FINALS, NOT AS LONG AS IT WAS IN

BOSTON.

FOUR YEARS SINCE KOBE BRYANT AND

THE LAKERS PLAYED A FINALS GAME

IN FRONT OF THE HOME CROWD.

AGAIN, THEY'RE DOWN 0-2, AS WE

GET SET TO GO.

LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR SIDELINE

REPORTER, MICHELE TAFOYA.

HEY, MICHELE.

>> Michele: HEY, MIKE.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS TEAM LOST

GAME TWO IN BOSTON, PHIL JACKSON

CALLED ATTENTION TO THE

OFFICIATING.

JACKSON SAID AFTERWARDS, I'VE

NEVER SEEN A GAME LIKE THAT IN

ALL THESE YEARS I'VE COACHED IN

THE FINALS.

UNBELIEVABLE.

THE NBA DID NOT FINE JACKSON FOR

HIS PRARNGS AND, TONIGHT, HIS

PLAYERS PLAN TO BE MORE

AGGRESSIVE.

AND AS KOBE BRYANT TOLD ME, PLAY

THROUGH THE CONTACT, AND HOPE

THEY GET SOME CALLS, MIKE.

>> Mike: ALL PART OF THE

ACTIVITY BETWEEN GAMES IN THE

PLAYOFFS, MICHELE.

SO, THE LAKERS, 8-0, AT HOME IN

THE PLAYOFFS.

KOBE BRYANT, SPIN MOVE.

SHOT WON'T GO.

PAU GASOL, THE REBOUND.

INSIDE, RADMANOVIC.

I DON'T KNOW IF HE LOST IT OR

RAY ALLEN GOT A PIECE OF IT.

EITHER WAY, THE CELTICS HAVE

THEIR FIRST POSSESSION.

>> Jeff: AND RIGHT AWAY, YOU SEE

KOBE BRYANT ON RONDO.

AND FISHER ON RAY ALLEN.

>> Reporter: SOME ADJUSTMENTS

EARLY FROM THE TEAMS.

PIERCE.O

RONDO, PASS UP TO PERKINS.

PERKINS INSIDE WITH A NICE PLAY.

BOTHERED BY EEN

THAT HIGH ANKLE SPRAIN THE LAST

COUPLE OF GAMES, WITH THE FIRST

TWO POINTS IN THE GAME.

>> Mark: AND PEOPLE WONDER,

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, KOBE ON

RONDO?

WHAT IT DOES IS ALLOWS KOBE

BRYANT TO BE A ROLE MODEL ON THE

DEFENSIVE END.

HE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LOCKED

DOWN.

>> Mike: FISHER TO GASOL.

PAU GASOL.

DOES NOT GET THE ROLL.

PIERCE, THE REBOUND.

HE'S FOULED BY ODOM.

ODOM HAS BEEN IN FOUL TROUBLE IN

IF FIRST TWO GAMES.

FIVE IN GAME ONE.

FIVE IN GAME TWO.

KIND OF A HARSH STATEMENT AFTER

GAME TWO.

HE SAID THAT ODOMS, AT TIMES,

LOOKED CONFUSED OUT ON THE

FLOOR.

.

>> Mark: THAT'S KEY.

YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR PERSONNEL.

ODOM CAN ACCEPT CRITICISM.

PHIL JACKSON UNDERSTOOD THAT.

PUSHED THE CORRECT BUTTON.

>> Mike: ALLEN MISSES.

LAMAR'S OKAY WITH THAT.

THAT WAS HIS QUOTE EARLIER

TODAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF ODOM FEELS THAT

WAY.

MISSES THE SHOT.

HERE COME THE CELTICS.

ALLEN, TO RONDO.

A WILD LAYUP.

AND THE REBOUND.

AEN WITH THE STEAL.

SHOT EARLY. A

AND OFF THE MARK.

>> Jeff: ONE OF THE THINGS I

LIKE ABOUT PUTTING BRYANT ON

RONDO, IS THAT THESE TWO CROSS

MATCHES IN TRANSITION, SHOULD

LEAD SO SOME MISMATCH

OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRYANT AGAINST

RONDO.

>> Mike: AND A FOUL, AS GASOL

WENT UP.

HE'LL GO TO THE FREE-THROW LINE,

AS PERKINS PICKS UP HIS FIRST.

>> Mark: YOU CAN ALREADY SEE THE

MINDSET OF KOBE BRYANT, HAS NOT

SCORED.

BUT THE FIRST PLAY IS A POST-UP

MOVE.

THE SECOND PLAY, ATTACKING THE

PAINT AREA.

HE IS TRYING TO FORCE THE ISSUE

OFFENSIVELY.

>> Mike: KOBE BRYANT, VERY HARSH

ON HIS TEAMMATES IN SOME HUDDLES

IN GAME TWO.

TALKING ABOUT BEING MORE

AGGRESSIVE.

THEY HAD A TERRIFIC FOURTH

QUARTER, AFTER GETTING

EMBARRASSED THROUGH THE FIRST

THREE-PLUS, WHEN THEY DOWN BY AS

MANY AS 24.

PERKINS GETS THAT OFF THE MISS.

AND RADMANOVIC IS GIVES THE

FOUL.

WHAT MICHELE TALKED ABOUT, THAT

WAS A BIG STORY IN GAME TWO.

THE FREE THROW DISPARITY WAS

19-2, IN THAT FIRST HALF.

AND PHIL JACKSON SAID, HE DIDN'T

REALLY TALK TO HIS TEAM ABOUT

THAT.

HE CERTAINLY TALKED ABOUT IT IN

THE MEDIA.

BUT DIDN'T TALK TO HIS TEAM

ABOUT IT.

JUST TOLD HIS TEAM TO BE MORE

AGGRESSIVE.

WE UNDERSTAND IF YOU READ THE

NEWSPAPERS, THEY UNDERSTAND

WHAT'S GOING ON.

BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE PRESSURE

OFF OF YOUR GUYS.

THEY HAVE TO RESPOND, AS RONDO

SAVES THE BALL OFF THE BODY OF

RADMANOVIC.

THOSE GUYS. IS ON

>> Mike: "MAGIC" JOHNSON,

WATCHING THE ACTION ON THE

SIDELINES.

ONE OF THE LAKER CELEBS.

ONE OF THE FORMER LAKERS IN

ATTENDANCE HERE AT THE STAPLES

CENTER.

YOU SAW THE GREAT BOSTON GREAT

AT THE GARDEN, AS GARNETT

MISSES.

JERRY WEST, KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR,

MAGIC, ALL IN ATTENDANCE FOR

GAME THREE.

BRYANT DOUBLED.

FISHER.

GOOD HELP DEFENSE FROM PIERCE.

FISHER TO THE BASKET, WON'T GO.

REBOUND.

HERE'S PIERCE RELEASING.

TRYING TO TRACK IT DOWN AND

CAN'T.

AND PAUL PIERCE GOES CRASHING

INTO THE STANDS.

THIS IS FAMILIAR TERRITORY.

IN THAT SPOT

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA, A STONE'S

THROW AWAY.

IT'S A HOMECOMING FOR HIM.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE COURTSIDE,

GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH.

>> Mark: YOU CAN TELL YOU'RE NOT

IN BOSTON.

THOSE FANS WOULD HAVE STOOD UP

AND TRIED TO BREAK HIS FALL.

LAKER FANS GOT OUT OF THE WAY.

>> Mike: RONDO ON BRYANT.

DOUBLE-TEAMED.

INSIDE.

AND GETS IT TO GO.

>> Jeff: AND THEY'RE

DOUBLE-TEAMING FROM THE TOP.

AND SO, RONDO'S RESPONSIBILITY

IS TO NOT ALLOW HIM TO SPIN

BASELINE AWAY FROM THE

DOUBLE-TEAM.

>> Mike: CERTAINLY EASIER SAID

THAN DONE WITH BRYANT.

GARNETT, TO THE BASKET.

I BELIEVE ODOM GOT A PIECE OF

IT.

ODOM TO THE BASKET.

RADMANOVIC, HITS THE THREE.

VLADIMIR RADMANOVIC, WHO HAD A

SOLID QUARTER IN GAME TWO, GETS

THE LAKER LEAD.

>> Mark: PUT THE BALL ON THE

FLOOR AND MAKE PLAYS, AVOIDING

CONTACT.

>> Mike: CELTICS, THE BEST TEAM

IN THE NBA AT DRAWING CHARGES.

JACKSON, LETTING HIS TEAM MAKE

SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF IT.

RONDO, THREW HIS HANDS.

TURNOVER.

>> Mark: ONCE AGAIN, KOBE BRYANT

IS DEFENDING RONDO.

NOWHERE NEAR HIM.

HE IS STOPPING THE PENETRATION

OF PIERCE AND THE BIG THREE OF

THE CELTICS.

NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO RONDO,

FEELING HE CAN GET BACK.

AND IF HE BEATS US WITH JUMPERS,

SO BE IT.

>> Mike: CELTICS, ONE FOR SIX

AND TWO TURNOVERS TO START,

AFTER A VERY -- GAME TWO, WHICH

WAS ON THEIR HOME FLOOR.

BRYANT LOST IT.

STRIPPED.

AND STILL LAKER BALL, WITH NINE

ON THE SHOT CLOCK.

DOC RIVERS' TEAM LOST THEIR

FIRST SIX ROAD GAMES IN THESE

PLAYOFFS.

THREE IN ATLANTA, THREE IN

CLEVELAND, BEFORE PLAYING VERY

WELL ON THE ROAD IN DETROIT.

BRYANT TO THE BASKET.

LOOKED LIKE HE GOT HIT.

ODOM, OUT FOR RADMANOVIC.

ANOTHER THREE.

BRYANT, THE REBOUND.

INSIDE.

DRAWS THE FOUL THIS TIME.

AND HE'LL SHOOT A COUPLE.

LAKERS, YOU CAN TELL, AT LEAST

RIGHT NOW, THEIR MINDSET IN THE

OPENING MINUTES, IS TO BE

PHYSICAL.

>> Jeff: WELL, KOBE BRYANT, WHEN

HE PUTS HIS HEAD DOWN AND GOES

TO THE RIM, GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.

SECOND SHOTS HAPPEN.

AND ON THE OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING,

GOESO THE RIM.

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN.

YOU GET FOULED.

EVERYTHING GOOD HAPPENS WHEN THE

BALL GETS AT THE BASKET AREA.

>> TALKING ABOUT ALL THE FOULS

THAT THEY FELT WERE NOT CALLED

IN GAME TWO.

BRYANT SAID, WHAT WE LEARNED IS

WE HAVE TO MAKE THE SHOT ANYWAY,

EVEN IF YOU GET FOULED.

>> Mark: ABSOLUTELY.

D YOU CAN'T STOP BEING

AGGRESSIVE.

YOU SEE THAT'S WHAT KOBE

BRYANT'S DOING.

HE HAS CONTINUED TO GET TO THE

PAINT.

>> Mike: HE'S MADE 20-STRAIGHT

FREE THROWS IN THESE PLAYOFFS.

AND THE LAKERS LEAD BY SIX.

RONDO.

OUT TO GARNETT.

BRYANT, THE REBOUND.

LAKERS HAVE HAD A COUPLE GOOD

STARTS IN THIS SERIES.

AND RONDO, THE REACH-IN FOUL.

AND BRYANT GOES RIGHT BACK TO

THE FREE-THROW LINE.

>> Mark: AND COACH MADE A GOOD

POINT EARLIER.

BECAUSE OF KOBE BRYANT DEFENDING

RONDO ON THE OTHER END, IT'S A

MISMATCH ON THE OTHER END.

WHEN THE CELTICS GET BACK,

THEY'RE MATCHING UP WITH THEIR

OWN MAN.

RONDO IS BEING LEFT ON BRYANT.

AND HE'S GETTING ISO AND MAKING

PLAYS.

>> Jeff: HE'S PROBABLY NEVER

GUARDED KOBE BRYANT BEFORE ON

CONSECUTIVE POSSESSIONS.

HE HASN'T STUDIED HIM.

HE HASN'T WORKED AGAINST HIM.

HERE, HE'S COMING AGAINST HIM IN

TRANSITION.

AND INSTEAD OF -- THIS IS WHERE

RONDO GETS IN TROUBLE.

GAMBLING FOR THE STRIP, INSTEAD

OF CON KESING UP HIGH.