bruce@godot.UUCP (Bruce Nemnich) (06/11/84)
I just reread my previous couple of messages, and I though I'd add a few
thoughts before anyone pounced on me for flaming at Worthy and Kareem.
Worthy's actions yesterday had nothing to do with the outcome of the game,
and, yes, I have seen worse cheap shots. I do not think Kareem is a dirty
player; his two elbowing incidents were not intentional, just very careless.
Worthy *has* put on quite an offensive (in the basketball sense) show in
this series. He hasn't showed much rebounding, defense, or passing, but
his 1-on-1 moves are vintage Dr. J. I am really impressed.
I feared Scott, and wondered if we would see much of him. Scott has
been hot with the outside shot most of the times I have seen the Lakers
this year.
The Celtics have had a problem dealing with the LA break in a way which
I didn't expect: they panic. The Celtic guards, particularly Ainge and
Johnson, have been pushing it up very quickly and taking the first open
outside shot. Even if they are open, this is not good, since it doesn't
give the front men time to set up for the offenseive board. The Celts
have good enough ball movement that they will almost always be able to
get an open 17-footer for a guard, if that's what they want. It also
plays the pace right into the hands of the Lakers. It has resulted in
LA's getting big runs throughout the series; it lost the game for them
yesterday.
It also kept the ball out of the hands of Bird exactly when they needed
a stopper. Larry was in his best form of the series yesterday. He was
moving extremely well without the ball and very sharp with his passing.
He only took 4 shots in the first half (scoring 17 points), but that was
all right: he was feeding everyone else, and they were scoring. He
hardly touched the ball after mid-3rd quarter; they were just not going
into their set offense. Sigh.
LA played a very aggressive game. They outrebounded the Celtics for the
2nd time in the series; which is as impressive as the fact that the
Celtics have got more points on the break in two games. They gambled
somewhat with their aggressiveness: the Celtics went to the line twice
as often, and the Lakers were almost in bad foul trouble.
I think it has been a very good series. The teams are well-matched.
Lots of adaptation to weaknesses by both teams. Tomorrow's is anybody's
game.
--
--Bruce Nemnich, Thinking Machines Corporation, Waltham, MA
{decvax!cca,ihnp4!mit-eddie,allegra!ias}!godot!bruce, BJN@MIT-MC.ARPA