First to Two

BY IAN TASSO

EDITORIAL - PHOTOS BY AP NEWS

And here we are.

What was once a best-of-seven series has now been whittled down to a best-of-three. What was once a marathon collision between two of the NBA’s most historic titans has now been choked into a sprint.

And what was once a race to four wins is now a race to two.

Two wins. In three games. Sounds so simple. So easy.

But yet, in reality, it will be anything but.

And that’s because much to the chagrin of Celtics fans everywhere, this is not simply a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals.

And while it’s not for a lack of semblance on the Celtics part (the entire starting five from 2008 remains), it has been the drastic changes on the Lakers’ side of the court that have made all the difference.

Gone are the days where Kevin Garnett would push Pau Gasol around like a bully on the playground, dominating the paint on either end of the court.

Instead, a plethora of injuries, a little old age and an immeasurable improvement in Gasol’s low-post game have created a mismatch that has begun to sway in favor of Los Angeles – as much as it pains me to admit it.

Gone are the days where Paul Pierce would cross-over Vladamir Radmonivic at will, tickling the twine with his patented elbow fade-away time and time again.

Now, Pierce's jab-steps and up-fakes are mirrored and shadowed almost to a science by the NBA’s most fierce defender in Ron Artest.

And gone are the days where Ray Allen would run circles around Sasha Vujacic, blowing by him to drain the go-ahead basket in a historic 24-point comeback.

This time, those deft drives to the hoop are greeted by the outstretched arms of seven-foot Andrew Bynum, who’s pterodactyl-like wingspan has made the simple task of laying a basketball into a hoop more like shoving a beach-ball through a key-hole.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen – these are your 2010 Los Angeles Lakers.

They are a much different team than they were in 2008. They’re bigger, they’re better, they’re stronger, and the Celtics no longer hold a chokehold of a skill-wise advantage this time around.

Because if the Celtics are in fact better than the Lakers, it is only by this much.

And if they do in fact take this best-of-seven NBA Finals from the Lakers, it will only be by this much.

Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned after four games of back-and-forth slugging that would make Tyson and Holyfield weep, it’s this: neither team plans on going down easy.

And now with the NBA Finals deadlocked at two games a piece, all the weight in the world has been placed on a pivotal game five – tonight, at the Garden.

Should the Celtics take the crucial swing-game at home, they would take over a 3-2 series advantage heading back to Los Angeles, needing only to win one out of the final two games to take the NBA crown – a very accomplishable feat.

But should the Lakers take down the Celtics on the Parquet, it would be Los Angeles who would be heading back to the Staples Center with a 3-2 advantage – and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what that means.

So here are five things the Celtics need to do to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Stay Out of Foul Trouble:

So far this series, at least one marquee player has been sidelined thanks to foul trouble – for both teams.

In game one it was the sharp-shooting Ray Allen who was forced to the bench early and often thanks to two quick fouls out of the gate. Without him, the Celtics crumbled in Los Angeles, falling 102-89.

In game two, it was Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant who were reduced to spectators, and could do nothing but watch in awe as the Celtics grinded out a win thanks to a record-setting performance by game one’s disappearing act himself – Ray Allen.

In game three, it was Celtics’ captain Paul Pierce’s turn to hit the bench, forced to sit out a majority of what was deemed “the most important game of the series” before tip-off. The result? Boston fell short in what turned out to be a very winnable game had their captain been on the court for most of it – rather than not much of it at all.

And in the game four, the most recent contest, it was Derek Fisher who was rendered useless to his Laker squad after racking up countless off-the-ball fouls early on. The ageless Los Angeles point guard was then forced to sit in silence as his Lakers squandered a possible 3-1 series lead to Boston’s energized bench.

Now I’m not here to gripe about the refereeing that has seemingly taken control of this series at times – it’s part of the game.

And while many Celtics fans would like to sit there and say, “had Paul Pierce not been benched in game three, Boston probably would have won that game,” the simple truth remains, had Ray Allen not gone 0-13 from the field, the Celtics probably would have won that game.

But he did. And the Celtics let a very winnable game, as well as a possible 2-1 advantage, slip away into the night.

And as much as Laker fans would love to say, “yeah, but if Derek Fisher weren’t forced out of game four down the stretch, L.A. probably would have locked up the win,” the harsh fact remains that had Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom outplayed Glen Davis, Nate Robinson and Rasheed Wallace – instead of the other way around - they probably would have won that game.

But they didn’t. And Shrek and Donkey led Boston to a resounding victory at the Garden, and a 2-2 series tie.

And while the refereeing has made things difficult for both squads – especially their coaches – the truth is, every single game has been there for the taking, for either team.

It’s just that neither team has done much of the taking. But if the Celtics want any chance at hanging Banner 18 from the rafters, they’ve got to buck the trend.

Because as entertaining as it is to watch Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen celebrate on the bench while Big Baby is carrying Nate Robinson around the court, the fact is, the three of them are much more effective within the sidelines – rather than on them.

Sweet Baby Ray:

This one goes without saying – but I’m going to say it anyway.

Jesus needs to find his shot.

I don’t know where it went. I don’t know why it went. But I do know that he needs to find it, or the Celtics will be in a lot of trouble.

It’s not every day in the NBA that a player of such historical shooting skill as Ray Allen breaks an NBA Finals record one night, and the very next throws up more bricks than a constriction site. But the bottom line is – it’s happened. And whoever stole Ray’s arc needs to give it back as soon as possible.

The absense of Ray’s outside shot does more than just subtract three-pointers from Boston’s offensive output. It’s more than that.

Without him pouring in shots from outside the paint, the Lakers aren’t as forced to spread out towards the arc – thus making it much more difficult for the likes of Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins as far as creating space down low.

And while number 20 doesn’t need to shatter NBA records on a nightly basis, he should at least try to contribute a few buckets – rather than none at all.

Contain the Mamba:

This one definitely falls into the “easier said than done” category, but it’s not as if the Celtics haven’t showed the ability to do it.

Do they have to shut him down?

Absolutely not. Quite frankly, that’s damn near impossible.

But between Ray and Tony Allen, the Celtics have shown they have two players more than capable of slowing down the NBA’s most talented scorer.

All they have to do is keep doing what they’ve been doing – making each shot attempt more miserable than the last. So far? So good.

Sure, he’s rained down quite a few buckets so far this series. But he’s Kobe – that’s what he does. And to expect anything less would just be foolish.

But while 20-30 points is well and good for every other NBA player, we all know Kobe has the potential for that 50, 60-point game – and you can’t help but expect it to come sooner or later.

All I’m saying is it can’t happen in game five. Because if Los Angeles takes home a 3-2 series lead…you can call the fat lady up and tell her to start getting ready.

Because the only thing harder than stopping Kobe is winning a game in the Staples Center.

And the only thing harder than winning one game in the Staples Center is winning two.

Shrek, Donkey and Company:

Sure it’s a cute nickname. And to be honest, it was a pretty hilarious post-game press conference too.

But none of that will matter if they fall flat on the court in games five, six and seven.

Before the start of this series, many gave Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and the rest of the Lakers’ reserves the nod over Boston’s bench warmers. And to be honest – when a player of Odom’s caliber comes to your teams aid off the bench, it’s tough to disagree.

But so far this series, nothing has been further from the truth, as it was Odom, Farmar and Brown who sat sulking on the bench as Big Baby, Nate Robinson and Rasheed Wallace stole the show in game four.

This isn’t very complicated, folks. The Celtics bench just has to keep outplaying the Lakers bench. That’s all.

Don’t outplay the starters, don’t try to do too much – just do your job, and do it better than the Lakers’ reserves do theirs. They have to. Why?

Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned this postseason – this season – it’s that the Celtics’ starting five can’t do it alone.

They couldn’t do it alone in 2008, and they damn sure can’t do it alone this time around.

And where James Posey came off the bench in ’08 to spell Pierce and deliver crucial defensive minutes opposite Kobe Bryant en route to banner 17, Tony Allen needs to continue to do the same.

And where Eddie House would check in and contribute clutch trey’s down the stretch, Nate Robinson needs to carry the torch – do his part, and nothing more. As we saw in game four, a few simple shots at crucial moments can do wonders at the Garden.

And where PJ Brown would sub in while Kevin Garnett took a breather – or two – and mercilessly bang the Lakers down low back in 2008, both Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis need to do exactly that.

Because though his countless fouls seem to sometimes overshadow his play on the court, the fact remains, nobody has played better defense on Pau Gasol this series than Rasheed Wallace.

And nobody has made the Lakers pay down low more than Glen Davis. He made that much clear Thursday night.

Does he have to put up 18 points in 22 minutes again? No. I wouldn’t mind if he did, but to expect that again would be unfair – even of Shrek.

But for the Celtics to maintain the advantage they held in game four, Big Baby and the rest of Boston’s bench need to continue to answer the bell when it rings.

Bynum’s Knees:

Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the coming two (or three) games lies completely out of the Celtics’ hands.

It doesn’t have anything to do with their starting five - or anything to do with their bench. It doesn’t even have anything to do with whether or not Scal dresses, which seems to change with each passing game.

No, the most important factor of games five, six and seven (if necessary) is Andrew Bynum – and his knees.

The most obvious difference between this 2010 Laker squad and the 2008 team that conceded game after game to the Celtics has been Mr. Bynum himself – more so than Ron Artest, more so than Pau’s maturity – more so than anything else.

Simply put, they are an entirely different team with him on the floor. It’s no coincidence that Big Baby went off for 18 points while Bynum was nestled safely on the pine.

Just ask Rajon Rondo how it feels to drive to the net and not have that pretty little floater ripped out of the sky like a scene from Jaws. Or maybe ask Ray Allen, who’s clunked more layups this series than he has all postseason long – simply because Andrew Bynum has been lurking around every rim.

To be blunt, Bynum’s presence on the court gives the Lakers something few NBA teams can lay claim to – two extremely talented big men.

Think Dwight Howard. Now think Dwight Howards.

And perhaps the biggest impact Bynum has on the Lakers, actually has nothing to do with himself.

Because while he’s sitting under the rim swatting lay-ups like a grizzly on salmon, he’s allowing Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to drift away from the hoop, and impose their own seven-foot will on smaller shooters like Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce.

Think Gasol would be able to swat a few more Ray Allen threes if Bynum wasn’t wreaking havoc down low?

Think again. Who would box out for L.A.? Kobe Bryant? Derek Fisher? Yea right - Kendrick Perkins would eat them alive.

But with Bynum on the floor, the Lakers are allowed flexibility that quite frankly, destroys offensive flow. The question isn’t how much L.A. needs Bynum on the court. It’s whether or not his knees will allow him to be there – and how effective he’ll be when he is.

Look, as much as it pains me to cheer against the health of an opposing player (it just feels dirty), the truth remains, it will be a hell of a lot easier to get Banner 18 if number 17 is on the bench.

So Celtics fans, keep those fingers crossed – because a large portion of your NBA Championship rests on Andrew Bynum’s knees.

But when you put it that way, I can’t help but like our chances.

Because I’m no doctor – but I do know that torn meniscuses don’t heal overnight.

And I’m no tracking expert – but I know Ray Allen will find his shot sooner or later.

And I’m no mathematician – nor do I claim to be – but when I add those two factors together…I get 18.

After all, “anything is possible.”

Or so I was once told…