Game 2 running … Part 2
Jun 8th, 2008 by Bill Burt
Sam Cassell injured his wrist, with reports calling it a sprain. He is expected to return.
***
The Celtics lead at the half, 54-42.
A few keys:
*Kobe Bryant got his third foul with 1:53 remaining the half.
*Celtics Leon Powe scored eight points in seven minutes, getting nine foul shots.
*The Lakers definitely brought more grit to Game 2. They outrebounded the Celtics 19-17 in the half, with Vladamir Radmanovic leading the way with six and Lamar Odom with five. In fact, Odom turned two offensive rebounds into easy layups.
*The Celtics outscored the Lakers 13-5 over the final four minutes of the half.
*The Celtics had 15 assists in the first half, nearly twice as many as the Lakers, which had eight. Rondo had six of them for the C’s.
*Paul Pierce is showing no ill effects of his knee injury. He scored 16 points in 20 minutes, tied for the most with Pau Gasol.
*Gasol is definitely looking for his offense tonight. He is six-for-eight from the field and leads the Lakers with 13 points.
*The Lakers outscored the Celtics in the paint, 24-12.
*The Celtics won the fastbreak points battle, 8-2. Expect the Lakers to score more on the run.
****
Some second half preditions:
*Kobe will look to score more and get to the line.
*Gasol may want to shoot a little more from the outside, to help in spacing if Kobe is going to drive.
*Pierce will get a little extra rest in the third quarter, especially if C’s keep the lead above five points.
