Celtics still simmer over Game 1 loss

LOS ANGELES — The Boston Celtics arrived back at Staples Center for Friday’s practice still simmering over the way they were manhandled and outhustled by the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the NBA finals.

But after watching tape of Thursday’s 102-89 blowout to the Lakers, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo thinks he has a cure for what ails them.

“We had a film clip of all the 50/50 plays and I don’t think we won none of them,” said Rondo who is hoping for a better performance in Sunday’s game two.

“They (Lakers) got all the loose balls. They dove on the floor first. They were the more aggressive team. It is hard to win a game when you don't win none of those categories.”

The Celtics were outplayed in just about every aspect but especially in the paint and rebounding.

They wasted a great opportunity at the start of the fourth quarter when they went on a 10-1 run only to fall back into the same bad habits that saw them trail by 20 points at the end of three quarters.

“We were the retaliators and they were the instigators,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

The Celtics struggled from the opening tip-off but they were at their worst in the third when they were outscored 34-23. Most of the damage came via Kobe Bryant who scored 14 of his game-high 30 points in the third.

The Lakers shot 48.7 percent from the field compared to 43.3 for the Celtics.

The Lakers also had 16 second-chance points to none for Boston and dominated in the paint where they outscored Boston 48-30.

Forward Kevin Garnett finshed with 16 points and just four rebounds Thursday and took much of the heat for the loss.

He was matched up against Lakers forward Pau Gasol and the Spaniard thinks Garnett has lost some of the edge he had when he was younger.

“Kevin has lost some explosiveness,” Gasol said during practice on Friday. ''He's more of a jump shooter now and comes off the lane.

“Before he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and was more aggressive then.

“Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another. But he is still a terrific player.”

There are some who feel the longer the series goes on the tougher it could be on the older Celtics.

But don’t tell that to Rivers who is sick of hearing about his aging and decrepit lineup.

“We are not a young team,” Rivers said. “I don't run from that fact. I can't say that Ray (Allen) is 29 and lie. We are an older team, but we are not too old. Whenever we lose a game we are too old and whenever we win a game, we won because we have great experience.”

Rivers said Garnett has had strong practices since arriving in Los Angeles and he is confident Garnett will get it together for Sunday's contest.

“I was talking about it with him today,” Rivers said. “He was talking about centering himself and all that. That’s above my head. I just started laughing.

“The great players know how to fix it. The average players usually don’t know they are off and they don't know how to fix it. That is what makes Kevin who he is.”