Celtics relying on inside information to slow Kobe - Lakers Topbuzz - Los Angeles Lakers News, Rumors, & Fan Forum

Assistant coach Tom Thibodeau taught the Lakers' star when Bryant was still in high school.

BOSTON -- Kevin Garnett has known Kobe Bryant for a long time. Tom Thibodeau has known Bryant even longer.

Thibodeau, the Boston Celtics' associate head coach in charge of defense, was a Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach back when Bryant was a Lower Merion High prep who would hurry after school to join current 76ers players for training and scrimmages. Thibodeau helped build the foundation of Bryant's game, which Bryant said should help Boston considerably in the NBA Finals.

"He has an unfair advantage," Bryant said Saturday. "He started drilling me, NBA basketball drills, when I was 14. So he kind of has inside information on what I like to do, because he taught me most of the stuff.

"I've been facing his defenses here for some time, and they're tough – very, very tough. Every single team he has been on has had great strategies and physical defense. He's awesome."

In 19 NBA seasons, Thibodeau's teams have finished in the league's top 10 in defense 15 times. He most recently assisted Jeff Van Gundy in Houston. This season, the Celtics led the league with their 41.9 percent field-goal defense, and Garnett won his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers does not permit his assistant coaches to conduct interviews with the media.

PIERCE IMPROVING

Celtics leading scorer Paul Pierce reported significant improvement in his sprained right knee Saturday and said he "definitely" will play Game 2 on Sunday despite some stiffness.

"Definitely a step forward," he said.

Pierce was actually moving with less of a limp than Boston center Kendrick Perkins, who has a high left-ankle sprain. Pierce took part in Boston's morning walk-through, but Perkins did not. Both were injured in the third quarter of Game 1 Thursday night.

Perkins said he was about 80 percent. Pierce was moving well enough that Rivers even suggested Pierce could be 100 percent soon.

"I'm hoping he will be eventually in the series," Rivers said.

NOTES

Longtime Phil Jackson assistant Tex Winter said Jackson's reputation for winning only because of great players bothers him: "I think it does. He won't admit it." … Despite Boston being ahead in the series, 1-0, Perkins called Game 2 a "must-win" for the Celtics with the next three games at Staples Center. … Lamar Odom said the Lakers watched video of Game 1 again Saturday and again came away encouraged: "We're all right." … Jerry West will take part in an NBA ceremony Monday at LAX to welcome the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Los Angeles.