Celtics Finally Have Winning Formula 'Figured Out'

Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports has covered every game of the NBA Finals so far, and he's seen a story developing with regard to the Boston Celtics. From his Game 4 "Behind the Boxscore" feature:

Either way, the C's have figured out that they can't take any plays off, more or less. If they're to beat the Lakers (or the Cavaliers, or the Magic), they are going to have to be the team that goes out shouting. Other teams might have more talent or deeper rosters on paper, but the Celtics are - if they want to win it all - are going to have to be the ones that never let up.

And annoy the hell out of the opponents.

Essentially, he makes the case that the Celtics' "effort," "energy" and other "columnist bywords" have thrown the Lakers off their game, and have compensated for poor execution and shooting on Boston's part.

VIDEO: Nate Robinson And Glen Davis Postgame Press Conference

Two big reasons (OK, well, one big reason and one tiny reason, I guess) why the Celtics won Thursday night's Game 4 were Glen Davis and Nate Robinson. The pair of reserves finished with a combined 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting and provided a spark of energy for Boston, particularly in the fourth quarter. So it only made sense that they appeared together in the postgame press conference, where Robinson said, "We're like Shrek and Donkey."

Celtics Blog: Rebounds Huge In Boston's Game 4 Win

SB Nation's Celtics Blog credits the rebounding as a big factor behind Boston's 96-89 Game 4 victory on Thursday night:

• For the fourth consecutive game, the team that won the rebounding battle, won the game. The Celtics out-rebounded the Lakers in this one, 41-34. 16 of those 41 rebounds for Boston were of the offensive brand. 
• You really can't say enough about Boston's bench in this one. Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, Tony Allen, and Rasheed Wallace teamed up 
• Glen Davis was an absolute monster tonight. He put in 18 points and brought in five rebounds, but it was more about the manner in which he tallied his statistics. He was tenacious on both ends of the floor, with four of those five rebounds coming on the offensive end. Effort, effort, effort. And a little drool, for good measure. Can we start calling him Big Game Baby?
  

To get the West Coast version of the story, visit SB Nation's Lakers blog, Silver Screen and Roll.

Celtics' Robinson, Davis Provide Fourth-Quarter Spark To Beat Lakers, 96-89, In Game 4

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Glen Davis led a charge from Boston's bench in the fourth quarter and the Celtics downed the Los Angeles Lakers, 96-89, to even the NBA Finals after four games.

Davis finished with 18 points, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. Nate Robinson also came off the bench for 12 points, half of which were in the last period.

It essentially creates a best-of-three series. Game 5 is Sunday night again at TD Garden. After that, the series will end in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, Davis had eight points in the last quarter of a 91-84 loss, but the rest of Boston's bench was held scoreless in the period. It was a much different story in Game 4, as Boston held a 36-27 overall scoring advantage in the last period. The Celtics had 21 points from their reserves in the final quarter.

"I just felt like a beast. I felt like I couldn't be denied," said Davis, who went 7-of-10 from the field. "I have to seize the moment here."

Paul Pierce ended with 19 points, while Kevin Garnett scored 13 for the Celtics, who were 12-of-19 overall from the field in the game's final 12 minutes.

Kobe Bryant went 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and ended with 33 points for the Lakers. He also had seven of his team's 16 turnovers. Pau Gasol chipped in 21 points and six boards.

"They're a great scheming team," Bryant said. "They have a strategy in place, and they execute extremely well. I feel pretty comfortable. I wasn't pleased with the way I took care of the ball tonight. I thought I did a horrible job of that, but it's a great defense."

Davis was monstrous on the boards, muscling in for a put-back bucket with nearly 8 1/2 minutes left. He was fouled by Lamar Odom and completed the three-point play as the pace went up-tempo and in Boston's favor. That ended the 9-0 push for a 71-64 lead. Robinson jumped on "Big Baby's" back as Davis roared with approval of the change in momentum.

Davis didn't seem to worry about the extra weight on his back.

"You didn't even notice," Robinson said. "We're like Shrek and Donkey. You can't separate us."

Boston continued to move the ball with crisp passing and Tony Allen drove into the lane before dishing to Rasheed Wallace, who drained a three-pointer from the top of the arc for his lone field goal of the night. That provided a 79-70 difference at the midway point of the quarter.

Every time the Lakers tried to come back, Boston's gritty reserves had an answer. Robinson darted into the lane for a bucket for an 83-74 lead. Two free throws from Davis widened the margin to 85-74 with under four minutes left.

Davis and Wallace played better than 10 minutes in the last quarter, while Pierce and Garnett got extended rest time.

"They were fine. We were cheering," Boston coach Doc Rivers said about the decision to keep his bench players in the game. "This is a good team. I don't think guys really care...that's why we're here. (Rajon) Rondo and all of them, they were begging me to keep guys in. 'Don't take them out! Don't take them out!' It was great. That was the loudest I've seen our bench, and it was our starters cheering from the bench. I thought it was terrific."

Pierce hit a step-back jumper with over two minutes left and later plowed over Bryant for a layup and completed the three-point play for a 90-81 cushion with 1:17 to go.

Bryant made three from the charity stripe after being fouled, but Rondo made the back-breaking play to seal the win. Bryant drove right baseline, but was blocked off. His pass to Odom beyond the foul line was picked off by Rondo, who coasted in for a layup with 31.4 seconds left and a 92-84 advantage.

After the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson didn't want to comment on his defensive strategy for guarding Davis or Robinson.

"I don't have any comment, either," Davis said laughing. "If Phil Jackson doesn't have a comment, then I don't have a comment."

The Lakers were short another offensive option as center Andrew Bynum didn't play in the second half due to a sore knee.

"We want Andrew out there as much as possible, but it's just a matter of how he's feeling and how much he can do," Gasol said. "But I think we have enough in our bench and in our team to be able to be aggressive and productive out there."

It was a back-and-forth battle for most of the first quarter, but both teams couldn't find a rhythm offensively. Boston was able to grab a 19-16 lead at the end of the period thanks to a three-pointer from Robinson.

Robinson canned another three-ball early in the second for a 24-21 Boston lead, but Bryant helped the Lakers surge late in the stanza, scoring eight straight points for his team. It was part of an 11-4 burst, as the visitors opened a 39-33 advantage following Odom's layup with just over three minutes left.

A layup from Ron Artest widened the gap to 43-35, but good defense from Rondo helped the Celtics get close again. He poked the ball away from behind on a driving Bryant and was the recipient of a long pass from Pierce, as the play ended in a breakaway layup for a 43-40 difference in the final minute.

Gasol blocked a three-point try from Ray Allen, but Garnett corralled the loose ball and sank a jumper from the left wing as time expired for a 45-42 score at the half.

It remained tight throughout the third quarter, but Davis' put-back brought the Celtics within 62-60 going to the fourth.

The Celtics held a 54-34 advantage of points in the paint and also a 16-8 edge on the offensive glass...The Boston win ensured the Celtics still has a chance to end the 2008 Finals rematch with a similar result. They beat the Lakers in six games...Wallace picked up a technical foul with 7:25 left in the game after being called for a foul despite cleanly slapping the ball away from Bryant. He and teammate Kendrick Perkins are one more technical away from a suspension...Rondo and Odom each had 10 points...Ray Allen finished with 12 points...Of the previous 25 times the Finals have been tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the series 19 times. The last time the Finals were tied 2-2 and the Game 5 winner didn't win the series came in 1994 when the Rockets lost Game 5 to the New York Knicks, then won Games 6 and 7 at Houston to win the title...The Celtics outscored LA on second chance points, 20-10. Over the first three games, the Lakers outscored Boston, 43-20 in second chance points...Boston held a 36-18 overall edge in bench points in Game 4.

Lakers-Celtics, Game 4: The Odds Are Against Boston, But Have Hope, Says CelticsBlog

By now, you certainly already know the seemingly insurmountable statistics staring back at the Celtics:

• Only seven times, out of the 44 occasions, has a team trailed 2-1 in the NBA Finals and come back to win the series. That gives the Celtics just a 13.7% of winning.
• Phil Jackson has won 27 of the 28 best-of-seven series in which his team has led 2-1 (96.4 percent).
• And of course, Phil Jackson is 47-0 when his team wins Game 1 of the series. 

But wait! Seven times before, the Celtics have found themselves down 2-1 in the NBA Finals, and on four occasions they have come all the way back to win the title (57.1%), with three of those titles coming against the Lakers. It's almost as though all these stats use a small sample size!

Which is exactly why CelticsBlog says everyone needs to just calm down.

You think you can tell me what's going to happen based on cherry picked statistics and bogus hypotheticals? Okay. I will see you and raise you. According a recent survey of actual historical events, Kobe and Phil Jackson are win-less in NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Also, according to those same actual historical facts, Kevin Garnett has never lost an NBA Finals series. Neither has Ray Allen or Paul Pierce. Or Rajon Rondo. Doc Rivers has never lost a Finals series as a coach.

I got some more numbers for you. It took the Celtics six games to beat the Lakers in 2008. In 2010, in every series they've played up until this point, they've won at least three consecutive games. Games 4, 5, and 6 are next.

Head over to CelticsBlog for a comprehensive preview of Thursday night's Game 4, including a look at the Matchup Of The Night and Three Keys To The Game For The Good Guys.

Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. EDT.

CelticBlog Game 4 Live Chat | CelticsBlog Game Thread

Lakers-Celtics, Game 4: Eddie Rush Among Three Officials For Tonight's NBA Finals Game

The NBA has announced the three referees for Thursday nights Game 4: it's Scott Foster, Eddie F. Rush and Greg Willard. Make what you will of this, Celtics fans.

Rush is the referee who gave Celtics center Kendrick Perkins a technical foul for arguing a foul call in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals vs. Orlando. The technical resulted in Perkins being ejected from the game and at the time put him over the NBA limit of seven in the playoffs, which meant a one-game suspension. It was later rescinded by the NBA.

Perkins remains on the cusp of a suspension with six technicals in the playoffs.

UPDATE: From CelticsBlog comes this little bit of video of Eddie Rush at work:

NBA Finals, Game 4: It's Must-Win Time In Boston As Celtics Look To Even Series

(Sports Network) - Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce now hopes the NBA Finals return to Los Angeles.

Veteran Derek Fisher was the unlikely star in Game 3 of the set, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. Kobe Bryant poured in 29 points despite shaky 10-of-29 shooting, and Pau Gasol added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Fisher, like Bryant, going after his fifth championship ring, made 5-of-7 shots from the field in the final quarter.

"We saw some things we could accomplish by playing a little two-man game between Kobe and myself," Fisher said. "When Kobe sets a screen, his man is going to be very reluctant to help off of him, so it allows somebody else to get into the interior of their defense, and a couple times I made a pass or two, and a few other times I was able to knock down shots."

Ray Allen, who set an NBA Finals record by making eight shots from beyond the arc on the way to a 32-point night in a 103-94 Boston win Sunday in LA, missed all 13 of his attempts from the field in Game 3 and had just two points. He also missed all eight from long range, a sharp contrast from his 8-of-11 effort in Game 2.

Allen fell one miss shy of the all-time finals record of futility for worst percentage without a field goal. Dennis Johnson went 0-for-14 for Seattle against Washington in Game 7 of the 1978 Finals

"I thought he was pressing early on some of them, and honestly, I thought all of his shots looked flat," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I didn't think he had any legs. Of the 13, I think eight of them were great looks, and all of them were short, all of them were flat. It happens to the best of us."

Kevin Garnett scored 25 points for the Celtics, who also received 15 points from Paul Pierce. Boston had six turnovers in the last quarter after having just four combined over the first three periods.

Rajon Rondo, who had a triple-double on Sunday, was limited to 11 points and eight assists for the Celtics, who now face an uphill battle to win their record 18th championship. The NBA Finals has been tied at a game apiece 32 different times and the winner of Game 3 has gone on to take 28 of those series.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who suffered a slightly torn meniscus against Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs and had his knee drained before the finals started, suffered some swelling after Game 3 but is expected to play tonight.

"It was real swollen right after the game, but it's come back down to normal, Bynum said at practice on Wednesday. "It hurts when I do certain movements, like quick-twitch stuff or running really hard, It's just something I have to deal with. I'm going to play."

The 2010 finals marks the Lakers' 31st trip to the championship series and Boston's 21st appearance with 12 of those overlapping in clashes between the NBA's two most storied franchises.

Their finals history dates all the way back to the 1958-59 season when the Lakers still called Minneapolis home. Boston and the game's ultimate winner, Bill Russell, dominated the early years of the rivalry. The Red Auerbach-era Celtics took the Lakers all seven times they met in the finals, although the Jerry West, Elgin Baylor-fueled LA clubs did manage to take Boston to seven games on three different occasions.

The rivalry lay dormant for 15 years until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson "saved" the NBA by bringing their own storied college rivalry to the pros. Bird avenged his loss at Indiana State to Magic's Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 NCAA Finals when the Celtics got past the Lakers in seven games to win the 1983-84 NBA title.

Johnson and his Lakers responded the next season as LA finally beat Boston in the finals for the first time. Magic also won the rubber match two years later before the rivalry went cold again, this time for 20 years as the Celtics struggled mightily in the post-Bird era.

Boston basketball chief Danny Ainge re-ignited things by acquiring both Garnett and Allen before the 2007-08 season. The two All-Stars teamed with Pierce to create the "Boston Three Party" and the Celtics were relevant again. A 17th Boston championship was the result as Garnett and his Celtics got the best of Bryant's Lakers.

A rematch could have been in the offing last season but a knee injury to Garnett derailed any hopes of a Celtics repeat. Instead, LA earned its 15th championship by taking Orlando in five games.

The Lakers and Celtics have combined to win 32 of the NBA's 63 titles coming into this series.

Game 5 is Sunday, again at TD Garden.