Last night’s NBA Championship Game was lamer than Yahoo! Answers, a disappointment in quality of play, memorable moments, and result.
Kobe Bryant was horrible offensively. He nearly choked, settling for awful shots and firing a jaw-dropping 6-for-24 from the floor. Since his team won the title, though, clearly he did enough, I guess. It’d be interesting to see what the reaction to his game would have been had the Celtics won, though he’d probably get a free pass, like he did in 2008. Though I think the refs called the start of the game fine, they weren’t giving him calls that he usually gets, though it’s his job not to get frustrated.
The box score vindicates no one else; did anyone have a good all-around game? Kevin Garnett played great for the most part, but only had three rebounds. Pau Gasol turned it on in crunch time, and grabbed eighteen rebounds (nine offensive!), but for an elite big man he sure got swatted a lot in the first half. Rajon Rondo was good, and his late three nearly huge, but the Lakers were able to play off him in the closing minutes because he’s not a confident shooter from distance. He’s been called one of the best players in the league, but he won’t truly be until he develops his shot. Paul Pierce inspired confidence, but he didn’t quite have it last night and forced a few shots. Rasheed Wallace was solid in his role and hit that three, but could have kept the Lakers off the boards more. Ron Artest played as well as Lakers fans could have hoped. The ambidextrose Lamar Odom pleased me with his confidence from beyond the arc, where he was 0-for-3, but somehow finished with the game’s highest plus/minus rating.
I thought the coaches were pretty even: each was okay, at best. Neither tried anything risky, and neither could get his team’s offense going.
In such a rare game, where anyone can step up, win his team a title, and be remembered forever, I expected someone out on the floor to rise to the occasion. It’s a little sad that it didn’t happen.
Comments
Ultimately the Celtics lost because they couldn't get a bucket in the 4th quarter. The Lakers were playing good defense, but I just can't believe not one Celtic could step up and give them some offense when they needed it most.
I texted a friend of mine at halftime who is a big Lakers/Kobe fan that there was no way Jordan would ever play that bad in a game 7 and all he could do is agree with me. Too bad, as you pointed out Mike, that Kobe's horrible game will be lost in all the Legacy analysis we will have to endure for the next year or more.
Which moment was worse: Sasha hitting two clutch free throws? or Artest nailing that three right after Wallace drained his three?