There may have been a few bumps in the road for both NBA dynasties, but in the end the Lakers and the Celtics took care of business and made it back to the NBA Finals.
This will be the 12th meeting between the two teams in the NBA Finals, with the Celtics winning the majority of them.
These two teams haven't changed all that much from the 2008 NBA Finals when the Celtics took care of the Lakers in six games, including a 39-point crushing in Game 6.
Sure, the Lakers now have Ron Artest and the Celtics have Rasheed Wallace, but overall these two teams are almost the same as two years ago.
Like I've said all postseason, Rajon Rondo is once again the x-factor in this series. The Big Three of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen will show up as usual, but if Rondo continues to play the way he has all postseason then I expect the Celtics to win another NBA championship.
We've seen the Lakers tested by the likes of the Thunder and the Suns. They got down right lucky against the Suns in Game 5 which swung all of the momentum in favor of the Lakers.
However, if Artest somehow finds a way to play consistently good basketball on the offensive side of the floor then all of the sudden Kobe has a second option on the perimeter. He was missing that option for the most part in 2008.
This series could easily end up going seven games, but the Celtics seemed poised to win another championship and they're a more complete team than the Lakers.
Kobe Bryant has the ability to win a couple games in this series all by himself, but in the end that gritty Celtics defense will force Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to find an offensive game. Just like in 2008, I think both Gasol and Bynum fail to be effective in the low post and the Celtics win this series in seven.
Series Notes
- Celtics x-factor: Rajon Rondo
- Lakers x-factor: Ron Artest
- Series prediction: Celtics in 7
- Finals MVP: Rajon Rondo
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