By Dan Savage

It’s the NBA Finals matchup that no Orlando Magic fan wanted to see: Lakers vs. Celtics.

Sure, the historical storylines between the two franchises are endless and it should do wonders for Finals ratings, but for anyone who bleeds blue and white, this series is enough to make your stomach churn.

However, the Magic faithful should take solace in one future fact: Their team lost to the eventual world champions.

Yep, I’m saying it right now; the Celtics will beat the Lakers.

While Los Angeles has the best player – Kobe Bryant – and the most dominant big man – Pau Gasol – Boston simply has the better team. It’s deeper, it’s peaking at the right time and has a lineup that features three future Hall-of-Famers and four All-Star caliber starters.

The newest member of the Celtics All-Star club, Rajon Rondo, also creates the greatest mismatch in the series. Derek Fisher has struggled in the first three rounds of the postseason defending Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams and Steve Nash. Now just imagine the problems he will have trying to keep up with the lightning-quick Rondo.

Even if Los Angeles wanted to guard Rondo with another player, who would Fisher cover? At this age, it would be humorous to watch him run through screens and attempt to lock down Ray Allen. It’s this mismatch that very well could end up costing the Lakers their chance at their 17th championship in franchise history.

“The Celtics (will win) I think,” All-Star center Dwight Howard explained via Twitter. “They (are) the hottest team right now and Rondo (is) ballin’.”

Furthermore, the Celtics have the size to slow down Los Angeles’ dangerous big man trio of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. While the three other squads L.A. faced this postseason had trouble matching its interior depth, Boston can throw a rotation of Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Rasheed Wallace and Glen Davis up front to limit the impact of L.A.’s size.

The Celtics also have the mental toughness to win on the road. Even though the Lakers are currently undefeated in the 2010 NBA Playoffs in L.A., Boston has already demonstrated that perfect home-court postseason records don’t matter when it comes to town. Orlando was flawless at Amway Arena and dropped two straight there to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. And Cleveland, owners of the league’s best home record during the regular season, dropped two games at The Q to the Beasts from Beantown in the East Semis.

Also, while Bryant is the best player in the series – and perhaps the league – let’s remember Paul Pierce is no slouch. Playing his best basketball of the season, Pierce comes into this series having just torched Orlando to the tune of 24.3 points per contest, while shooting 51.2 percent from the field.

The C’s also have history their side. They’re 9-2 all-time against the Lakers in The Finals. They also took the most recent meeting between the two clubs, defeating Bryant’s squad, 4-2, in 2008.

With all that said, the Celtics win this series in six. It’s only fitting that a team that’s overcome the opposition’s home-court advantage in two straight rounds wins The Finals on the road.

By Josh Cohen

You know that feeling you get right before you step into a dentist’s office? You start thinking about that suction tool the dental hygienist will place in your mouth that makes it extremely difficult to swallow and having to listen to that dreadful lobby music while you lay there helpless and uncomfortable.

Actually, a visit to the dentist is probably more enjoyable then watching the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics compete in the NBA Finals, again!

The two most storied NBA franchises tip off their best-of-seven series on Thursday. Although I don’t care who wins (actually I hope somehow they both lose), I am convinced the Lakers are the better team and will capture their second straight NBA championship and 16th in club history.

First and foremost, L.A. possesses the best player, Kobe Bryant. The 12-time All-Star appears poised to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the fifth time and would love to earn some retribution from what transpired in the 2008 Finals when the Celtics eliminated the Lakers.

“We’re always focused on winning a championship,” Bryant said. “And when you do it, you want to do it again and again.”

Secondly, home-court advantage in The Finals is extremely essential, largely because of the 2-3-2 format. Since 1996, only three teams (1998 Bulls, 2004 Pistons and 2006 Heat) have won the title without the home-court edge. L.A., furthermore, is 6-1 all-time in the NBA Finals since the league adopted the 2-3-2 format in 1985. Also, the Lakers are undefeated (8-0) at STAPLES Center during the 2010 postseason.

Third, the Lakers have a proven answer for Paul Pierce, who was absolutely sensational in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Magic. Ron Artest is one of the league’s best lockdown defenders and he will be battle-tested against The Truth.

Many critics and analysts are using Andrew Bynum’s health (knee injury) as a reason why L.A. will struggle against Boston. But people seem to forget that Kendrick Perkins is also dealing with knee problems and is just one technical foul away from a one-game suspension.

Since this may be Phil Jackson’s final season with the Lakers (reports suggest he may sign elsewhere), there is no question that he wants to make sure he leaves the city a winner. The illustrious head coach, who captured six NBA titles with the Bulls and four thus far with the Lakers, would love to once again depart as a champion (just like he did in Chicago).

Let’s also keep this in mind: when the C’s defeated the Lakers during the regular season on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles, Bryant did not play (ankle).

L.A., moreover, rallied back from an 11-point deficit with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter at TD Garden in Beantown on Jan. 31 as Kobe buried a game-winning jumper in the final seconds to stun the C's.

I pick the Lakers to win in six games. It may not be too far-fetched to think that when all is set and done, this L.A. team will be remembered as one of the greatest squads in NBA history.