The Celtics won an important game Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals with the Lakers at one game each. The big question is how were the Celtics able to play so well last night, after they were dominated just three days earlier? Greg Payne of CelticsBlog breaks down the four important differences between Game 1 and Game 2.
The first is the most obvious: Ray Allen.
He has to be mentioned first, right? Without question, Ray was severely hindered by foul trouble in Game 1, and consequently bottled up a killer game inside, which he promptly unleashed mere minutes into Game 2. His first three-pointer of the evening came at the 6:47 mark of the first quarter, and this shot alone, after what took place in Game 1, called for a sigh of relief. But, as the game rolled on, that sigh of relief morphed into several utterances of "Wow" and "Woah", as Ray unleashed a torrid streak of three-pointers that threatened to leave the Lakers in ruins. He knocked down his first seven three-pointers of the first half, which actually tied an NBA Finals record for most three-pointers in a game, before appropriately breaking the record with his eighth three-pointer with 4:39 left in the third quarter. When it was all said and done, Ray played 44 minutes, poured in a game-high, series-high, and 2010 playoffs-high 32 points on 11-20 shooting from the field, 8-11 shooting from three-point nation, and 2-2 shooting from the free throw line.
Payne was even nice enough to put Allen's two games directly next to each other.
Ray Allen in Game 1: 27 minutes, 3-8 FG, (0-2 3-PT FG), (6-6 FT), 12 points
Ray Allen in Game 2: 44 minutes, 11-20 FG, (8-11 3-PT FG), (2-2 FT), 32 points
So, yeah: pretty good-sized difference.
The rest of the posts at CelticsBlog, which deserves your attention, highlights the three remaining major differences between the first two games of the series: ball movement, rebounding and three-point shooting.