Laker side, Kobe Bryant, On top Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, Celtic side Rajon Rondo on top Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen

Written by

Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

Boston fought and played gallantly through three quarters where they kept the lead. They really had a chance even without starting center Kendrick Perkins. Then Pau Gasol and Ron Artest shut down KG and Pierce in the fourth quarter, at the same time  scoring on 3pt plays. In the end they secured the win in spite of 3pointers from Rondo and Allen: 83-79 in the dying seconds.

I can’t say enough about how the Celts have overcome adversity. After a heart rending 22 point loss in game six and a knee injury on Kendrick Perkins, any other team would have given up. They actually played better and even contained the unstoppable Kobe Bryant who had a 5 for 21 field goal percentage until the beginning of the 4^th. Ron Artest came alive scoring on treys and jumpers. He hadn’t really produced in the playoffs until he made that last second put back against Phoenix to end that series. In the finals sports writers were wondering where his scoring and defense had gone, not really showing up til tonight

Rasheed Wallace had been getting his way with Pau Gasol in the post area since the first quarter and so was KG. By the fourth quarter it was like a switch had been turned on, like Pau got mad and decided he wouldn’t let anyone score on him. Pau was blocking KG’s lay ups and dominated on the boards.

The interior defense of the Lakers shut down the Celts. The 57-53 lead at the end of the 3^rd quarter vanished. Lamar Odom started driving to the hoop aggressively while the Celts couldn’t buy a basket. After a 3point play by Artest the momentum had begun to swing to L.A. Fisher went to the locker room in the last 2:37 of the third with some injury that wasn’t mentioned. But Fish came back in the fourth and was another X factor. He nailed a 3ptr at 6:10 that tied the game at 64 and L.A never lost the lead after Kobe made Free throws the following play.

Jeremy Piven of HBO’s Entourage was watching the game, Courtney Cox Arquette, Andy Garcia were there too.  Crisitna Aguilera sang the Star Spangled Banner.

Laker coach Phil Jackson may be retiring and fans are awaiting the announcement if he’ll be back next season. As impressive as Jackson’s record is for this series and his career, I feel Doc Rivers did an even better job. Doc was able to motivate his team, even when they didn’t believe in themselves. Lakers Hall of Famer (and co owner) Magic Johnson said it in the awarding ceremony “We have the Greatest Coach, the greatest player in the whole world in Kobe Bryant, We have the Greatest Owner…” The Lakers are supposed to win; it would’ve been a huge upset and disappointment for them if they didn’t especially when the Celtics lost Perkins in game six. Quinito Henson during his coverage of a PBA (Phil. Basketball Association) game said that L.A. would win game 7 even with Perkins in the line up.

And yet Boston led through three quarters. Rivers was able to make use of an inferior and depleted line up and nearly pulled it off. No one gave the Cletics a chance against Cleveland, no one gave them a chance against Orlando. They beat the odds just by getting to the finals. When they won two games against L.A., I wrote in a previous blog that there was already a certain amount of satisfaction on my part. And then they won game 3, everyone was thinking they have a chance here. And they proved a lot of people wrong especially by dominating L.A. even through 3 quarters of game 7. I’m proud of the Celtics for getting where they are, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Rasheed Wallace stepped up, he was acquired from the Detroit Pistons which is my favorite team. This was a historic, exciting Finals series, the most exhilarating in recent years.