.

I didn't watch LO that closely to see why he may have struggled, but he needs to figure out a way to get his, especially when more of the 2nd unit is on the floor.

In one sense, Boston has an advantage in that they will have made adjustments to counter what the Lakers did in Game 1 and the Lakers won't know exactly what it will be until it happens. Then we will have to break it down and adjust to their adjustments on the fly.

I felt the keys to our Game 1 victory were:

- attacking in the paint
- Bynum making the most of his minutes
- defensive intensity

Keep doing these things.

[LA_Showtime]

Less Kobe ball. They stopped running the triangle in the second half. Kobe was not getting his shots while playing within the offense. He was setting up at the top of the key and pick and rolling Ray Allen to death.

[bladefd]

I expect the Celtics to be more physical today and to just play better on the offensive end. Lakers have to make sure they do not let up on the defensive end. That is where the game will be won today imo. As long as the Lakers can match the defensive intensity of the Celtics, I think we should be alright. I was pretty sure the Lakers were going to win game 1 but game 2? I have no idea which side to lean. I just have a really odd feeling about it today for some reason (it is more nervous than bad feeling). As hyped up as I am today, this game today will be mad tough to win.

Lakers have to put everything they have on the line. Do that and the outcome will be positive.