Celtics, 108-102 (final)
Leon Powe picked the biggest stage of his basketball career to play the role of leading man.
Thrust into action after playing a reserve role for much of the season, Powe sparked the Celtics with 21 points off the bench, leading Boston to a 108-102 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals tonight at the TD Banknorth Garden. The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series, 2-0, with Game 3 coming Tuesday night when the series shifts to Los Angeles.
The Lakers made this one much closer than it should have been, cutting a 20-plus point lead to a two-point deficit with 38 seconds left. The Garden crowd, which was expecting a blowout victory, held its collective breath.
With the game in the balance, Paul Pierce knocked down a critical pair of free throws with 22.8 seconds left. On LA’s next possession, the Celtics got a huge stop, and James Posey came away with the rebound. Posey hit both free throws to preserve the win.
But back to Powe. The second-year forward from Cal was sensational, shooting 6 of 7 from the field and 9 of 12 from the line. The fan-favorite has no other gear except hustle, and he did all of his damage in the paint. With the Lakers defense focused on the Celtics’ Big Three of Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, Powe was able to have his way.
Pierce’s health was a legitimate concern coming into tonight’s game, but the Celtics captain put any doubts about the condition of his right knee to rest when he dropped 16 points in the first half. Pierce was 5 of 9 from the field in the first half and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. He finished with 28 points and 8 assists.
Allen (17 points) and Garnett (17 points, 14 rebounds) also had big games for Boston. Rajon Rondo had 16 assists in the game.
They said it couldn’t happen, but Kobe Bryant had his second straight sub-par shooting game for the Lakers. Bryant went 11 for 23 in Game 2. At one point late in the fourth quarter Bryant had fewer points than Powe, and Bryant was the team’s leading scorer. He eventually finished with 30 points, though many of them came in the furious comeback that fell short.
Conspiracy theorists will have a field day with this one, but the Celtics attempted 38 free throws in the game, while the Lakers took just 10. Whatever the reason for the discrepancy, Boston’s ability to get to the line was a huge difference in the game.
Kendrick Perkins, the other member of Boston’s walking wounded, didn’t need to be at 100 percent to make a contribution. His sprained left ankle didn’t limit his mobility to the point where it hurt the team. Perkins finished with 7 points and 3 rebounds.
The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Tuesday night. In this 2-3-2 format, the next three games will be played at the Staples Center (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday). Games 6 and 7 would be in Boston, if necessary.
We’ll have plenty of postgame reaction and analysis, as well as video, as soon as possible.
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