Round 2 started Christmas Day, with a little bit of revenge; I suppose you could say. But on June 17, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Celtics beat the Lakers by approximately 18,663 points. (39 points victory + 1 point for every fan in attendance of that game - I simply don't think 39 points can describe the amount of beating the Celtics put on the Lakers the whole series.)
And here we are... back in Boston. Without Andrew Bynum, and the Lakers definitely hoping that Kevin Garnett decides to play with the flu come Thursday evening (Can somebody tell me why KG refused to take his flu shot during training camp?).
While it is only a regular season game in Boston tonight, this game might be the most watched game this season. And for only one real reason.
The Celtics orchestrated a massacre last June in the NBA Finals, and did so as tastefully as an NBA team could have. From blowout victories, to emphatic finishes, to one of the most amazing comebacks in a game in NBA history. These Celtics did it all. And they took home yet another championship, at the Laker's expense. And death.
But round 2 brings a revitalized-down again-re-revitalized Laker team that said that this year, things were going to be different. This year, defense was going to be the key differentiator. This year, physical play was going to be categorized with purple and gold.
Things have been different. The Lakers are sitting atop the Western Conference, and it doesn't seem like any other team is going to catch them. But after 48 games, the Lakers have shown that their defense, at times (most of the time) is non-existent. Oh, and the Lakers are still soft. Very soft.
But they still manage to get it done, with defense in spurts, and as John Madden has always said in multiple forms...you simply have to score more points than the opposing team, and guaranteed you will win.
A Celtics win tonight will tell us nothing. It will tell us that both these teams play well at home. We already knew that.
A Laker win might tell us a little bit more. It will tell us that the Lakers are still upset (and rightfully so) about Game 6, and that they can compete with the Celtics...with or without Andrew Bynum.
No matter how good people say the Lakers or Cavaliers are, there's one thing that's a definite in the NBA right now. The Boston Celtics are the defending NBA Champions. And no matter how good the Lakers are playing right now, or the Cavs...the Boston Celtics are not only the team to beat, but also the team playing the best ball in the league. With another double digit winning streak (12) on the line against the Lakers tonight, Doc Rivers has gotten his team through that unexpected slump with fresh blood and veteran leadership. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have made sure that the Green and White are playing at the highest level every single game to keep them at the top.
So Kobe can drop 61. Lebron can best him and drop a fifty point triple double...but at the end of the day, the Celtics have what both Kobe, Lebron, the Lakers and the Cavaliers want. That ring.
And wins are what take you to those rings.
Up until now, the Lakers haven't showed that they have what it takes to win it all this year. The defensive laps, the wide open threes, the inability to guard a pick-n-roll efficiently, and the wide open layups. That's not the defense of a championship-caliber team. But they show it in glimpses.
And believe me, other than Laker fans, nobody is buying it. And until they show that they can play consistent defense, and win the big games on the road... there's not much else you can say. Kobe and the Lakers have had the luxury to not play as many road games this season - in fact, they have played the least of any other team in the league. And with the two biggest road games up tonight and Sunday in Cleveland, it just might be the only time for the Lakers to show that the defense is there.
Boston came into Los Angeles on Dec. 25 at the top of their game with an unbelievable win streak. But holding their heads up high was all they were able to do, as the second half of that game showed an inconsistency and frantic un-organization that we have never seen fromt he Celtics. The Lakers ended up winning that game and sent the Celtics into a slump. However, this time...the Celtics are playing seemingly better and much more in sync with the current twelve game win stream than the win streak earlier this season.
The Lakers fly into Boston tonight after a close game in Toronto Wednesday, and fatigue might be a factor in a sluggish start for the Lakers.
So is it real? Can the Lakers match the Celtics intensity for 48 minutes? Taking that same level of intensity to Cleveland is a whole other topic for discussion.
Can Mamba and the rest of the purp bring it to Beantown? He is Kobe Bean Bryant, right?
Guess we'll find out.
e-mail aamir
YOUR A HATER>>>>>KOBE ALREADY HAS 3..........
The rest of the league needs to buy in now. Boston should've won this going away seeing as how the Lakers had no Bynum and missed a bazillion free throws. Simply put at this point it's safe to say the Lakers are the superior team, period. Also how you like Kobe's 4th quarter? I'm saying.
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