Last night, I sat on my couch and watched the three best teams in the NBA each take on teams they should’ve beaten. Two of those teams did.
The Boston Celtics thoroughly dominated the Chicago Bulls in the first part of the evening. Watching the Celts pick apart and outwork the much younger Bulls was like watching the old lion put the young lion in his place. The Bulls were loafing the entire night, and granted they played the night before and put a whipping on Bron Bron’s Cavs, they got run off the court.
The Spurs took on the Nuggets in the second game, at relatively the same time as the game between the Lakers and Clippers. The game between the Spurs and Nuggets was predictably boring for a half then the Nuggets came to life and beat the Spurs for the first time in a long time. The Lakers and Clippers game was fun to watch, if only because the Lakers showed again, after a little rest, why they are a favorite in the Western Conference.
Watching these three games, I learned little bit about how this season should shake out. The Lakers and Celtics are going to play in the NBA Finals, and the greatest rivalry in professional sports for over 30 years will be reborn. Once again the two teams embody the cities they play in. The Lakers have the flash and sparkle of Hollywood, and the Celtics are the hard working, blue collar Boston. Magic and Larry, Wilt and Bill, Worthy and Ainge, the list could go on and on. I won’t do that here. It’s new again, and David Stern must’ve been weeping with joy at Staples Center last night watching a fast-breaking Hollywood story unfold in front of his eyes, while in Boston the Mean Green Machine had pounded out another win. The styles contrast again as they always have. The Lakers move the ball and rely on a strong post player to anchor their half-court offense, then they get out and run when the opportunity arises. The Celtics are again the defensive stalwarts, with an amazing Power Forward leading the charge on offense. Two great teams. One O’Brien Trophy.
I’m not ready to call who might win the series between these two teams, because the Lakers are so much different now than they were when the two played last, but it will be another series for the ages, and will likely go 7 games.
The NBA is finally out of the doldrums. Ain’t it grand?
