Actor Rondell Sheridan gives his take on Game 3 of the NBA Finals

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The latest in an ongoing series covering the NBA Finals with actor/comedian and Clippers fan Rondell Sheridan. Today, Sheridan takes a look at the Lakers’ Game 3 victory:

Jose Salviati: The game started out on a high note for Boston but quickly settled into a grind-it-out kind of game, didn’t you think?

Rondell Sheridan: It was going to be a Boston massacre in the opening minutes tonight. Boston, led by Garnett, was running and jumping and rebounding. But then a bunch of things happened that derailed the Garden Party. Phil Jackson called an early time out and D Fish made an appearance offensively and defensively.
Ray Allen went 0-13. I didnʼt think heʼd have another eight 3pt night again, but I didnʼt think heʼd go DONUT either.

JS: Who did? Probably one of the greatest point differentials in the history of the NBA Finals. He went from 32 points one game, to only two in the next. Why?

RS: Kobe and Fisher were both relentless on him. It’s funny cause this game, Allen seemed to have better looks than he did in game 2. The biggest flaw in Bostonʼs game was Ray Allen trying to only go for 3ʼs when he could have clearly gone to the basket a couple of times. If it wasnʼt for the Big Ticket, Kevin Garnett, finally showing up, this would have been a blow out.

JS: The Lakers defense was certainly a key, but didn’t the Celtics just seem, a step slow?

RS: For Boston, the biggest problem was that with the exception of Garnett, Rondo and Big Baby, nobody else came with any energy. I took for granted how long the Lakers are. It seemed that in the first half, anytime Boston had the ball down low, the Lakers fired up the grill, put on some music and had an old fashion block party and EVERYBODY was invited.
Plus I canʼt tell you how many times Boston blew fast break opportunities. On a few occasions they looked like a high school squad out there trying to do a 2 on 1 fast break.

JS: So, um, hate to bring this up Rondell, but you had the Celtics in six. Change of heart coming?

RS: Game 4 is Thursday and now I am beginning to see the errors of my ways. This was the game for BOSTON to steal, not LA. Tonight was only good in showing Bostonʼs flaws.
Boston is OLD with old legs. Pierce, Garnett and Allen havenʼt show up together in one game yet. Rondo has to be going out of his mind, pulling everything out of his bag of tricks only to find that they are just not on the same page.
Lets face it. If Pierce, Garnett and Allen donʼt show up for game 4 its all over for Boson.

JS: Game four then, what are the keys for Boston to get back into this series?

RS: That hustle they showed in the beginning of Game 3 needs to be there for 48 minutes Thursday night. They might as well bring Big Baby along and let him drive the bus too, cause other than that Boston is looking weak. Boston has to treat game 4 like its a game 7.

JS: Good point. KG was back however, like you mentioned earlier. That has to bode well for the Green Team.

RS: Yeah, but I still think there is something going on with KG. At times he still looked slow and tentative. He missed a lob that any YMCA player could have made. His choice of position on the two on one fast-break he shared with Ray Allen against Fisher was horrible.
Boston will have to out rebound, get to the basket without getting blocked, find alternate
scorers, and basically spread the floor if they are expecting to win.

JS: Hey, did you catch what Pierce screamed in L.A. late in game two about not coming back to the City of Angels?

RS: Paul Pierce might be responsible for the biggest self fulling destiny in the history of the game when he declared late in the fourth quarter of game 2 “We ainʼt coming back to LA”. Cause if Boston doesnʼt win Thursday, itʼs going to be Kobe and Magic singing the Subway theme song. FIVE.... FIVE...FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS.

JS: (Laughing) Nicely done. Final thoughts?

RS: I gotta go. I hear the stock market is up with after hours trading tonight. There appears to be a run on epson salt and Ben Gay on the East Coast markets.

JS: (Laughing) Another please.

RS: I gotta go. Iʼm beginning to get the feeling that traffic is gonna be horrendous down town next week in LA. But for the life of me I canʼt figure out why.
Whereʼs Mark Madsen when you need him?

-- Jose Salviati