Game 4 musings

The Celtics have won two games in the NBA finals and they've lost two, and I still don't think they've played amazingly well in any of the four games. They needed a record performance from Ray Allen in Game 2, and the bench carried them in Thursday night's Game 4.

Which leads me to believe that the breakout game is still out there for the taking. And I really hope it's Game 5. To me, this one is pretty important - aren't they all? - because winning two straight in L.A. is a tall task.

As far as last night's game, don't you wish everyone had the energy and passion that Big Baby and Nate Robinson share? Even if it's for one game, I'd like to see Pierce, KG or Ray dive all over the floor. Yes, they might do it on occasion, but rarely do they give the kind of effort as the guys who need to prove themselves for minutes.

With the bench in during the fourth quarter, I was just waiting for the Lakers to make a run, and they never did. Kobe was great, but nobody else stood up when the game was on the line. It was clear from the start Boston had the deeper bench, but that was an impressive showing from Robinson, Baby, Tony Allen and Rasheed - despite two technical fouls.

If there's one other thing that bothers me, it's this: Game 4 could have been a blowout if the Celtics could have hit layups and open shots. I've never seen so many missed shots in the paint, and KG couldn't knock down that patented 18-footer. I don't know if his legs are gone, or what, but he's going to need to hit that when he's open.

OK, there might be two things that still bother me heading into Game 5: GRAB A REBOUND. Don't tip the rebound, don't get a hand on it and let it bounce all round. Grab it. Secure it, because the Lakers are going try to swipe it away.

The breakout game is still out there (like Game 3 against the Magic) and the Celtics sure can use one before heading back to the West Coast.