Celtics versus Lakers Rivalry Stands the Test of time

Last summer, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers added yet another stunning chapter to the greatest rivalry in National Basketball Association history, as they wrapped up another epic war at the 2010 NBA Finals. This marked the 12th time these two historic franchises have met to decide who is the top dog in all of basketball. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant was handed the Finals MVP Award after leading an epic comeback from a 13-point third quarter deficit.

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Each team certainly has the adequate talent to carry their team to championship glory, but it was the Lakers who got the better of Boston on this occasion. Bryant led his Los Angeles Lakers, along with fellow stars Ron Artest, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol over a Celtics bunch that trotted out a starting lineup comprised of Rajon Rondo, Rasheed Wallace, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. This was just another in the long line of great matchups between these two bitter rivals, but it was the Lakers who now have the last laugh.

Even after winning the 2010 Championship, if the Lakers want to truly even up this rivalry, they will have to defeat the … Read more at FryingPanSports

A funny thing happened on LA's way to the finals!

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I said before the series that if Denver was able to steal the first game because LA was hung over from the series against Houston, LA might be in trouble. LA managed to win game 1 by a margin that made the Senatorial election in Minnesota look like a landslide. Then came game 2 last night.

The Nugget win in Game 2 was impressive for several reasons. The biggest factor is that the Lakers have no way to counter either Chauncey Billups or Carmelo Anthony. LA PG Derek Fisher is not strong enough to get physical with Billups and not athletic enough to match his quickness. Fisher needs help but isn’t getting any because the other guys in gold have their own problems. Kobe Bryant is getting warn out trying to carry the entire team on his back.

A second indication that the Lakers are in trouble is the difference in the physicality of the bigs. Pau Gasol is a finesse player. It is also clear that Andrew Bynum is no where near 100%. Bynum doesn’t seem to have the explosiveness he showed before his latest injury. When Denver’s Nenê decides to play hard, Gasol and Bynum are little … Read more at FryingPanSports