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• In the 2-3-2 series format (since 1985), when the NBA Finals is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series on all 10 occasions.
• How important is Game 3 of the NBA Finals? In NBA Finals history, the series has been tied 1-1 on 32 occasions. The Game 3 winner has gone on to win 28 of those 32 series (87.5 percent).
• On the defensive end, Boston's magic number to win is 95. The Celtics are 12-0 when allowing 95 or fewer points this postseason. Boston is 1-6 when allowing 96 points or more.
• Many people thought Game 1 of the NBA Finals was a fairly ugly game after a combined 54 fouls were called on the two teams. In Game 2, there were even more fouls called. Referees called a combined 58 fouls in Game 2. There have been 112 fouls called in the first two games of the NBA Finals, the most in the first two games of the NBA Finals since 1996 NBA Finals (113 fouls -- 56 in Game 1, 57 in Game 2.)
• Remember that the Celtics were 3-0 at home against the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, including the 39-point clincher in Game 6. Boston's averaging margin of victory in those three games was 18.3 points. Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played in Boston.
• The Lakers were just 23-18 on the road in the regular season, which was tied for third-best in the Western Conference and tied for sixth in the NBA. Los Angeles is 4-4 on the road in the postseason.
• The Lakers scored 94 points in Game 2's loss to the Celtics. It was the first time that the Lakers had failed to score at least 100 points in 11 straight games. Los Angeles had scored at least 100 points in every game since Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Jazz and were 9-2 during that 11-game streak.
• In Game 2, the Lakers had 14 blocked shots, setting a NBA Finals record. Andrew Bynum had seven blocks and Pau Gasol had six as they became the first teammates in Finals history to each have five or more blocks in a game.
• In this series, Kobe Bryant is a combined 1-6 FG (four total points) in 54 possessions when guarded by Tony Allen or Rajon Rondo. Bryant had 42 touches in those 54 possessions. In 16 possessions when defended by Rondo in this series, Bryant has 14 touches but has not attempted a shot and scored zero points.
• Bynum had 21 points in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tied his postseason career high. He also had 21 points in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Bynum had seven blocks in the conference finals (six games) against the Suns. Bynum had six blocks in Game 2 against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
• The Celtics had zero second-chance points in their Game 1 loss to the Lakers. In Game 2, Boston had 13 second-chance points.
• Ray Allen made an NBA Finals-record eight three-pointers in Game 2. Seven of those were of the catch-and-shoot variety, meaning no dribbles once he caught the ball.
• To put a little perspective on how phenomenal Allen's accomplishment was, our friends at Accuscore.com simulated the game 10,000 times: Allen hit seven consecutive three-pointers 11 times in 10,000 simulations, or 0.11 percent of the time. Allen hit seven in a row in the first half in just two of 10,000 simulations.
• Rondo had a triple-double for the Celtics in Game 2. It was the first triple-double in the Finals for a Boston player since Larry Bird had one in Game 6 in the 1986 NBA Finals. The last player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals was Tim Duncan for the Spurs in 2003 (Game 6).
• Rondo is the barometer for the Celtics. In the 2010 postseason, when Rondo's plus/minus is +2 or better, Boston is 13-0. When it is +1, even or negative, Boston is 0-6.
• In the 2-3-2 series format (since 1985), when the NBA Finals is tied 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on to win the series on all 10 occasions.
• How important is Game 3 of the NBA Finals? In NBA Finals history, the series has been tied 1-1 on 32 occasions. The Game 3 winner has gone on to win 28 of those 32 series (87.5 percent).
• On the defensive end, Boston's magic number to win is 95. The Celtics are 12-0 when allowing 95 or fewer points this postseason. Boston is 1-6 when allowing 96 points or more.
• Many people thought Game 1 of the NBA Finals was a fairly ugly game after a combined 54 fouls were called on the two teams. In Game 2, there were even more fouls called. Referees called a combined 58 fouls in Game 2. There have been 112 fouls called in the first two games of the NBA Finals, the most in the first two games of the NBA Finals since 1996 NBA Finals (113 fouls -- 56 in Game 1, 57 in Game 2.)
• Remember that the Celtics were 3-0 at home against the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, including the 39-point clincher in Game 6. Boston's averaging margin of victory in those three games was 18.3 points. Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played in Boston.
• The Lakers were just 23-18 on the road in the regular season, which was tied for third-best in the Western Conference and tied for sixth in the NBA. Los Angeles is 4-4 on the road in the postseason.
• The Lakers scored 94 points in Game 2's loss to the Celtics. It was the first time that the Lakers had failed to score at least 100 points in 11 straight games. Los Angeles had scored at least 100 points in every game since Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Jazz and were 9-2 during that 11-game streak.
• In Game 2, the Lakers had 14 blocked shots, setting a NBA Finals record. Andrew Bynum had seven blocks and Pau Gasol had six as they became the first teammates in Finals history to each have five or more blocks in a game.
• In this series, Kobe Bryant is a combined 1-6 FG (four total points) in 54 possessions when guarded by Tony Allen or Rajon Rondo. Bryant had 42 touches in those 54 possessions. In 16 possessions when defended by Rondo in this series, Bryant has 14 touches but has not attempted a shot and scored zero points.
• Bynum had 21 points in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tied his postseason career high. He also had 21 points in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Bynum had seven blocks in the conference finals (six games) against the Suns. Bynum had six blocks in Game 2 against the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
• The Celtics had zero second-chance points in their Game 1 loss to the Lakers. In Game 2, Boston had 13 second-chance points.
• Ray Allen made an NBA Finals-record eight three-pointers in Game 2. Seven of those were of the catch-and-shoot variety, meaning no dribbles once he caught the ball.
• To put a little perspective on how phenomenal Allen's accomplishment was, our friends at Accuscore.com simulated the game 10,000 times: Allen hit seven consecutive three-pointers 11 times in 10,000 simulations, or 0.11 percent of the time. Allen hit seven in a row in the first half in just two of 10,000 simulations.
• Rondo had a triple-double for the Celtics in Game 2. It was the first triple-double in the Finals for a Boston player since Larry Bird had one in Game 6 in the 1986 NBA Finals. The last player to have a triple-double in the NBA Finals was Tim Duncan for the Spurs in 2003 (Game 6).
• Rondo is the barometer for the Celtics. In the 2010 postseason, when Rondo's plus/minus is +2 or better, Boston is 13-0. When it is +1, even or negative, Boston is 0-6.
