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Live and behind the scenes from Boston and Los Angeles.
Your one-stop page for everything (features, video, news, history) Celtics.
Your one-stop page for everything (features, video, news, history) Kobe Bryant.
JUNE 18, 2008 -- The Celtics Win!
Cliche time: Defense wins championships. And Rajon Rondo was the leader of the vaunted Celtics defense tonight.
Game 6 was over before it even started and Kobe "doesn't know" what happened. No really, he doesn't.
After a season of sacrifice, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen can call themselves champions.
The Celtics' bench might not have been called upon consistently, but they answered every time.
Doc Rivers' journey to championship coach started earlier than you might think.
Rob Peterson thought many thoughts ... and got a scout's take on the last two quarters.
NBA Communications' Rob Reheuser compiled this list of stats and tidbits about the 2008 Finals.
View an exclusive photo gallery of the NBA Finals MVP, Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics.
Where we break down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans before and during Game 6.
Look back at the seven best sixth games of The Finals.
JUNE 17, 2008
If the Celtics hope to avoid Kobe Bryant unleashing his inner Tiger, they better win Game 6.
In which we (and the entire basketball Internet) wonder whether this is the end.
Pau Gasol could be the key to L.A. pushing this thing to the limit.
This one could get ugly, so the Celtics need to turn up the D from the opening tip.
JUNE 16, 2008
Paul Pierce left it all out on the floor Sunday night in Game 5, but he didn't get enough help from his teammates.
The Lakers are growing up fast and showed resiliency in Game 5 to send the series back to Boston.
Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol played up to par with their potential in Game 5.
Rob Peterson thought many thoughts ... and loooves the bullet points.
In which we're fly-ing / on a jet plane / don't know when we'll be back again ... (November?)
View exclusive photo galleries of the NBA Finals.
Where we break down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans before and during Game 5.
Look back at the seven best fifth games of The Finals.
JUNE 15, 2008
Imagine falling on your face on live TV. Then, imagine popping in the tape of it and having to watch it again. ... That's what the Lakers' did.
The Celtics are salivating at the thought of a championship.
In which we offer a few words for fathers.
More of what brought them back in the second half of Game 4 would be nice ...
The Lakers need to start by taking it one game at a time ...
Kendrick Perkins' injured shoulder will bounce him to the bench, and Leon Powe's his likely replacement.
View photos of the dominant Celtics' teams of the 1960s.
View photos of the dominant Celtics' teams of the 1980s.
JUNE 14, 2008
The Lakers took the day off for some mental relaxation and Phil Jackson hinted at a potential Kevin Garnett-Kobe Bryant feud ....
Paul Pierce has developed into a team leader under Doc Rivers' tutelage.
Flea struggles with having his high hopes crushed by the Celtics.
JUNE 13, 2008
The Celtics came back and won with ... the NBA's best defense. (Surprise!)
The Lakers' offense disappeared after halftime, and no one can figure out why ...
James Posey popped off for 18 points in the crucial Game 4 win.
The Lakers offered no clich&eactue;s, instead lamenting the little things they didn't do.
The balloons at the Staples Center popped instead of dropped after a disappointing finish to Game 4.
Rob Peterson thought many things during four quarters ... and even thought to write them all down.
There Can Only Be One ... Best of This Ad Campaign Video.
In which Rob returns favors.
View these exclusive black and white photos of Game 4 the NBA Finals.
Dan Savage breaks down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans before and during Game 4.
Look back at the seven best fourth games of The Finals.
JUNE 12, 2008
In which we read more than you knew was written.
Four new suggestions for the Celtics to heed going into Game 4 ... along with three standbys.
Matching Boston's intensity is at the top of L.A.'s To-Do List tonight.
Despite spraining an ankle, Rajon Rondo's ready for Game 4.
JUNE 11, 2008
Boston's got no complaints about the swing in officiating during Game 3.
Four adjustments Lamar Odom might consider making before Game 4.
Rajon Rondo's ankle was sore in the morning, but improved throughout the day.
Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had an interesting take on L.A.'s play in Game 3.
Two military men made a special trip to the Staples Center for Game 3.
In which we scour the Web so you don't have to.
Take a look at the dedication ceremony for the new NBA Cares Reading and Learning Center.
JUNE 10, 2008
The Game 3 victory might not have been pretty, but hey -- a win's a win, especially when it's crucial to series survival.
Boston's "Big Three" devolved into a one-man Ray Allen showcase in Game 3.
Sasha Vujacic -- "Machine" man or "Rock-head"?
Did Ray Allen finally get his groove back?
The bi-coastal travel before Game 3 left most players beat, and artistry in action was lacking.
Where we break down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans before and during Game 3.
Look back at the seven best third games of The Finals.
JUNE 8, 2008
The Celtics were a green machine for 40 minutes ... but the last eight left room for improvement.
The Lake Show didn't start Sunday night until it was too late.
Leon Powe has kept prepared throughout the playoffs, and it paid off big in Game 2.
Fouls were flying ... on one side of the court. What did it look like for the Lakers?
Leon Powe's long journey to Game 2 is evidence of his "sticktoitiveness."
Fouls were flying ... on one side of the court. What did it look like for the Lakers?
Where we break down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans before and during Game 2.
Look back at the seven best second games of The Finals.
JUNE 7, 2008
The Celtics defense did more than just keep Kobe from shooting well in Game 1; they slowed the game down and got back in transition to eliminate easy baskets.
Few players in the NBA have their own shoe, but even fewer have teammates who will wear them. Kobe is an exception, though, as several Lakers sport his sneaks.
The injury to Paul Pierce was a sprained a knee. Kendrick Perkins, a sprained ankle. However both players are confident they will be healthy enough to play in Game 2.
Rick Kamla believes the Lakers would benefit from acknowledging the strength of the Celtics, and giving Boston the respect it deserves.
Rob Peterson compiles the best links from a quiet Saturday prior to Sunday's Game 2 in Boston.
JUNE 6, 2008
Paul Pierce has come too far to let an injury stop him now. He plans to play through the pain and only worry about his knee once the season is through.
The Lakers bench was quiet in Game 1, scoring well below its average as a unit. The Celtics bench, meanwhile, carried its weight.
The Celtics' interior defense held a Lakers team that was averaging 41.3 points in the paint in the playoffs to just 19 points in Game 1.
In Game 1, fortune found the Celtics and left the Lakers without a break.
Paul Pierce's quick and momentous comeback was a popular topic following Game 1.
JUNE 5, 2008
Paul Pierce went down momentarily, but bounced back – in every way.
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers feel the ball just never bounced their way in Game 1.
The Celtics held their own when Paul Pierce appeared to be gone for good, and that may have been the difference.
Game 1 was a Tale of Two Halves for the Lakers, though they couldn't rebound effectively in either one.
KG did his thing, but another set of initials in the Boston frontcourt proved to be indispensable in the paint: P.J. Brown.
Where we break down the day's play.
Writers from both NBA.com and ESPN.com chatted with fans about the Finals for nine hours(!) right up through Game 1.
Look back at the seven best opening games of The Finals.
JUNE 4, 2008
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will be the toughest test the Celtics' defense has faced all year, but Boston won't be changing their ways to try and stop the MVP.
The last time the Lakers were in the NBA Finals, they were upset by the Pistons. For the four members of that team that are still in purple and gold, it's a memory that still stings.
Former Celtics and Lakers player Brian Shaw and now assistant coach with Lakers returns to Boston for 2008 NBA Finals.
It was a rivalry born in the Midwest that eventually stretched from one coast to the other and made The Finals must-watch primetime TV not long after NBA championship games were shown on tape delay.
The 2008 Finals marks the 11th meeting between the Celtics and Lakers, with Boston owning an 8-2 record in the previous 10. We give you the Top 20 Celtics-Lakers moments in Finals history.
A walk around Wednesday's media availability session will give you a good idea of what will be in Thursday's papers.
Take a trip around the web to read what's being written on the eve of The Finals.
JUNE 2, 2008
Forget history. The old Celtics and Lakers have nothing to do with the 2008 NBA Finals. NBA.com's John Schuhmann looks inside the numbers to see how these Celtics and Lakers play the game.
When it comes to Celtics-Lakers, Take 11, you may be thinking of the hype that already surrounds it, but this Finals has buzz. Serious buzz.
Watch video of some of the greatest moments from the 10 previous times the Lakers and Celtics have met in the Finals.
MAY 31, 2008
Of the millions of words that will be typed, printed, blogged, texted, e-mailed and IMed about The 2008 Finals featuring the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers one word should stand out above all others to describe this matchup between these ancient foes: tradition.
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