Ron Artest

Ron Artest followed up his season-high 25 points in the clinching Game 6 against Phoenix with a solid 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting. He also had two steals, one block and solid defense on Boston's Paul Pierce in the NBA Finals opener Thursday night. Artest slammed Pierce to the floor in the opening minute of the NBA Finals opener, apparently setting a physical tone for a Lakers team that got pushed around at times in its 2008 NBA Finals loss to Boston. Artest hitting 3 of 5 3-point shots Thursday night was a nice bonus for a Lakers team with sketchy outside shooting. The Lakers made just four 3-point shots overall.