Lakers at Celtics: Game One, Second Half, As Paul Pierce Becomes Legend

Pierce opens with a make, then gets Radmaovic in the air and banks in a three. Huge. With the free throw, it's a 1-point Celtics win and a live crowd. Kobe just answers with a hand in his face from 22. Pierce responds, and it's Cavs Game Seven all of a sudden...

> Radmanovic hits a three, then gets his fourth called on him. He can't guard Pierce at all, and it's tied until Garnett makes again, for his 20th point. Kobe just responds, easily... and suddenly, Bryant's on Pierce defensively, though he picks up a foul in doing it. Kobe then forces a turnover on Pierce, because he's also their best defensive player. Jeff van Gundy then lobbies for Shane Battier, like anyone gives a damn about Shane Battier...

> Laker length then forces a turnover, and Bryant feeds Gasol for another easy one. Odom makes a plastic man board, and man, they're freaky long and athletic. I don't envy any big man going against the Lake Show. Bryant makes another, and Pierce is down and in a lot of pain, after Perkins bangs into him. If Pierce isn't right, and soon, this is looking like a very short series... He leaves on a wheelchair. Yikes. Posey in for Pierce, and the crowd's a lot quieter now.

> Garnett misses, and Bryant goes for kill shot, but it rims out. If the Lakers can get a run here, this isn't going to be a game. Pierce said to be putting weight on his legs, maybe he's going for the Willis Reed move. Big thugging on a missed free throw, with Perkins picking up his fourth. Perk is now limping, and that's wise, because otherwise, everyone would just hate him... He goes to the locker room, too.

> An Allen 3 ties the game and makes it one again. Odom then gets a blocking foul on Brown. Celtics Fan is howling, and ABC doesn't show a replay. Hmm. Odom then misses the first, which means he must have committed the foul, and the second as well. Pierce then returns, and the crowd is huge, of course. Pierce returns to the game, and it's a sprained knee, with a brace. ABC couldn't ask for more drama.

> 10-2 run for the Celtics in and around the injury. Perkins has an ankle sprain, and seems fine. Vujacic gets fouled shooting a three, then makes them all, and it's a one point game despite all the histrionics. A Fisher loose ball and lob to Bryant, and it's a Lake lead again. It's a Game One that really feels like a Game Five to me...

> Bryant, clock dying, makes one of those shots that only he and maybe LeBron James can make. When there is no time on the clock, I'm not sure there's a better player in the game, just because he has such control of his body in the air. Pierce then makes a 3 out of transition, still not looking whole, but it's a fresh Celtics lead... and then he hits another one, and it's four. Big time stuff here from Pierce, like that's not completely obvious. Pierce has 15 in the third, after three in the first half. Kobe makes both, and it's amazing how with everything these teams are throwing at each other, there hasn't been any serious separation at any point.

> Bryant forces and misses a three, and the Celtics hold for the last of the third. Rondo finds Posey, who misses, and Radmanovic hits from 75 feet after the buzzer. Hoo boy. It's 77-73 Celtics after three, and everything that anyone could have asked for.

> Fourth quarter starts with Celtic bench. This is trouble. Kobe scores easily, but Allen answers, and he's the only starter on the floor for the home team. Walton misses and picks up a foul. Powe gets to the line and extends the lead. Kobe airballs, his second straight bad miss, but Odom scores on the airball pass. Cassell misses horribly, then Turiaf gets to the line, again after bad Celtics defense on pick and roll. When they can do this with Farmer and Turiaf, it's endemic. Turiaf misses the first and makes the second, and the Rivers gambit of scrubs has paid off so far.

> Cassell scores after scrambling, with a huge KG play to save. Kobe turns, but a 5 point lead doesn't grow as Cassell misses. Another Laker turn -- their seventh, but coming in bunches now, and a Posey three gives the Celtics an 8 point lead, their largest of the night. If the Celtics win this game, the Garnett save is the signature play.

> Fisher turn after the turn, and another bad shot by Cassell. The Lakers get a break on a board, but Turiaf misses, and so goes KG. Kobe sitting right now, which is kind of interesting in the extreme. Fisher with a make cuts it to six. Cassell makes another terrible play by passing as the clock goes off. If I were a Celtics fan, I'd be offended that he's on the roster, let alone the floor. Vujacic makes, and it's 4. KG misses. A big Gasol O board leads to a very long possession, and Kobe will be back after the break. It's a 4 point game with a little less then six minutes left, and both coaches have gotten away with a big minutes gamble in the fourth.

> Pierce makes. Lakers miss from distance. Rondo misses, and Walton makes a terrible play to not get the board and give up the foul. Jackson subs in Odom, and he'd take the uniform off him if he could. Just terrible. KG misses (and no, the fourth is not looking good), and Rondo takes a foul on Fisher for no purpose. Kobe drives, misses, no call. Allen turns. Vujacic a bad fade miss, and Odom gets his fifth for no reason. Lakers are playing with a surprising lack of poise in the fourth, after being right there for three quarters. After two Pierce makes, it's an 8 point lead with 3:43 left, and if the Celtics lose this game now, it's a choke.

> Bryant forces, Pierce with excellent defense, and the Celtics can make it 10, but KG misses again. Odom then scores and gets the foul on Brown, which is huge, in that it would have been his sixth. With 2:57 left, it's still a game. Odom makes after the timeout, and it's 5.

> Allen draws on Vujacic late in the clock, and misses the first, which is an event, as he shoots 93% from the floor normally. Makes the second, and it's 6. Bryant has just 2 in the fourth, makes a turn, then gives up the jumper to Vujacic. When did he change brains with KG? A Celtics turn, and Bryant feeds Gasol rather than shoot. He gets to the line, then misses the first, which you just can't have when you are down six with two minutes left. Makes the second, and it's still 5.

> Fisher bumps Rondo; hack a guard? Rondo is 6 of 8 from the line tonight, and he makes the first and misses the second, but it works out, as the Celts get the team board. This is almost over. A Posey 3 misses, but Garnett follows and slams, and that's the effective end of this game. Gasol got posterized there.

> Kobe gets to the line and makes both, just the sixth and seventh throws tonight in a physical game. KG looks eager for the ball now; it's amazing what a comfortable lead late does for him. He gets to the line with 61 seconds left, and makes both. It's 96-88 with a minute left, the Celtics biggest lead of the night, and it might as well be 30, the way Bryant has played the fourth.

> Bryant misses a straight 3 after the timeout, as the analysts miss that he's been horrible tonight in the fourth quarter. The Lakers don't really foul, sensing what I'm sensing -- that it's just not their night -- and Allen makes two at 16.6 to end any doubt, not that I've had any for a while.

Well, the Celtics have taken Game One, and ever since Pierce did his Willis Reed imitation, the Lakers have looked like they were ready to head back to the hotel. Game 2 is Sunday, and the Lakers will get to answer lots of questions as to why they went 5 for 20 in the fourth. That, more than anything is your story tonight -- and whether that's Celtics defense or Lakers offense depends on the color of your laundry. Should be interesting.