Lakers-Celtics: News, Notes, and Observations from Game Five

The Lakers managed to stay alive for another two days with their 103-98 victory on Sunday night. The Celtics set an NBA Playoff record with their ninth road loss of these playoffs.

Here are some news, notes and observations from Game Five.

1) The Third Quarter

For the first time in seven meetings against the Celtics this year, the Lakers outscored the Celtics in the third quarter. This was especially big considering the Celtics outscored the Lakers 30-16 in the second quarter to cut their seventeen-point first quarter deficit to three by halftime.

2) Jordan Farmar

The team that has had the highest-scoring reserve has won each game of the series thus far. Even though the Celtics bench outscored their Lakers counterparts, the highest scoring reserve for the game was Jordan Farmar with eleven points off the bench.

Farmar came up huge for the Lakers. At a time when it seemed that nobody could knock down an outside shot, Farmar was the only player who had success taking the ball to the basket. Part of that was due to Kevin Garnett's foul trouble but Farmar deserves credit nonetheless for coming up with big baskets to save the Lakers season.

3) He's still in the league?

Phil Jackson put Chris Mihm in the game for some inexplicable reason. In just three minutes of play Mihm committed one turnover and two fouls. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that we won't be seeing Mihm in Game Six.

I'm curious as to why Jackson hasn't used Ira Newble in the series. After spending the first three games in street clothes, Jackson activated Newble for the last two games in place of DJ Mbenga.

With Kobe Bryant in foul trouble in the third quarter and Paul Pierce having his way with every Laker who tried to defend him, I'm surprised that he didn't give Newble at least a couple of minutes to see what he could do.

Newble spent the past seven years in the Eastern Conference and is definitely accustomed to the more physical style of play that's played in the east. I have a feeling we'll be seeing Newble on Tuesday night.

4) Where was Trevor Ariza?

In Thursday's game, Trevor Ariza scored six points, had five rebounds, one block and one steal in just nine minutes. So Phil Jackson rewards him on Sunday by giving him just one minute of action.

5) Fisher and Farmar in the same backcourt.

I can't recall another time this season when I saw Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar in the game at the same time. I still haven't figured out why it happened last night. It's not as if either of them were playing great defense.

Farmar's defense was downright pathetic. You can see the eyes of their opponents light up when they see him on the court. If he doesn't improve his defense he'll never be the future point-guard the Lakers envision him to be. He's certainly not going to learn how to play better defense in the forty-eight hours before the next game.

That reminds me...

I don't think I've seen the Lakers take a charge in this entire series. I've seen them flop but I haven't seen them take a charge. You can't underestimate the value of a charge. Not only is it a turnover but it's also swings momentum and spreads through a team like a contagious disease.

6) One day versus two days.

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