What needs to get done in Game 4

Well, Game 3 was such a hard-fought, defensive struggle that I’d be stupid to write another Top-10 column about why the Lakers are going to win tonight’s Game 4.
Predicting Game 3, after the Lakers went down 2-0 on the road, was a lot easier than picking this one will be.
So I’ll just pat myself on the back of my throwback Shawn Kemp jersey, pat my 13 illigitamate kids on the head and avoid making any other predictions from here on out ... à la GSnides.
I guess the only real predictions that matter at this point are our WCBias.com series picks, and right now it looks like the Slims are the favorite to win this thing.
What I will offer is this ... Five things the Lakers/Celtics need to do win tonight’s Game 4 in Los Angeles (It’s at the Staples Center Amy Lawrence!).
Five things the Celtics must do to win:

• Boston has to start strong and then finish strong. The Cs came out strong in Game 3, holding off an emotionally charged home team in the opening quarter but eventually fell flat on its face late in the game when the Lakers outscored the Celtics 27-19 in the fourth.
• Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have to be twice as good as they were in Game 3. The two combined to go 8 of 35 from the floor and were a non-factor at the offensive end.
• Ray Allen needs to keep pulling the trigger. Ray Ray was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc and needs to be on point to take pressure off KG and Pierce.
• The Cs need to keep throwing double teams at Kobe until Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom prove they’re going to be a factor in this series. Boston’s defense has yet to allow a highlight-reel dunk from Kobe in the series and can take a big step toward that 17th title if it keeps him locked down again tonight.
• Rajon Rondo has to get healthy and get distributing again. He played in only 22 minutes in Game 3 and the Cs were held to 19 assists as a team. He had 16 assists by himself in Game 2.

Five things the Lakers must do to win:

• Odom and Gasol need to stop playing Hide and Seek. The two have been mediocre at best in the series. Odom was more aggressive at home in Game 3 but needs to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the floor. He’s picked up five fouls in each of the first three games.
• Derek Fisher is another player who’s been hiding out for L.A. He was 1 of 6 in 28 minutes in Game 3 despite being defended by Eddie House for much of the game. The Laker guards have to knock down shots to unclog the middle for Odom and Gasol.
• The Lakers could use another big game from Sasha Vujacic (is he really dating Paris Hilton?), who helped take some of the load off Kobe when he went 7 of 10 from the floor and hit three big 3-pointers in Game 3.
• Los Angeles needs a big game from someone not mentioned above. Someone like Radmonovic, Farmar, Walton or Turiaf needs to give this team a spark when the starters locked up or are on the bench.
• Kobe needs to be Kobe. Not the Kobe of a couple years ago, chucking up 40 or 50 shots, but the Kobe who is scoring in transition, slashing to the hoop and getting foul calls, and distributing to wide-open shooters and Odom or Gasol around the rim. The MVP needs to prove he is in fact the MVP, and needs to have a monster game to get the momentum back on L.A.’s side.