NBA Finals Preview - LA Lakers vs. Boston

Basketball Betting Lines

05/31/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If Yogi Berra were talking NBA Finals, the baseball legend might be tempted to break out his famous "It's deja vu all over again" line.

The league's two marquee franchises, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, will fight over the Lawrence O'Brien Trophy for a record 12th time when the finals kick off in Hollywood on Thursday.

When you talk rivalries, the Lakers-Celtics is right up there with Yankees- Red Sox and Ohio State-Michigan as the best in all of sports. Their finals history dates all the way back to the 1958-59 season when the Lakers nickname actually made some sense and they still called Minneapolis home.

Boston and the game's ultimate winner, Bill Russell, dominated the early years of the rivalry. In fact it was as lopsided as Pete Carroll's USC Trojans vs. Charlie Weis' Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Red Auerbach's Celtics took the Lakers all seven times they met in the finals, although the Jerry West, Elgin Baylor fueled LA clubs did manage to take Boston to seven games on three different occasions.

The rivalry laid dormant for 15 years until Larry Bird and Magic Johnson "saved" the NBA by bringing their storied college rivalry to the pros. Bird avenged his loss at Indiana State to Magic's Michigan State Spartans in the 1979 NCAA Finals when the Celtics got past the Lakers in seven games to win the 1983-84 NBA title.

Johnson and his Lakers responded the next season as LA finally beat Boston in the finals for the first time. Magic also won the rubber match two years later before the rivalry went cold again, this time for 20 years as the Celtics struggled mightily in the post-Bird era.

Boston basketball chief Danny Ainge re-ignited things by acquiring both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen before the 2007-08 season. The two All-Stars teamed with Paul Pierce to create the "Boston Three Party" and the Celtics were relevant again. A 17th Boston championship was the result as Garnett and his Celtics got the best of Kobe Bryant's Lakers.

A rematch could have been in the offing last season but a knee injury to Garnett derailed any hopes of a Celtics repeat. Instead, LA earned its 15th championship by taking Orlando in five games.

"Obviously, one is special but the other groups have a couple, and we'd love to join that club," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of the other Boston dynasties. "It's not going to be easy for us. We've talked about that we want to join that club. No one can ever take away the first title. But we want to join another club too."

The Lakers secured a chance to repeat as champs and avenge their loss two years ago on Saturday when Bryant poured in 37 points as Los Angeles gained their third straight trip to the Finals by ousting Pacific Division rival Phoenix in six games.

The Celtics, meanwhile, will be gunning for their record 18th title, and have already knocked off LeBron James and Cleveland, which had the league's best record, in the East semifinals, as well as Orlando, last season's Eastern Conference champion.

Pierce totaled 31 points, 13 rebounds and five assists the day before the Lakers clinched their trip to the finals as the Celtics made sure history was not made in the East. The Magic had staved off elimination in back-to-back games and had momentum on their side in trying to become the first NBA team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

"This is where we thought we would be," Rivers said. "So we're not surprised."

The Lakers, who snapped a seven-game playoff skid in Phoenix during the West finals clincher, are bidding to become the first repeat champion since they won three in a row (2000-02) with Bryant teaming with Shaquille O'Neal.

"Last time we played [the Celtics], it was a great learning experience for us," Bryant said. "It taught us what it takes to be a champion. With the defensive intensity they play with, the tenacity they play with, we learned a great deal in that series."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who surpassed the legendary Auerbach with his 10th championship as a coach last year, an NBA and major North American professional sports record, is glad he has a chance to avenge one of his two losses in the finals.

"After we came back in the playoffs last year, I ran into Paul Pierce in a complex where my daughter lives in LA," Jackson said. "I said, 'Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals.' So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry."

MATCHUPS:

POINT GUARD: It seems like every playoff series the Lakers are in, we talk about the advantage the opposition has at the point guard position. It's no different here. Despite the lack of a top-tier, consistent jumper, the ultra- quick Rajon Rondo has made a team that features three future Hall of Famers into his own. The Kentucky product nearly averaged a triple-double in last year's playoffs and is putting up special numbers again this year. Rondo is scoring at 16.7 points per game clip and leads the Celtics in assists (10.0) so far this postseason while contributing 5.3 rebounds.

His ability to get on the boards really shows up against most point guards and his floor game and decision making improves on a daily basis. The book on Rondo is simple, sag off him and make him take that suspect jumper but that's easier said than done.

"I haven't really had a chance to look at him, aside from just mere entertainment, watching games," Bryant said of Rondo. "He's really turned into a helluva player."

His counterpart, veteran Derek Fisher, is the weak link of this Lakers team on paper. Fisher lacks the quickness at this stage of his career to stick with the upper echelon point guards and Jackson will likely have to use Bryant and reserves like Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar early and often to try and slow Rondo off the dribble. A standstill shooter these days, it's easy to poke holes in Fisher's game but few players are willing to take more big shots down the stretch of a close game. Fisher has ice running through his veins late and turns from a detriment to a big-time positive as the clock ticks down.

EDGE: CELTICS

SHOOTING GUARD: Allen is one of the finest pure shooters to ever play the game and since the veteran guard is a free agent in the offseason this might be his last hurrah with a team of this caliber. He has been playing every game like it's his last and is averaging 16.8 ppg in the playoffs and is shooting an impressive 42.3 percent from long range. The sweet-stroking Allen still can come off the screen like few others, has a lightning-quick trigger and is not afraid to take the big shot. In fact, his marksmanship can take over a game when he heats up. Although aging, Allen is also an underrated defender.

As good as Allen is, he's no match for the Lakers' Bryant. An elite playmaker and finisher, Bryant again finished within the top five in scoring this season and ended up third in the MVP voting despite being banged-up for much of the year. In Kobe's 13 seasons with the Lakers they have appeared in postseason play in all but one season (2004-05), and have reached the NBA Finals seven times, winning championships in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2009. Bryant is also the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 points and also moved past the legendary Jerry West to become the Lakers all-time leading scorer. Perhaps more importantly, he remains the best closer in the game and is one of the two or three best defensive stoppers.

"The challenge is to win the championship," Bryant said. "The Celtics are in the way. They feel the same way about us. It's a sexy matchup. We're looking forward to this challenge. When the ball goes up, we'll be ready to go."

EDGE: LAKERS

CENTER: Kendrick Perkins is likely thrilled to have put Dwight Howard in the rearview mirror. However, he will be facing another athletic big man in Andrew Bynum during this series but the Lakers' big man is playing injured and is a far less consistent player that often finds himself in Jackson's doghouse.

Perkins doesn't have elite quickness or athleticism but he is the Celtics' best pure rebounder and is a solid shot blocker. Offensively, Perkins hasn't developed enough of an offensive game and most of his points come on put- backs.

Bynum, who missed the NBA Finals in 2008 with a knee injury, has a lot of talent but another knee injury suffered against Oklahoma City in the West quarterfinals has taken its toll. No one questions Bynum's skill but a history of leg injuries and inconsistency is always lurking. That said, Bynum is a better player than Perkins.

"Andrew is going to give us what he can," Jackson said. "He's not a hundred percent. But he's throwing himself in there. He'll do the job. He'll do what we ask him to do and be as tough as he can be out there with a limited amount of base that he can work off of."

EDGE: LAKERS

SMALL FORWARD: Pierce is the Celtics' go-to-guy down the stretch of close games and is one of the NBA's best. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP was once again the Celtics' leading scorer and is one of the game's best finishers and a very underrated defender. The Truth's vaunted body control also enables him to march to the foul line at will.

Ron Artest spent the first round of the playoffs chasing Kevin Durant all over the floor and did a fine job so he won't exactly be spooked by Pierce's scoring skills. No one can stop the supremely gifted Durant but Artest forced him to work and that was the plan. With Durant gone, Artest was able to contribute on the offensive end a little more vs. Utah and Phoenix but his production with this Lakers team will always be measured on the defensive end, especially against a player like Pierce, who was the difference in the '08 finals.

"Pierce is a very tough matchup," Bryant said. "He's very smart. He's one of the few players that has a long ball, has midrange game, can get to the basket. I think that makes him tough to cover, but Ron is up for the challenge."

EDGE: CELTICS

POWER FORWARD: Kevin Garnett is one of the best power forwards of all-time. He's clearly on the downside of a spectacular career but "the Big Ticket" has been incredibly efficient this postseason and clearly has enough left in his bag of tricks to make things difficult for a player like Pau Gasol.

Gasol has been the perfect "Robin" to Bryant's "Batman" since the Lakers acquired his services during the 2007-08 campaign. The lanky Spaniard is LA's top rebounder and shot blocking threat and gives Jackson an imposing presence on the front line.

EDGE: EVEN

BENCH: Rivers mixed and matched his bench all year but has settled on Big Baby Davis and Tony Allen along with Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley for most of the postseason. Davis provides offense inside and some toughness while Allen brings athleticism and a defensive mindset to help combat Bryant. Wallace and Finley aren't going to be consistent at this stage of the game but can step up and hurt you at key moments. Wallace's length will be especially important against an LA front line that has carved up the Western Conference.

The wild card may be Nate Robinson, who stepped up big in Game 6 against Orlando and has the ability to offer instant offense off the bench at any time.

"I made a point of going over to him (and telling him to) stay engaged," Rivers said of Robinson.

Lamar Odom is a very gifted player that can beat you in a host of ways for LA. One of the NBA's best sixth men, Odom can take you from the inside or outside on the offensive end and torture you with his length as a defender. He's also the rare 6-foot-11 player that can handle the ball and beat you as a playmaker.

Jackson tends to get frustrated with his other bench players. Brown is a solid defender while Farmar offers some two-way skills in the backcourt. Luke Walton can also provide some energy at times.

EDGE: EVEN

COACHING: Rivers has never been regarded as a great chess player but he has done a wonderful job melding the egos of three superstars, and managing personalities may be the most important job of an NBA coach. Rivers' lead assistant, Tom Thibodeau, may be the best pure defensive coach in basketball.

That said, Jackson is one of the best professional coaches in the history of the game. The "Zen Master" has won 10 titles as a head coach and helped the Lakers become the first NBA franchise to 3,000 wins back in January. Jackson is in his 10th season as head coach of the Lakers and has led the franchise to seven Western Conference titles, and has the highest playoff winning percentage of any coach in league history. He passed the legendary Auerbach with his 10th title last summer, and his resume is beyond reproach.

EDGE: LAKERS

PREDICTION: Things have changed since 2008. The Lakers added Artest and now have a tough-minded defensive player to match up with Pierce. That also gives Jackson the ability to slide Bryant, the best on-ball defender in the series, on Rondo at times if the Celtics' point guard heats up against Fisher. On the other hand, Boston, with Garnett, Perkins and Wallace, is one of the only teams in the NBA that can counter LA's length on the front line. Both teams have superlative finishers in Bryant and Pierce but both also have a host of defenders that they can throw at each of them.

"This is a whole new situation," Jackson said. "We have some new members of our team but some of these guys remember how it felt to lose. There's nothing worse than losing in a finals.

"It will be a matchup of bigs. Their bigs are very active and they've got Wallace and Davis coming in off the bench, along with other bodies they can bring in. They're a big team. Our bigs have to play, have to play well. I thought we were outplayed by their bigs the last time we played them in the '08 series. Andrew [Bynum] will give us some help in that regard."

This is almost too close to call but Rivers summed it up after the Orlando series when he reminded us that his current starting five has never lost a playoff series.

CELTICS in 7.