With Andrew Bynum out, Celtics are drooling at the opportunity
From Boston
And suddenly, it was 2008.
If the Lakers had the edge in this series, as opposed to the Finals two years ago when the Boston Celtics pounded them into jelly, it left in the person of Andrew Bynum.
With Bynum limited to 12 minutes Thursday night, the Celtics partied like it was 2008, pounding the Lakers into jelly once more, beating them, 96-89, to tie the series, 2-2.
If only the Celtics’ Big Three was here to be part of it!
Oh, they were?
As usual, one played well — Paul Pierce scored 19 points — and the other two, not so much. In all, they scored 44, their second-lowest total in these Finals.
Nor was it Rajon Rondo, who had his worst game of the Finals: 10 points, three assists, missing 10 of 15 shots.
I know what you’re thinking: Who does that leave?
How about Glen (Big Baby) Davis, who scored 18 points?
How about Nate Robinson, who scored 12?
How about Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen, who played the first 9:10 of the fourth quarter with Davis, Robinson and Ray Allen as the Celtics blew open a tie game, going up by as many as 11.
There was nothing subtle about it. The Celtics were more physical and played harder.
The Lakers went back into bug-on-the-Celtics-windshield mode.
With Bynum gone, Kendrick Perkins went back to pounding on Pau Gasol, who went into flamingo-in-a-cement-mixer mode with Lamar Odom in deer-in-headlights mode.
“I just felt like a beast,” said Davis. “I’ll be honest with you, I felt like I couldn’t be denied.”
The Celtics led, 85-77, when Boston Coach Doc Rivers put the regulars back in, by which time Wallace and Robinson had also drawn technical fouls for their unmatchable histrionics.
Wallace, who is to T’s what Arnold Palmer is to golf, is now up to six in the postseason. One more and he gets suspended for a game.
“Unfortunately it’s probably our most emotional group when you have Nate, Tony and Rasheed on the floor at the same time,” said Rivers, laughing.
“So the techs happened. That’s the only thing we didn’t like. We have a no-fourth-quarter-tech rule, which was blown out of the water today.”
Wallace got his for one of his bug-eyed, race-around-the-court numbers,
The 5-foot-6 Robinson, who is to Ts what Coney Island is to hot dogs, got his by planting himself in Odom’s face, or stomach, and taunting him.
Davis, a large ham, himself, who, at least doesn’t get technicals, did get in a great moment on camera, drooling into the lens after making a layup.
“I’ve seen that action before,” said Rivers. “It’s usually after we run in practice.”
Of course, there’s the theory they do it to psych themselves up.
“Do you want me to tell them to get more?” said Rivers.
“They were playing with great emotion. Even Nate, that was the one I didn’t like more than Rasheed’s.
“We don’t have to be tough, especially at whatever height you are but that’s who he is. He’s an emotional player, and it’s so easy for us. I’m sitting in a suit and tie and all of us to say, rein it in.
“But they were playing well, they were happy, they were excited so it’s a fine line.”
On the other hand, Phil Jackson’s team was perfectly well-behaved while getting walked on.
Asked afterward if he could talk about his defensive strategy against Big Baby, Jackson thought for a second, then said:
“No, I don’t want to talk about that.”
What’s to talk about?
The Lakers can hold their own, physically, with Bynum available.
If there’s no Andrew in Game 5 Sunday, or as little as there was in Game 4, Jackson will have to come up with something he couldn’t come up with in 2008.
Of course, Ron Artest helps physically, if not always as far as playing the game, as when he knocked Robinson, trying to draw a charge late in the game, 10 feet backwards.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, Artest wasn’t going 60 mph and Robinson survived.
In a perfect ending, Wallace left the bench before the game ended, to get treatment for his sore back, people thought.
“We just didn’t want him to get another tech, sitting on the bench,” said Rivers.
In the bad news for the Lakers, Wallace made it to the dressing room without further incident and will be back Sunday. For the Celtics, it just might be a lunatic, or lunatics, they were looking for.
Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Dan Woike's weekly newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
