LA Grinches Steal Celtics Christmas

They weren't the team wearing green, but the Lakers played the role of Grinches on Christmas day as they stole away the Boston Celtics incredible winning streak. The Celtics were on fire heading into LA with 19 straight games won, but Kobe & company decided it was their day to shine. The Lakers held the lead from most of the 2nd quarter on, until the Celtics began to charge back behind Paul Pierce (20pts) and KG's (22pts) hot shooting hand. The game became back and forth in the 4th, but the Lakers managed to pull away in the final 2 minutes, winning it by 9 points and defeating their Finals foes from this past June. Kobe was consistent as usual but it was the effort from Pau Gasol down the stretch which helped put things away. Kobe had 27 points, 9 boards and 5 assists, several of which were passes to teammate Gasol in the lane for buckets. Gasol also added a huge block of a Ray Allen 3 point attempt during the final stretch. Trevor Ariza retrieved the loose ball for a fast break reverse jam to cap off the play.

Not only did this mark the Celtics first loss in 20 games, it was Lakers coach Phil Jackson's 1000th Career win as a head coach. Jackson achieved this milestone faster than any other coach with 1,423 games. As for the Celtics they still have a shot at matching the great Chicago Bulls of years ago who had an incredible 41-3 start, coached by Phil Jackson also.

Kobe Bryant said they would use today's game as a measuring stick for the Lakers strength this season, but does it prove the Lakers are more formidable foes than last year? The Celtics still played tough and resilient in Los Angeles against a team obviously hungry for revenge and the upperhand. Bynum showed how valuable he will be in the lane for the Lakers D. If nothing else this game only served to prove how great a matchup this truly is. Fans who watched the ABC Christmas day games definitely were given quite a present, as they also saw the Spurs knock off the Suns at the buzzer with a 3 from Roger Mason. Game 2 of the doubleheader provided an intense meeting between the champs and runner-ups of 2007-08. Come playoff time fans will be just as greatly rewarded should the Lakers & Celtics meet again in a Finals rematch.

View complete game info at NBA.com

Lakers Perfection Continues

The Lakers are sitting pretty at 7-0 as the last undefeated team in the NBA. Last night they held off the ultra-talented Chris Paul-lead New Orleans Hornets to remain unbeaten. With Andrew Bynum back after last season's devastating knee injury, it adds even more talent to the squad and fuel to the Lakers' fire. A Seattle Post-Intelligence article details how Andrew Bynum is a major contributing factor in the Lakers' early season success. They definitely have the hunger thanks to losing to the Celtics in last year's Finals, but with Bynum they can compete even closer to the level of the C's. At 22 years old and imposing, Bynum gives an inside presence along with bigs like Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to help rebound and intimidate those attempting to score in the paint. Those Big 3 plus Kobe make for one deadly quartet, and will possibly be the NBA champs in 09'.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligence article, the Lakers biggest threat may come from the Phoenix Suns. I'd argue that the Mavs, Hornets and Spurs all have the potential to get hot at any point in the season and offer true threats to the Lakers. Add Houston and Utah. and there's 7 of this year's playoff teams. The Portland Trailblazers have what it takes to make the #8 spot, should Oden remain healthy for the remainder of this season. Should LA finish 1 and Portland 8, that definitely makes for an interesting playoff debut for Mr. Oden, and quite a challenging test for the young Andrew Bynum.

Pierce's Heroic Effort = Celtics Win

Behind Paul Pierce's return to the floor from an apparently serious knee injury, the Boston Celtics took Game 1 by a score of 98-88. Pierce had 22 points along with his Big 3 teammates KG and Ray Allen who chipped in 22 & 17 respectively. In a sary moment, Pierce went down in the 3rd with an apparent leg injury after teammate Kendrick Perkins came down on him, trying to block a shot. Fans were concerned as Pierce was carried off the court and stayed in the lockerroom for quite some time. But he then made a triumphant return, literally bouncing back from out of the tunnel to the court. Upon his return, Pierce hit back to back 3's with Kobe's hand in his face. Truly an impressive comeback and inspirational story for tonight's game!

Kobe scored his number with 24 points in the game. The Celts seemed to be high energy in the 4th. PJ Brown was amongst the bench heroes, pulling down big key rebounds. KG had an impressive put back slam after a missed Posey 3 point attempt. The dunk was basically a posterization of Pau Gasol. Ray Allen was on point as well, hitting several big shots, grabbing rebounds and adding assists. Overall the Big 3 played like they wanted Game 1 more than LA did.

The Celtics lost Center/Forward Kendrick Perkins during the game with a leg injury as well. More news should come about his injury and Pierce's as Game 2 comes Sunday in Boston. Congrats again to Boston for taking a hard fought Game 1. Expect Kobe and his squad to be ready to battle come Game 2, but so far this is a good start to the NBA Finals!

2008 Celtics vs. Lakers - Rivalry Renewed

Cue up the "NBA...where amazing happens" and Kobe/Pierce split screen ads, because one of the most storied rivalries in all of basketball and maybe even sports has been rekindled. On June 5th, 2008, the Boston Celtics will host the Los Angeles Lakers on their court, setting off another showdown between the two most winning NBA champs.

Boston is perhaps a Cinderella story. Last year they were worse than the New York Knicks in the league, and looking to the NBA's draft lottery to win that #1 pick. They didn't, but the pick they had for # 5 was good enough for a trade. Eventually, the Boston Celtics brought in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and a host of helpers for the bench. James Posey, PJ Brown, Eddie House and Sam Cassell have all been huge for the team as they provide great veteran experience. Posey and Cassell both have rings so that's only helped more in the playoffs. So give Boston credit for assembling one terrific team for 2007-08. They went from worst to first thanks to smart strategic personnel moves. Recently, Bill Russell, a Celtics legend, even told KG he expects the Big Ticket to win at least 3 titles before his career ends, or Russell will give him a ring since he has a few to spare.

The Lakers have more of an individual turnaround, as the focus has been on MVP Kobe Bryant. As the season was starting, it was unknown if the Lakers star would be in LA or moved to another team such as the Bulls. But the Lakers management and the superstar came to a mutual agreement. Eventually, Pau Gasol was brought in to LA in a deal involving NBA-bust, Kwame Brown. Gasol's addition to the team has been a huge one, and fans need to know he was not on the court for the 2 times that Boston and Los Angeles met this past season. So LA has definitely upped the ante. Add in Lamar Odom, and you have a great 3 on 3 battle, before the other guys even get involved. LA may have a better inside presence with Odom and Gasol, and the deadly assassin Kobe Bryant may be able to take out the Celtics. Kobe may be on a bit of an unspoken mission here to match Shaq. As we all know just several years ago Shaq was part of an impressive Miami Heat team which won Shaq his 4th ring. Kobe wants his now, and then some.

It's going to be a fun and interesting series to watch, and once again is a great thing for the NBA. Both teams have huge fanbases as they are the epitomy of basketball before Chicago, Detroit and San Antonio got their names involved. Sit back and enjoy the games, they start June 5th and are well worth the price of cable or sattelite TV.

Kobe's Lakers Return to NBA Finals

San Antonio fought the LA and the LA won. The Lakers are headed back to the NBA Finals for their first appearance since 2004. On Thursday night, Kobe put in 39 points to help lead the squad to the promised land. The reigning MVP was all smiles as Jerry West praised the team and especially Kobe for his work ethic. The Lakers were up 5 points with about a minute to go. Despite a Radmonovic missed 3 pointer, Pau Gasol pulled down a huge offensive rebound. Kobe drove and was fouled, and then the MVP cooly knocked down both free throws to push it back to 7. A last second 3 was hit by the Lakers, which isn't always in good taste, but gave them the 100-92 win. Tim Duncan had a near triple double in the loss. Now 2008 will see a new NBA champion, as the defending Spurs have been eliminated.

There is of course that non-call two games ago that looms over the heads of the NBA and both teams, but take nothing away from the Lakers who've been on a roll this postseason. The addition of Gasol is definitely paying dividends, as they've continued to excel despite Andrew Bynum's injury. TNT analyst Doug Collins added that bringing Fisher back to the point guard spot, and moving Odom to the #3 scorer also helped this Lakers team excel. You could see the jubilation in the Staples Center as Showtime is set to return to the NBA Finals. Should the Celtics make the Finals as well, it will make for one nostalgic rivalry reborn, something great for the NBA and its fans.

In another quick note, TNT analyst Doug Collins will most likely leave his broadcast spot to become the head coach of the Chicago Bulls for his second time. Best of luck to Doug who's always done a great job calling the games for TNT.

Spurs Advance Past Hornets 91-82

In the words of former Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, you can never "underestimate the heart of a champion". Perhaps many people did just that, self included, as the Hornets were blowing San Antonio away in New Orleans. Many people expected the champion Spurs to be done as of Monday night.

Monday night marked the final Game of the series, with a trip to the Conference finals on the line. Each team had been really dominating the other on the homecourt, but that wasn't the case here. Experienced champions were consistent here and the younger Hornets couldn't overcome their spirit. San Antonio was up by 9 as the teams headed into halftime. They had a hot 3rd quarter, going up by as much as 12. In the 4th, Janero Pargo narrowed the gap to just 3 points after New Orleans played volleyball with about 4 different offensive rebounds. Tony Parker hit a nail in the coffin type shot and the Spurs ended up winning it 91-82. Despite the loss, Chris Paul definitely had the breakout season of 2007-08 and should continue this heading into next season. Watch out for the Hornets!

We now get a great Western Conference finals matchup pitting Kobe's top LA Lakers against the World champion Spurs. I actually give San Antonio the edge here believe it or not, because I think they do hold the experience factor. While LA still has Derek Fisher and Kobe from the championship Lakers teams of past, I'm not sure they can solve Tim Duncan effectively. The combo of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom inside could work well to stop the Spurs' guards as they guys on TNT's postgame show mentioned. Will Kobe have it in him to bring this Lakers team back to the Finals? Will Duncan and his crew earn a return trip to defend their title? Either way it should be a great series in the Wild Wild West!

Tuesday night will see the start of the Boston Celtics vs. Detroit Pistons series which also will make for some must see NBA TV!

Read more about the Spurs victory over the Hornets at AP.

Celtics & Lakers Both Up 3-2

Wednesday night saw the Celtics back on "safeground" as they hosted the Cleveland Cavs in Boston. The Cavs were up by as many as 10 points in the first half, with Lebron James scoring 23 points in the half. Boston narrowed the gap to just 3 points heading into halftime. It seems as if the breakout star who's emerged for the Celtics is now Rajon Rando, their point guard. Rando led the way along with KG even though Cleveland kept it close down the stretch. Bostn was able to effectively defend Lebron in the 2nd half, preventing his typical scoring outbursts. A Delonte West lane violation sealed things in the final seconds, and the Celtics pushed forward with a 96-89 win. Boston now leads the series 3-2 and will try to eliminate Cleveland in their next contest. Detroit continues to await the winner of this series.

In the late game, a sore lower back wasn't enough to keep NBA MVP Kobe Bryant off the court Wednesday night, as he suited up for Game 5 against the Jazz. Kobe scored 26 points despite his injury. This was a close contest throughout with Derron Williams (27 points, 10 assists) trying his best to keep Utah in it. In the closing seconds, Pau Gasol grabbed a huge offensive rebound and slammed it back to put the Lakers up for good. In the 111-104 Lakers win, Odom had 22 points and 11 boards. A full stat line saw Gasol getting 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Right about now, it's looking like the Gasol trade was the best move made in the West. After all, Pau came from the same conference and now he's putting the hurt on opponents with the Lakers. I won't dare make the comparison, but quite possibly Kobe-Gasol is Phil Jackson's 2nd coming of Jordan/Pippen.

Again, it may be a great thing for the NBA Finals to see a revitalized rivalry with the Boston Celtics facing the Los Angeles Lakers. The Big 3 vs. the MVP, could be in the works.

2 More NBA Stars Return to Wild West

Wednesday night saw not just the return of Gilbert Arenas and Dirk Nowitzki, but also the returns of two more NBA All-Stars. Both were stars from Los Angeles as well. Pau Gasol suited up for the Lakers, while Elton Brand suited for the Clippers. The returns of both players are welcome, however the Lakers are in the hunt for the top spot in the Western Conference, while the Clippers are far from the playoff hopes right now. Brand scored an impressive 19 in his return helping his Clips beat the Sonics 102-84. Brand's been one of the all-star players out the longest. Paul Gasol returned to add just 10 points in 31 minutes to help the Lakers beat the Blazers.

There's currently six West teams that should finish with 50 wins this season, and they are jockeying for the top of the West.

New Orleans, San Antonio, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Utah

There's several other teams capable of getting 50 wins, with Denver, Golden State and Dallas.

See current NBA standings at InsideHoops.com

Each remaining game will feature West Coast teams battling it out, and will most likely take on a playoff atmosphere as the regular season finishes. The other funny thing to take note of, there's been several East teams to clinch playoff spots already, but nothing's confirmed yet out in the Wild West.

No Easy $ on NBA Contenders

It's definitely still looking wide open in the NBA title chase. As of this point it's going to come down to which team gets an unfortunate injury, or which star player steps it up come the playoffs. Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitski, even Shaq could all help elevate their teams to the promised land. The West still claims to be the best.

One guy who definitely has elevated his play out West is Jason Kidd. When you see his recent assist totals at numbers like 17, it's apparent he's happy where he is, distributing the ball in a much higher scoring, potent offense with the Mavs. It would be pretty impressive to see Kidd break Scott Skile's all time assists in a game record this season.

The Pau Gasol-Kobe Bryant tandem also seems to be working very well in LA. Either Kobe's become a lot less selfish, or Pau Gasol doesn't complain a lot. Either way, it's been working nicely for the Lakers who are up top in the Western Conference. When you add Andrew Bynum back into the equation, the Lakers are that much better.

I hate to jinx Houston but they really seem to be in a "seen it before" almost Groundhog day like performance. We see flashes of how great T-Mac, Yao and the Rockets can be each season, then they falter, and get knocked out of the playoffs early. This season many analysts continue to place them in the candidates for NBA Finals team or champs.

Phoenix may still be a question mark. While many praise the Shaq move, they seem to forget the Suns lost a stat sheet filler with Shawn Marion. Having that "does it all" type player is always an advantage to any team. Lately the Suns couldn't seem to keep up with the East Coast favorite, Detroit Pistons, but the Suns were able to take out Boston. A question mark indeed.

Let's not forget the East because as much flack as they get, they will be sending a competitor to the Finals, and that team will not be a pushover. Lebron's new look Cavs are impressive now that Ben Wallace, Wally Sczerbiak and Delonte West have joined the crew. The knock had been Lebron was all they had going, and that he desperately needed a supporting cast. Now he has it, and that puts Cleveland along with Boston, Detroit and even Orlando as NBA Finals potentials.

At this point, there's no easy money made by betting on any single NBA team...so keep your wallets tight and stay tuned.

Power Shift to Lakers?

A great trade was pulled off on Friday involving Pau Gasol being sent to the Lakers. Gasol was traded along with a draft pick to LA in exchange for basically Kwame Brown, who's been a bust in the NBA. Kobe is definitely happy with the move because he now has more star power in addition to himself, and Lamar Odom. Gasol brings about 18 points, 9 rebounds and a few blocks per game which will make for a strong front court. Many analysts now say the Lakers are among the best of the West.

The Grizzlies will clearly be in rebuild mode now. They have several young stars on the team, including emerging star, Rudy Gay. With the trade they will be able to clear up extra salary money once Kwame's contract is up. They can also use the extra draft picks to add to their team.

So will this make the Lakers the best in the West? It's tough to say, but as long as they keep superstar Kobe Bryant happy, all is good in Hollywood.