(Best E Casino) - One of the greatest rivalries in sports will be renewed in the 2008 NBA Finals, as the
Boston Celtics and
Los Angeles Lakers battle in a best-of-seven series.
The first two games of the series will be played at TD Banknorth Garden, while Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) will take place at the Staples Center. If the set goes to a sixth and seventh game, Boston would host those contests.
This is the 11th time these storied franchises will square off in the championship round. Boston has won eight of the 10 previous matchups in the finals. The Celtics defeated the Lakers in 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969 and 1984. However, LA has won the last two meetings as it beat Boston in six games in 1985 and 1987.
Some of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers have participated in this historic rivalry. Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, Dennis Johnson, John Havlicek, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Bill Russell are some of the great Celtics who have been part of the intense championship battles between these two squads, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Jamaal Wilkes and James Worthy were there for the Lakers.
Boston is appearing in the NBA Finals for the 20th time and has won 16 titles.
The Celtics had the biggest turnaround in NBA history during the regular season, as they finished a league-best 66-16, a 42-win turnaround from a season ago. They struggled in rounds one and two, needing seven games to oust Atlanta in the quarters and Cleveland in the semis.
Boston's Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce got some much needed help from center Kendrick Perkins, swingman James Posey and guard Rajon Rondo in Boston's six-game series victory over Chauncey Billups and the second- seeded Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
Garnett, 32, leads the Celtics in scoring (21.1 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg) in the playoffs, while Pierce is averaging 19.0 points, 5.1 boards and 4.1 assists per game. Allen has struggled the majority of the postseason, but has managed to find his shooting stroke at crucial times. The 32-year-old Allen has posted 14.2 points and is shooting 40.3 percent from the field, including 34 percent from beyond the arc.
The 22-year-old Rondo has posted 10.5 points and a team-best 6.6 assists in the postseason, while Perkins has averaged 7.2 points and 6.8 rebounds. Posey has drained some big shots and has been tough on defense for Boston.
Each of the Big Three will be appearing in the NBA Finals for the first time in their careers. They are all All-Star players and have received much recognition throughout their storied careers, but a victory over the Lakers would be the most impressive entry on their resumes.
Doc Rivers finished his fourth season as the general for the Celtics, and has led Boston to the postseason for the second time. The Celtics fell in seven games in the 2005 first round to the Pacers. Rivers is coaching in his fifth postseason, as he also guided the Magic to the playoffs three times during his tenure in Orlando. He owns a 20-22 record in the playoffs.
Boston is 10-1 at home and 2-7 on the road in this year's playoffs.
The Lakers, who were the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, are appearing in the NBA Finals for the 23rd time since moving from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1961. LA is 9-13 in the championship round and has an overall record of 59-67 in games played in the NBA Finals.
It is the 29th time in franchise history the Lakers have made it to the championship round, as they were 5-1 in this round as the Minneapolis Lakers.
The Lakers, who captured the Pacific Division crown during the regular season, had no problem winning the opening round of the playoffs. They swept Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and the eighth-seeded Nuggets, 4-0. In the semis, Los Angeles needed six games to eliminate Carlos Boozer and the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz.
In the West finals, LA showed why it was the best team in the conference. The Lakers ousted Tim Duncan and the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs in five games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2004.
LA was stunned in five games by the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers did win three consecutive titles from 2000-02. They are 6-3 in their last nine appearances in the championship round
The 29-year-old Bryant, who won his first NBA MVP this season, has done it all for the Lakers all season. He is averaging 31.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the playoffs. He is shooting 50.9 percent from the floor and 81.4 percent from the charity stripe.
A 10-time All-Star, Bryant has played in 146 playoff games during his career. He has posted averages of 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the postseason. The superstar guard is appearing in his fifth NBA Finals.
The Lakers became one of the elite teams in the league when they pulled off one of the big trades of the campaign. On February 1, the Lakers acquired seven-foot Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for center Kwame Brown, guard Javaris Crittenton, guard Aaron McKie, the draft rights to Marc Gasol and first round picks in 2008 and 2010.
Pau Gasol, who was 0-12 in playoff games with the Grizzlies, has been huge for the Lakers since joining the club. The 27-year-old Spaniard is the low- post scorer LA desperately needed, and has been the perfect compliment to Bryant. He is averaging 17.7 points, 8.9 boards and 4.2 assists in the postseason.
Veteran guard Derek Fisher, who won three championships (2000-02) with the Lakers, has played in 148 playoff games during his career. Jordan Farmar Fisher, Lamar Odom, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton have all done their part to help LA get back to the finals.
Odom is averaging 14.7 points and a team-best 10.3 rebounds in the playoffs, while the 33-year-old Fisher has netted 10.0 per game and has made plenty of clutch shots during LA's playoff run.
Head coach Phil Jackson obviously knows how to win in the playoffs. Jackson has won nine championship rings as a coach. He led the Lakers to three titles in his first four years in Los Angeles, and guided the Bulls to six championships. He is an incredible 191-80 in the postseason.
The Lakers are a perfect 8-0 at home and 4-3 as the visitor in the 2008 playoffs.
During the regular season, the Celtics won a pair of contests between the squads. Boston defeated the Lakers 107-94 on November 23 in Beantown, and 110-91 on December 30 at the Staples Center. However, both games were played before the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol.
STARTING FRONTCOURT:
Garnett, Perkins, Pierce vs. Pau Gasol, Odom and Radmanovic. The 30-year-old Pierce will create problems for Los Angeles on the offensive end of the court. The Lakers will try and make Pierce work hard to get his touches, and will contest every shot he takes.
Perkins will attempt to contain Pau Gasol in the low post, while Garnett, who was the Defensive Player of the Year, will double on the Spaniard and will most likely be Boston's main help defender. The Celtics will make Radmanovic prove he can beat them from the outside, before they worry about him. If the Celtics have to concern themselves with stopping Radmaovic, they will be in big trouble.
The 6-10 Odom will try and use his size advantage if Pierce matches up against him. Rivers will be creative with his lineups and rotations to try and keep LA from having any kind of advantage up front.
It's close. Pierce's offense is the difference and gives Boston a slight edge.
EDGE: CELTICS
STARTING BACKCOURT:
Not even close. Bryant and Fisher will dominate Allen and Rondo. Not only is Kobe the most dominant one-on-one player in the game, he is also a great defender. He will be too much for Allen on both ends of the court and will cause major problems for the Celtics throughout the series.
Both Allen and Rondo have been very inconsistent in the postseason. The Celtics need Allen to find a rhythm from the outside. The 6-5 Allen has looked tired at times during the playoffs, and is going to have to pickup his production if the Celtics hope to stay with the Lakers in this matchup.
Rondo is more athletic and much quicker than Fisher. However, LA's veteran guard will be physical with Rondo and force him away from the basket. Fisher knows how to handle this matchup and will limit Rondo's production.
EDGE: LAKERS
BENCH:
Rivers needs more from his bench against the Lakers. Thirty-eight-year-old guard Sam Cassell, who has won two rings during his career, has not been what the Celtics had hoped he would be in the postseason. Veteran forward P.J. Brown and Posey, who is averaging 6.1 points per game in the postseason, have been solid, while rookie Glen Davis, Eddie House and Leon Powe have contributed at times.
The 38-year-old Brown will be extremely valuable in this series, as he will be used to defend Gasol. The 6-11 Brown is not a threat offensively, but he can be a factor on the defensive end.
Jackson has called on guard Jordan Farmar, Vujacic and Walton to carry his bench in the first three rounds of the postseason. The 6-7 Vujacic has averaged 8.1 points and is shooting 41.1 percent (23-for-56) from beyond the arc, while Walton has contributed 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.
Walton will continue to split time with Radmanovic. He works well in Jackson's triangle offense because of his court vision and passing ability. Reserve big man Ronny Turiaf, who has played in 13 games in the postseason, has given the Lakers tough, physical play down low.
EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION:
This series is just what the NBA needed. Two of the elite franchises in sports have made it back to the big dance. This is great for the league and fantastic for the fans.
Kobe and his teammates will hoist the hardware when this series is over. The Big Three will have their moments, but it won't be enough. When Boston double- and-triple teams Bryant, the All-Star guard will find Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers for easy buckets. He finally has the second option on offense he was begging for last offseason, and will conclude his MVP season with a championship.
LAKERS IN SIX
