Fun Start to Lakers-Celtics
We're barely nine minutes in, and already we have short shorts, Lamar Odom and Paul Pierce exchanging elbows everybody but the refs saw -- and three technical fouls.
One each on Kevin Garnett and Trevor Ariza for woofing and shoving after a Garnett basket ... another on Celtics center Kendrick Perkins for crabbing at the refs when he thought he was fouled.
Anyway, this is physical, the fans are into it, and the Lakers are hanging around -- though they are being outplayed by a Boston team playing its fourth road game in five nights. It's 24-19 Boston.
Garnett is the best player on the floor so far. He's scoring points (eight) and dominating the middle.
Celtics fans (and you knew they would show up) are chanting "M-V-P" when Garnett shoots free throws.
Lakers fans shouted them down, when they heard that heresy ... and are chanting "M-V-P!" of their own when Kobe Bryant shoots free throws.
The Lakers are having serious trouble getting (and making) shots. I'm thinking their best hope is that the Celtics tire out late. The way these teams are playing now, Boston clearly is the better team.
Oops! Another technical foul -- this one on Kobe, who just got scored on by Paul Pierce, and fouled him.
Yeah, it's warming up. And the Lakers are losing their cool.
Boston 30-19 all of a sudden.