No need to Panic

For Celtic fans, no need to push the panic button yet because C’s are still very much in the series. The next two games will still be played at the TD Garden and we all know that Boston is capable of winning on the road. The green team is still very much alive in this hard-fought series.

Lakers defeated the Celtics in pivotal game 3. Thanks to the heroics of D-Fish in the 4th quarter, including a huge coast-to-coast lay-up and one with under a minute left that gave the Lakers a seven point lead that eventually sealed the game.

By winning game 3, Lakers also regained the home court advantage and assured themselves that the games will still be played at Staples Center in case they lose one game in Boston.

Now, people would say that Boston is already finished and Kobe will get his 5th ring. So Game 4 is really especially for the Celts. They cannot afford to lose another game on their home court or they will be in big danger. But actually, though the Celtics lost game 3, there are still good things to celebrate.

With limited action of Paul Pierce due to foul trouble, Rajon Rondo’s so-so performance and Ray Allen’s horrible shooting, Boston still managed to close the gap and almost completed their comeback when they found themselves down by as much as 17ptsin the 2nd quarter. Celtics also found a way how to stop Kobe Bryant as he was held scoreless in the 4th quarter. And finally, KG is back in his old form once again. After a disappointing performance in games 1 and 2, The Big Ticket scored a game team high 25pts and grabbed 6 rebounds. He was so aggressive on both ends of the floor as he scored the first 6 points of the game and forced Phil Jackson to call an early timeout. But with KG’s big effort, it was not enough to get the W.

Check out these 5 reasons why the Celtics can still win the series:

1. Allen’s Curse
After breaking the Finals NBA record for most number of three points made in a game, Ray Allen is nowhere to be found in game 3. Ray-Ray turned oh so cold and was shooting bricks all game long. He shot 0-8 in the rainbow territory and 0 out of 13 shooting overall. He had open looks like what he had in game 2 but it just didn’t fall in. It was one of the off-nights for a player as we say. Expect Ray Ray to bounce back from his terrible shooting performance in game 3. Ray Allen's not going to miss all of his shots again, that's not going to happen.

2. Captain to the Rescue
Paul Pierce’s performance in game 3 was limited due to his early foul trouble. Paul Pierce has yet to take over a game. He was hounded by bad shooting and foul troubles in games 2 and 3 respectively. The 2008 Finals MVP should take shots early to establish his offensive rhythm in first quarters. Be reminded also of committing useless fouls, C’s need him more in the court rather seeing sitting him in the bench.

3. Be Aggressive Rajon
After a stellar performance in game 2, Rajon Rondo’s so-so performance in game 3 was a huge blow for the C’s. Rajon should continue attacking the paint and racking up some fouls on L.A.'s twin towers. If he takes advantage of those chances and creates contact on his way to the rim, he will, at the very least come away with a pair of free throws on most occasions since the officiating in this series do not allow much physical contact. I expect him to be in an attack mode as soon as the ball tips off for Game 4.

4. Big Ticket’s Low post presence
KG is simply unstoppable in game 3 as he regained his old form. Celtics should run more plays for KG in the post. It will not just put pressure on the BIG’s of the Lakers but it will also create double teams that will allow the shooters of the Celtics to hit an open jumpers.

5. Bench X factor
Glen Davis and Tony Allen should continue to provide energy for the Celtics. Both players sparked the Celtics on their comeback in game 3. Their solid performance kept the Celtics in the game. Glen Davis scored 12 points and grabbed 3 rebounds while Tony Allen defended well Kobe Bryant by shutting him down in the 4th quarter.