Can you hold this lead for me?

If you're the Los Angeles Lakers, you may have trouble fulfilling my request. Twice in a row, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have come out on fire in the first quarter only to see the lead disappear before their very own eyes. In Game 4, their inability to hold the biggest 1st quarter-lead in Finals history was the reason they lost and headed into last night's game down 3-1. In Game 5, the Lakers posted an astounding 39 points in the 1st period of play on a remarkable 65% shooting percentage from the field. Leading the attack for LA was the MVP, Kobe Bryant, with 15 first quarter-points which featured 4 three-pointers. All seemed well at the Staples Center.

However, watching the game, I had my doubts. Kobe was shooting lights-out, but that's just it. How long could he sustain this spectacular shooting? His rest at the start of the second quarter helped fuel a run made by the Celtics. He then re-entered the game with about nine minutes to go in the half. He was coming in cold though, which posed a major problem for the Lakers, in my opinion. Not surprisingly, Kobe struggled with his shot in the entire second quarter and the Celtics came within three points at the half. In fact, Paul Pierce, the star of this year's playoffs, had as many points in the second period as the entire Lakers team combined.

The third quarter of games has been dominated by the Boston Celtics in this series. The Lakers are always outplayed and outhustled for some reason. Game 5 saw a dramatic change. With roughly nine and a half minutes to play in the quarter, Kobe Bryant converted on an old-fashioned three-point play which was the start to a 14-5 run by the Lakers. They ended the third quarter on a 22-11 run. This game was different and after Kobe's crew responded, I knew the Celtics would not win.

The fourth and final quarter saw a flurry of scoring by both Pierce and Sam Cassell, who scored seven points in less than two minutes of game time. For LA, everyone was contributing, which was yet another sign that the Celtics would not be celebrating the series win just yet. At any rate, the game came down to free throws. Boston missed theirs; LA did just the opposite as the Lake Show took Game 5 with a 103-98 win.

Pierce had 38 points and 8 assists while battling foul trouble and was easily the most valuable player on the court for Boston. Kobe, after the hot start to the game, scored only ten points in the final 36 minutes of play, including a stretch of 15 minutes in which he was scoreless. Leon Powe, who replaced the injured Kendrick Perkins in the starting lineup, was a complete non-factor in the game scoring zero points in only five minutes of play. Kevin Garnett, who was in serious foul trouble for most of the first half, struggled with his scoring and was a paltry 1-for-4 from the charity stripe.

For the Lakers, Lamar Odom had his second good game in a row with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Pau Gasol also had a good game. Nevertheless, I'm still less than convinced about this guy. He's the biggest player on the floor most of the time, yet he plays so weak. I firmly believe that KG's being in foul trouble and Perkins's injury were the reasons he had a good game scoring-wise.

Looking ahead, Kobe Bryant needs to establish himself in the remaining games in a different way than he has. He either focuses too much on his penetration or too much on his shooting. He either concentrates too much on his facilitating of the team or his scoring. If the Lakers want to win the crown, they absolutely must have Kobe Bryant find a happy medium between these. He should first drive the lane which will open everything else up for his shooting. Bryant can't rely on one or the other all the time.

That being said, I would like to commend the Boston Celtics on being one of the finest defensive teams I've seen in the NBA. If not for the 65% shooting by LA in the first quarter, Boston easily keeps the Lakers under 90 points. They have been playing tougher defense than Kobe has seen in his entire playing career, which could be the main factor as to why he is struggling. I'll take the Celtics in six games. Los Angeles is too inconsistent.

----- -----