Game 3 in the twitterverse

Some (okay, lots of) tweets from game 3 that I would have retweeted/commented on had I not been so busy with, you know, game 3 of the Finals (times CDT):

8:10 @coachthorpe: KG commanding the front of the rim. LA needs to claim that space.

8:10 @forumbluegold: 2 fouls on Artest. It's like musical chairs with the foul trouble in this series. Your turn Ron-Ron.

8:11 @mcten: KG was holding Pau so bad that possession that he forgot to let go to contest Fish's drive

8:12 @forumbluegold: That baseline drive is open if the C's are going to go on the top side against Pau. The Lakers need to initiate more from the sideline.

8:16 @basketballtalk: The Lakers need to make baskets to slow down the Celtics in transition. Which is the exact opposite of the 1980s.

8:19 @forumbluegold: That was a nice play by Kobe. He went opposite of the pick - something the C's D loads up on on the screen side.

8:23 @KevinDing: Ray Allen is 0/4 tonight. One thing Artest accomplished: Ray was definitely shaken up when Artest leveled him for Ron's 2nd foul.

8:23 @johnhollinger: Game is devolving into yin-yang battle between Bill Kennedy's tendency to screw Cs and Bennett Salvatore's habit of screwing road team.

8:26 @ESPNLandOLakers: For a guy everyone claims can't defend, the Celts sure haven't made any effort to go at Walton. AK

8:27 @mcten: From ESPN Stats & Info: Celtics are 4-4 FG in transition; 4-15 FG in half court

[D was locked in from minute 1, it was just hard to tell at first]

8:31 @lazenby: Walton is an underrated defender, and he makes the triangle shine. Already an impact off the bench.

[He was almost as key for getting the lead as Fish was closing]

8:32 @forumbluegold: Love how the Lakers are playing those screens for Allen. Bigs are separating from their man and giving the space for Fish to run through.

8:34 @mcten: Rajon Rondo might not be the best passer in the league, but he's the best bounce passer

8:34 @coachthorpe: The battle for the most important real estate on the floor is one of the best I've seen in years. Both teams fighting.

8:36 @mcten: Great awareness by Fish with that pass

[The one at the end of the 1st for the Odom and-1 with 0.7 left].

8:38 @mcten: Lakers up 26-17 after one. Fantastic timeout by PJax turned things around for the Lake Show.

8:38 @johnschuhmann: After scoring on 6 of their first 9 possessions, Celtics scored on just 3 of their last 13.

8:38 @kpelton: Lakers +12 after Odom and 'Sheed entered the game at the midway point of the first quarter.

8:39 @LakersReporter: Stat update: After Boston started the game 3-for-3 (all KG), they made just 5-of-20 shots (25%). L.A. shot 44.4%.

8:38 @johnschuhmann: After scoring on 3 of their first 10 possessions, Lakers scored on 9 of their last 12.

8:40 @ESPNStatsInfo: Celtics in 1st quarter: Rondo/KG: 16 Pts, 8-10 FG; Rest of team: 1 Pt, 0-13 FG

8:42 @ESPNLandOLakers: Wallace with the sort of help defense I display at the rec. That is not a compliment.

8:43 @LAIreland: That's twice that Kobe has gone straight to the hoop without anybody hammering him. That never happened in '08--good early sign for LA

8:45 @KDonhoops: Fantastic spacing for LA

8:46 @mcten: Lakers up by 15 and its because of the ... Bench. That's a new one.

[It was ultimately a 32-8 run to go from down 7 to up 17]

8:47 @KDonhoops: Celtic fans react the same way to Tony Allen dribbling the ball as Laker fans react to Ron Artest shooting a three.

8:47 @mcten: Jordan Farmar never follows his shot. Ever.

8:47 @johnschuhmann: Lakers already have 5 3-point possessions. Didn't have one until 1:16 left in the 2nd quarter on Sunday.

8:48 @forumbluegold: Bad offense right now without Kobe in the game. No rhythm and everything is a jumpshot. The Lakers need to make post entries and cut.

8:49 @KevinDing: Lakers lead, 37-24. Sheed killing Celts at both ends. He comes into timeout and pats own chest as he approaches KG on bench.

8:50 @johnschuhmann: Odom: +16. Rasheed: -16.

8:51 @KevinDing: Subtly great move by Phil to start Q2 by keeping Kobe in to get Lakers rolling ... then subbing Ron in, as he must before sitting too long.

8:52 @bball_ref: Cs weak Robinson/TAllen/Pierce/Davis/Wallace unit was -17.46 +/- per 100 poss in playoffs going into game

8:53 @KDonhoops: The Garden's 24 second clock buzzer sounds like it was stolen from an Opel Cadet.

8:53 @RicBucher: Kobe to 2nd unit, last timeout: "we're running the Triangle. Get the ball into the post. Run your cuts. We haven't done that yet."

8:59 @mcten: We should start calling D-Fish the cash register. All he does is take charges.

9:04 @forumbluegold: Kobe just told the ref that KG is holding on after he sets the screen. Looked like he said "that's TWICE!"

9:05 @Matt_Calkins: Paul Pierce on Jumbotron "Make some nooooiiiiiise!!!!!" Fans to Pierce: "Make a baskkkkeeeeettt!!!"

9:06 @KDonhoops: Safe to say the short break between games hasn't affected Andrew Bynum's ability to be better than Kendrick Perkins.

9:11 @KevinDing: Gasol saved Walton by coming out after Luke picked up his dribble. Those little things are so key.

9:13 @RicBucher: Luke Walton, providing clinic for Artest on how Triangle is run. Which is why Luke has played 10min to Artest's 9.

9:14 @johnschuhmann: Very slow pace. 43 possessions for each team. They each had 50 in the 1st half on Sunday.

9:15 @KevinDing: Lakers envisioned nice complement of Luke's O and Ron's D at SF this season. In Game 101, here it is.

9:16 @lazenby: Luke helps so much the triangle execution, which helps Lakers' floor balance, which helps them get back on defense. 10 good mins for luke

9:21 @RicBucher: Tweeps, stop blaming Artest's 2 early fouls for his limited minutes. He returned, PP blew by him, O froze + Phil went right back to Luke.

9:22 @wondahbap: Kobe, you can still win Finals MVP if you keep driving and making hustle plays. No need for contested 20 footers right now.

[Remarkably, that was BEFORE halftime ended]

9:38 @KDonhoops: The tend not to show any close Laker/Celtic calls on the scoreboard that favored the C's. Just sayin'

9:40 @TrueHoop: Ray Allen has the anti-hot hand.

9:41 @ESPNLandOLakers: Is KG under the impression he made the shot. Why's he hitting his chest on the ground? AK

[Because he has an extreme, probably clinical, insecurity about being perceived as having heart]

9:41 @forumbluegold: Kobe? PUJIT 3? C'mon. Pierce has 4 fouls and Kobe lets him off easy with that pull up instead of attacking off the dribble.

9:41 @lazenby: Kobe's on that tightwire right now between being aggressive and running the offense. You just gotta live and die with that. It's who he is.

9:44 @KDonhoops: Expert help D from Kobe tonight.

9:51 @KevinDing: Bynum clearly favoring his leg as he comes out with 4:59 left in Q3. But trainer Gary Vitti checks on him and goes to sit back down.

9:56 @forumbluegold: I'd really like to see a cross screen to get Pau moving to the ball and better position in the post.

10:02 @lazenby: If the Lakers get the ball to the bigs they can regain their grip on this thing.

10:04 @johnhollinger: Abonimable offensive quarter for L.A., right from that wild jack from Kobe out of the locker room. 15 points, only two free-throw attempts.

10:04 @johnschuhmann: Pace just keeps getting slower. Only 19 possessions for each team in that 3rd Q. 62 for each team thus far.

10:07 @johnschuhmann: Celtics have just 4 turnovers. That's 4 over their last 99 possessions, which is unreal for this team.

[Foreshadowing the regression]

10:09 @KevinDing: Sheed was pushing Pau during that last stoppage. Now he shows up Danny Crawford with a lap but still no tech.

[Nobody else in the league can do that without getting rung up for a tech]

10:11 @KevinDing: That charge by Big Baby on Farmar was so strong that Jordy's unborn child felt it.

10:11 @johnschuhmann: That was 27 possessions w/o a TO for Boston before the Davs off. foul.

10:12 @DanielArtest: LA need to sign me. I’m strong enough to guard big baby.

10:14 @cgrock24: Well Well. I guess I've got it wrong. Lamar can't guard Big Baby. Glenn is a very good athlete - very agile - good coordination & balance.

10:16 @SherrodbCSN Odom is p'd off at Kobe. The two are going at it verbally as I type this. ... meltdown!

10:17 @forumbluegold: Gone missing: the Triangle offense. Too many isolations, too much dribbling, not nearly enough post entries and screens being set.

10:17 @russbengston: Big Baby floats like a hippo and stings like a rhinoceros.

10:17 @KevinDing: The refs watch video, too, you know. They've scouted Ray, whom Bynum said after last game pushes off all the time.

10:18 @LakersReporter: L.A. finally got penetration on O, as Fisher cut to the hoop for a layup, but next came another missed 3 from Kobe (9-for-26).

10:25 @lazenby: Boston's defense has forced Lakers guards into impatience. They've got to feed the post, then wait for the repost to get deeper.

10:26 @forumbluegold: The Lakers need to get into their sets faster. Too many contested shots as the shot clock is set to expire.

10:27 @forumbluegold: Bynum goes out and the C's get a lay-in. I'm thinking that's not a coincidence.

10:30 @russbengston: If the Lakers pull this out, I hope Fish makes someone say Little Rock.

10:31 @basketballtalk: Fisher is the only Laker guard that reposts consistently

10:31 @KDonhoops: I think the Celtics medic just rushed up to Doc to tell him that he had Glen Davis guarding Pau Gasol.

10:31 @johnhollinger: Great move going to Pau. Lakers were deep into their "we forgot Pau was on the team" routine til that play. No way Baby stops him on block.

10:33 @junior_miller: Derek Fisher has big balls. Ray Allen has a big bag.

10:33 @TasMelas: Kobe Bryant has not scored in the 4th and the Lakers offense has looked a hell of a lot better the last couple minutes.

10:34 @mcten: Ray Allen in Game 2 is to Ray Allen in Game 3 as John Travolta in Pulp Fiction is to John Travolta in Battlefield Earth

10:36 @lazenby: Great rotations by the Lakers with KG posting Kobe

10:37 @mcten: No matter what the final score is, the music at TD Garden obliterates the music at Staples

10:42 @russbengston: Tonight, Kobe Bryant is wearing the Zoom Fisher V.

10:42 @Geoff6598 @lazenby Ray Allen from shades of Michael Jordan to shades of John Starks

10:43 @LakersReporter: Fisher has been absurdly huge down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 16 in the 4th quarter. #clutch

10:44 @lazenby: When Tex and Phil came to the Lakers, they asked me about Fish. I told them he reminded me of Joe Dumars in terms of smarts and character.

10:44 @KevinDing: And the rest of you? RT @gtnilc: @KevinDing i now regret everything bad i said about fisher from the regular season

10:46 @MikeVacc: If Derek Fisher and Robert Horry ever played H-O-R-S-E to the death, the game would last into infinity.

10:46 @mcten: Best part about Fisher's night is we in the media said before the playoffs, "You know Fish is going to have one of those moments" & he has

10:47 @johnschuhmann: Celtics had 4 turnovers in 1st 3 quarters. 5 in the 4th.

10:49 @johnhollinger: Ray Allen, I'd like you to meet Dennis Johnson and John Starks. It seems the three of you have something in common.

10:52 @JeanieBuss: Fisher = Character Driven. "Derek being Derek making big plays." KB

10:53 @johnschuhmann: 83 possessions for the Celtics. 82 for the Lakers. Wasn't as ugly as the final score would indicate. Just really slow.

10:54 @LakersReporter: Fisher was 1-of-5 from the field heading into the 4th. He was 5-of-7 in the 4th for 11 points. #clutchgene

11:04 @KevinDing: Phil: "The job Fish did on Allen was terrific tonight."

11:04 @LakersReporter: As Jackson noted, lost amidst Fisher's 11 points in the 4th was that he was right in Allen's face (0-for-13) all game.

11:14 @j_d_hastings: @derekfisher You are my favorite person in the galaxy right now, man.

11:14 @EricPincus: ha – lakers shot 51% without kobe

11:19 @KevinDing: Doc on Pierce's bad game: "They (the refs) didn't allow him to play tonight."

[He forgot to finish the thought” “like Kobe in game 2”]

11:30 @LakersReporter: Fisher explained that when you play a 2-man game with Kobe, his man is unlikely to help off a screen, which opens the D.

11:34 @LakersReporter: Fisher offered a reason for Allen's tough shooting night: tired legs from having to guard Kobe on defense.

[Kind way of avoiding “old”]

11:37 @LakersReporter: Fisher explained that his fastbreak layup happened simply because he had a lane. Would have pulled out if closed.

11:41 @LakersReporter: Kobe: "(Fisher's) been criticized quite a bit for his age. It's a huge thrill for all of us to see him come through."

11:42 @LakersReporter: Kobe said it "changes things drastically" for him personally having Fish. "He's our vocal leader, the heart & soul of this team."

11:43 @LakersReporter: More good Kobe quotes: "(Fisher's) really the only one I listen to. The other guys are a bunch of young kids."

12:21 @LakersReporter: Had Sasha Vujacic scored at the rate he did in 19 sec. (2 points) he would have scored 288 points in 48 minutes. #justsaying

12:35 @statsbynumbers: Finals - Lakers take 2-1 in incredibly slow game - only 163 total possessions. …