Marty Mac's World: Kobe can't do it by himself vs. Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers are not dead, but they are on life support.

They play for their season tonight, but the first two games of the NBA Finals really were no different than any other game.

The winners of most basketball games usually are teams with the most players making positive contributions.

So far, that's the Boston Celtics.

Forget all the talk about how deep the Lakers were in their series against Denver, Utah and San Antonio.

In each game against Boston, no more than three Lakers have played at a high level. Conversely, the Celtics have had Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins, as well as P.J. Brown, Leon Powe and Sam Cassell coming off the bench to provide spark.

Kobe Bryant may be the NBA's best player, but he can't defeat Boston by himself. Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic must perform their roles for the Lakers to win tonight.

Boston's defense has turned the Lakers into a jump-shooting squad almost reminiscent of the Kings on a bad night. And if the Lakers cannot get to the basket and then struggle from the outside, it's going to be a short series.

Gamboa's a baseball lifer

San Diego Padres field coordinator Tom Gamboa has dedicated his life to baseball, yet many fans know him primarily because in 2002, while coaching first base for Kansas City, he was attacked on the field at Chicago's Comiskey Park (now U.S. Cellular Field) by two knuckleheads.

Gamboa, who was at Raley Field over the weekend with San Diego's Triple-A squad, the Portland Beavers, said he got over the attack the next day.

Gamboa's love affair with the game is clear as he walks around the field working with players as they exit the batting cage or the field following fielding drills.

The 60-year-old says he loves Sacramento and was just as happy being able to run on the river in the morning as he was working with the youngsters in the Padres organization.

LaVel Freeman, who starred at Kennedy High School and Sacramento City College before Milwaukee selected him in the first round of the 1983 baseball amateur draft, likely knows Gamboa as well as anyone in Sacramento. Gamboa was Freeman's manager for parts of four seasons in Paintsville, Ky., Beloit, Wis., and Stockton before the two worked together for the last time in Toledo, Ohio.

"He released me," Freeman said Monday. "And he cried when he did it. But Tom loves the game and preaches that if you work, you can succeed."

Gamboa has worked in eight major-league organizations and also in Mexico and Puerto Rico during nearly 40 years in baseball.

Ross' celebrity game Friday

Former Elk Grove High and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Adrian Ross is putting on his sixth Maddbacker Charity Celebrity Basketball Game at Arco Arena on Friday night.

Among those slated to play are Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin, Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry and former Sacramento State and Grant High leaper Jameel Pugh.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof also are expected to lace up sneakers, while Joe Maloof will coach. Kings swingman Ron Artest might not be available to play because of his recent wrist surgery but is expected to attend.

Tickets for the game can be purchased through Ticketmaster for $20 for general admission, $35 for preferred seating and $200 on the floor.

Proceeds go to the Maddbacker foundation that, with the Tree of Hope funding corporation, is working with the Roberts Family Development Center to create an after-school arts program called The Corner in Del Paso Heights.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Martin McNeal, (916) 326-5504.