When Kobe and Derek Fisher take a series lead, they rarely relinquish it. This is why game two of the NBA Finals is so crucial for the Boston Celtics. They cannot afford to go down 2-0 to the LA Lakers. And its not just Kobe and Fisher they have to worry about – Phil Jackson has won 47 straight playoff series after taking a 1-0 lead.
The Celtics got straight up embarrassed in game one. Kobe ran roughshod over the Celtics D which had been stalwart up until this point. Garnett got off to a slow start and Pierce, despite scoring 24 never looked comfortable. But tonight HAS to be different for Boston if they want to have a chance in this series.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the playoffs. The team with home court advantage simply needs to win all of their home games and the Larry O’Brien Trophy is yours. If you don’t have the advantage, win one on the road – it’s that simple. Or is it… Just ask the Suns who went down 2-0 to the Lakers and despite fighting hard to even the series up by winning their next two at home, couldn’t take that extra step.
Too many times, teams will wait until the series comes back home before they start playing with a sense of urgency – it’s almost like they expect to lose the first two. Look, I’m not really rooting for either team – if Kobe wins another championship, so be it. If the Celtics win, it will just prove KG right when he said that “Anything is Possible.” I do, however want to see this thing go to 7 games because there is nothing greater in sports than a “winner take all” game. So lets make it happen Boston – tie this thing up and make it interesting.
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