LAST DANCE

There are only two words in my mind right now—GAME 7. It may be the last game this season, but certainly, the most exciting one. The whole world will be watching this game. This will be the best event on earth. It’s going to be amazing and will be a classic one.

It’s the greatest thing in basketball, the most compelling, and the most dramatic thing that we can possibly see in sports. This is what we’ve been waiting for, battle of the top two successful teams in the history of NBA. Both teams combined for 32 championships out of 65. Celtics has 17 championships while Lakers owned 15. This is the 12th time that both teams met in the finals. The most storied rivalry in sports history. Celtics owned the Lakers in the Finals by wining 9 championships against 2 by Lakers. The last meeting was won by the Boston Celtics in 2008 via 4 games to 2 decision with a 131-92 humiliating loss by the Lakers in game 6 at TD Garden.

Lakers defeated the Celtics in game 6 to even the series in a convincing fashion via an 89-67 win. Lakers played like no tomorrow and extremely well right from the very start. Kobe, Pau and Artest led the Lakers with 26, 17 and 15 points respectively. The big difference in thus game was Lakers bench Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar provided the needed spark by outscoring C’s bench 25-13. The Celtics bench did not score its first basket until 9:56 left in the fourth quarter on a Nate Robinson lay-up.

Kendrick Perkins who suffered sprained knee injury early in the 1st quarter was a huge blow for the C’s. He wasn’t able to return in the game but might be in street clothes come in game 7. Celtics will be missing his rebounding prowess and his biggest defensive presence in the paint. Sheed and Big Baby Davis should step up big time and pick up the slot vacated by Perk.

The aging Celts’ stars could treat this as their Last Dance on the big stage. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were an art of instantly successful combination that has been to the Finals twice in their three seasons together. Expect Celtics’ BIG 3 to come out strong and give their A game. Ray Allen should start shooting mid-range jumpers and threes again while KG must supply the needed inside presence especially Perk is out and lastly The Truth should bring in his leadership for C’s to get their 18TH Title.

For the Lakers, if they win game 7. This will be their second consecutive championship that would give real life to the possibility that this group could stay together long enough to win two more and certify the Lakers as the greatest franchise in NBA history. It’s a chance for Jackson to extend his coaching record to an 11th championship and for Kobe Bryant to continue his ascent up the ring tally of the greats with his fifth.

The Boston Celtics are 7 and 0 (W-L) when the championship reaches 7 games while the LA Lakers 3 and 5. But the Lakers are 13 and 1 at home in game 7 in the post season. The single loss came from the hands of the Boston Celtics in 1969 NBA Finals.

7 Key’s to Larry O’Brien Trophy

For the Lakers

1. Home Court Advantage
What else could be sweeter than winning the championship in your home floor? It would be a major feat for the Lakers. Lakers crowd will be a huge factor in this game.

2. Pau’s consistency
Pau Gasol plays well at home. Feed him the ball and let him shoot right over the top of the undersized Davis. As for KG and Rasheed Wallace, stay aggressive and try to get to the line. He will surely be on a rampage early in the ball game.

3. Artest’s Quality
Expect Ron-Ron to play tough defense on Paul Pierce. His solid defense affects the performance of the Truth. Artest should continue to knock-down open jumpers to stretch D of the Celtics.

4. Bench Boosters
For the first time in the series, Lakers outscored Celtics bench 25-13 in game 6. Lamar Odom should continue to lead the bench and be ready also for heavy minutes as Andrew Bynum’s knee is still questionable.

5. Battle of the Boards
The only consistent thing on this series was, whoever team grab more rebounds win the game. With the absence of Kendrick Perkins, Lakers has a huge advantage in the frontline.

6. Active Hands
Lakers had 12 steals in game 6. It just show how active Laker players on the defensive end. They should continue to pressure the ball and force C’s to commit turnovers.

7. Kobe Bryant’s Brilliance
This is the time to cement Black Mamba’s legacy. Expect him to dominate the ball for the Lakers. A fifth title pushes the argument that Kobe has reached Jordan’s level, and with three more years with the same core of this Laker team, put Kobe in a position where he could possibly surpass MJ by reaching seven rings. While it’s hard to put Kobe ahead of MJ, you would have to put him into the discussion with a win tonight.

For the Celtics

1. Time has come for Sheed

With Perk’s absence, it’s possible to inject Sheed in the starting lineup. Expect Rasheed to be extremely physical especially knowing that he cannot be penalized because of a technical foul and miss a game. He will also be huge factor in this game because he is the only other Celtic player aside from Perk that can give problems with Gasol in the defensive end.

2. Control the Boards
Now that Perk is out due to sprained knee, all C’s players on the court should step-up and help in rebounding. If Perk cannot play, expect Brian Scalabrine to be activated, provide some help in crashing the boards and some firepower from the outside. Lakers had 13 more rebounds in Game 6, and the team who grabbed more rebounds won the game in the finals.

3. Rajon’s Impact
Rajon Rondo has to have a big game. He hasn’t shot the ball well the past two games. He needs to get all the way to the basket and finish. He has to penetrate, generate the transition offense and find the open receivers.

4. Take good care of the basketball

The most upsetting stat for Boston in game 6 was that the Lakers had 12 steals, which means the Celtics were careless with the ball. Rondo should facilitate in taking good care of the ball. Avoid lame passes.

5. X Factors
Get some kind of production from Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace. Both were combined for 0-10 in game 6 and that simply cannot happen again. Nate the Great should always be ready to give quality minutes for Rajon and Tony Allen must be prepared to handle Kobe on the defensive end.

6. Careless Fouls
The officials are very sensitive in this series. Celtics’ big men should stay away from unnecessary fouls, especially now Perk is out.

7. The Big Three
The last time Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and KG all came to play on the same night was in Game. I expect a big night from them. This is probably the last time we’ll ever see the “Big 3,” so it would be nice to see them go out proper – win or lose.

Since this is game 7, we can throw all the stats of the previous games away. Tomorrow is all or nothing, so it is already expected that both teams will play all their hearts out. Stars are going to be stars in this game and some stars will do everything to win this game for one of these two teams. Game 7 is a WAR.

My Prediction
I’ll still stick with the Boston Celtics. This is one of the most resilient teams I’ve ever witnessed, with a veteran roster that knows how to win. At the end of the day, I expect them to achieve their ultimate goal, 18Th Larry O’Brien Trophy for the Celtics.

Larry O’Brien Trophy in Game 6

Game 6 is the most awaited game for the Boston Celtics. C’s are currently leading the finals series 3-2 over the defending champions LA Lakers. Celtics’ will try to duplicate their championship feat in 2008 in game 6 as they humiliated the Lakers via a 131-92 win.

There are lots of questions that need to be answered in this game. We witnessed how good Kobe was in game 5. Will he still continue to carry the offensive load for his team? But The Lakers are not very good when they stand and watch Kobe - especially against a frenetic defense which Boston employs. Will Phil Jackson continue to add another title under his belt? How will Bynum play with his problematic knee? And most of all can the Lakers overcome 3-2 deficit?

For the Celtics, can the Big Four sustain their complete game from game 5 to game 6? Are we going to see another raining triple from Ray Allen? Will Paul Pierce come out strong to cement his legacy? And lastly, can they close an opponent out on the road?

These are the only questions that we will be looking forward in game 6. This game will be very tight. As I’ve said before, it’s going to be physical; it’s going to be tough; there would be drama; there would be trash talking just to get the coveted prize. Lakers will try to do everything just to extend the series while the Celtics will go for the kill and become the best team in planet once again.

In the last decade of the finals, if I’m not mistaken, there are 4 times the series went tied after first four games. Teams who won in pivotal game 5 win championship. Celtics never lost finals series when they had a 3-2 lead, a perfect 11 and 0 in the offing. C’s are in the better position to depose the Lakers.

Lakers will be facing the elimination for the first time in this post season. Last time they had their backs on the wall was in 2008 finals were Kobe and company succumbed a humiliating 39-point defeat in the decisive Game 6 at the TD Garden.

Celtics already proved this post season that they are capable of winning the series even they found themselves down 2-1 deficit in the hands of the number one team in the league, Lebron James and Cleveland Cavaliers in East’s Semifinal round. C’s took care of the next three games to eliminate King James. Boston can duplicate that feat this post season once they dethrone the Lakers in game 6.

I picked the Celtics to win this series in six games and they have an opportunity to close it out exactly as I said, but this close-out will be the hardest they ever faced because now they are talking about the defending champions on their home court.

Driver’s Seat (Game 5 Recap)

Celtics defeated the Lakers in pivotal game 5 of the NBA Finals with a 92-86 win. C’s claimed the driver’s seat for the first time in this finals series and currently holds 3-2 finals lead over the Lakers. Boston has the twice to beat advantage and one win from their 18th title.

Game 5 was a battle between Kobe Bryant against the entire Celtics team. Black Mamba showed the whole world why he is the best offensive weapon in the entire universe in the present time, as he paced the Lakers with 38 points total including 23 straight for the Lakers in the second to third quarters. He made tough shots after another, hitting shots in different angles of the floor, he scored in different degrees of difficulty and often over multiple defenders. He single-handedly carried the Lakers on his back the entire game. But his brilliant performance was just put into waste, because of lack of support from his entire team. Paul Gasol is the only other Laker player to score in double figures.

Kobe’s sensational performance was simply no match to Celtics’ Big Four. The 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce finally arrived. The Truth step-up big time in game 5 as he poured 27 points and tried to keep pace with Kobe Bryant in scoring until his nemesis scored 23 straight points including 19 consecutive points in 3rd canto. KG also provided big lift for the C’s as he scored 18 points 12 rebounds and 5 steals. Ray Allen struggled with his shot, but still found ways to score 12 points. Rajon Rondo had a complete game except with his 7 turnovers. Rondo’s break away lay up sealed the game for the Celtics, thanks to Paul Pierce huge pass who almost called for a sidelined violation.

Let’s see how the Celtics will secure their 18th Title in Game 6.

Keys to Celtics 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy

1. Pound the ball inside
Rajon should continue attacking the basket and let the LA bigs work on defensive end. Let Bynum works on his defense as we know that he is not 100 percent healthy. Run some plays also for KG in the post. It will not just put pressure on the Lakers Twin Towers but also create double teams that will allow the shooters of the Celtics to hit open jumpers.

2. Ray Allen’s shooting hand
This is the best time to start shooting threes again. Ray-Ray struggled from the outside after his brilliant shooting display in game 2. If he does, the Lakers are in big trouble because it opens space for Pierce, KG, and Rondo to operate.

3. Truth’s Legacy
Paul Pierce finally came to his senses in game five. He was able to find how to counter Artest defensive spell on him. The 2008 Finals MVP should make a big statement in game 6 for him to be considered as one of the all time Celtics greats. The Truth should continue to be aggressive on both ends of the floor and establish his offensive pace right after tip-off.

4. Play like to no tomorrow
Celtics must continue to put on their minds that they are the one who is in the brink of elimination. Doc Rivers employed this strategy since they had a chance to eliminate the Cavs in game 6 on their home floor. They have to come out strong from the very start until the buzzer sounded in game 6.

5. Bench Providers

Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, Nate Robinson and Ton Allen must always be ready to play. They are the reason why they secured Game 4 win. Davis’ aggressiveness, Sheed’s tough defense, Nate’s ability to score and Tony Allen’s D over Kobe will be needed badly as their names called out to play in game 6.

6. Secure the Ball
The Celtics cannot afford to have 17 turnovers and that responsibility falls to Rajon Rondo, who had 7 in Game 5 alone.

No need to Panic

For Celtic fans, no need to push the panic button yet because C’s are still very much in the series. The next two games will still be played at the TD Garden and we all know that Boston is capable of winning on the road. The green team is still very much alive in this hard-fought series.

Lakers defeated the Celtics in pivotal game 3. Thanks to the heroics of D-Fish in the 4th quarter, including a huge coast-to-coast lay-up and one with under a minute left that gave the Lakers a seven point lead that eventually sealed the game.

By winning game 3, Lakers also regained the home court advantage and assured themselves that the games will still be played at Staples Center in case they lose one game in Boston.

Now, people would say that Boston is already finished and Kobe will get his 5th ring. So Game 4 is really especially for the Celts. They cannot afford to lose another game on their home court or they will be in big danger. But actually, though the Celtics lost game 3, there are still good things to celebrate.

With limited action of Paul Pierce due to foul trouble, Rajon Rondo’s so-so performance and Ray Allen’s horrible shooting, Boston still managed to close the gap and almost completed their comeback when they found themselves down by as much as 17ptsin the 2nd quarter. Celtics also found a way how to stop Kobe Bryant as he was held scoreless in the 4th quarter. And finally, KG is back in his old form once again. After a disappointing performance in games 1 and 2, The Big Ticket scored a game team high 25pts and grabbed 6 rebounds. He was so aggressive on both ends of the floor as he scored the first 6 points of the game and forced Phil Jackson to call an early timeout. But with KG’s big effort, it was not enough to get the W.

Check out these 5 reasons why the Celtics can still win the series:

1. Allen’s Curse
After breaking the Finals NBA record for most number of three points made in a game, Ray Allen is nowhere to be found in game 3. Ray-Ray turned oh so cold and was shooting bricks all game long. He shot 0-8 in the rainbow territory and 0 out of 13 shooting overall. He had open looks like what he had in game 2 but it just didn’t fall in. It was one of the off-nights for a player as we say. Expect Ray Ray to bounce back from his terrible shooting performance in game 3. Ray Allen's not going to miss all of his shots again, that's not going to happen.

2. Captain to the Rescue
Paul Pierce’s performance in game 3 was limited due to his early foul trouble. Paul Pierce has yet to take over a game. He was hounded by bad shooting and foul troubles in games 2 and 3 respectively. The 2008 Finals MVP should take shots early to establish his offensive rhythm in first quarters. Be reminded also of committing useless fouls, C’s need him more in the court rather seeing sitting him in the bench.

3. Be Aggressive Rajon
After a stellar performance in game 2, Rajon Rondo’s so-so performance in game 3 was a huge blow for the C’s. Rajon should continue attacking the paint and racking up some fouls on L.A.'s twin towers. If he takes advantage of those chances and creates contact on his way to the rim, he will, at the very least come away with a pair of free throws on most occasions since the officiating in this series do not allow much physical contact. I expect him to be in an attack mode as soon as the ball tips off for Game 4.

4. Big Ticket’s Low post presence
KG is simply unstoppable in game 3 as he regained his old form. Celtics should run more plays for KG in the post. It will not just put pressure on the BIG’s of the Lakers but it will also create double teams that will allow the shooters of the Celtics to hit an open jumpers.

5. Bench X factor
Glen Davis and Tony Allen should continue to provide energy for the Celtics. Both players sparked the Celtics on their comeback in game 3. Their solid performance kept the Celtics in the game. Glen Davis scored 12 points and grabbed 3 rebounds while Tony Allen defended well Kobe Bryant by shutting him down in the 4th quarter.

All EVEN

First two games of the 2010 NBA Finals are already done. Lakers and Celtics both secured wins in game 1 and game 2 respectively. It’s now time for the Lakers to make the adjustments while the C’s will try to maintain their momentum once the finals shifts at the TD Garden for game 3 on June 9, 2010 at 9AM Manila Time.

The much anticipated rivalry was renewed once again as the Los Angeles Lakers protected their home court in game 1 with a 102-89 win. Kobe Bryant delivered the message to the whole world that they are determined to defend their title as he capped 30pts, 7rebs and 6 assts and named as the best player of the game.

Twenty seven seconds into the game, Paul Pierce and Ron Artest locked arms under the basket and took each other down into the floor for lose ball scramble that resulted a double technical foul. That physical game led to a series of free-throws as both teams combined to commit 18 first quarter fouls.

Pau Gasol is the big difference in game 1. He outplayed Kevin Garnett and exposed the latter’s weaknesses or probably what most people would say as signs of aging. Gasol’s toughness was felt on both ends of the floor. He is more aggressive in crashing the boards, defending the rim and most of all he made sure that he is not the same GASOFT player that was outhustled by KG back in 2008 finals.

Lakers tough defense on Rondo made the Celtics offense miserable. Rajon Rondo is not the same player as we’ve seen in the playoffs this year. He doesn’t push the basketball on fast breaks nor attacking the basket the way he usually does and as a result C’s went to Pierce for isolation play that didn’t help the Celtics to win the game.


In game 2, Celtics was keen to tie the series as they know that their backs will be on the wall once they lose this game. There are only 3 teams in NBA finals history was able to comeback in 0-2 deficit and the C’s doesn’t want to be part of that big hole.

Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen’s brilliant performance in game 2, help the Celtics even the series via a 103-94 win. Rajon Rondo posted his 4th Triple Double in the post season as he drilled 19pts 12 rebs and 10 assts while Ray Allen was like a man possessed hitting an NBA Finals record with eight three-pointers in the Game 2 win. Ray Allen’s hit his first seven triples in the first half alone.

KG delivered the message to the Lakers that he is determined to bounce back on his last game meltdown and hope to steal 1 game from the Lakers home court. He knocked-down the first basket of the game, but after 3mins of action in the 1st qtr The Big Ticket committed his 2nd personal foul as he had no choice but to go the bench.

An overwhelming number of foul calls in game 2 never really allowed players to get into any type of flow as the game wore on. The officials have been calling this series very tight on both sides and end up with its best players of both teams put into foul trouble early in the game.

Pau Gasol fueled the offense of the Lakers as he continues to dominate the bigs of the C’s. He poured 25pts, 8 rebs and 6 blks, but not enough to win the game for Lakers.

The most memorable scene for me in this game was the time-out called by Doc Rivers in the last minutes of the 4th quarter. He timely called for a timeout as his boys almost did not cross the halfcourt, thus, preventing the C’s to commit a backcourt violation. Good presence of mind Doc.

Key’s to the Game

For the Lakers

1. Good Perimeter Defense – Lakers guards should not cheat on defense instead keep on chasing Ray Allen, as we all know Ray Ray is good in spot up jumpers.
2. Gasol Dominance – He is the best player of finals so far. Just give the ball to Pau in the post as he has advantage over KG, Sheed and Big Baby.
3. Kobe’s Revenge – It’s time for the Black Mamba to avenge his team’s worst loss in the finals history, succumbing a 131-92 humiliating defeat in game 6 of 2008 Finals as Celtics celebrated their championship.
4. Protecting the Rim – Lakers’ Bigs (Pau and Bynum) must continue to protect the interior as they set an NBA Finals record in game 2 with 14 shot blocked shots.
5. Artest’s defense – Ron Ron tough”s defense affects the performance of Paul Pierce. The Truth was limited to only 11 points in game 2 after scoring team high 24 pts in game 1.
6. Odom’s Contribution – Lamar Odom in foul trouble limits his action in first two games. So Expect Odom to bounce back and stay away from foul trouble.

For the Celtics

1. Home Court Advantage – Celtics stole the home court advantage via a game 2 win, which puts the Lakers in big trouble because the C’s will enjoy their home court advantage for the next 3 games.
2. Push the Ball – Rajon Rondo and the Celts must be more aggressive and need to continue to run the fast breaks and penetrate the Lakers’ interior defense as we saw the results in game 2.
3. Avoid careless fouls – The officials are very sensitive in this series. Celtics’ big men should stay away from unnecessary fouls.
4. The Truth’s Big Ticket – Paul Pierce and KG need to step up. Both players combined for only 16 points in game 2 and they both know they’ll have to be aggressive as the series shifts back to Boston.
5. Contain Gasol – Tom Thibodeau, the C’s assistant coach, defensive Guru and the newly named head coach of the Bulls must find away how to limit Gasol’s production.
6. Quality Minutes – Big Baby and Nate Robinson should always be ready once their names are called on the bench. Nate scored 7 pts in 6 minutes of action including clutch three pointer to put the Celtics ahead by 1 point in the 4th quarter, while Davis was a huge contributor in crashing the offensive glass and had very timely baskets as well in game 2.

The whole world already witnessed what this rivalry is made of; we will be seeing more psychical game as the series progress. The big question now is, can the Lakers expose the OLD Age of the Celtics or will C’s experience prevail?

My call, Celtics will win two games on their home floor then finish the Lakers in 6 games.

2010 NBA Finals

Here we go again

The rivalry is back! The Boston Celtics will face the Los Angeles Lakers once again in the much-anticipated NBA finals which will kick off on Friday, June 04, 2010 at 9AM Manila Time. This will be the 12th time these two teams will face-off in the unprecedented NBA Finals. The last meeting was won by the Boston Celtics in 2008 via 4 games to 2 decision with a 131-92 humiliating loss by the Lakers in game 6 at TD Garden.

This is the series that we’ve been waiting for—evenly matched teams which we can hardly predict who will emerge as the NBA champs. Lakers is looking for revenge as they put their title on the line and try to build another dynasty while the Celtics is out to prove that they are the best team in the world.

Rivalry Glimpse

As their colorful history will show, the Celtics owned the Lakers in the Finals by wining 9 championships against 2 by Lakers. The C’s won in the following years: 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1984 and 2008, while the Lakers brought home the prestigious Jim O’brien trophy 1985 and 1987.

Obviously, the rivalry began couple of decades ago when the short shorts were still the “it” fashion in basketball. They first met in 1959 were the Lakers are still in Minneapolis. In said championship meeting, the Lakers were easily dismantled by the Celtics via a sweep series. Little did anyone know that it was the start of the storied RIVALRY in the history of NBA.

Lakers and Celtics met again for the second time in 1962, this time, the Lakers’ Jerry West, Kurt Rambis and Ray Felix made the fight more interesting against Celtics’ coach Red Auerbach and players Bill Russell and John Havlicek. The series went to distance, but still the Celtics prevailed in 7 games. The rivalry continued on the next year, as the Celtics keep their dominance in Basketball. Both teams met 7 times in the finals in 1960’s but Lakers still did not find any answer how to contain Celtics and the greatness of Bill Russell, who then retired in the name of basketball in the summer of 1969.

Both teams met three times in 1980’s with the new era of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. These two legendary names brought the energy of their NCAA rivalry back in college days to the pros and, after five years of chasing rings against others, they were poised to do it against each other.

After 15 seasons, the two teams crossed paths again in the biggest stage of basketball. Both teams had powerhouse lineups in that decade—Celtics was led by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Dennis Johnson, while the Lakers were composed of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, James Worthy and James Cooper. The first showdown of Magic and Bird went to a thrilling 7 games. Celtics took the championship that year; avenging the bitter loss, Magic Johnson and his crew bounced back in 1985 and 1987 with both series ending in 6 games.

Many thought that the rivalry has died down. But basketball fans were given another treat as the two clubs, which are the most successful teams in NBA history, looked to renew their longstanding rivalry 21 years after their last Finals meeting in 1987. Both teams paraded new faces and talents this time around. The Lakeshow was led by reigning MVP Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol against the Celtics’ Big Three and future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Celtics dominated the first two games but in game 3, Kobe and the Lakers fought back to make the series alive. In game 4, the Lakers were on their way to tie the series as they lead as much as 20pts in half time, but the Celtics made an epic comeback and won the game to make the series 3 to 1 in favor of the C’s. Game 5 is a almost dejavu of game 4, this time the Lakers managed to hang on and survived the game as they trimmed the Celtics series lead to 3 to 2. The time has come in game 6 for the Celtics. Lakers are simply no match to Celtics’ energy as they suffered their worst loss in finals history. With a 131-92 triumph, the Celtics defeated the Lakers 4-2. This was Boston's first title since 1986 and 17th overall.

Let’s see how the two teams reached the promise land.

Boston’s Road to Glory

Celtics reached the finals this year by beating DWade’s team the Miami Heat in 5 games in the first round then outlasting the 2 time MVP and controversial free agent of 2010 King James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games and finally knocking out the defending East Champs D12’s Orlando Magic in Eastern Conference showdown.

Boston literally ran thru the needle before emerging as the new East Champs this year as they had to face the top teams in the NBA and top players in the league as well. First stop, Celtics face-off with Dwade’s Miami Heat; this is a no-contest for them, Celts almost swept this series if they have only completed their comeback in game 4, but finishing the series in 5 games is no big deal for them.

In the second round, the Celt’s put their season on the line when they met the 2 time MVP Lebron James’ and the Cleveland Cavaliers in their semi-final series affair. The Cavs is the number one team this year and has the home court advantage throughout the playoffs by winning 66 wins this season. This is not an easy task for the Celt’s because they are facing an upgraded CAVS team. Cavs took game 1 in a come from behind win fashion led by King James before losing to Boston in game 2. The Cavaliers made a big statement in game 3 when they hammered the Celtics in their home floor with a 29 pt win. It was the biggest home loss of the Celtics in playoff history. Good thing, Rondo made his presence felt. His triple double in game 4 put the Celtics back in the series. In game 5, Lebron had no answer to Celtics suffocating defense as the Cavs swallowed a 32-pt home loss and was booed by the fans as well. The series shifted back to Boston in game 6 with the cavaliers who were well determined to even the series. Mo Williams scored 22 pts in the 1st half and Lebron had a triple double that night, but the Celts had another thing in mind. The Cavs did not contain the total team effort of the Celtics as the latter spoiled the former’s momentum. The Celtics advanced to East Finals via 4-2 series. (That might be the last game to see Lebron in Cavs uniform because he is the top free agent this summer and a lot of teams already vying his services to bolster their roster.)

Finally, a rematch with Orlando Magic in East finals is about to happen. Celts and Magic met last year in the 2nd round which it went to distance that won by the Magic in 7 games. This time Celtics have a healthy roster with KG back in the lineup and with the addition of Rasheed in the off season to reinforce their front court. It was a physical series, as expected, as lots of technical’s and flagrant foul had been called to players and coaches. C’s took away the home court advantage by beating the Magic in their home floor in first two meetings. Game 3 was played by men versus boys as the Celtics pounded the Orlando Magic with a 30pt win as the C’s eyed for a sweep. With Celtics owning a 3-0 series lead going into game 4, D12 and Jameer Nelson were not ready to go fishing; they stepped-up and didn’t quit as they survived an overtime game against the Celtics and forced a game 5 in their home court. Magic continue their hot shooting and D12’s superb defense in the interior as they took game 5 and trimmed Celtics lead to 3-2. The series was shifted back to Boston in Game 6, as they found their old form again. Paul Pierce led the Celtics via a 14pt win, sending D12 and the Orlando Magic in the elimination. Celtics advanced to NBA finals once again and gets a chance to relive the rivalry against the Lakers.

Lakers Defense for the Title

The Los Angeles Lakers opened their title defense against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma Thunder by eliminating them in 6 games then sweeping Deron Williams and the depleted line-up of Utah Jazz in the 2nd round and lastly punishing Steve Nash and the Phoenix suns in 6 games in the Western conference Finals.

Kobe Bryant and company had troubles playing against the young and talented team Oklahoma Thunder led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as they were pushed to the limit in the 1st round of the playoffs. The first 4 games were come to a split as both teams won on their home floor, but in game 5 the Lakers crushed the Thunders via a 24pts win in their home floor. In game 6, the young team Oklahoma Thunder is looking to force the series to a game 7 as they control most of the game but with the put back of Paul Gasol in the dying seconds in Kobe’s miss put the Lakers ahead by 1pt just enough to send the Thunder for vacation.

In the second round, the Lakers continued their mastery of the Jazz in playoffs as they swept the depleted Utah team. The series is already a mismatched from the beginning as the Utah Jazz playing without the services of Kirilenko in first two games and Okur who suffered a season ending knee injury. The Jazz still try to give a fight as they put the game close in every game but it’s not enough to beat the defending champs.

The purple and gold team reached the Western Finals in 3 consecutive years. This time, the Lakers met with the fast phase offense of the Phoenix Suns. Both teams are coming from a sweep series as the Lakers beat the Jazz and Suns eliminates the Spurs. It looks like the Lakers are headed to the NBA finals again as they demolished the Suns in their first two meetings in the Lakerland. But the Suns made the series interesting as they climbed back and tied the series by winning game 3 and 4 and forced the Lakers shoot the ball from the outside as they don’t have answer to Suns Zone Defense. Amare Stoudamire had a tremendous game 3 by pouring out 42pts and Suns bench continued to fuel their hot shooting from the beyond the arch in game 4. Kobe made his presence felt in game 5 as they grabbed an early lead as much as 20pts but the suns didn’t give up easily. They rallied from 19pts down in the fourth quarter to tie the game but with a historic out balanced put back at the buzzer in regulation by Ron Artest put the Lakers one game away in NBA finals. Game 6 was almost a no contest for the Lakers not until Sasha Vujajic committed a costly flagrant foul against Goran Dragic in the 4th quarter that ignited the suns players and home team to wake up and cut the deficit to three with less than 4 minutes left in regulation. But Kobe made sure that he will be in his way in NBA finals as he made big shots after big shots including the well guarded fade away jumpshot infront of grant Grant Hill, J-Rich and Coach Alvin Gentry for the game and series clincher.

Things to consider in winning the coveted NBA TITLE

For Celtics

1. Rajon Rondo’s factor – (Rajon Rondo is playing superb game in the playoffs, he is the reason why the Celtics are back in the finals again. The Lakers had difficulties in guarding fast point guards, just put him to that list.
2. Celtic’s physical type of game – (Suffocating D of the Celtics is the focal point of their game and this may lead in containing Kobe’s production
3. Kendrick Perkins Technical foul -- (Perk is one technical foul away from suspension, so be calm and be cool Perk)
4. Paul Gasol toughness – (Let’s see how Paul deals with much more physical game against KG, Sheed and Perk. Will he still be the GaSOFT of 2008?)
5. C’s ability to win on the road – (Celtics proved that they can win on the road, they beat the CAVS and Magic both twice on their floor)

For Lakers:

1. Home Court Advantage -- (the Lakers are currently unbeaten at home in the playoffs and they have the homecourt advantage in the finals unlike in 2008 were the Celtics owned the homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs)
2. Kobe’s will – (Kobe Bryant’s determination to win another title that would cement his legacy and hopefully to tie MJ’s rings will be a huge factor)
3. Ron Artest defense – (Last 2008 finals, Lakers has no answer for Paul Pierce. This time around, Ron Artest’s physical game will be put into test against The Truth)
4. Bynum’s presence – (The Lakers missed the services of Andrew Bynum because of knee injury. Now, he will be a key factor for the Lakers especially in protecting the rim)
5. Celtic’s Big Three age factor – (Celtics superstars are banged-up after battling the top superstars in the league, in the name of DWade, King James and D12. Adding to that is their age and health condition which leave the fans question if they still have something in their tank)

We’ll be looking forward to what’s going to happen in this series. It’s going to be physical; it’s going to be tough; there would be drama; there would be trash talking, and everything you want in a series is going to happen just to get the coveted prize, the NBA championship.

If you’re going to ask me who will I’m going to pick? I’ll go with the Boston Celtics, I like the way their playing right now, they are playing better defense than in 2008, they proved that they can win on the road, they eliminated the top two teams in the NBA and most of all they are playing like the Championship Caliber team once again. I can see the Celtics will win their 18th title in 6 games.

So what are you waiting for, place your bets now and enjoy the game.