Game 1 musings

After last night's 102-89 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA finals, Celtics coach Doc Rivers was asked if there was a silver lining to the defeat.

The answer is yes, because Boston can only play better.

This was a disaster from the start. The Celtics gave up too many offensive rebounds, and they lost 17 of 21 in the 50-50 game. That just means that the Lakers, who deserve tons of credit for the way they played, were more intense.

And that showed from the start. Pau Gasol proved he's going to be a handful throughout this series. He hit shots from the outside. He made putbacks. He hit little scoops en route to a 23-point, 14-rebound performance.

Too many Lakers, especially Kobe Bryant, but Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar, got to the rim too easily. And even when they missed the shots, L.A. was there to get the offensive rebound, because the driving player pulled the forward out of place.

Offensively, Ray Allen never got into a rhythm, Kevin Garnett was awful with the exception of a small stretch and Rajon Rondo was contained. Paul Pierce, who scored a team-high 24 points, was the only bright spot.

Just a disaster, and history says this doesn't bode well for the C's. Phil Jackson's teams are 47-0 when they win the first game of a series. But again, the silver lining is that Boston was within striking distance despite playing horribly.

To me, a split in Los Angeles is mandatory. Game 2 now becomes Game 7. Because even though the series shifts back to Boston for Games 3-5, the Celtics won't sweep at home. For banner No. 18 to be hung in the rafters, more intensity is needed.

And I hope the Celtics remember that final 3-pointer from Bryant. It came with just seconds to go, with the game clearly out of reach, and it put the Lakers over the 100-point mark. It was a slap in the face.