With so much riding on the game, it's time for a running diary. Let's take a look back at Game Four...
First Quarter
11:37 - Kobe hits his signature fadeaway to open the game. Then he whines for a foul. He's in good form tonight.
9:56 - Ray Allen puts up a three and the entire arena holds their breath as he releases... he misses. Collective confidence in Ray Ray slowly going down...
7:56 - Paul Pierce scores again. Seven points already. A good sign that he's actually shown up for this game.
6:45 - Ray Allen misses another jumper... confidence still going down...
5:50 - Artest launches a three... and he doesn't even hit the rim. Every time Ron Artest loads up for a three, you can hear the screams of "Nooooo!!!!" from Lakers fans all the way from LA.
Timeout. Lakers 12, Celtics 11.
5:03 - Ray Allen takes a jumper at the shot clock buzzer... and it rattles in and out. Yup... still going down.
4:26 - Paul Pierce takes it to the hole again and draws another foul on Fisher. Yes! Aggressive Paul Pierce! We've missed you!
Celtics 12, Lakers 12
3:35 - Pierce hits another jumper. 10 points in the first so far.
14-14.
3:06 - Lamar Kardashian shoots a three as the shot clock runs out and misses... but the Lakers get the offensive rebound. There are few things more frustrating in basketball than the opposing team getting an offensive rebound... which is why I want to destroy my TV every time I watch a Warriors game.
Speaking of the Kardashians... some company in Boston printed out a bunch of masks of Khloe's face and passed them out to Celtics fans who then held the masks up whenever Lamar was on the line and chanted, "UG-LY SIS-TER." I know it hasn't really affected Lamar that much, but that's pretty hilarious.
1:36 - Rondo sees a seam and explodes to the hoop for an easy layup. That's the Rondo I know and love.
16-14 Celtics
0:24 - Gasol spins to the hoop, loses his balance on his own, and the refs call a foul on Rasheed!!!! No sport has refs as terrible as the NBA. On a related note, no one has better reactions to fouls getting called on him than Rasheed Wallace.
0:03 - Nate Robinson hits a three at the end of the quarter and the Celtics go up after the first.
19-16 Celtics.
Second Quarter
11:30 - Shannon Brown gets an and one to open the quarter. Can we all just agree that the only reason people think Shannon Brown is good is because he can jump really high? Yeah? We're all in agreement? Okay good. Let's move on.
10:33 - After Big Baby and Artest exchange shots, Nate Robinson hits another three. You have to like how much he's able to pump up the crowd based solely on the fact that he's 5-10. Little man complex? Absolutely. But the crowd loves it.
24-21 Celtics.
9:11 - Nice pick and roll from Pierce to Big Baby. And one. You also have to like how the commentators rave about Big Baby's athleticism based solely on the fact that he's fat.
By the way, do you remember how Big Baby said he didn't want to be called Big Baby anymore? Apparently no one listens to a guy named Big Baby.
8:47 - Shannon Brown hits a fadeaway jumper. Damn. That was actually pretty nice.
27-26 Celtics.
5:41 - Rasheed fouls Gasol again. He's incredulous again. For those of you counting at home, that's three fouls on 'Sheed now, with two facial expressions of disbelief.
Timeout.
A commercial for the new Karate Kid movie comes on. Okay, I really don't know what to think about this film. Kind of a cool idea, I guess? But like most remakes, it's probably really unneccessary, and like all remakes, it's just a money grab. I know this for sure, though: Ralph Macchio > Will Smith's kid.
5:30 - Rondo drives and gets fouled by Kobe. But OMG, Rondo can't shoot free throws for his life. He misses both. That's 4-for-15 for the series from the free throw line. Wow...
Kobe comes back with a three. Wow I hate him.
32-29, Lakers.
4:11 - After a Pierce hook shot, Kobe hits another three. WOW I hate him.
35-31, Lakers.
3:42 - OMG WTF KOBE HITS ANOTHER THREE. (okay, jk turns out it was only a two. But still. I hate him.)
37-33, Lakers.
1:30 - A few possessions and a timeout later, Ron Artest gets an easy layup, but Garnett answers back with an and one.
43-38 Lakers.
1:02 - Kobe flops and gets an offensive foul against Paul Pierce. He must be getting ready for the World Cup or something.
0:49 - But Kobe comes back and turns it over!... which leads to an easy Rondo layup.
43-40 Lakers.
0:17 - Fisher takes a jump shot and misses, but the Celtics still can't grab the freaking rebound!! Gasol gets fouled on the next shot and makes both free throws.
45-40 Lakers.
0:00 - Celtics run a play for Ray!... who gets his shot swatted by Gasol (confidence still going down....) but Garnett gets the loose ball and puts it in as time runs out.
45-42 Lakers.
Halftime. Stuart Scott has to be in the top-ten of the most annoying people on the face of the earth. That's my only thought for halftime. Okay, one more thought: Magic Johnson sucks as an analyst. Charles Barkley > Magic Johnson.
Third Quarter
Took a break for dinner so I missed the first part of the third quarter, but it's about halfway through the quarter now and the score is now 53-48 Lakers. Remember, the score was 45-42 at halftime. We got a real barn burner here.
5:09 - Celtics score three straight baskets and take the lead.
4:43 - ...but Kobe hits another three. Yep. Still hate him.
56-54 Lakers.
4:24 - Ray shoots... and finally hits!!! They show his mom cheering. Seriously, if you put a wig on Ray Allen, he would look just his mom. It's kind of eerie.
56-56.
Timeout.
Commercial for The Book of Eli which I still haven't seen. "It's not a book, it's a WEAPON!!!"
Back to the action.
The Celtics just took like four or five straight shots and missed all of them. Fortunately, the Lakers have been doing the same.
2:13 - Ray hits two free throws.
58-56 Celtics.
1:51 - Kobe hits a ridiculous three. Eff.
59-58 Celtics.
1:36 - Rasheed picks up his fourth foul. I hate this guy.
1:24 - Yep. Another Kobe three. Double eff.
1:05 - Rasheed comes back with an airball. Fortunately, Big Baby bails him out by putting the ball back in. Seriously, Rasheed. I can't stand you.
62-60 Lakers.
0:03 - Kobe gets stripped on the inbound, but the Celtics mess up the fast break again. Annnd that's how the third quarter ends.
62-60 Lakers.
Fourth Quarter
Nate Robinson starts the fourth quarter and Mark Jackson mentions how Robinson can bring some energy and scoring that Rondo hasn't been able to bring. As much as I love Rajon, I have to agree with Mark. Rondo's been playing super tentative these last few games and, unfortunately, I think it has to do with his fear of going to the free throw line where he's atrocious. Meanwhile, Nate Robinson just plays with absolute reckless abandon. Sure, he's probably too emotional sometimes, but he plays fearlessly which you have to admire.
10:10 After a few baskets are traded, Nate Robinson jumps on a loose ball and gets a timeout. And since it's Nate Robinson, he gets up and starts screaming and pumping up the crowd like a mad man. Did I mention Nate Robinson is emotional?
64-64.
9:45 - Big Baby gets his 13th point in 14 minutes. I love his athleticism!!!!!
66-64 Celtics.
8:56 - Ray hits another jumper! Confidence soaring!!
68-64 Celtics.
8:22 - After a crazy sequence which involved Ray blocking Gasol, Big Baby gets a basket and the foul! He starts screaming Nate Robinson style. ABC then turns on the delay for a solid five seconds straight to mute out all the swearing that Big Baby just did.
The announcers make sure to mention his athleticism again.
71-64 Celtics.
7:46 - After an Odom layup, Tony Allen gets an and one! Yes, that's right! TONY Allen!
74-66 Celtics.
6:18 - Another foul on Rasheed.... he starts screaming and running around in disbelief again... and then he gets a T. Someone please just shoot Rasheed. Fortunately Kobe misses the freebie.
"Kobe sucks" chant starts. I like it... but I also worry that it's going to make Kobe turn his game on. You can sort of tell the crowd is thinking the same thing as the chant dies down pretty quickly.
74-68 Celtics.
6:18 - After the teams exchange some baskets, Rasheed hits a three! I've always loved Rasheed!!!
79-70 Celtics.
5:39 - Gasol hits a tough layup, which is then followed by Nate Robinson drawing a foul on Odom, which is then followed by Nate taunting Odom, which is then followed by Nate getting T'd up. This incident would be exhibit A in the People versus Nate Robinson's emotions.
79-72 Celtics
Somehow, though, Fisher misses the free throw. Nate comes back and makes his two free throws. Slight redemption.
81-72 Celtics.
5:20 - Odom gets a layup which is followed by an off balance three attempt by Nate which misses. Paul Pierce, KG, and Rondo immediately get ready to check in.
4:22 - Nate comes back, makes a nice move to the hoop, and floats one in! Absolute redemption, Andy Dufresne style! THIS is what Rondo needs to be doing!! As I say that, Pierce, KG, and Rondo go back to the bench and sit down.
83-74 Celtics.
3:57 - Big Baby gets fouled and makes both shots.
85-74 Celtics.
3:44 - Artest gets an and one.
85-77 Celtics.
2:50 - It's under three minutes now and KG, Rondo, and Pierce still aren't in the game. As soon as I think that, Tony Allen takes an idiot three which is then followed by Kobe getting fouled. Yeah, I'm pretty sure those three guys are coming back in now.
Going into the commercial break, they show a replay of Nate Robinson jumping on Big Baby's back and both of them screaming like psychos. But the bench has 36 points tonight so let them scream all they want, I guess.
Kobe hits his free throws, but Paul Pierce comes back with a jumper.
87-79 Celtics.
1:55 - Kobe hits another shot. al;adie;rklafkfjalk;jd
87-81 Celtics.
1:16 - Pierce turns it over, but Garnett steals it back! This leads to Pierce driving, making the basket, and drawing the foul on Kobe. In LA, that play is called a charge (probably the right call, I admit). But you know what? It's not LA! SO WHO CARES?!
90-81 Celtics.
1:07 - Ray fouls Kobe on a three pointer. Wow...
90-84 Celtics.
Under a minute to go...
0:31 - Boston gets nothing on their possession. Kobe drives to his right, passes back to the perimeter, but Rondo steals it and takes it all the way for the layup!
0:22 - Derek Fisher comes back down and gets an easy two.
92-86 Celtics.
0:22 - KG looks to inbound, Lakers have to foul. Rondo's standing unguarded right in front of KG asking for the ball. But because of Rondo's free throw inability, KG is probably more likely to pass it to the popcorn vendor than Rondo right now. He calls timeout instead.
A couple more possessions, including another Kobe three (I really hate him), but the Celtics close it out with a few more free throws.
Final score: Celtics 96, Lakers 89.
Postgame analysis.
1. Boston's bench saved them tonight. And while bench play is, of course, very important, the Big Three need to find a lot more consistency and Rondo needs to man up and really get into these games.
2. The Lakers are going to really miss Andrew Bynum if he can't go next game. The importance of his size and length cannot be underestimated because the Lakers bigs kill the Celtics bigs. (But I still love Big Baby's athleticism.) Speaking of Bynum, I think we can officially put him in the category of "guys who have a ton of talent and ability but never reached their full potential because of injuries."
Anyway, pivotal Game Five looms ahead. See you Sunday.
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