NBA Finals (Game 5) Highlight, After-thought

The Lakers adds aggressiveness to their game ... bringing to the basket and scoring down low. In the first-half they come out firing and play with desperation. But in the second, their play are more conservative and scrappy at times. Pau Gasol is in attacking mode throughout. He and Lamar Odom plays mostly under the basket.

(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images)

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Watch NBA TV game highlight (highlight1, highlight2) and post-game press (Rivers, Pierce, Garnett).

With Kendrick Perkins out and Kevin Garnett in early foul trouble, the Celtics has lost their edge in the paint. Towards the end of fourth quarter, Garnett, PJ Brown and Pierce are playing with 5 fouls. But the C's is still in the game with one minute left, partly help by the scrappy defence by the Lakers.

With Rondo mostly on the bench, Lakers takes advantage of the lack of quickness in the PG position, repeatly attacking before the C's can setup their defence.

Pierce, who has played the whole game, has 38 points and 8 assists.

While it's now obvious that Celtics is the better team in this series, their window of winning it is actually closing gradually with their physical condition. For Perkins, even if he could play the next game, it will be tough for him to be effective with his strain shoulder which is the same one being operated previously. Rondo's bruise ankle has already taken away his aggressiveness since. The biggest fear is Pierce and his bum knee and twisted ankle. He will be irreplacable if he goes down.

NBA Finals (Game 4) Highlight

This game shows that Celtics has stronger will and the Lakers cannot match.

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Yes, the C's play perhaps the best second-half in this series. But entering the second quarter, when nothing is going for them and trailing by 21 points, they focus to compete instead of worrying about the deficit. And after they fight hard to cut the margin to 12 midway, and then later losing the momentum to end the quarter when L's brings the lead back to 18, the C's comes out and still determines to compete.

Watch NBA TV game highlight (highlight1, highlight2) and post-game press (Rivers, Pierce, Garnett).

(Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

In the fourth, the Big Three are taking turn to make play ... Ray Allen's dribble-driving or distributing to open shooter, Pierce's defending Kobe and penetrating on the other end, Garnett's posting and rebounding. Together with Eddie House and James Posey on the floor, they play in unity and trusting each other ... something that is missing from their opponents.

Ray Allen, who plays all 48 minutes, has 19 points and 9 rebounds.

NBA Finals (Game 3) Highlight

When Boston Garden is filled with died-heart fans, the Staples Center has their LA stars.

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE/Getty Images)

As expected, the Lakers play with agressiveness. By getting to the paint, Kobe who scores 36 points is able to either making play or drawing foul. By doing so, they are getting high-pecentage shots. Had not been the poor free-throw shooting, the L's could have pulled away much early.

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(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

Lakers have made adjustment by switching Kobe and Fisher to defend their counterparts. It creates a few mismatch opportunity early for their transition offence. It also enables Kobe to serve as help defence when he can temporary leave his man.

Kobe has done a better job in penetrating Celtics' defence scheme, by continue dribbing past the C's help defence into the gap and paint area.

Lakers' bench, Sasha Vujacic in particular, outscores Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce combined.

The Celtics, other than Ray Allen, has a poor shooting game. But their defence and Ray Allen's offence has kept it within striking distance. As poor as their shooting, they are still in the game with a minute left.

Pierce doesn't seem to have his quickness throughout the game, most possibly because of his knee still hurting. C's also misses Rajon Rondo down the stretch, bordered by sprain ankle.

NBA Finals (Game 2) Highlight

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

With the uncertainty of Pierce's right knee, the Celtics play with more urgency in the first three quarters. This is partly reflected in the disparity of free-throw attempt, 38-10 to their favour. But it is also to do with the somewhat surprising inexperience of the Lakers, unable to counter the momentum when needed and playing soft at time. It results a 22 points lead for the C's into fourth quarter. The C's then becomes complacent, and the L's is able to build on their momentum.

Watch NBA TV game highlight (highlight1, highlight2) and postgame press (press1, press2).

Lakers' 41 points quarter is their largest against the Celtics in the playoff. This will give them psychological edge going back home. They have made a number of adjustment including establishing the post-game using Pau Gasol, and isolating Kobe at times to prevent C's defence help.

Celtics have played an efficient game, registered 31 assists and 52.9% shooting. The way they play is just nice to watch. It seems that the whole team, including the bench, is now peaking.

Pierce has 28 points and 8 assists. Leon Powe comes off the bench for 21 points. Rajon Rondo has 16 assists. Kevin Garnett and PJ Brown, in my opinion, are the unsung heros, defending the pick-n-roll and playing tough in the paint.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

NBA Finals (Game 1) Highlight

Every basketball individual is paying attention to this.

(Photo by Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images)

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

(Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

The scene of NBA Finals on the parquet floor is almost surreal.

(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

In the third quarter, Doc Rivers pulls his team together during timeout and said, "when adversity comes, we get through it together as a team." This is after Paul Pierce injuries his knee, being carried off the court in extreme pain and taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. It takes the air out of the team and everyone else in the Garden. Lakers have a 4 points lead.

The C's gathers their thought after the timeout. For the next one plus minutes, we all witness Celtics' ubuntu. They steps up their defence and offence, stopping Kobe's shot and scores the next 6 points. This is beautiful basketball.

Watch NBA TV game highlight (highlight1, highlight2) and postgame press (press1, press2).

Pierce's heroic return definitely gives the team a boost, not to mention his consecutive 3 pointers later on.

Other than Kobe, Fisher and Gasol, the rest of Lakers look nervous. On the contrary, the C's are much more composed. Garnett has 24 points and 13 rebounds, Pierce has 22, Ray Allen has 19, and Rondo has 15 points and 7 assists.

The Road to Triumph - The Second Act

The Big Three are exactly at where they want to be, playing in the NBA Finals and a chance for triumph. But their Celtics is widely considered as the underdog (ESPN), against Kobe's lead Lakers.

True, Celtics have beaten the Pistons (6 times Eastern finalists), at their own court, in 6 games. But Lakers have beaten the Spurs (reigning NBA champion) in 5.

Celtics have the Big Three (2.0), featuring Kevin Garnett (Defensive Player of the Year). But Lakers have MJ (2.0), featuring Kobe Bryant (MVP). Celtics have Paul (Pierce) and Ray. Lakers have Pau (Gasol) and Odom ... big men who can pass and shoot.

Celtics has the best defensive efficiency, even Lebron James could not crack through majority of that series . But Lakers play the triangle-post offence, in such efficiency even the Spurs repeatedly sees their double-digits lead evaporate.

Celtics' Red Auerbach is no longer watching from courtside. The successor, Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau, have been battle tested after three grilling series. But Lakers has the know-it-all Phil Jackson.

Rivers is known as quick learner and learning on the fly. Jaskon is better known as his laid-back style and letting players to figure out the game.

Celtics' bench has a nicely mix of youth with experience. Lakers' bench is catching-up fast because their coach allows them to play through mistake.

Celtics has the urgency to win, knowing how precious this opportunity is. Lakers has the savvy to win, having won it before.

Celtics has the home-court advantage. Lakers play game 3, 4 and 5 at home (2-3-2 format).

Celtics believes in Ubuntu. Lakers believes in Kobe Jackson.

Conclusion:

Celtics is now facing a better team for the first time in the playoff. They will need to fight every single game in this series, like it's game 7, keeping the Lakers off-balance and thus taking away some of their edges. They need to have their defence-offence game in sync in order to win game ... they need Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to score.

This battle will be won by the team with stronger will and character.

Celtics-Lakers Game Highlights

Here is the game highlights from NBA TV and ESPN, including those sexy Lakers' shorts. Had they wear tight jerseys as well, they will be looked more like the Aussie Rule Football (AFL) team.

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Three-teams Race to the Conference Final

Around this time of the NBA calender, you read prediction about which team will win the conference anywhere you go. So let me immerse myself to this role play.

No, i am not going to hard sell you the Celtics except saying this, the chance of Boston to get there is better than 1 in 4. But there are few other teams which are rated higher than the Celtics by many experts. The Bulls, the Pistons, and may be the Cavaliers, from top of my head.

The Pistons are definitely a threat. With the core group of Billups, Hamilton, Prince and Wallace, Mcdyess, they have the superior match-up against the Celtics' triple-threat, either in isolation or in transition. I'm looking forward to their first match-up in regular season.

Many have rated the Bulls the top team in the east, based on their toughness and deep run in last season playoff. Somehow i feel the Celtics will have a better chance if facing them, with Pierce and Garnett playing the low/high post game, verse the Bulls' perimeter game.

The Cavaliers are probably less a threat at this stage, as they're still trying to bring back the full team from last season. Let's give them a bit more time.

OK, the above is based on what we have already known.

What about the thing we don't know yet, such as .....
(it's in today's sport news) the possibility of Kobe Bryant be traded .....

My first reaction is, to subscribe every cable sports TV available and to start re-arranging my appointment schedule for the next few months.

Seriously, to make this trade possible, the other team must have enough assets to offer and deep pocket to take on Bryant's contract, and he will only be interested in playing for a title contender. So there are only handful of teams qualified, and i am assuming that Lakers will cross out those teams that are competing in the same conference.

So here are my two possible scenerios (the number in bracket is how many years remaining in contract):

<1> Trade Bryant (3 yrs) to Detroit, for Richard Hamilton (3 yrs), Jason Maxiell (1 yr), Rodney Stuckey (2 yrs) or Ronald Murray (1 yr) plus other bench players. Bryant will team up with Billups, Prince, Wallace and to become the all defence-team of the league.

This is purely from my speculation. But the possible trade will meet both teams' need. Lakers will get Hamilton and Stuckey to somewhat fill-in the vaccum, in the catagory of total point per game and in defence, and to build for the future prospect of Stuckey and Bynum. In addition, Lakers will also add Maxiell to strength their rebound and interior defence catagory, Detroit, needless to say, will get another shot to the Final, with most of their core group intact. I am, however, assuming that Bryant doesn't mind to move from LA to Detroit (i could imagine it'll be a culture shock to him). A question remains is how Detroit's offer can beat the next team (below) for the trade.

<2> Trade Bryant to Chicago, for Tyrus Thomas (1 yr), Ben Gordon (1 yr), Chris Duhon (1 yr), Thabo Sefolosha (1 yr), Viktor Khryapa (1 yr) and may be another bench player. Bryant will team up with Hinrich, Deng, Wallace and Nocioni (or Joe Smith) as the starting five.

This will be the best possible offer available in market right now, in terms of value for return (even better if Chicago is willing to include Deng or Hinrich) and Bryant has already given his consesus to play for the Bulls. The problem with the Bulls is whether they will find good enough player to fill the void (much like what Boston have gone through).

The experts analyse that possible trade will not happen till the season ends. If, however, the above scenerio does materialise, it will still be a three-teams race to the conference final. But fighting for better seeding in playoff will likely be at top of the list for each team right from the start.

It is going to be a fantastic season to watch.