It's All Come Down To This..Game 7

Like so many of us wished for, there will be a Game 7 between the Celtics and the Lakers thanks to a full team effort by the Lakers on Tuesday night.

Now the Lakers will get a chance to avenge their 08' loss to the Celtics by winning their second-straight NBA championship.

You would have to be very dumb to count the Celtics out at this point even without Kendrick Perkins. The Lakers have yet to win back-to-back games in this series and a lot of that can be attributed to Doc Rivers and the adjustments he's made after each loss.

Expect Game 7 to be anything but a blowout. You can make reasonable argument for either team to win it all at this point.

In the end I wish I could stick with my prediction of the Celtics in seven, but I'm afraid I'm going to end up being wrong by the slimmest of margins.

The Perkins injury really hurts the Celtics from a defensive standpoint. He's the anchor of shutting down Pau Gasol. Gasol came one assist shy of recording a triple-double with Perkins out of the lineup.

We all know Kobe Bryant will get his numbers, but Pau Gasol can put this team over the edge as far as winning this series. Perkins was a great defender against Gasol and now that defender is gone.

Glen Davis is a sub-par defender against Pau Gasol and Rasheed Wallace definitely isn't known for his defense.

If Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett all come out firing on all cylinders on offense then they have a chance to just simply win in shootout fashion, but last night's dismal 67-point output tells me that might be a stretch.

I'm not counting the Celtics out completely, but it's going to be a tough challenge to stop the momentum the Lakers built on the home floor in Game 6.

Once again if Rondo plays like his heroic self then maybe, just maybe, the Celtics can pull this one out.

Either way it does promise to be another great Game 7 between the Celtics-Lakers rivalry.

Who's Got the Edge With Lakers-Celtics Tied

There's already two games down in the NBA Finals and it's still a toss up to many on who's going to win this series.

The first game was dominated in almost every way by the Lakers, but last night's game proved to be a little different. The Lakers had every opportunity to take a commanding two games to none lead, but in a shocking turn of events Kobe Bryant actually found himself in foul trouble. That almost never happens to the superstars of the league.

With Bryant being in foul trouble he couldn't be as aggressive as he normally is, which helped the Celtics increase their slim lead to a deceiving nine-point win.

Don't be fooled by the road win. The Lakers are still in great position to win this series in as little as six games. Sure, the Celtics are going home for three straight games in Beantown and can win another championship on their home floor if they don't slip up at home.

Home-court advantage may be a slight edge in this series, but it doesn't matter where the game is being played, the Celtics will not beat the Lakers three straight times. They barely got by the Lakers last night with Kobe Bryant in foul trouble, Ron Artest playing like he should be on a junior varsity team, and Lamar Odom being virtually invisible on the court. With all that, the Lakers still had a chance to win last night.

There were a few questionable calls at the end of that game as well that really swayed the momentum. One call being the out of bounds call that ruled Pau Gasol last touched the ball. Instant replay proved that Kevin Garnett last touched the ball. At that point every possession was of the essence.

The other horrible call was the foul called on Artest as he was trailing Rajon Rondo. Artest hardly even grazes Rondo and a foul was called.

This is suppose to be playoff basketball where physical play is suppose helps your team, not handicap it.

However, Ray Allen does deserve a lot of credit for setting the record for most three-point field goals in an NBA Finals game.

He had eight and seven of those came in the 1st half. Chalk up another great adjustment by Phil Jackson because the Lakers held Allen to only five points in the 2nd half, including an air ball that looked like a shot you would see in a YMCA pickup game.

Also, as I've been saying all postseason long, Rondo is the straw that stirs the drink for the Celtics. His stat line is down right remarkable and once again he leads his team in rebounds with 12. It's not like the Celtics are full of small interior players. We're talking about Rondo out-rebounding the likes of Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis, and Rasheed Wallace.

That shot he hit on the elbow to seal the game was just icing on the cake to a great individual performance. It may not have been as flashy as Allen's three-point extravaganza, but it was just as effective.

He'll be the Finals MVP if the Celtics figure out a way to win this series.

The bottom line is the Celtics still have way more adjustments to make than the Lakers do. We all know Bryant will come back with avengence in Game 3, and until the low post defense of the Celtics can figure out a way to slow down both Gasol and Bynum then the Lakers will win their second-straight NBA championship.

Notable Game 3 Stats

• Rondo record 5th career triple double (19 points,12 reb, 10 ast)
• Gasol and Bynum combine for 46 points, 14 rebounds, 13 blocks
• Garnett held to just 6 points and 4 rebounds in 24 minutes
• Bryant plays less minutes than any of the other four starters (34 minutes)
  

What We've All Been Waiting For....Lakers-Celtics Finals

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
  

Don't Bank On Lakers-Celtics Series Just Yet

Last night Amare Stoudemire made sure the Suns wouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as the Magic in the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

Stoudemire went for 42 points to get the Suns right back in the thick of the Western Conference Finals.

Lately scoring hasn't been the problem for Stoudemire. Oddly enough it's been the lack of rebounding. Last night he grabbed 11 which was two more than his rebounds total in the first two games combined.

The Suns don't have a lot of size outside of Stoudemire and Robin Lopez so it is extremely important that Stoudemire continues to be dominant on the boards like in Game 3. It was only his third double-digit rebound game in this year's playoffs.

Now it's obviously no time to panic for the Lakers. They're still in great shape to wrap this thing up quickly and prepare for the Celtics who at the moment look better than the 08' championship team.

Pretty much all of us outside of the state of Arizona want a Lakers-Celtics series in the NBA Finals. It is easily the most recognized rivalry in the NBA and so far the 2010 NBA Playoffs have not been very exciting. In fact, the NHL has shown them up a little bit. That would all change with a Lakers-Celtics series.

To go back to the Western Conference Finals, don't count the Suns out of this at all. This team is resilient and has a ton of great pieces in place for this team to go down swinging. I can promise you that guys like Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, and Grant Hill aren't going to let the Suns be embarrassed like the Magic have been.

Oh yeah, and if Stoudemire somehow figures out a way to follow up that career performance with another one than this thing will be tied up going back to L.A.

The talent and sheer size of the Lakers will ultimately win this series, even if it takes seven games, but crazier things have happened in sports. For the sake of the bottom line, the NBA is hoping that all goes according to plan and the Lakers make yet another trip to the NBA Finals.

Rondo Providing Young Spark To Old Celtics

Rajon Rondo is single handily addressing the Celtics' biggest criticism of being to old to get past the Cavaliers, or much less another NBA championship.

If Rondo continues to play like he is then the Celtics will cruise to the NBA Finals. He's the x-factor in this series and he's the one making the rest of the Boston Celtic players play better.

He set a franchise record in last night's Game 2 win by dishing out an amazing 19 assists in 45 minutes of action.

Give this guy a raise because he is putting in everything he's got to carry this team to the promise land. Five players scored in double figures last night and that is a great statistic for a team in the playoffs.

Rondo has made such an improvement from two years ago when the Celtics were carried by the "Big Three" of Pierce, Garnett, and Allen.

Don't discount the ability of the "Big Three" because they're still capable of playing like they did two years ago.

In all reality this is the most dangerous team in the playoffs if Rondo stays on top of his game and continue to run the point to perfection like he has the entire playoffs.

This has become a league full of great point guards and Rondo is making his case of being one of the best.

Rondo Playoff Averages vs. Season Averages

• Points: +2.7 in postseason
• Assists: +1.8 in postseason
• Rebounds: +1.5 in postseason
• Free Throw %: +18%

LeBron or LeHype?

There's no question that LeBron is the most talented player in the NBA, and maybe of all-time for that matter. However, that doesn't always mean that he has what it takes to take this Cavaliers team to an NBA title.

One thing is definitely for certain. This team has little chance at defeating the Celtics in their 2nd-round series if LeBron James can't figure out this puzzling elbow injury that has just surfaced.

Just seconds before closing out the Bulls last night, LeBron grimaced in pain forcing him to shoot a free-throw left-handed causing it to clank off the rim.

LeBron did his best to pull Cavs fans out of panic mode by insisting that it's nothing serious and that he'll be fine.

That elbow may be fine enough for him to play, but will he be 100 percent going forward? He's got till Saturday to figure out what's up with it.

Even with LeBron healthy I'm not sure this team has what it takes to defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals or the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.

If the Cavaliers fall up short yet again then Cleveland can say bye bye to LeBron. The truth is LeBron is sick of being a star player without any rings. It's a huge blow to his ego to not have a ring by now.

I'm still not sold on his supporting cast when it comes to this upcoming series with the Celtics and the remaining two series after that. The recent play of Antawn Jamison does give this team a fighting chance to get to the NBA Finals.

Either way I would not be surprised if the Celtics take the Cavaliers to seven games and the Magic sends them home packing again.

Even a player as talented as LeBron can't live up to the enormous amounts of hype that is continuously put on his shoulders. The funny part is he brings most of it on himself with his "look at me" persona. That's why if his team comes up short again I'll do nothing but laugh.

It's different when a player like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Paul comes up short. They play the game in a respectful manner that makes me cheer for them over a player like LeBron, even if LeBron may be more talented.

Looks can only get you so far in this world, and so can talent to a degree.