Celtics Hand Lakers First Staples Center Loss of 2010 NBA Playoffs

Behind Ray Allen’s hot shooting and Rajon Rondo’s inexplicable ability to churn out “Triple Doubles”, the Boston Celtics powered past the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night by a final score of 103-94.

The Celtics have been fighting uphill battles all postseason, eliminating Cleveland and Orlando, the East’s top two seeds on their way to face the West’s top seeded Lakers.

Allen’s hot shooting in the first half created a comfortable distance between the Celtics and Lakers, the NBA’s two most recent champions. But it was Rondo’s consistent play in the second half that maintained that margin and allowed Boston to tie the series up before heading home for two more.

As mentioned earlier, the Celtics NEEDED to win this game to have any shot at defeating the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. And the Celtics answered the challenge, playing lockdown D (relatively speaking) on Gasol & Bryant. The defense really kept the Celtics in the Game as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce continue to struggle throughout this series.

Game 3 is set for Tuesday June 8th on ABC and will be hosted by the Boston Celtics.