The Ray Allen Show

He is one of the most accurate 3-point shooter in the NBA history, a 9-time All-Star and a member of the USA Basketball Dream Team who won the Gold Medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics at Sydney, Australia, alongside teammate Kevin Garnett. Ray Allen made the difference in the Game 2 of the NBA Finals.


Hitting 73% from the arc and 55% from the field at Staples Center, Ray Allen was just simply amazing! Lakers found no antidote for him as he scored (almost) at his free will during the entire game. He scored 27 of his game-high 32 points in the first quarter alone and that was enough to dismantle the Lakers spirit even if they managed to snatch the lead in the closing minutes in the final quarter only to relinquish it back. Contributing only 2 points in the first few minutes of the fourth quarter when the games was decided in the closing minutes, Ray Allen’s presence was enough to distract Lakers’ defensive pattern allowing Rondo to do the most vicious damage in the end game.


Where was Kobe? He was absent, or should I say the MVP in Black Mamba fell short on the standards Ray Allen has set for the night. Kobe was 40% from the field and only 29% from the arc, way below the mark of Allen. He also had the most turnover in the entire team, something not really expected of him being the heart and soul of the Lakers.


As a team, the Celtics plated exceptional basketball today, as a cohesive unit they dominated the stats board and the most glaring comparison was the 3-point shooting of the Celts where they converted 11 of their 16 attempts, mostly of Ray Allen, against the 5 conversions of the Lakers of their 22 attempts!


Yes, I can tell, Xavier, my son, was all smile today. His favorite team and (ironically) his favorite player made the difference. Ray Allen’s performance today can atone for his lackluster showing in the first meeting. We didn’t have the chance to talk about the game this morning. I was practically home hours past midnight where he was sound asleep. Tomorrow I’ll be ready for his endless reminiscence of the game and how Kobe and the Lakers looked like little kids in the eyes of any Celtic fan.


There’s no reason to celebrate just yet. It takes four (4) games to claim the prize. History is unfolding before our very eyes. Only one will remain toughest in mind, body and spirit, and only they will have the right to be called World Champion. This time though, the term is almost synonymous to the Lakers.