Rebounding! Rebounding! Rebounding!! Final score 83-79. That score screams BOSTON WIN in their biggest game in years as low scores mean great defense that enables them to win in commanding fashion, but that was not the case in the Staples Center as L.A. out classed, out manned, out played out-rebounded Boston 23-8 and just down right Out-Zenned the Celtics en route to winning it's 16th team Championship and 2nd straight. The Celtics held on to lead 40-34 at the end of a very uneventful first half as Kobe Bryant had only 8 pts. on 3-14 shooting at the end of the first half as good defense was played on the All-World guard by the entire team led by Ray Allen.
Coach Doc Rivers told his team during the 3rd quarter " Stay aggressive...we cant take one play off, we have to keep attacking". With that motivation Boston built an 11 point lead at 9:45 in the 3rd on a little Rondo runner and the Celtics looked to be in business. The Lakers cut the lead back to within 6 pts. until Pierce hits a 3 pointer to push the lead back to 9 pts at 54-45. Ray Allen played outstanding defense on Bryant all night as he stayed glued in his chest like a bad winter chest cold resulting in 6-24 shooting and a very depleted Bryant from all of the running from Allen, but the other Lakers came to play also. L.A. cut the lead to 56-51 after Gasol went to the line and hit both free throws and shows that they are ready to take command as the Lakers garnered 18 offensive rebounds at this point.
The game was called perfect by the refs as they allowed the players to play and decide the outcome early but eventually after play started getting rather sloppy the refs reeled in the game in the 3rd and calls got tighter. Fouls began to mount for the Celtics as the Lakers began to step to the free throw line and allow Bryant a chance to catch his breath and get a little bit more back in the tank for the stretch run. Fisher made it a tie game at 64-64 with 6:09 to go and you could see the confusion start to set in for the Boston team and the Lakers took their first lead less than twenty seconds later in the fourth at 66-64 on Bryant free throws. Lakers added to their lead and made the score 76-70 with 1:30 left as Gasol converted an easy lay in after Boston turned the ball over again. Artest then hit a 3 pt field goal to make it 79-73 and went back down the court throwing kisses to the Laker faithful. Boston came back and hit a 3 pointer but could get no closer as eventually they had to start fouling and L.A. players stepped to the line and knocked the shots down to send Boston back to the East Coast with nothing but gleaming, shiny heartbreak. The Lakers outscored the Celtics by 17 points, hit 13 additional free throws, which was half of their 4th quarter points, and shot 46% from the field during the final quarter and a half. Lakers won as Mr. Bryant was named your Finals MVP for the 2nd straight year. Congratulations to, the original Detroit Gems (1946), now present day Los Angeles Lakers the second most storied franchise in the NBA.
Coach Phil Jackson won his 11th NBA title (most all time) and his 5th title (all with Bryant) with the Lakers. So now the questions for the off season begin. The most serious being, will Jackson retire or return next season to duplicate the old Bulls-days and attempt another 3-Peat! He has hinted at retirement and having some health issues taken care of but as we all know, this is Phil Jackson, The ZEN MASTER! Im sure that he is going to keep Lakerland in suspense until he feels ready. Will Bynum have the much needed surgery that he has been told he MUST have and can he return at the same level as he previously played at. Last question...knowing that the State of California is having money woes, how are they going to have a parade of celebration? City officials have stated that they cannot afford to fund a parade for the newly crowned champions, which by the way would cost $1 million dollars and they don't feel it is appropriate in this economy to ask residents to have to shoulder that load. Heres an idea..you have 15 -17 players on this team that make on average at least $5 million per year (the highest average salary of any professional sport), according to league averages. Have each player contribute to the parade fund and you have the parade all done, or better yet have the "Black-Mamba" donate a million. He probably has that much in his Lamborghini console for tolls, change and weekend spending money.
PLAYER STATS
L.A. LAKERS
BRYANT-23 pts & 15 rbs.
ARTEST- 20 pts.
GASOL-19 pts. & 18 rbs.FISHER- 10 pts.
BOSTON CELTICS
PIERCE-18 pts. & 10 rbs.
GARNETT-17 pts. & 4 blks.
RONDO-14 pts. & 8 rbs. & 10 assts.
ALLEN-13 pts.
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