Posted Jun 16 2010 10:49PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Police will deploy hundreds of officers at Game 7 of the NBA finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics to prevent the kind of unrest that broke out after the Lakers won last year's championship.
Police Chief Charlie Beck issued a stern warning Wednesday to anyone thinking of spoiling a potential celebration should the Lakers seize their 16th victory.
"If you vandalize, if you graffiti, if you assault somebody in conjunction with one of these (celebrations), I take it personally," Beck said Wednesday. "By those actions, you defame the reputation of the city we all love."
Beck said he doesn't expect problems, and a strong police presence should deter anyone from causing trouble. Perimeters will be set around Staples Center on Thursday to keep out people without tickets to the game, and tactical units will stick around afterward to dissuade fans from congregating outside the arena, he said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca said he has notified hundreds of deputies to be on hand in case the police department needs backup.
In 2000, after the Lakers won their first NBA title in 12 years, fans rioted outside Staples Center, destroying two police cars and leaving more than 70 other vehicles damaged.
Last year, the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in Florida but that didn't stop fans from pouring into downtown. Some set fires, threw rocks and bottles, looted several stores and vandalized public property.
Beck said police were deployed "too sparingly" because it was an away game. He vowed to have "four or five times" as many officers Thursday compared to last year.
To warn against a repeat of the unrest, authorities on Wednesday arrested 31 members of a tagging crew suspected of vandalizing a passenger bus and light rail train that night. The arrests followed a yearlong investigation looking into the post-victory violence that was captured on news footage.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he hopes the arrest will send a message that authorities will aggressively go after those who break the law after the game.
"We're not going to sit idly by if people think they're going to ruin the mood of a celebration," he said. "It is a sad testament that you have to get up here and say to somebody, 'Come on, don't ruin a great day."'
 | Hawks vs. Lakers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum both notch double-doubles in the Lakers' 86-78 win over the Hawks. |
 | Evans Circus Shot Tryeke Evans drives the paint, gets the circus shot to fall and gets the foul. |
 | Play of the Day Jeremy Lin nails the game winning 3-point shot with .9 seconds left and scores a game high 27 points and 11 assists. |
 | The Fan Night Zap Check out all the action from Fan Night in the NBA! |
 | Fan Night Top 10 Jeremy Lin's Game-winning 3-pointer headlines the Fan Night's Top 10 plays. |
 | Fan Night-ly Notable Jeremy Lin nails the game winning 3-point shot with .9 seconds left and scores a game high 27 points and 11 assists. |
 | Block of the Night LeBron James deflects the pass, gets the block and saves the loose ball all on the same defensive possession. |
 | Dunk of the Night Nicolas Batum drives straight down the paint and gives JaVale McGee a facial. |
 | Assist of the Night Kendrick Perkins gets fancy and gives the nice no-look behind the back assist. |
 | Steal of the Night Iman Shumpert strips the ball from Jose Calderon and takes it to the rack. |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
