Every weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Boston Celtics 67, Los Angeles Lakers 89
Series tied 3-3

The Lakers seemed to have more energy from the start. More specifically, the Lakers’ energy on defense led to them dominating the Celtics. A couple of tactical adjustments didn’t hurt either.

For a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them, continue reading.

The Lakers worked hard defensively in this game, but they were especially great at two things.

Per CelticsHub:

“1) They played screen/rolls involving Paul Pierce as the ball-handler very aggressively. The LA big guys jumped out to cut off Pierce, taking away the mid-range shot and daring him to turn the corner. And until the mid-point of the 3rd quarter, Pierce couldn’t do it. Instead, the Lakers managed to string Pierce out toward the sidelines, where they would pressure him into a tough pass back out toward the top of the arc.”

And, also per CelticsHub:

“2) They totally disregarded Rajon Rondo, and the Celtics could not make them pay for it. Watch the 2nd and 3rd quarters of this game. When the C’s flashed a player (Pierce or Kevin Garnett) to a spot on the block for an entry pass, Kobe would stop his pursuit of Rondo and step into the passing lane. When the C’s would post up Pierce on Luke Walton and clear Rondo to the other side of the floor (see 1:02, 2nd), Kobe would let Rondo go and lurk behind Pierce, waiting to pounce.”

Basically, everything went well for the Lakers because, unlike Game 5, they played hard for 48 minutes.

Per Forum Blue and Gold:

“Tonight, the Lakers defense was dominant and it took them right to a blowout victory. The Lakers showed much better discipline on that side of the ball – rotating well, contesting shots, and helping each other at every turn.”

All the history between these teams aside, this series is filled with a lot of really good, interesting matchups. Some things can be gathered from the NBA Finals in 2008, but enough things have changed to keep this fresh.

How are the Lakers different from the team that lost to Boston in 2008? Who knows what to expect from the Boston Celtics anymore?

With the help of some their most loyal followers, OTC tries to find out: What are the keys to the NBA Finals?

Guarding Kobe

Two years ago, slowing down Kobe Bryant was a big reason the Celtics won. Before people even knew that LeBron James would soon stink up a playoff series against the Celtics, Kobe did it. Of course, people forgot about Kobe’s 7 for 22 performance in Game 6 of the 2008 in time for LeBron’s Eastern Conference semifinals, but whatever.

But what makes Kobe Kobe, is that two years later, he’s a slightly different player from the one often bothered and frustrated by the Celtics’ defense. With the help of a post game that he’s developed over the season, Kobe gives himself another offensive option and another problem for the Celtics.

According to Celtics Hub who was referring to Synergy Sports, this season, 22% of Kobe’s offensive plays started in the low post. And unlike in the Western Conference Finals — when the Suns’ bigger defenders kept Kobe away from the post — I expect Kobe’s offensive game to look a whole lot like that 22%.

How they defend it will be a big factor in this series. Per Celtics Hub:

“The C’s will obviously mix it up, but expect to see a weak-side defender rotate over to the strong side when Kobe posts up to at least force Kobe in one direction. Also expect some true double-teams, and for Paul Pierce to take the occasional turn defending Kobe. Pierce is big enough to deal with Kobe alone, but the C’s can’t afford to play him against Bryant full-time for many, many reasons.”

The Celtics’ great rotations can take away the other team’s best plays. They did it to the Magic when they all but shut down the Nelson/Howard screen-roll; however, neither of these guys are Kobe. And the rotations better work against Kobe inside, because Ray Allen (6′5″) and Tony Allen (6′4″) aren’t going to get any taller in the next two weeks.

Kobe on Rondo. How’s this going to work?

As for whom the Lakers have to worry about, it’s Rajon Rondo.

Sometimes it’s Kobe who takes the responsibility of guarding Rondo. Presumably, because Derek Fisher is the sore spot on the Lakers roster, but also because Kobe’s defensive skills are a better match for him. But considering how well Rondo has played this season, there’s some question about whether it’s worth putting Kobe on him. The reasoning for Kobe guarding Rondo, or Kobe guarding someone else, is more about the rest of the rosters than those two players.

A commenter at Forum Blue and Gold calls it the “Ray Allen Factor.” Guarding Allen involves chasing him around the court, running through screens and rarely defending him face-up with the ball. Kobe’s greatest defensive strength is as an on-ball defender; not chasing a catch-and-shoot shooter.

But if Kobe is on Rondo, can his teammates take care of the rest of the Celtics? NBA Playbook has doubts about this.

NBA Playbook lists the reasons Kobe should guard someone other than Rondo: Rondo’s ability to rebound means Kobe is going to have to find Rondo and chase him down the court a lot; Rondo’s still not a great shooter, so just let Fisher do it; and Fisher has a tendency to run straight into screens, making chasing Allen through them a difficult task.

There may be a lot of individual Rondo/Kobe matchups, but it will take a team effort to win it.

What about the bigs?

Celtics Hub was really impressed at how the Celtics dealt with Orlando, specifically Dwight Howard. Against the Magic, the Celtics were great at taking away shots at the rim — not an easy task with Howard in the middle. However, they did it by pushing Howard away from the basket and not being afraid to foul him.

The Lakers aren’t the Magic, though. While it was important for Kendrick Perkins to keep Howard away from the basket in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Lakers bigs are OK with playing away from the rim.

Gasol probably prefers it.

And Lakers fans are OK with this.

Forum Blue and Gold has no problem with the bigs, specifically Gasol, playing at the elbow/mid-post. Gasol shouldn’t want any part of the way Perkins and Rasheed Wallace roughed up Howard. This happened in ‘08: Gasol played poorly, Kobe regularly glared at Gasol and people wondered if Gasol was too soft.

In 2010, it might just be in his (and the Lakers) best interest to play up. The Lakers can run the offense through the pinch post (check out diagram 9 for a good description); plus, Gasol can do a lot with the space he’ll get by playing away from the basket. A Forum Blue and Gold commenter explains:

“Seeing Pau Gasol back at the elbow will do multiple things for the Lakers. One, it puts Pau in one of his most comfortable spots on the offensive end of the floor. He has a nice face up jumper, can get to the rim relatively easy against most defenders and it opens up those interior passing lanes. Either Garnett or Perkins will be forced to guard him there, opening up lanes for guys like Kobe, Ron Artest, and Lamar Odom to cut to the basket. With Gasol at the elbow, the Lakers have the opportunity to make the Celtics play as individuals; spacing and crisp passing is going to be key.”

This is what I’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the series.

__________

The day after each game, check out “PER the Others” for updates.

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Orlando Magic 113, Boston Celtics 92
Celtics lead the series 3-2

For a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them, continue reading.

Early in the game, Kendrick Perkins (accidentally?) elbowed Marcin Gortat and the refs called a double technical. Later in the game, Perkins was called for technical No. 2. With Perkins out of the game, Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace took most of the minutes; now, they’re all hurt in some capacity.

PER RedsArmy:

Their referees are now the center of a high-profile discussion for their poor performance. A pair of terrible technical fouls led to a chain reaction where the Celtics roster might have suffered at least one, and maybe more crippling injuries.

With his two technicals on Wednesday night, Perkins now has seven for the playoffs. Unless the NBA decides to rescind one or both of them, Perkins will be suspended for Game 6.

As for the Magic, this was the best they’ve played offensively. In Game 5, the Magic adjusted their offense to run more staggered screens for Jameer Nelson; the Celtics tried some things to adjust back, but little worked.

PER Magic Basketball:

In the first quarter, like in Game 4, Orlando ran staggered pick and rolls with Nelson to jumpstart the offense. Boston tried to trap and be more physical with Nelson, but the strategy didn’t work very well. On one possession in the period, for example, the Celtics elected to double-team Nelson in the pick and roll but he was able to find Howard cutting to the basket for a dunk. And even if Nelson or Howard didn’t score in the pick and roll, the Magic were able to generate points (like corner threes) from the play many times. This trend occurred throughout the game.

But, I guess everything looks better when 3s are falling like they did on Wednesday.

PER Celtics Hub:

“… Orlando is still a better shooting team than that. Tonight they showed it, shooting 52 percent from downtown. Everyone got into the act with 6 players hitting from beyond the arc. Their solid shooting remained in effect from all over the floor, hitting 52 percent overall from the field and 80 percent at the line.”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Los Angeles Lakers 115, Phoenix Suns 106
Series tied 2-2

For a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them, continue reading.

The story of Game 4 was the Suns’ bench.

Per Valley of the Suns:

The bench outscored their Lakers counterparts 54-20, as three Suns reserves hit double figures. Every bench player was in the positive double digits of plus-minus, led by Goran Dragic’s +18 in 18 minutes (thanks to eight points, eight assists and four boards). They were a key part of that 41-point second and they used a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to win the game against Lakers starters.

Although both the starters and reserves scored proficiently, it was the bench unit that really locked down in the zone and used their quickness to force Los Angeles to the perimeter.

Besides the Suns’ bench — or especially with the Suns’ bench as Valley of the Suns thinks — the Suns zone defense continued to cause problems for the Lakers.

PER Forum Blue and Gold:

They (the Suns) continued to play their zone defense with good results as the Lakers weren’t able to figure out how to consistently infiltrate the gaps of the Suns’ scheme nor make the necessary shots to make them abandon it. Especially bothered by the Suns defensive alignment was Pau Gasol who never found a rhythm and was not able to crack the code of how the Suns were attacking him when he had the ball.

Gasol had the most problems with the zone.

PER Forum Blue and Gold:

They’re the first team in a long time that’s been able to double Pau effectively and not get killed by his passing skills. The way I saw it, they did it with angles and energy. They swarmed Pau on the catch with 2 or 3 guys. Normally, it’s a recipe for Lakers success. But the activity and angles of the guys swarming him really cut off his vision and bothered him in a way I haven’t seen before. Pau would eventually find the open guy, but because of the intensity of the defenders, his crosscourt pass would be slow and off-target enough to give the Suns time to recover.

The photos and breakdown in the following link comes after Game 3, but the zone is still the same.

PER Valley of the Sun:

“The zone forced the Lakers into an uncharacteristic 32 three-point attempts and the Suns were finally able to stall the Lakers’ offense just enough to ride a 42-point performance from Amare Stoudemire to victory lane.

“‘We have to try every way we can to find a situation where we can win, and whatever that takes that’s what it is,’ Gentry said after Monday’s practice. ‘And if we have to play our girly zone, as somebody said, than we’ll play our girly zone.’”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Orlando Magic 96, Boston Celtics 92
Celtics lead the series 3-1

For a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them, continue reading.

Just hours before Game 4, Celtics Hub wrote a video break down of Game 3, in particular how the Celtics have shut down the 1/5 pick and roll the Magic consistently run.

PER CelticsHub: “Stop this action, and you’ve gone a long way toward stopping an offense that was the 4th-most efficient in the league this season.”

It’s an important part of the Magic’s offense, and in Game 4, the Celtics weren’t nearly as successful defending it. Give credit to the Magic for making some adjustments in their execution.

PER Magic Basketball:

“From the start of the first quarter until the end of overtime, (Jameer) Nelson and (Dwight) Howard ran 1/5 pick and rolls against Boston and they had success doing so. When Nelson is at his best, he’s dribble penetrating into the lane and forcing defenses to collapse. That’s exactly what Nelson did in the pick and roll against the Celtics. Not only was Nelson aggressive looking for his own shot but he was actively looking for teammates around the perimeter, like (J.J.) Redick, and finding Howard in the paint for alley-oop lobs.”

Beyond Nelson being more aggressive with the ball, the Magic also sent Rashard Lewis to set staggered screens on Nelson’s defender. An adjustment that the Celtics will surely counter in Game 5.

PER Orlando Pinstriped Post:

“Orlando sent staggered screens Nelson’s way, which added another dimension to its offense. An initial screen from power forward Rashard Lewis on the wing would start the play, and then Howard would come over to set another screen for Nelson between the wing and the baseline. The small forward, either (Vince) Carter, Mickael Pietrus, or Matt Barnes, would slide along the baseline from the strong side to the weak side to take away a help defender. Nelson could drive to the basket for a layup or dump the ball to Howard on the roll. Another option, one which worked well tonight, was to keep the dribble alive and pull the ball back out to the initial weak side. If Boston’s defense blinked for even a second, Howard was open for a delayed lob. It’s a gorgeous set that worked well against Boston’s elite defense. Rest assured that Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and defensive assistant Tom Thibodeau, will watch plenty of film of those plays to figure ways to adjust, while (Stan) Van Gundy can add another wrinkle or two.”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

LeBron James’ performance left something to be desired. Actually, that’s an understatement. And while LeBron was struggling, the Celtics were doing whatever they wanted to the Cavs.

So how will the Cavs’ performance affect LeBron? And how will LeBron’s poor performance affect LeBron?

Continue reading for a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them.

First the game, because as important as anything else strategically was the effect Rajon Rondo had on the game.

PER RedsArmy: “‘I think they’re still trying to figure out the Rondo match-up and as they’re moving guys around, we are taking advantage of them.’ – Ray Allen.”

Now, to LeBron.

Cavaliers beat reporter for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer Brian Windhorst is one of the better ones in the NBA, and he had some strong things to say about the team’s performance and the possible effect it may have:

PER @PDcavsinsider: “Can’t dodge the feeling that the fallout from this night and effort could be felt for years. That’s the realtiy.”

If he says, it can’t be crazy for non-Cavs fans to think this loss, and any following losses, may have an effect on LeBron’s decision. Things were that bad in Cleveland.

PER Cavs: The Blog:

“… (T)his is my lowest moment as a serious Cavalier fan. Why? Because I have never been ashamed to be a fan of this team or LeBron James until tonight. I am now. There’s no excuse for that type of effort. I’ve defended LeBron a lot in the past. I can’t, in good conscience, do so tonight. He couldn’t hit a jump shot. He wasn’t aggressive enough. He couldn’t do anything against Boston when they collapsed on him in the paint.

“I don’t know why it happened. Maybe he was just off. Maybe he started doubting himself. Maybe he doesn’t care that much. Maybe he’s already thinking about where he’ll be next season. Maybe it was the goddamned elbow. Maybe he still hasn’t evolved his game enough. Maybe he couldn’t deal with the pressure. Whatever it was, he had maybe the worst game of his career in a huge playoff game. You don’t see that on the resumes of many legends. I still support the guy. I still want him to come back to Cleveland. At the end of the day, I do still believe he’s the best active basketball player. But good lord, this was terrible and inexcusable. He can turn it around in game six at Boston, or he can have this game follow him to his grave. It’s his career. I just write about it.”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t bearen’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Unlike some of the previous games, the Hawks fought back in this one; still, it wasn’t enough against the Magic’s well-executed offense.

Another sweep was finished last night in the Western Conference. Things stacked up against the Jazz this series with two of their better big men missing time — Okur and Kirilenko — still, the Lakers took care of business.

Continue reading for a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them.

Orlando Magic 98, Atlanta Hawks 84
Magic win the series 4-0

PER Magic Basketball:

“Orlando ran a straight-up clinic on offense in the first quarter. It was a “drive-and-kick, cut to the basket, ball movement” exhibition. Many times, but not always, the Magic would engage their offense by running a number of 1/5 pick and rolls with Nelson and Howard. Sometimes Nelson would dribble penetrate into the lane and kick the ball out to the perimeter, where someone like Lewis would have the option of putting a shot up or moving the basketball around the perimeter and forcing Atlanta’s defense to react and rotate accordingly. Other times Nelson would look for his own shot and score — usually.”

The Hawks weren’t help in this game — or this series — by a lack of good shot recognition.

PER Hoopinion:

“Whoever sits in the coach’s office next season, whoever wears the Atlanta uniform, they must recognize what is a good, valuable shot and what is not. This Atlanta coach and, by extension, this Atlanta team gave no indication of understanding that Orlando won this series on the shot chart and that the number of respective Xs and Os therein merely determined the margin of victory.”

Los Angeles Lakers 111, Utah Jazz 96
Lakers win the series 4-0

The Lakers are another team that executed well throughout their conference semifinal sweep.

PER Forum Blue and Gold:

“But this wasn’t just about Kobe and Pau. Even though those two did the heavy lifting on offense, they were supported by their teammates as the other guys were determined to patiently run our sets and seek out good looks. For most of the evening, the ball crisply moved from player to player with each pass building on the next with getting a good look the ultimate goal.”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

At least for one night, Celtics fans don’t want to hear about the Big 3. Or even the Big 4. It’s just Rajon Rondo and the other guys.

Rondo was historically great against the Cavaliers on Sunday.

In the West, the Suns finally got over the Spurs hump, despite losing Steve Nash for some time late in the game. Nash was elbowed by Tim Duncan in the third quarter; left the game to get six stitches; then, returned to score 10 of his 20 points with one eye, literally, closed.

Continue reading for a brief breakdown of each game from the blogs that follow them.

Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Boston Celtics 97
Series tied 2-2

Rondo didn’t just have a great game, he carried his team.

PER CelticsBlog: “It is Rondo and the Big 3 backup stars … and Perkins …”

More specifically, Rondo and his ability to push the pace at every opportunity set things up carried Boston’s offense.

PER Cavs: The Blog:

“Easy baskets were the story on Sunday. The Cavaliers didn’t get easy baskets; the Celtics did. Boston made a concerted effort to push the ball at every opportunity, even on made baskets. The strategy worked, and the Celtics outscored the Cavaliers 23-7 in fast-break points.”

PER CelticsHub:

“While Rondo was able to hit from the outside effectively this afternoon, his success getting to the bucket may be even more surprising given the Cavs’ front court depth. The Celtics were at their best this afternoon with Rondo pushing the tempo, forcing the issue in the lane, and making adept passes for easy buckets.”

Phoenix Suns 107, San Antonio Spurs 101
Suns win the series 4-0

Suns fans are crazy about this year’s team, and they’re just happy to get over the San Antonio hump.

PER Bright Side of the Sun:

Nash returned in the 4th with a gigantic ice pack on his eye. But the ice did little to slow the swelling. The whole Rocky Balboa analogy was in effect. After a Dudley bomb and Stoudemire basket, the Suns went up 77-71. Nash then nailed a 3 followed by an and one 3 and another 2 to put the Suns up 87-82.

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

Simply, the Lakers are just better than the Jazz. And after one game, it looks like the same thing can be said about the Hawks and the Magic. Hawks coach Mike Woodson may agree, too.

PER Forum Blue and Gold:

” … The Lakers are just a better team than the Jazz. The advantages in size, length, and quickness in the front court and the presence of a rejuvenated Kobe Bryant in the back court once again proved too much for Utah to handle in game 2 … ”

” … Because the things that the Jazz want to do well – execute their offense, score inside, take advantage of their perimeter star’s advantage against weaker defenders – the Lakers can do better. And that, in a nutshell is what this series is about.”

PER Hoopinion:

“(Mike) Woodson was saving (Al) Horford to play against Marcin Gortat when Gortat replaced Howard on the court and Horford, presumably, couldn’t do that if he picked up a second foul. Somewhat predictably, Stan Van Gundy countered this strategic innovation by leaving his best player in the game against, first, Atlanta’s third-string center*, then the backup center. Woodson eventually realized that Howard wasn’t headed to the bench anytime soon and put Horford back in with 8:55 left in the second quarter. …

“Al Horford spent (nearly 10 minutes) on the bench as his coach, in an effort to create a future mis-match that didn’t materialize until Orlando had a 16-point lead, gifted his opponent’s best player a mis-match in the present. …

“The Magic were only +6 while Horford sat but the message Woodson sent was clear: we can’t beat Orlando straight up. I don’t necessarily disagree with that sentiment but the solution can’t be to play Al Horford less, play Jason Collins more, and continue to take the same low-percentage shots that led to the Hawks scoring less than a point per possession against the Magic in the regular season.”

Each weekday throughout the playoffs, Outside the Clubhouse brings you “PER the Others”: the previous night’s news and stories, straight from the journalists and bloggers following their teams in the playoffs. The Bulls won’t be aren’t in the playoffs for long, so stay familiar with the goings-on of the rest of the NBA.

The Celtics throttled the Cavaliers to tie the series. Even Rasheed Wallace showed up for this one. And if for some reason you’re having trouble getting interested in this series, there’s a drinking game for you. (Warning: It’s extremely dangerous.)

In Game 1 of the Western Conference semis, the three-guard lineup that the Spurs used to beat the Mavericks is going to need some tweaking.

Boston Celtics 104, Cleveland Cavaliers 86
Series tied 1-1

PER CelticsBlog:

Make no mistake. Rasheed Wallace is dead. He died a few seasons ago and all that’s been left is a corpse. With that said, every once in a while, the undead Sheed walks the earth, feeds on brains, and actually contributes to the team.

Tonight he was 3 – 3 from 3 point land in the first half for a total of 13 points. He even grabbed a couple of rebounds and only had 2 fouls.

PER Red’s Army:

Celtics fans drink when:

• The announcers mention LeBron’s elbow
• The announcers mention LeBron’s back-to-back MVP’s
• When LeBron bitches to the refs
• When a Cavs forward sets an illegal screen

Cleveland fans drink when:

• A KG F-Bomb is caught on camera
• When Sheed misses a 3
• When a Celtic bitches to the ref
• When a Celtics forward sets an illegal screen

San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 111
Suns lead the series 1-0

PER 48 Minutes of Hell:

When Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich countered with the three-guard lineup that put away the Dallas Mavericks, (Suns head coach Alvin) Gentry sent the much bigger Jason Richardson (27 points, 10-16 shooting) into the post on Hill.

And the theory that (George) Hill’s offense would leave (Steve) Nash with no one to hide his defensive deficiencies? One tiny flaw–just because a player scores 20-plus points in a couple of games does not mean he created all of those shots. As mentioned in the preview, Hill still scores the majority of his points on standstill spot-up jump shots and remains the type of player that can be taken out of a game if you focus your defense on him.