Lakers Stumble Against Celtics in Game 2

As great a high as the Lakers’ Game 1 victory was, tonight’s 103-94 loss at home against the Boston Celtics was just as low.

Among the reasons why the Lakers lost:

• Ray Allen set an NBA Finals record with eight three-pointers en route to a 32 point game.
• Rajon Rondo going off for a triple-double: 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
• The Celtics went off on an 11-0 run with five minutes left in the game to put the game away.
• Kobe Bryant notched his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter limiting what he could do on the court
• Lakers were outscored in the paint 36-26.
• Lamar Odom went MIA yet again with three points and five rebounds in 15 minutes

But despite the doom and gloom, there is room for optimism.
Andrew Bynum scored 21 points in 39 minutes played proving that he can play despite the torn meniscus in his knee collecting fluid like the Salvation Army collects money during the holidays. Pau Gasol had 25 points and eight rebounds proving that neither Kendrick Perkins nor Kevin Garnett can force him back to his soft mode. And Gasol and Bynum combined for 13 blocked shots.

Now that a home team has lost a game, we now have ourselves a series. The Lakers now must take at least one of the next three games in Boston. Fortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics aren’t a great home team.