I know that a Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers Finals clash in the NBA is quite thinking ahead. But unless the Phoenix Suns does something spectacular defensively against LA in Game 3, then the Celtics and the Lakers’ legendary Finals date would be a sealed deal already.
Boston holds a commanding 3-0 bulge against the listless Orlando five, which the Celtics completely outplayed and outhustled as evidenced in their 94-71 win before a wildly-cheering home crowd at the TD Banknorth in Boston.
If there’s anything, the Magic will only try to win at least one game to prevent an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Celtics, who are looking for their 18th league championship in a possible 21st Finals appearance.
But with the way Boston is playing in the Playoffs, it’s pretty obvious the Celtics will try to finish off the Magic, whose playoff luster completely vanished in the face of the resurgent defense of the green-and-white squad mentored by Doc Rivers.
In Game 3, the Magic were held to a woeful 39 percent shooting from the field. Dwight Howard, who scored 30 points in a Game 2 losing effort, was held down to just seven points and seven rebounds.
As the Celtics march into their second Finals appearance in three years, the Lakers (should they finally advance by beating the Suns in the West Finals) will face either one of the possibilities–get back at Boston, which humiliated them in six games, including the Game 6 clincher via a 131-92 victory, or allow the Celtics to bully them again in the Finals and let the season end in a green and white celebration.
Of course, if you ask Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, the 2008 Finals defeat would be their motivating factor as they try to make it back-to-back in their quest for NBA domination.
But with the rate the Celtics are playing, the NBA Finals will be one battle for the ages.
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