BOSTON — The Celtics, up 3-2 after last night’s 92-86 win, appear to be in the NBA Finals driver’s seat going on the road. But the Knicks thought they were in the driver’s seat 16 years ago.
“I thought about that the other day when John Starks called me and reminded me of that,” said Doc Rivers, who was injured and watched the Knicks lose Games 6 and 7 in the 1994 finals to the Rockets in Houston.
“We had opportunities, obviously, in Games 6 and 7,” Rivers said of that Knicks team that featured Starks’ 2-of-18 shooting in Game 7. “That’s a bitter memory obviously for me . . . For me, obviously a learning experience, but I can’t use that experience for the players on this team. Hell, half of them are too young to remember, and half of them probably don’t care.”
What they care about they care about now is finishing the finals.
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The Lakers got a big lift early from Andrew Bynum, who played on a bum right knee that was drained again Friday. He started and scored all six of his points in the first quarter, including the Lakers’ first basket on a follow-up. But he had little impact beyond that — one rebound.
“More than anything else, Andrew was out of rhythm,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “I think he’ll feel much more comfortable getting back and playing. He’s really only played limited minutes since Tuesday night, so we anticipate that he’ll have some opportunity to kind of get himself out there, shoot the ball a little bit and give us more than just a big body in the sixth game.”
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The Media Relations Award presented Pro Basketball Writers Association (given this season to the Golden State Warriors) has been renamed the Brian McIntyre Award in honor of the longtime (32 years) NBA senior VP of basketball communications.
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Rajon Rondo got a technical in the second quarter. Kevin Garnett made a steal in the Lakers’ end. After the Celts went in transition, Ron Artest ended the attempt with a hard foul on Garnett. Too hard, Rondo apparently thought. He gave Artest a slight shove and Artest went sprawling. Some — actually most — would say flopping.
“I’m not that strong,” Rondo said when asked if it was a flop.
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The Lakers’ 86 points were their low in these playoffs . . . Kobe Bryant‘s
19 points in the third were six shy of Isiah Thomas’ finals record of 25 points in a quarter (Game 6, 1988 — and Thomas played on a badly sprained ankle). . . . In all five games, team with rebounding edge won.
