The Lakers may have played a poor game, Kobe Bryant may have forced too many bad shots, and Pau Gasol taken too many fadeaways. For forty minutes, Ron Artest may have kept Los Angeles in the game with key plays (despite how unlikely that may have seemed based on his play throughout the season). But when it counted, the Lakers got to the line, found the open shooter, and made clutch baskets.
Whatever happened earlier in the game – and it was terribly ugly – is irrelevant now. Like the Portland Trail Blazers in 2000, the Boston Celtics blew a double-digit second half lead at the Staples Center in a Game 7. Unfortunately, the Celtics’ commendable drive and determination throughout the series will be forgotten as the Trail Blazers effort has been.
The loss of Kendrick Perkins hurt the Celtics as Boston was demolished on the offensive glass and the play of Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace visibly suffered as they tired. (Although, Andrew Bynum barely played in the second half and it was Gasol and Brant doing most of the rebounding.) Wallace may have wanted to confront the referees for questionable calls and although it is true that Boston was called for more fouls than the Lakers, it was no bigger than the usual discrepancy in favour of the home team in front of a boisterous crowd. Still, the Lakers won mostly because of composure and execution down the stretch.
The Celtics had their chances. The game was played at their tempo and it was very physical. Whereas the 2008 Lakers would have folded, the 2010 team responded. Perhaps it was the influence of Artest or the maturation of Bryant but the chance was evident. Bryant missed a number of shots because he was under tremendous pressure from Ray Allen but he kept his composure and did not deviate from the plan.
Before the series and going into Game 7, it seemed unlikely that Boston could win but they created a situation that offered them the best chance. For a team that many believed was finished after their second round loss to Orlando last year, the Celtics showed that they have the key pieces (Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce) and secondary players (Allen and Garnett) that can be combined with new free agent acquisitions to remain competitive. In terms of mental toughness and resilience, they were extremely tough to beat during the latter part of the regular season and the playoffs.