NBA Finals | Troubled L.A. Lakers return home for Game 3

LOS ANGELES — Well, this is awkward.

And somewhat unexpected. And even troubling for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The team that was favored to win the NBA Finals suddenly needs to win four of its next five games to make an implausible season stay that way.

The Lakers get another chance tonight at Staples Center in Game 3, though they're looking like the unit that began the season with a 9-8 record, not the team that needed only 15 playoff games to win the Western Conference.

Of course, the Boston Celtics have a lot to do with that.

Lamar Odom got called out by his coach for looking "confused" in Game 2, and there was little argument anywhere. The Lakers' reserves can't stop the unheralded Celtics' backups, and there was little reason to believe it won't happen again. Kobe Bryant played better in Game 2 — 30 points, eight assists — but there has been little cohesion in an offense netting assists on 57 percent of its field goals, a telling number compared to the Celtics' 75 percent rate.

Neither the Lakers nor the Celtics practiced Monday; both teams headed to L.A. to determine whether the series would make it back to Boston.

Two games into the Finals, the Celtics are much closer to winning a 17th championship than the Lakers are to winning a 15th title.

"I'm not worried about which Celtics team shows up," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said resolutely. "I'm worried about what Lakers team shows up. That's the one that moves the ball, and we do things well on the offensive end."

The Lakers needed a massive effort from three-point range to even make Game 2 close, drilling seven three-pointers in the fourth quarter to tie the Finals record.

Among their concerns: Odom is averaging 12 points, seven rebounds, 1.5 assists and five fouls in the first two games. He did not return to Game 2 after picking up his fifth foul with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

Afterward, there was another appeal for the Lakers to be more physical, much like there was after Game 1.

"These guys drive the ball to the hole pretty hard and they get the whistle," Odom said. "Maybe we have to attack the basket with the same aggressiveness."

On the plus side for the Lakers, Jackson won't be fined for his postgame critique of the referees, a league official said Monday.

On the minus side, well, there was the rest of Game 2.

The Lakers will have to take Leon Powe a little more seriously after his 21-point outburst.

And Bryant, despite his points and assists, wasn't immune to foibles.

He missed a one-handed alley-oop dunk attempt midway through the fourth quarter, the ball bouncing out of bounds after rimming out.

The Celtics shouldn't need to change much to hang on to their momentum. Paul Pierce's knee obviously isn't an issue after a 28-point effort, and the Celtics' defense has been strong throughout the series, a 41-point lapse in the fourth quarter of Game 2 being the lone serious dent.

There is, however, their one main problem in the playoffs.

After a 31-10 regular-season record on the road, the Celtics are 2-7 away from home in the playoffs, though they did win two of three in Detroit in the East finals.

"We've played well of late on the road, so that gives us confidence," Boston Coach Doc Rivers said.

Just what the Celtics need. More confidence.