Unsung heroes are aplenty in the NBA Finals.
There was Glen “Baby” Davis scoring at will during a pivotal fourth-quarter run for Boston, as well as Nate Robinson adding more bench depth with his own scoring burst that allowed the Celtics to runaway with a 96-89 Game 4 win that tied up the championship series anew at two games apiece.
Davis played well too in Game 3, though his off-the-bench effort went for naught after Los Angeles veteran playmaker Derek Fisher stole the limelight in the final period after scoring 11 big points that gave the Lakers a 91-84 escape act.
Game 5 will still be at the TD Banknorth Garden, where the Boston fans are expected to come in droves to cheer their Celtics on with the hope of taking the series lead with a win.
It seems like Los Angeles have matured a lot since the 2008 Finals tussle it had with Boston. Of course, the Celtics were the better team that season, beating the Lakers in six games, including the title-clinching 39-point victory over their counterparts in Game 6.
The Lakers gained some measure of pride after capturing the NBA title last season, blasting the Orlando Magic in six games. And now, they are back in the Finals for the third straight season.
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and the rest of the Laker gang are out to prove that gold-and-purple would paint the NBA town by season’s end. Though the green-and-white of Boston remains a team to reckon with.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and even Ray Allen are no longer the dominant figures in Boston’s second attempt for a title this year. But off-the-bench players like Davis, Robinson and even Tony Allen are providing the much-needed scoring and hustling for the 2008 champions.
Now that the series has been reduced to a best-of-three affair, whichever team wants the title more, and whichever team displays composure under pressure would end up champion.
Will it be the Lakers or the Celtics?
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