HALFTIME: Lakers up 51-46, and they've definitely found the rhythm over the second half of the second quarter.  After finding themselves unable to get into the paint at all, they lived there, cutting, passing, making space off the screen and roll, and getting great looks at the basket.  If they keep that up, Boston won't be able to hang with them.  Defensively, the Lakers are giving up open jumpers to Rondo- you live with that- and getting hurt by KG, but not anyone else.  You live with that, too.

THIRD QUARTER:

Sorry folks, web trouble (as seems to be the case whenever you're in the upper press box of any building anywhere in the universe). 

6:19- Pierce goes down, with the Celts down.  Perkins picks up his fourth, and all of a sudden the Celtics are short some dudes.  Big time.  Perkins is limping, too, as he goes off.  I know it would help the Lakers, but if Pierce misses significant time in the series, that would be a shame.  Dude's earned his way into the Finals, and to see him miss out would be tough.

5:04- Pierce returns to huge applause from the crowd, and PJ calls timeout.  Sasha is really struggling in his matchup against Allen, who is running him all over the floor and losing him on screens.  Basically whenever he's been on him, Allen has taken advantage. 

The photographer next to me just said that PJ threw off his mic.  Any sign of that on the broadcast? 

63-62 Boston.   

FOURTH QUARTER-

Three guesses as to the problem again---

Anyway, the Lakers finish Q3 down four, 77-72.  The big swing was two triples from Pierce that took the Celtics from down by two to up by four.  On the other end, the Lakers are having trouble finding those clean looks that defined the end of the second quarter.  Allen also got loose on Sasha a couple times.  The Celtics did a better job closing up those P and R lanes. L.A. was held to 17 in the quarter, assuming I can add and subtract correctly, which is not a given.

Kobe starts the fourth by driving on Posey and hitting off glass for two.  Allen hits a J on the other end.  Lead for Boston back to four.

10:07- Nice play from Farmar, penetrating and kicking to Turiaf underneath for the foul on Cassell.  Ronny makes the FTs.

8:46- Potential huge swing for the Celtics.  First, Garnett makes an amazing play to save a backcourt violation.  I'm not sure he really took off from the right side of halfcourt, but either way, it was an amazing athletic move to even get the ball, then heave it back for what would become an Allen jumper.  That's at least a two-point swing.  Then on the next play, the Lakers don't rotate to Posey, leaving him wide open for the triple.  Lakers now trail, 86-78.  They can't let the lead get out much beyond this, or they could be in serious trouble.

Timeout on the floor.  The Lakers need to find some space and put the ball in the hole.  Nope.  Fisher turns the ball over out of the timeout.  Down by eight, I'm surprised PJ doesn't have Kobe in.  They're sticking with the program.

5:48- Timeout on the floor, Lakers down 88-82.  The seconds have done a good job cutting the gap a little.  What looked like it might get away is now a manageable four-point deficit with just under six to go.  Kobe and LO will almost assuredly be in out of the timeout.  Hopefully he can start to get the ball at the rack. 

PJ comes out of the TO with the standard end-of-game lineup- Kobe, Sasha, Fish, Pau, Odom.  Down by four, with the ball, but with virtually no time on the 24-second clock.  They miss, and need a big stand, which they don't get as Pierce hits a great turnaround J over Fisher on the high block.

Sorry, that's Walton on the floor.  LO is not.

3:43- That was a terrible sequence.  After the Lakers got the ball back on a Celtics TO, they end up with a Sasha fadeaway- not exactly the sort of thing you want him taking- then LO going over the back to try to get the board.  Not only is it his fifth, it sends the Celtics to the line, and their lead is back to eight.

2:57- Strong move from LO to drive the hoop with the opening, and he gets the and-one on PJ Brown.  For a second I thought he might have picked up a charge, but then on the replay it was pretty clear the ref made the right call and that Brown was sliding over with his body.  This is a massive FT for LO to bring the Lakers back to within five.  He's currently 1-4 from the line.

He makes it.  Lakers down five, looking for a stop.  It looked like they had one until Sasha bailed out Allen on his tough jumper.  The replay showed he got him on the arm.  Allen misses one of two, so that's a nice treat. Don't see that much. 

Lakers get lucky twice on the next trip, as Kobe nearly turns the ball over and the Lakers get it back, then he's stripped and the ball goes straight to Sasha in the corner, who misses the three.  That was a big shot.

1:54- Gasol to the line to shoot two, off the break.  These have to go down.

He misses the first. Makes the second. That stings a little.

KG slams home the Posey miss from the perimeter.  Terrible play from Gasol, who never moved to pick him up.  The Lakers have been hurt all night on the glass, and that bucket might have sealed the deal for Boston.

Garnett makes two FTs with 1:01 left to play, 96-88 Boston, timeout Lakers.  The Big Three have come through for them tonight to be sure.  58 points right now.  With some time left to tick off...

Fish goes in and out on the triple, and the game is officially out of reach.

I have to run downstairs to try to beat the traffic, but it looks like the Lakers will start Game 2 down 0-1.