Did You Know The Lakers And Celtics Play Tonight?

Is it just me, or does it seem like forever since there's been a basketball game to watch? After spending the last month and a half watching at least one playoff game every night, the last six game-less days have been pretty long.

Especially with the non-stop barrage of hype being built up by ESPN and the NBA.

So tonight when the two teams tip-off at the Staples Center TD Bank North Garden (how catchy!), I'm going to be a happy man. Of course, not happy in the sense that Panger is happy about it (Did she really admit to rooting for the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons all in one post? Is she trying to get fired?), just happy that I'll finally have a game to watch (though the Stanley Cup Finals did an adequate job filling in).

It should be noted, though, that I hate both teams, and won't be rooting for either of them. All I'm hoping for is a good, close, series that possibly goes seven games. In fact, the dream sequence would go something like this.

After splitting the first six games (four of which went to double overtime), we're at the Staples CenterTD Bank North Garden for game seven. We're in quintuple overtime, with 10 seconds left on the clock, and Boston sporting a 198-197 lead. It's Lakers ball and Kobe drives by Brian Scalabrine (he's in because Paul Pierce and James Posey both fouled out in the third overtime) and rises in the air as the clock winds down.

Kobe elevates and releases the ball just before the buzzer sounds, and it glides towards the rim, and just as it's about to go in.....


...an asteroid hits the Staples CenterTD North Bank Garden and kills everybody inside! Oh the humanity!

Still, I doubt that it's going to happen no matter how hard I cross my fingers.

In fact, there won't even be a seventh game in this series, as the Lakers are going to win it in six games. If it weren't for the idiotic 2-3-2 format that the NBA switches to for the Finals (I understand they do this because of travel concerns for the foreign and local press, but it's still dumb as hell. Play the entire postseason in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, and then switch it for the Finals...dumb) I'd actually have the Lakers winning in five.

I know that the Celtics have the big three in Garnett, Pierce, and Ray Allen, but Kobe, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol isn't exactly a bad trio either. Not to mention that the Lakers probably have a deeper bench than the Celtics, and they have a head coach who knows a thing or two about winning championships in Phil Jackson.

The Celtics have Doc Rivers.

Aside from all of that, the Lakers are just the better team, and they've played a lot better than the Celtics this postseason. They're averaging over 105 points a game, and they aren't exactly pushovers on the defensive end either.

Besides, do you really think there's anyway the NBA would allow the Lakers to lose this in Kobe's MVP season?