NBA Finals: Paul Pierce and Celtics Take Game One From Lakers

If only Marv Albert had been calling Game One of the NBA Finals Thursday night, we could have heard him say, "And here comes Paul Pierce."

Because seeing Pierce emerge from the Celtics locker room during the third quarter, after being carried off the court with a knee injury minutes earlier, had me thinking back to when Larry Bird did that in the 1991 playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.  Not that the injuries were the same, just the way the crowd reacted as each section realized the player was returning to the floor.

Pierce's second-half play led the way to a 98-88 Celtics win over the Lakers in Game One of the NBA Finals Thursday.

With 6:52 left in the third quarter, Pierce was guarding Kobe Bryant (24 points, 9-26 shooting) when Bryant drove to the hoop and hit a 12-foot running jumper. Kendrick Perkins came over to help Pierce, and it appeared Perkins made contact with the back of Pierce's right knee. Down went Pierce in apparent agony.

He said he thought he heard something pop. He had to be carried off the court by his teammates and then carted on a wheelchair to the Celtics locker room.  Pierce said afterward that, once back in the locker room, he tried to put some weight on it. Once he saw he could do that, nothing was going to keep him off the court in his first trip to the Finals.

The entire game had me sitting on the edge of my couch watching each play as if it was the final possession of a tied game. When Pierce went out, all the energy left my body. I couldn’t believe it. After everything Pierce had been through with the Celtics, how could he get hurt in his first Finals game?

The Celtics' fans at the game had the same reaction, as the crowd grew extremely quiet. But, fortunately, the Boston players didn't loose their energy.  Rondo hit a free throw, then Ray Allen hit a three-pointer. Tie game, 62-62.

Derek Fisher missed a free throw and, as the Celtics brought the ball up the court, Pierce emerged at the Boston bench, sporting a small brace on his knee.  The crowd went crazy. Pierce made his way to the scorer's table as Ray Allen went to the line. Allen hit the first to give Boston the lead and Pierce came back into the game.

It was entirely fitting that Boston took the lead from the Lakers for good on none other than a Pierce three-pointer with 1:25 left in the third. For good measure, he followed that up with another three on the next possession for a 75-71 Boston edge.

Pierce finished the game with 22 points, 19 in the second half (15 in the third quarter). He hit one hoop in the fourth followed on the ensuing possession with  a pair of free throws for a 90-82 C’s advantage with 3:43 to play. L.A. did not come within five the rest of the way.

The game changed drastically in the second half, and the reason: Kobe Bryant.  In the first half, the Lakers scored 51 points, and appeared capable of getting an open shot any time they wanted.  In the second half though, Boston limited L.A. to only 37 points.

Bryant in the first half played great team basketball.  There was a play where he had an open look in the corner.  But he read the play perfectly – drew K.G. out one step and then hit Pau Gasol (15 points) with a perfect pass for an easy lay-up. 

In the second half everything changed.  Pierce scored eight-straight points to start the third quarter and you saw at that moment Kobe change.  It appeared he didn’t want to get outshined by Pierce’s offense.  Bryant started forcing shots.

Yes he made some.  Of course he did, he is an unbelievable player.  But when Bryant decided he needed to try to match Pierce’s scoring, the Laker offense came to a standstill.  L.A. lost the offensive rhythm it had in the first half, and the Lakers never regained it in the second half. 

L.A.'s 88 points represented the Lakers' second-lowest total of the postseason (L.A. scored 84 in the Game Three loss to San Antonio). The loss also represents the first time in these playoffs the Lakers have trailed in a series.

Boston is now 4-0 in opening games in the postseason and 11-1 at home.

K.G. picked up another double-double (his 12th of the playoffs) with 24 points and 13 boards. Ray Allen played his best defense of the postseason and scored 19, while Rajon Rondo had 15 points, five boards, and seven assists.

Boston's bench contributed to the victory. P.J. Brown, who only had two points and six boards, was a major factor in Boston’s second-half performance. James Posey hit a key three in the fourth quarter and played his usual tough defense.

Doc Rivers may have gone too long with Sam Cassell in the second half, but Cassell knocked down four shots (including a big jumper after K.G. saved a possible backcourt violation). Leon Powe, in only nine minutes, chipped in four points and four boards.

For six days now, Celtics-Lakers has received the type of hype usually reserved for events like the Super Bowl. For Game One, at least, it lived up to the billing.  Now I get to watch the replay, on at 3 a.m., and wait for Game Two.