The Retun of the Cap'n

The Cap’n is Back

Boston takes 3-2 lead with inspired win

We finally got the game we were looking for. For the first time, Kobe had a monster game, a game where he can do no wrong, where he scores at will in all manner of forms. He has a game that confirms his status as a supreme basketball player. And for the first time, more than 2 Celtics played pretty decently with Pierce, Garnett, and Rondo all playing well. But in the end, a familiar result: Kobe can’t beat the entire Celtic team all by himself.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers warned that Boston would have to survive a Kobe moment, and Boston managed to survive Kobe's 38-4-5 stat sheet, with 19 of those points coming in an insane 3rd quarter where Bryant threatened Isiah Thomas' all-time single quarter record of 25 points. Boston aforementioned Big Three this night combined for 63 points with Pierce the high man with 27. Ray Allen was still quiet with 12 points with no points coming from 3 point range (he is now ofer since his record-setting Game 2).

Kobe's big night was obviously not enough to overcome the Celtics team effort, and this game had to be very pleasing to the Boston faithful. Game 3 was a game that was most reminiscent of the 2008 Series. The recipe for success back then was to let Kobe have his points and choke off everybody else This worked to perfection back then and it worked in Game 5. No other Laker had more than Gasol, who collected a measly 12 points. Perhaps the most telling statistic was that Kobe had only 4 assists. Playing against a suffocating defense, there's no way Kobe can beat the Celtics all by himself if he doesn't get his teammates involved. But the problem on this night, is that neither Bryant seemed willing to get others involved, which in turn creates teammates hesitant or unknowing of their roles.

Three things have become clear in this Series:

• Boston has been able to establish the physical rugged game which flustered LA back in '08, and despite the fact that it appeared that the Lakers could match that in Game 1, they haven't been able to sustain that intensity over the long haul. Bynum's obvious decline in this Series has perhaps been the determining factor, since it was his physicality that frustrated Boston initially in the Series, and now he is unable to exert his well due to his injured knee.

• Garnett has rediscovered enough game to outplay Gasol in the last 3 games, outscoring him 57-46 while holding his own on rebounds 22-28. But what is not measured in the box score, and what has always been the intangible in KG's game, is his defense and intensity, and on both fronts, Gasol has not been a match. KG is scoring more, blocking shots, being a defensive force, while Gasol has been limited to contributing on the offensive end only. Defensively, he still has a long way to go to catch up to KG's game, and as far as I know, it still is defense that wins championships.

• More importantly for Boston, Pierce has apparently solved the Artest puzzle (we wonder if Artest has figured it out) and found his offensive game. Consider Pierce's scoring arc in the last 4 games Series:

• G2: 10
• G3: 15
• G4: 19
• G5: 27

After being thoroughly frustrated in the Celtics Game 2 win, apparently what Pierce needed was some home cooking. He has increased his output in each game since then, looks more confident, and in Game 5 used his proven step back moves to score at will over the Laker defense. Artest, meanwhile, in addition to losing his defensive edge, has also been a complete non-entity offensively. He has been unable to knock the open 3 or do anything else to help his team score. The core issue here, as with the Gasol-Garnett matchup, is Pierce's ability to maintain intensity and focus over a long and wearing Series. Artest, meanwhile seems to drift in and out. I trust Pierce's ability to maintain more than Artest's to refocus and readjust, especially since Pierce traditionally plays well in L.A. (witness his 24 points in a Game 1 loss) and now with the championship almost at hand, Pierce should not disappoint.

Jackson can make all of the adjustments he wants, but the players still must execute the tactical moves. Kobe will be Kobe, but Bynum is done, Gasol has been had, and the Laker bench, which has been non-existent in the last two games, is just not ready for primte-time. The Celtics are tougher mentally, are one explosive game from Allen from clinching it (how long can he continue missing 3’s), have Pierce and KG playing at a high level again, and have a superior bench.

The shadows of Russell and Jones loom in the background of Celtic lore, ready to inspire. Like the balloons of years ago, the ‘tacos’ are going to stay firmly put.