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Posted: Wednesday June 16, 2010 1:35AM ; Updated: Wednesday June 16, 2010 1:35AM
Chris Mannix
Chris Mannix>INSIDE THE NBA
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NBA Finals Report Card: Game 6
Boston Celtics
 
C-
Rajon Rondo, PG
33 min., 10 points (5-15 FG, 0-2 FT, 0-1 3PT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
Simply, Rondo never looked comfortable. His shot was off all night, and he just couldn't seem to get the Celtics into their halfcourt offense. Rondo has been in big games before, but it sure looked like the magnitude of the moment affected him in Game 6.
B
Ray Allen, SG
36 min., 19 points (7-14 FG, 3-3 FT, 2-5 3PT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists
Allen -- and his perimeter shot -- looked for more comfortable in Game 6 than he did at any point in the previous three games in Boston. His numbers might have been better had Boston executed on offense, but if there was a silver lining in Boston's horrific effort it's that Allen may have found his stroke.
Inc.
Kendrick Perkins, C
6 min., 0 points (0-1 FG), 1 rebounds
An ugly looking knee injury ended Perkins' game -- and possibly his season -- early in the first quarter.
C+
Paul Pierce, SF
34 min., 13 points (6-14 FG, 1-4 3PT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 TOs
Pierce did his best to try and will his team into the game in the third quarter, but he just couldn't find the range on his jump shot. Credit Ron Artest's D in this one; he hounded Pierce all night.
C
Kevin Garnett, PF
31 min., 12 points (6-14 FG, 0-1 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
After kicking Pau Gasol all over Boston, it was KG on the receiving end of a butt whipping. KG's perimeter shot wasn't bad, but overall he was dominated by Gasol in every facet of the game and didn't play with a whole lot of energy on either end of the floor.
F
The Bench
97 min., 13 points, 4-26 FG, 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks
Boston's reserves were held scoreless until early in the fourth quarter. The 13 points they finished with were scored in garbage time. That pretty much sums up an utterly dismal performance.
C
Doc Rivers, Head Coach
Clearly, the Celtics were more affected by the travel than the Lakers, and after masterfully managing his roster in Boston, Rivers couldn't come up with the right combinations. His players didn't help much either, especially his frontcourt, which provided little help after Perkins went down.
 
Los Angeles Lakers
 
D
Derek Fisher, PG
15 min., 4 points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Foul trouble kept Fisher glued to the bench most of the game; when he was in, he struggled fighting through screens and staying close to Allen. If the Lakers had lost, Fisher would have been a hot candidate to be the goat.
A
Kobe Bryant SG
39 min., 26 points (9-19 FG, 7-7 FT, 1-4 3PT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals
It's amazing how efficient Bryant can be with a little help. His assist numbers weren't high, but he didn't force many shots and was a beast on the defensive glass. Defensively he was more aggressive contesting Rondo's jump shots, something he hadn't done in previous games.
C-
Andrew Bynum, C
15 min., 2 points (1-4 FG), 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Bynum's hurt. Really hurt. He labored most of the game and pulled himself out early in the third quarter and never returned.
B+
Ron Artest, SF
32 min., 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-6 FT), 6 rebounds, 1 block
Artest lives to fight another day. After a miserable stretch of games in Boston, Artest played a patient offensive game, taking the jumpers when they were there and attacking the rim when pressured. More importantly, Artest was draped all over Pierce most of the night.
A-
Pau Gasol, PF
41 min., 17 points (6-14 FG, 5-6 FT), 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Gasol was aggressive early, attacking the basket and relentlessly chasing down offensive rebounds. With Perkins out, Gasol had free reign around the rim and converted several easy put backs that seemed to get him going.
A
The Bench
92 min., 25 points (10-30 FG), 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks
Lamar Odom woke up. Sasha Vujacic stretched the floor. Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar made energy plays. Even Josh Powell chipped in a few minutes off the bench. The Lakers bench has been maligned for most of the season, but in LA's most important game of the year, the reserves stepped up.
A
Phil Jackson, Head Coach
Both teams made a transcontinental flight. Only one showed up to play. Credit Jackson for having the Lakers mentally prepared for their first elimination game of the postseason. Jackson showed great faith in his bench too, inserting Vujacic early and riding a unit that hadn't performed well up until this point.
 

 
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