Celtics Won't Beat Lakers As Vengeance Is Almost Sustained

The scoreboard posted the ending results at Staples Center, and quickly, an enticing scene in a sudden-death situation erupted an electric crowd that never had to shut their eyes or bite nails, but loudly cheered the Los Angeles Lakers to an 89-67 victory in a crucial Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

If you felt a jolt or heard a rattling sound, it wasn’t an earthquake that shivered Southern California recently, but it was the Lakers rising above a disappointing loss to force a Game Seven, refusing to stumble in an elimination game.

It hasn’t been a spectacular series, but a nerve-racking series for the defending champs by meeting the Boston Celtics, it’s archenemies in a rematch seeking to avenge a miserable 39-point loss two years ago.

In theory of the Lakers, it’s very clear that Team Hollywood knew much was at stake, performing brilliantly and responding with urgency and fortitude, to survive a redemptive series in which the Lakers tries to mount a legacy.

Late in the fourth quarter, he walked to the bench and received a standing ovation from the crowd before he sat on the sideline, wearing a towel and a pleasant facial expression, delighted with the recovery in a must-needed game.

It was Kobe Bryant, who was faulted for the Lakers’ mental lapses and physical inadequacies to implode chemistry and disrupt the energy and drive of his supporting cast, facilitating and involving his teammates by spreading the floor and drilling well-advised shots.

The timing couldn’t be better for a composed and smarter Bryant, the greatest closer in the game known for obliterating defenders with his sequential scoring and miraculous shots.

It isn’t often in sports when a man with a selfish modus or arrogance, accepts an applause subsequently being described as a pompous, self-centered hypocrite who ultimately abandoned his teammates and hurled too many irresponsible shots.

For all the abuse he took, from the no-call when Paul Pierce snatched the ball out of his hands in Game 5, from the doubters constantly scorning the greatest player in the game, from the media blaming him of the Lakers recent falters, he was absolutely the man setting the tone early.

He almost took most of the finger pointing for deranging the Lakers offense and defensive commitments, but now he’s not hearing the displeasing questions from inquisitive reporters in the interview room, commended for minimizing his shooting percentage and playing the specific role of a virtuous overseer with cultured leadership.

They were a baffling unit, almost committing championship suicide as a championship-caliber team and the most talented franchise, without any discipline, toughness or star power.


But suddenly, the Lakers were serious about staying alive and protecting its title by repeating glory once again, persevered and fervent to symbolize the symmetry of valued mystique and tradition.

Here were the Lakers again, escaping a soft, indolent and complacent attitude, as fans supporting purple and gold believes in the home team, believes there’ll be another parade on Figueroa, believes that Bryant will obtain his fifth championship, and believes purple and gold confetti will fall from the Staples Center rafters when the Lakers hoist the trophy Thursday with a win over the Celtics.

For the first time this series, they exploded with much parity and urgency, to pull away midway in the second quarter and never blew a large margin. Normally, the Lakers lose huge leads for becoming to comfortable and inattentive, but not on the night a credible season was endangered of missing out on a title.

At least once, a glorious journey almost ended wasteful, dropping Game Five in a hostile territory, booed and badmouthed by the unfriendly Celtics fans. It’s a different unit avoiding the same type of mistakes that cost them the last game, with a new makeover after returning to Hollywood invincible and unbeatable.

Turns out the average citizen was granted their wish after all, prepared to witness a Game Seven of the NBA Finals, following a triumphant performance that gives the Lakers an advantage with home court advantage and the greatest closer.

If the Celtics dares to win and travel home with the trophy and celebrate by marching in a parade, they may not outlast or outwork the Lakers in the final game of the season, when L.A. dictated the ultimate standpoint of the series and seized all vitality, realizing they are a win away from sustaining back-to-back triumph.

By avenging consecutive losses in Boston, the Lakers forced a seventh game with the series tied at three games apiece.


So now, the latest chapter in the NBA Finals is a historic and bitter rivalry, in which two storied rivals will meet on the hardwood for a crazy, tense showdown that will write an epic classic as one memorable event in ages. In desperate moments, winner takes all. Amid a pair of legacies, each opponent is craving a taste of the hardware.

“This is definitely a special treat for the NBA,” said Ray Allen. “We’re going to Game 7, and this is the finals, and it’s the Celtics and Lakers.”

Even though the Larry O’Brien trophy was ready to be presented to the Celtics, it has to wait a few nights before the worthy one wins it all, whether the Lakers avenges its failures two seasons ago or the Celtics shatter the hearts of Hollywood.

In present, was the Celtics legend Bill Russell, who couldn’t bear to glance at the painful rout and left for the exit with three minutes remaining.

For most of the night, he watched the Lakers push and abuse the archenemies, he watched the entire team dominate the villains, he merely watched Bryant have a stellar game with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and he watched Pau Gasol come close to a triple-double, bouncing back from a dreadful contest with 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

If Celtics center Kendrick Perkins never had collapsed with Andrew Bynum midway in the first quarter, departing with a sprained knee, maybe Boston might have stayed within double-digits. It’s unfortunate to loss Perkins, a muscular center with incredible strength and size in establishing as a post defender and slow down the Lakers from overworking the Celtics in the paint.

“It’s a big disadvantage,” said Bryant. “He’s a big emotional leader for the team. I’m sure it didn’t help them, him going down.”

It’s often bad to dismiss the Lakers, but a loss in the next game will probably go down as one of the biggest upsets in NBA history.


Meanwhile, the Lakers raises closer in capturing redemption and vengeance. And if Bryant is ever described as one of the greatest basketball stars of all-time, he immensely need contributions from his supporting cast, similar to what his teammates exploited when Ron Artest finally wasn’t confused and had 15 points and badgered Pierce with his defensive mentally.

But the bigger factor was Gasol, who shot 19 times in 40 minutes, finally stood up to a sluggish Kevin Garnett and played with much toughness as his soft demeanor quickly vanished.

When the Lakers come out with high-energy and urgency, it usually stimulates the bench, as Shannon Brown electrified the crowd on a pair of high-flying dunks that were created off of two of the seven turnovers the Lakers forced.

“We want to carry everything we did tonight to Game 7, and then I think we’ll be in very good place to win,” said Gasol. “When you bring the intensity we did tonight, good things are going to happen.”

The capacity crowd chanted “BOSTON SUCKS! BOSTON SUCKS!” after averaging 67 points, the second-lowest in NBA Finals history. Early on, the Lakers slaughtered the C’s, cruising to a 22-point lead in the first half as the Lakers sturdy defense forced Boston to shoot a horrible 33 percent from the field and had only 13 points from the bench. On positive terms, all the Lakers need to fulfill a wonderful and memorable moment in a potential epic showdown is another win.

For now, the Lakers are meaner, fiercer and hungrier than the Celtics. At least it looks that way.

This Isn't the Team To Beat: Lakers Perish, Too Lackadaisical

Never mind it being the best, most well-rounded basketball team in Hollywood, the most entertaining team in a community where movie stars crowded the streets of Hollywood for the Oscar awards Sunday evening. Deep down inside, witnessing Sandra Bullock win an award for leading actress was more galvanizing than watching the Los Angeles Lakers’ continuous struggles to win games.


It’s both fascinating and mind-blowing to watch arguably the most talented franchise in the NBA unravel and fade away from title conversions. All that said, the defending champs recent disastrous stumbles raise concerns as to whether the Lakers can repeat and defend their title.

In a big town such as Los Angeles, the well-known basketball franchise is the town’s trademark, a way for L.A. sporting fans to interact and cheer on the purple and gold. Whether or not the Lakers have been deteriorating because of lethargy and careless lapses, the team still embodies humanity and essence within a diverse and hysterical environment.

Fans still believe in the Lakers, a championship-driven team with all the components to amass its 16th title and move closer within their archenemies the Boston Celtics for the most championships in NBA history.

Fans believe it’s a team to be reckoned with, simply for its experience and depth.

Fans believe the Lakers remain invincible and impossible to beat, only because they possess the most dangerous and finest finisher in the game, Kobe Bryant. In this way, the Lakers are unique and have been one of the NBA's most amazing franchises.

Where amazing happened (not to mention thrilling heroics whenever Kobe’s buzzer-beaters fell) hasn’t been too amazing recently. Its dreadful to think that the Lakers aren’t described as fierce villains any more. If anything, you’re staring at an enigmatic team that seems unsure of themselves and fails to find its rhythm. Go ahead, feel at ease, but no team is afraid of them or intimidated by them at the moment.

Without the fear of suffering a dispirited loss, teams are beginning to test the Lakers toughness and mentality, raising questions as to where L.A. stands as far as being able to muster another championship banner and parade on Figueroa Ave.

Here’s a memo to the Buss family: "this might be the end of the magical rebirth we saw a year ago." In reality, that is how fans feel about our team right now, even though the Lakers usually find their mojo during the postseason by playing with a sense of urgency and energy. But as of now, the Lakers are perplexing and seem doomed.

Oh no, the thoughts of TERROR!

As we know, mystique plays a huge role in Los Angeles. Mind you, this is the team that possessed Magic Johnson’s unbelievable performances and Kareem Abdul-Jabber's ideal skyhook during the Showtime era. They are the most compelling franchise in all sports, with all-time legends like Wilt Chamberlain imprinting a spot in Lakers’ history, as well as Jerry West, the long-time floor general who also assembled a potent nucleus when he traded for Kobe in the 1996 NBA draft.

So there’s no question it’s a franchise with a great deal of mystique.

But things are different of late. There is a sense of unfamiliarity with this team, losers of three consecutive games for the first time in more than two years.

Nonetheless, the Kobe Show isn’t cancelled from its regularly scheduled program. Unfortunately, this funk has affected Bryant’s teammates who aren't getting involved in the now-stagnant offense. Blessed to have an exemplary guard in Kobe, all his lackadaisical teammates look to him to orchestrate a dramatic comeback, which happens often despite their underachievement.


None of this is good for a primary shooter, overloaded and fatigued by the end of the first half. It’s important that Kobe remains healthy and energized for the postseason, a moment when Kobe usually dominates and carries a heavy burden. Without him, the Lakers lose their killer attack and fall out of the playoffs much earlier than imagined. Truth is, minus Kobe’s ripple-effect the purple and gold is unable to survive a competitive bout in the playoffs.

In a shaky matinee Sunday, the Lakers stumbled again and were unable to find an escape from the dismay of the last three games. In what turned into a miserable ending, the Lakers faltered in a 96-94 loss to the Orlando Magic, in which they trailed by 10 points after three quarters, even though Bryant scored 18 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter.

All of the sudden, the Lakers cannot close out a win, and they continue to defy the odds as to why they are called the best team in the Western Conference. Maybe it’s the moment to panic, bite nails and shut eyes. And maybe the L.A. faithful are scared to realize the possibility of suffering a heartbreaker in the postseason.

As a team, the Lakers had a team meeting to make a few tweaks and adjustments. No surprise there, because it’s a work in process after the Lakers finally improved at defending the pick-and-roll, a weakness that has created misery for years. The turnovers were also reduced a bit, finally protecting the ball anytime they had possession.

Most importantly, the defense is shaping into an unstoppable force, limiting the Magic to 34 points in the paint and creating misery for the physique Dwight Howard. Almost identical to when the team had minor flaws last season, before turning it around in the Western Conference Finals against Denver. Any ill-feelings or bad vibes in Lakerland could soon vanish, as the Lakers are accustomed to returning to form when necessary.

Ever since Kobe returned from the injury, Pau Gasol is not shooting as effectively, Shannon Brown misses more shot attempts, Lamar Odom is inconsistent, Artest is having his worst offensive season of his career and well, Bynum is an overpaid bust. No disrespect to Kobe, but it was a fun, exciting team without his presence. Still, there’s no one more frustrated than Gasol, who has to be tired of his offensive deficiencies as he's averaging a mere 14 points in the last three games.

“Kobe is a great player, the best offensive player out there…but at the same time, we need to find some balance with our interior game, develop it a little more, moving the ball and changing sides.” Gasol said. “We need to get focused on that a little more, to find balance, to find some flow.”

But now, it’s hard to figure out if the Lakers are potent to win back-to-back.

My guess is no.