This, That, and the Other

Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics proved once and for all that anything is possible when they completed their dominant run to the NBA Championship by embarassing the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92. Garnett finished with his standard double-double, scoring a game high 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Ray Allen also had 26 points of his own, hitting 7-9 from 3-point land. Rajon Rondo had a surprisingly stellar performance, scoring 21 while adding 8 assists and 6 steals. Paul Pierce also chipped in with 17 points and took home the hardware for NBA Finals MVP. Apparently his Oscar for best actor is in the mail for his performance in Game 1, in which after being carried off the court, he managed to return to the floor some 5 minutes later and carried his team to a decisive Game 1 victory.

Kobe Bryant scored a team high 22 points for the Lakers, but only managed to go 7-22 from the floor. This certainly wasn’t his best effort, but he didn’t get much help either. Lamar Odom added 14 points, and Pau Gasol mustered a measley 11 points and 8 boards. Their subpar performances in the finals have given rise to such nicknames as Lamar Fold’em and Oww Gasol. Jordan Farmar came off the bench for the Lakers with 12 points, but that wasn’t enough to get it done, as they were the only four Lakers in double figures. European sensations Vladimir Radmanovic and Sasha Vujacic combined for a modest 13 points and 5 rebounds as the Lakers fell in the finals to the Celtics 4-2 to wrap up the marathon that was the NBA Playoffs.

This caps an impressive run by the Celtics who finished the regular season with a 66-16 record, and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Celtics played in a record 26 playoff games, beating the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and finally (no pun intended) the Lakers en route to their 17th NBA Championship, the most by any franchise in the history of the sport.

Congratulations to Doc Rivers and the Celtics. It was an impressive march to the NBA title. I am happy to see Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett get rings, as they say. They have both had great careers and carry themselves with class, KG’s on-court potty mouth aside. As a Minnesota Timberwolves fan I find myself feeling utterly dissappointed more than anything though. I can’t help but lament the blunders of Kevin McHale and the franchise over the last decade, and wonder what might have been…