Lakers Looked Too Polished For Boston at STAPLES Center

Any doubts I had about the Los Angeles Lakers assigning defensive roles to their starting line have been erased. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers notched a 102-89 dismantling of the Boston Celtics in Game 1 to earn the early lead in NBA Finals betting.

They remain undefeated at home, and I expect things to stay that way until Boston returns home.

Four of the Lakers starters scored in double-digits, with Pau Gasol earning a double-double with 23-points and 14 rebounds. Kobe Bryant led the way with 30-points, including an “FU” three-pointer at the end of the game to remind the Celtics that he controls this NBA betting series.

There were a couple inexcusable gaffes by the Celtics in this game. Ray Allen fell in to early foul trouble while trying to defend Kobe, though you could say the refs were calling the game against him. It’s also inexcusable that the team was dominated on the boards.

The Lakers hauled down 42 rebounds while Boston managed just 31.

I said that my biggest worry for Boston was determining who their leader was. Rondo looked very well contained, and when he couldn’t get rolling, the Celtics seemed like they were in a panic mode. Paul Pierce led the way with 24-points, and you can continue to expect that kind of performance from him. He thrives against the Lakers.

Boston Celtics (50-32) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (57-25)

Sunday, June 6th — STAPLES Center — 8:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: Lakers -6.0 (190)

Yet the most obvious difference between the two teams was toughness. Garnett and Perkins seemed virtually lifeless in the frontcourt, especially with Andrew Bynum bullying Perkins around (which is a sight none of us are used to seeing).

The long rest between games should benefit the Celtics, giving them plenty of time to game plan their defensive while working on rebounding exercises. Still, they haven’t figured out the Lakers and the parity between the two teams can be described by one word: toughness.

The Lakers have been excessively productive at squeezing teams in the second and third quarters. They outscored Boston by a +15 point differential over those two quarters, and held on to that lead and never looked back. They’re a championship team with serious resilience. Part of that was Pau Gasol playing so damn well.

The rest of it had to do with the fact that the Lakers play unbelievably well at home. The Lakers are now 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS at home, and while I fully expect the Celtics to bounce back and show some fight in this series, they’re being sent in to a two-game hole tonight. You just can’t bet against Kobe under the bright lights in Hollywood anymore.

Furious NBA Finals Free Pick: Lakers -6.0 (UNDER)