Lakers-Celtics, Game Seven!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 09:25AM The NBA's two most storied franchises . . .
Two very good teams, tied so far, down to the final game . . .
A bitter rivalry . . .
A basketball fan's dream!
Magic's "baby hook shot" was the greatest moment in Laker's history, but we forget that it was almost ruined by Larry Bird, who apparently drilled a three-point shot from the baseline just before the final second expired, only to have the ball spin around the rim and kick out.
And then there was Don Nelson's brick that bounced straight up and came back down through the rim as the clock ran out, earning the Celtics a win in game seven of the 1969 Lakers-Celtics showdown.
Win or lose, this is gonna be fun!
Go Lakers! Predictions, anyone?
Kim Riddlebarger
Wow! That has to be the ugliest championship game I have ever seen!
Great defense by both teams, and a level of intensity throughout that was second to none.
Go Lakers!
Reader Comments (27)
I am sure the Celtics will play with a greater sense of desperation Thursday, but a game 7 favors the Lakers because they are at home and they are younger and they are healthy. Perkins injury could be a pretty big deal for the Celtics.
Go Lakers. I would be devestated if they lost the Finals on their home floor to the Celtics. That's not supposed to happen.
Sorry Ken Samples, your team will deflate in game 7.
Victory for the Celtics!
If you believe Dave Berri and Co. at "http://dberri.wordpress.com" (i.e. Wages of Wins) with the loss of K. Perkins, the Lakers "Wins Per 48-minute" stats were proved to be true and the Lakers won the game. Without a healthy K.Perkins, the Lakers definitely have a better chance of winning game 7...although one could've made this point without the benefit of statistical analysis.
I might have to make life more bearable for Mrs Auk and the kids by taping the game, checking the final score first, then watching the game on tape delay...I think this strategy will help eliminate a plethora of things from the list during Sunday's public confession of sin! ;)
Lakers win game 7 on a last second 3-pointer from D-Fish!
How many titles have your Sacramento Kings won?
How many NBA Finals have the Kings appeared in?
What is the Kings playoff appearance percentage?
How many regular season wins do the Kings have?
The Lakers may or may not win tomorrow night. I picked the Celtics to win before the series began. But even if they lose none of the stats below will change.
Lakers Franchise Stats:
63 NBA franchise seasons
15 NBA Titles (just short of 25%)
31 NBA Finals appearances (just short of 50%)
57 playoff appearances (roughly 92%)
Most regular season wins: more than 3,000
These stats can be marshaled into a compelling case that the Los Angeles Lakers are the most successful franchise in any team sport. Not even the New York Yankees appear in the World series every other year and win it every forth year.
Go LAKERS!
Kenneth Samples
Congrats to the Lakers--especially Ken Samples!
John, I know that we have talked sports and theology on many occasions. I grew up in the Los Angeles area and lived there for about the first 46 years of my life. I have never liked the Lakers (I think that those yellow home uniforms are the worst looking in sports. How many teams in the NFL have yellow uniforms?)
Even though I lived in the Los Angeles area, I became a Celtics fan. Because of the deaths of Lenny Bias and Reggie Lewis, the Celtics had about 20 dismal years. During those 20 years, I still rooted for the Celtics, but my interest in basketball really waned.
About six years ago, we moved to the Phoenix area. Knowing this, and also that I will one day retire in the "valley of the sun", I started following the Phoenix Suns in addition to the Celtics. I really loved watching the Suns play. They play a great, exciting brand of basketball. I have watched and cheered for them in just about every game for the last six seasons.
Because of the great weather that we have in Phoenix, we get a lot of folks moving here from the east coast. What a lot of the east coast fans do, is they still root for their old teams and also the teams in Arizona. Our sports talk show's out here say that eventually those sports fans from other area's eventually "graduate" to just following the Arizona teams (our home teams).
Because we love living in Arizona, and we have a strong sense of community and the Phoenix teams are our local teams, our loyalties are now with our Arizona teams.
Regarding the Suns; they are the fourth winningest team in the NBA lifetime. Yes, they haven't yet won a title, but they are always good. They seldom miss the playoffs, and they are always an exciting team. Really, as a sports fan, would you rather follow a team like the Bucks that won a title some 30 years ago, and is in last place every year since? Or one like the Suns, that are good every year, but haven't yet won a title? As a sports fan, to keep my interest, I much prefer what the Suns are doing, than teams like the Bucks and the Knicks.
Another great thing about living in Phoenix, is when the Lakers win, we are blessed to just turn our T.V.'s off, and not have to hear about it. Even during the finals, all everyone out hear talks about is Suns, Suns and more Suns. That is just fine with me!
One last thing: Basketball is the greatest sport. I believe that it will soon over take baseball as the second most popular sport. What a growing international appeal it has!
Are you describing a sports "conversion" experience? You've repented of being a Celtics fan and have asked the Suns into your heart?
Living in Los Angeles, and hating the Lakers, and my Celtics doing so poorly for about 20 years, yes, I was losing interest in the great game of basketball.
No matter which way I slice it, moving to Phoenix, and following the Suns--I give them credit for rekindling my fire for watching the great game of basketball.
Many, many, east coast fans that move here, are immediately attracted to the Suns. How can you live here and not root for class guys like Steve Nash and Grant Hill. The Suns are a class organization fom top to bottom, it is a great place to watch a game.
You may recall, a few years ago, when Jason Kidd (while playing for the Suns) smacked his wife. He was traded the next morning. The fans in Phoenix will not put up with that kind of behavior. Most of the athlete's here in Phoenix are good guys. Kurt Warner, Luis Gonzalez, Steve Nash, Larry Fitzgerald etc. They are just nice guys, easy to root for.
When Matt Lienart came here from USC, he thought that his playboy, hot tub, Hollywood stuff would be okay here. He has since found out otherwise. I believe that Matt will be a good NFL Q.B. for the Cards. He has also turned into a good citizen--while being influenced by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.
I recently had a friend out here from Los Angeles, and we went to a Diamondbacks game. He told me that he couldn't believe how well behaved the fans were. He told me that at Dodgers Stadium, he won't even take his family to a game because there are nothing but gangbangers and fights all over the place.
If I was just passing through, living here for a couple of years, it would be different. But, this is my happy home, and I will have the Arizona teams first. But, of course, I will still root for the Celtics as well.
For me, it is more of a community thing.
Here in Phoenix, they recently had on sports talk an L.A. writer, (thank goodness that we don't have to hear about L.A. sports too often) and he stated that Lakers fans better enjoy the Kobe Bryant era. He correctly stated that Kobe is starting to get old, and when he does retire, the Lakers will be in for about 10 years of hard times. The fact of the matter is, Kobe has a ton of miles on his body, and he is slowing down. He had a hard, hard time against the Celtics.
You have to give Jerry West the credit for getting Kobe, not the current G.M. Jerry West is no longer running the show, and a basketball franchise with money doesn't guarantee success. Players that have an on court drive to win like Kobe does, don't come around very often.
I give Kobe many accolades for his greatness on the court. But on the flip side, to raise him up as some kind of a god, when he is a wife cheat and a rapist that paid a lady 5 million dollars to go away is truly mind boggling. It is true what ex-Sun Radja Bell once said, that Kobe is a pompous ass.
Thank goodness that the era of the yellow uniforms in the finals will soon come to an end!
Lloyd is a typical Lutheran- he has to be right