Lakers vs. Celtics

H

hornpharmd

5,000+ Posts
The 2 premier franchises in NBA history meet in the finals once again. The 2 franchises lead all others with 17 (Boston) and 15 (LA) titles.

Phoenix gave LA much more trouble than I expected. Their zone really suprised in how effective it was, especialy with the Phoenix 2nd team out there. Kobe had one of his best overall series ever and in the end that just proved too much to overcome.

Boston really looks nearly as good as their team from 2 years ago. They are all healthy and peaking at the right time. They have the ability to play defense as well as anybody and they make take a queue from the Suns with that zone.

Kobe is going for 5 and his 2nd title with this team. Even if they lose they have the look of a team that can come back next year. Boston may be giving it their last shot with this great team. The chance of their entire team being healthy next year is slim and this may be their last window.

Who do you got?
 
I hate this match up.

That said, I'm hoping that history takes over and Boston wins once again. They own the Lakers in the finals.
 
I like this match up and I like the Celtics, although they have seemed a little out of sync the past few games. Thank God for Nate Robinson the other night.

Kevin Garnett appears to be in a funk and will have to play better against the Lakers. I don't know why they get away from involving Ray Allen in the offense. The dude may be getting long in tooth, but he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Celtics in 7.
 
Love this matchup! It's like we are back in the 80's. This Celts team reminds me alot of the one a few seasons ago that beat LA. The main 4 are playing great and if Nate Robinson and Wallace can stay hot we can easily win this series. I'm saying Boston in 6
 
Tough matchup for the Lakes unless Odom, Gasol, and Bynum play better.

Hoping to see the Lakes prevail, especially as they have home court. If they can must up a 2-0 series lead I think they are in shape. Hard to do.
 
I can't imagine Gasol playing any worse than he did against Phoenix. Awful on both ends of the floor, especially in the road games. He'll be the key to the Lakers winning the series.
 
As much as i hate the Lakers, as an NBA fan if it wasnt gonna be my spurs in the finals this is the ONLY matchup i wanted to see. Anything else and i might not even watch.

That being said ^^like Nuc said, Celtics in 6. I have almost no doubt in my mind that they will steal game one or 2 from LA, then win both in Boston and be up 3-1.
 
They play 3 straight in Boston. Only 2 teams (Detroit in 2004 and Miami in 2006) have swept all 3 as the home team. Oddly enough it's been done more as the road team than the home team.
 
You got that right. If the home team loses 1 of the first 2 games, they may never make it home. I want the Celtics to win and Boston fans to shake the Lakers bus again.
 
Phx is better than the Celts.

The Western Conference Champioship was the finals.

Lakers in 6

Kobe is too good right now.
 
Celtics are definitely peaking at the right time, and I think they're playing nearly as good as the 08 team right now. For LA, having Artest to guard Pierce is a major change from 08, and one that matters. PP killed the Lakers in that series and doubt he'll have that affect this year. Kobe seems to be playing some of the best playoff basketball in his career and I don't think the Celtics will be able to contain him like in 08. If Ron Ron shoots better than 40%, Lakers win in 6. If not, its a toss up.
 
did the series already end? Did i miss it? who won?

there hasn't been a game played in days. I guess the season is over. NBA, it's fan-tastic.
 
I can't speak for that specific poster, but too much might be read into that comment.

For me it is kind of like the 80s again. Not the players, marquis matchups, or lack thereof, the style of play, or the longer shorts. It's the Celtics and the Lakers - arguably the two best teams in the NBA - playing for the title AGAIN, and that intrigues me.

All a matter of perspective I suppose. That and/or semantics.
 
It is a really good matchup. I agree it isn't the legendary matchup of the 80s. But it is a very good one. Should be a great series.
 
Well LA did indeed take game 1. Thus with 'history' on their side this could mean a very good likelihood of LA winning the series.

Boston did not shoot well from outside and they simply cannot beat LA inside on most nights. At least while Garnett is playing as he is now. LA also out rebounded Boston and this helped produce more overalll shot attempts.
 
So I realize it's only game 1, but that game looked like a total mismatch from start to finish. I was really surprised at how much impact Bynum had on the game and at how ineffective the Celtic defense was - nothing at all like the 08 series. Will be interesting to see what happens in game 2 after the teams make adjustments.
 
I really didn't know if Gasol and Bynum could toughen up and bang a bit in the paint. They did and the Lakes won in a trot.

If those two continue to play playoff BB the Lakes should take this in 5.
 
Garnett needs to WAKE UP if the Celtics are going to have a chance. Actually the entire team does. Perkins comes across as an excessive whiner even by NBA standards and everyone else looks like they would rather be fishing.

Have to give credit to the Lakers' D tho. They played lights out.
 
Even with Rondo's "decent" stats on Thursday night, I felt like he wasn't doing the little things that he did against Orlando and Cleveland that made him unstoppable.

There was that one rebound play where he stood in the backcourt waiting for one of the other forwards to move, and Farmer just ripped the ball out of his hands while he stood there. Rondo's head wasn't in it most of the game.

If he improves his decision making, it'll go a long way in repairing the deficit they had in Game 1. Although, you could conceivably say that the Lakers also have room to improve (Odom, bench play).
 
The celtics can improve in many areas. Rebounding. Defense. FG%, especially from outside. I would not let the score differential in game 1 let me think for a second that this is going to simply be a 5 game ho-hum series. Boston will look likely unbeatable once they return home. For LA this was a huge confidence booster for them and a blueprint for how they can beat Boston. It gave them gave 1 and that means alot when you look at the 'history' of what that signifies.
 
the celtics looked old in game 1, while against the magic they looked like experienced veterans. the lakers are a good combo of youth (speed) and experience. this series is over.
 
It isn't that Boston looks old, as much as they just look undisciplined in making dumb passes and such. Perkins reminds me of Pittman at Texas trying to put it up under the basket while triple teamed and Garnett is still asleep at the wheel. Ray Allen is the only thing keeping the Celtics in this game.
 
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