Bye Phoenix, hello Boston.
The Phoenix 2006 to 2007 “ghost” has been exorcised completely by Los Angeles following its 111-103 Game 6 win to clinch the Western Conference Finals series.
Now that the Lakers have returned to the NBA Finals for the third straight year, the last big hurdle they will have to overcome are none other than the Boston Celtics.
The memory of that 39-point Game 6 NBA FInals loss to the Celtics are still fresh in their minds–a humiliation the Celtics essayed before their home floor in Boston during the 2008 season.
However, now, the Lakers, after waiting for two years for the rematch, are in a position to erase that Finals stigma that has stuck by them after 2008 season’s final buzzer sounded.
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom–all members of that ill-fated LA squad that fell at the hands of Boston have a chance to redeem themselves with the help of defense specialist Ron Artest and a determined center Andrew Bynum this time.
Artest reserved his best playoff performance in Games 5 and 6. In Game 5, he delivered the killer blow to the Suns after banging in a point-blank shot off Bryant’s airball attempt from beyond the arc to give the Lakers a two-point win.
Then in Game 6, he scored 25 points to supply the added scoring ammunition for Bryant, who finished with a game-high 37 points that all but ended the Suns’ hopes for survival.
Bynum, meantime, has been providing quality minutes for the Lakers, though he has been on and off due to various knee injuries.
His size and height though will be an added factor for Los Angeles, who looks to win back-to-back titles and give coach Phil Jackson his 11th NBA ring, the most by any coach in league history.
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