They drew a line in the sand. They stood resolute.
“This series is far from over,” they said.
Though many of us doubted their assurances, if not their feigned bravado, Lakerdom believed, which is perhaps all that mattered. And for one night at least, the team rose to the occasion. However, not before once again surrendering a seemingly insurmountable 19-point second quarter lead, barely nipping the Celtics 103-98 behind the stalwart interior play of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol.
Kobe Bryant scored 25 points, including a decisive dunk in the final minute — and Odom added 20 as the Lakers prevented the Celtics from winning a 17th title on their home floor. With the series now standing at 3-2, Phil Jackson and crew have no choice but to feel good about themselves heading back to Beantown, where they have yet to win this year.
“We didn’t want to see any champagne popping,” Odom said. “It wasn’t easy. I wouldn’t expect it to be.”
So Boston must return home to celebrate, which, from this vantage point, still looks like a foregone conclusion as the fact remains, no team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals to win the title.
But the Lakers should feel encouraged. On a night when their superstar clearly didn’t have his best game, his supporting cast finally showed up. Pau Gasol had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Odom had 11 rebounds and four blocks, Fisher added 15 points and Jordan Farmar came off the bench to put in 11.
After scoring 15 points in the first quarter, Bryant went cold from the floor and finished just 8-of-21. But he made a big steal, poking the ball away from Pierce and streaking down to deliver a two-handed dunk with 37.4 seconds left.
“I just was kind of reading the play and I was able to get my hands on the ball and get out and get a dunk,” Bryant said.
Despite the steal, Paul Pierce had a sensational game, leading the Celtics with 38 points, while playing all but two seconds of the game. Kevin Garnett, however, was not at his best, scoring only 13 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. But Garnett was clearly out of focus, missing several crucial free throws down the stretch, driving home the point even more that this has been an uneven series for KG, who still has trouble asserting himself on the block, instead opting to launch his trademark jumpers from the perimeter. Last night it cost the Celtics, as both Gasol and Odom came up big. The absence of center Kendrick Perkins, out with a strained shoulder, was clearly instrumental as the Lakers managed to get to the rim consistently for layups and dunks.
Ray Allen had 16 points but was forced to leave Staples Center at the conclusion of Game 5 due to a health issue with one of his children. Allen has a daughter, Tierra, and sons Walter Ray Allen III and Walker. Still, despite the urgency of the night, Boston’s Big Three couldn’t close out their first chance at winning it all, and now will get two cracks at home.
PGA
In a week of epic moments at the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods delivered the biggest one yet.
It didn’t bring him another major, just another chance.
Down to his last stroke Sunday afternoon at Torrey Pines, Woods rapped a 12-foot birdie putt that bumped along toward the hole and swirled into the back corner of the cup without an inch to spare.
In a career filled with clutch putts, this one put Woods into an 18-hole playoff Monday against Rocco Mediate, who was in the scoring room watching the 18th hole theatrics unfold on TV.
Both men finished at 1-under 283, the first time since 2004 that someone broke par in a U.S. Open.
It will be the first playoff at the U.S. Open — the only major that goes 18 holes of overtime — since Retief Goosen defeated Mark Brooks at Southern Hills in 2001.
“I’m playing against a monster tomorrow morning,” Mediate said. “I get to play against the best player that ever played. Whatever happens, happens. I’m happy that I’m here and I will give it everything I have and see what we do.”
THE CARROT
______________
PREDATORS
(VVS-1, All-World Game)
Rabbit
P. Pierce (Oakland) - Must continue to lead the way
Fox
K. Bryant (Philadelphia) - So much easier with help, huh?
Wolf
HUNTERS
(SI-2, Suspect Arsenal)
R. Allen (Merced) - Finals’ most consistent scorer
K. Garnett (Mauldin) - Winning requires everything you’ve got
BLOODHOUNDS
(Flawed, AKC Certified, Questionable Pedigree)
P. Gasol (Barcelona) - Showing mental and physical toughness
L. Odom (Jamaica, NY) - Team can use a full forty-eight, bro.
(Well-trained, Knows More Than a Few Good Tricks)
R. Rondo (Louisville) - Suck it up and play through it
DOG POUND
(Needs to be More Integral)
GRAVEYARD
(R.I.P.)
(Non-ranked. Final rankings dependent upon end of post season)
D. Nowitzki (Wurzburg) - Leadership is as leadership does
A. Stoudemire (Lake Wales) - Must develop complete game
S. Nash (Johannesburg) - Best days behind you?
T. McGrady (Bartow) - It’s no longer on you …
A. Jamison (Shreveport) - Uncanny, yet still unaccomplished
A. Miller (Los Angeles) - Talent is still unrecognized
A. Iverson (Hampton) - Leopard couldn’t change his spots
C. Anthony (New York) - Time to grow up. Like yesterday.
J. Kidd (San Francisco) - What/where now?
S. O’Neal (Newark) - Perhaps it’s time to walk?
A. Iguodala (Springfield) - Develop a jump shot or bust
M. Camby (Hartford) - It’s been a good career
J. Howard (Winston-Salem) - The constant gardener …
D. Williams (Parkersburg) - Predator of the first degree
D. Howard (Atlanta) - With a little more seasoning …
M. Okur (Yalova) - Inside or outside, which is it?
C. Boozer (Juneau) - So much expectation, so little execution
L. James (Akron) - Demand help or walk in opt-out year
H. Turkoglu (Istanbul) - Great season, average post season
D. West (Teaneck) - Future is bright indeed
T. Chandler (Hanford) - Use summer to round out game
P. Stojakovic (Belgrade) - Use summer to find your jump shot
C. Paul (Winston-Salem) - Patience, your time is coming
T. Parker (Bruges) - Must point the way to Spurs future
R. Hamilton (Coatesville) - You’ve had a great run
T. Prince (Compton) - Must become more selfish
R. Wallace (Philadelphia) - The weakest link?
M. Ginobili (Bahia Blanca) - Legs aint what they used to be?
C. Billups (Denver) - How much does Big Shot still got?
T. Duncan (St. Croix) - Still none better? Uh, KG …?
* Player in red is reigning champ
* Players in gold won regular season individual category rankings
Story Reference:
Lakers-Celtics: Associated Press
PGA: Associated Press
Photos:
KG: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
Tiger: PGA
Profiles/Teases are done for the season
LOTL Postseason Edition posts Monday & Friday mornings.
—————-
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All Rights Reserved.
Question: If KG, Ray or Rondo go nuts and prove to be the difference maker Tuesday, (assuming Boston will win) does that vault them over P-Double in the rankings?
Is it downright up for grabs right now or does Pierce have it locked? (Which you couldn’t argue against)
Left by Lefty on June 16th, 2008