2010 NBA Finals: Lakers Fall Victim To Perimeter Contrast

There are several reasons the Boston Celtics were able to even the 2010 NBA Finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece, but the most glaring reason is the stark perimeter contrast from Game One to Game Two.

Ray Allen scored 32 points and set a new Finals' record with eight three pointers made, and Rajon Rondo had his fifth career playoff triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists, and 12 rebounds as the Celtics won 103-94.

Rondo and Allen's 51 points were more than the entire stable of Lakers' back court players could manage combined. Allen started the Celtics' revival by scoring 27 of his points in the first half, while Rondo finished the Lakers off in the 4th quarter.

It was very different from Game One when Kobe Bryant's 30 points were more than the 25 combined points from Rondo and Allen. Game two was a role reversal as Bryant found himself the victim of early foul trouble.

Bryant's foul woes disrupted his rhythm, and although he did manage to score 21 points on 8-20 shooting, his game had none of the command which was prevalent throughout Game One.

Quick whistles were a constant theme in Game One and the referees continued to be the center of attention as both teams found their personnel choices limited due to foul trouble.

Ron Artest was disqualified with six personal fouls, while both Bryant and Derek Fisher ended the game with five fouls a piece, as the officials continued to dictate the flow of the game.

But the Lakers' loss can't be summarized by foul problems because there were other subtle instances which contributed to their demise in Game Two, such as improved defensive play from the Celtics.

Boston held the Lakers to 40 percent shooting from the field and won the battle of the boards 44-39, while seemingly grabbing every critical rebound down the stretch of a close game.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were dominant on the offensive end scoring 25 and 21 points respectively, but their combined 14 rebounds were only two more than Rondo secured the entire game.

The Celtics' reserves also played better than the Lakers', and Glen Davis was a much bigger presence than his counterpart Lamar Odom who disappeared from the game after picking up three early fouls.

There were some bright spots for the Lakers, such as their team defense, which held the Celtics to 42 percent from the field and rendered Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett ineffective for much of the game.

Los Angeles was also able to adjust to Allen's historic start and hold him to only five points and one three pointer after intermission, but it was the Lakers' lapses in the stretch run which doomed them.

I have previously said Rondo was the one player who would pose the biggest threat to the Lakers, and in the 4th quarter he validated my thoughts as he was the most dominant player on the floor.

Whether it was grabbing critical rebounds or taking advantage of the Lakers' inability to play aggressive defense due to foul problems, Rondo made them pay on each count, and as a result the Celtics head back to Boston with home court advantage, and their old swagger back in their step.