The Game

[opi@unesco.org]

-Tonight is the second to last game ever to be played on (parts of) the
original parquet floor.

-The Lakers have the best record in the NBA (21-5). They are 10-1 this
month and have won four straight road games.

-The Celts lead this series overall 144-106. They are 73-37 on the
parquet and 71-69 in La La Land.

-The Lakers have won three of the last four at the Fleet Center, dating
back to the ML Carr era. Both games last year were wiped out by the
lockout.

-After tonight, the Lakers don't play again until Christmas night. They
sound fired up, judging by what I read in the LA newspapers.

-Shaq has missed 160 free throws in 25 games (.422FT%). Amazing.

-Kobe is getting to the line over 8 times per game (.831), Rice over 7
times per game (.889), Shaq over 11 times per game.

-The Lakers are 2nd in FG% allowed (.405) and 3rd in points allowed
(89.1). Credit Phil Jackson for the improvement. Last year's similar
roster allowed .441 shooting and 96ppg.

-The Lakers average a whopping 47 rebounds per game, led by Shaq at
14.2.  In just 26 mpg, AC Green is averaging as many rebounds as Antoine
Walker (7.0).

-Tony Battie is expected to start tonight alongside Antoine and
Potapenko. Vitaly's hairdo is shaping more and more like a letter "V",
which I think is pretty cool. There are all new photo mugshots of the
Celts at NBA.COM, along with a homepage redesign.

-The LA Times reports today that the Glenn Rice has no intention of
re-signing this summer to play in LA, and that the Lakers are almost
certain to trade him during the season.

-The Lakers are not a deep team after the "Big Three". For example,
2/5th of their top five players in terms of minutes per game are
shooting poorly from the field (Fisher is at .385FG%, Harper at
.356FG%).  Robert Horry is one of six other Laker players shooting less
than .377 from the field. Travis Knight is shooting .250 from the field
in 15 games.

-Kenny Anderson and Tony Battie will see a lot tougher players on most
nights than point guard Derek Fisher and power forward AC Green

-But while Derek Fisher averages just 9.2ppg and shoots poorly from the
field and line (.676), he leads the team in treys made (hitting .347)
and maintains a rock solid 3.4 to 1 assists-to-turnover ratio. Ron
Harper and Tyrone Lue seem to be getting the rest of the "point guard"
minutes. The Lakers overall turn the ball over just 13.3 times per game

-Meanwhile, AC Green and Robert Horry have combined to average 12.3rpg
in fewer than 48 mpg.

-Even when opponents dominate at the power forward position, the Lakers
still have managed to win. For example,  they overcame 28 points
(13-22), 21 rebounds and 5 assists from Kevin Garnett on Friday. Then
Oakley and Willis racked up 20 boards in 42 minutes last night, again to
no avail.

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        It looks completely hopeless, but I'm praying for our Celts to
play out of their heads and stomp LA one final time this century on the
parquet. This is all I want for Christmas. Even though we are expected
to lose, this one will hurt more than any other this season.

Joe