Not in Our House !!!

I need to start this article off with a correction from the end of my last article. I mentioned the last Game Seven in the NBA Finals coming way back in 1998 which is not only un-true but just plain wrong as well. The Spurs defeated the Pistons in seven games in the 2005 NBA Finals and the 98’ finals I was thinking of between the Bulls and Jazz only went 6 games. Still this is a special treat for basketball fans as this will only be the 4th Game Seven in the NBA Finals since 1987-88. It’s true; the two most exciting words in team sports are … GAME SEVEN!

As for Game #6 … That felt Good! How much did I enjoy that game last night? I watched it twice! Maybe the most enjoyable highlight was provided on YouTube as loyal Laker fans streamed images from their cell phones of the LA faithful raining down jeers on Celtic legends Bill Russell, Kevin McHale, and Cedric Maxwell as they scurried out of Staples Center in the game’s closing moments. Chick Hearn & Wilt Chamberlain would have risen from the grave before they would allow the Celtic Pantheon to celebrate in Staples Center. Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and maybe even Magic Johnson himself would have thrown down with Russell & Co before the Larry O’Brien trophy would be raised by Boston on our home court.

The Lakers dominated just about every statistical category en-route to the most impressive victory of the series. I said Kobe would need more help than he got in Game #5 and the bench came up huge with 25 point, 16 rebounds & 5 Assists. I felt that Pau Gasol HAD to win the battle against Kevin Garnett. Gasol came up one assist shy of a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 blocked shots while Garnett countered with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 0 blocked shots. Advantage to the Big Spaniard. I had wondered about the switch from Shannon Brown to Sasha Vujacic in game #5 (Brown got a DNP for the first time in the playoffs) but there was coach Jackson going to Brown early in Game #6 as Derek Fisher got into early foul trouble. Brown did a decent job on defense shadowing Ray Allen and also provided the fired up Staples Center crowd with two electrifying slam dunks. Jackson also got a strong performance from Sasha Vujacic who also harassed Allen defensively and then showed vestiges of his 2008 form (“The Machine”) as he buried a couple of big long range jump shots on his way to 9 points. Lamar Odom, thought to be MIA, came out aggressive on both ends of the floor and held his own against the Celtics depleted front line when Andrew Bynum headed to the locker room after only playing 2 minutes in the third quarter. How much skin did the Lakers leave on the Staples Center court last night as they relentlessly dove after every loose ball? For older Laker fans Jordan Farmar had a “James Worthy Moment” as he selflessly threw his body to the floor stealing the ball from Rajon Rondo and directing a pass, along the ground, to Kobe that resulted in two points.

And the biggest assist of the evening goes to …? My game ball went to The Laker Faithful, the loyalists as I like to think of them (You). Not the casual, fly by the seat of your pants fans who occasionally don a shirt or maybe stick a flag on their car during the post-season. No, I’m talking about the hard core LA Fans who stick by the team no matter the circumstances. The fans who will argue with anyone, including your parents if need be to defend the Purple and Gold and our players. These are the folks in the upper bowl of Staples Center who assaulted Celtic ears with a heartfelt chant of “DEFENSE!” just 5 minutes into Game #6. They never stopped. The people who very clearly let you know that the “Anti-Boston” chant the network announcers repeatedly refer to is pronounced … “BOSTON SUCKS!!!” You know who you are, you were the fans who woke up on Tuesday morning with your game face on and in short order told me the Lakers would win game 6, and win big! The fans who told all the Boston barnacles clinging to the bottom of the Celtics barge that Laker fans would gladly accept the challenge of true Green Celtic fans but we’re sick of hearing from all the “Boston Fans” in Charlotte, Fresno, and God forbid even right here in LA who have absolutely ZERO commitment to the team they cheer.

A break for David Stearn and his officials as there was no blown call of the game on Tuesday although I’m sure the Boston fans will tell me otherwise. However, Paul Pierce & Rajon Rondo probably secured “Punk” play of the series and coincidentally it occurred on the same play. Paul Pierce was dribbling high above the 3-point line getting harassed by Pau Gasol. Yes, there was contact between Pierce & Gasol but it didn’t appear to be much. Of course that didn’t stop Paula (Paulina?) from hitting the deck in an obvious flop that the officials refused to call and as a result the ball went off Pierce’s foot that Kobe picked up and started a Lakers fast break. Kobe left the ball off for Shannon Brown who finished with a spectacular slam dunk. On the replay you can see Rondo push Kobe with both hands in the back just after Kobe gives the ball to Brown and if you look back up the court you’ll clearly see Pierce throw out his leg tripping Gasol as Pau headed up the court. Gasol clearly didn’t care for the move and glared at the prone Pierce lying on the floor while an obviously amused Lamar Odom pulled the man from Barcelona away from the incident. As Chick Hearn would have said, No harm, No Foul, No Blood, No Ambulance.

And after Thursday night … no more basketball either. What a great season, and to top it off we got the best Finals in recent memory between the NBA’s two most storied and bitter rivals. I really couldn’t ask for more, but of course I will.

Let’s Go Lakers !!!