The Final

Selection

GAME 7

BOSTON (+7) @ LA LAKERS

Game 6 was quite the lack of offense by the Celtics, but it got the job done and forced a game 7 and millions of dollars of extra revenue for the league.  In a strange twist of irony, the last time the Celtics were held to under 70 points was in game 6 of the 2008 playoffs, and they came back to beat LeBron's Cavs in game 7.    There's one major difference between this game 7 at Los Angeles and that game 7 vs. the Cavs: they were giving 7 points that game.  This time, they are on the receiving end.

This is it.  From a business standpoint, it's the NBA's dream.  The Lakers moneyline in game 6 was virtual lock; the question was weather they would cover the 6.5 points. They did in a big way, leaving the Celtics with one of their worse losses since Garnett came to town.  This is going to be a hard fought game.   We know it's almost a sure thing the Celtics will get plenty more points than 68, and they will step up the defense to match it.  Also, they were (-13) in rebounding margin so look for a better effort on the boards in this sense of urgency- especially out of Garnett.  They didn't come this far to go out like that in 2 consecutive games.   Ok so they just lost by 22 points.  It doesn't happen often.  Fourteen times the Celtics have lost a game by 14+ points since Garnett arrived at the start of the 2007-2008 season, and they are 11-3 straight up in the next game and 12-2 setting a hypo of (+7).  The last 11 times they were held under 80 points, they got at least 96 points in 10 of the next 11 games.  Also keep in mind this is the Celtics we are talking about here: not some pushover.  This is a team that not only beat Dwayne Wade, Cleveland and Orlando, but downright embarrassed them.  This is their last hurrah. They know this is it.  They aren't comin' back.  I'll be surprised if they get blown out again considering they did not lose consecutive games by double digits to playoff teams all season.  Last year, they went the entire season w/o consecutive double digit losses.  This is a team that bounces back.

It's been a great season for these 2 elite clubs and it all comes down to 1 final thing between these 2 teams that was missing in 1987 and 2008: a game 7.  The Celtics might not win this one outright, but count on them to stay within the number as in the last 2 years they have lost back-2-back games by double digits just 1 time over a span of 216 games.

Take Boston plus the points

 

 

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