Los Angeles had to win two straight at home to capture their second straight title. It was sweet revenge for Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, who tasted defeat at the hands of the same Celtics two years ago in the Finals.

It was an ugly game for both teams. The Celtics shot 41 percent from the field while the Lakers shot 33 percent. The Lakers were down by six at halftime with Gasol and Bryant shooting a combined 6 of 26 in the first two quarters. But Los Angeles kept scrapping in the third to cut the Celtics lead to four entering the fourth.

Derek Fisher scored a game tying three with four minutes left in the fourth and Ron Artest made a momentum swinging field goal down the stretch. The Celtics were never able to recover after that. Bryant was named the Finals MVP.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Ray Allen shot horribly from the field and finished with 13 points and Kevin Garnett had 17 points but grabbed only three rebounds. Kendrick Perkins’ absence was evident in the battle of the boards; the Lakers grabbed 53 rebounds to the Celtics 40. 23 of those 53 rebounds were offensive. Rajon Rondo’s 15 point, 10 assist and 8 rebound performance was wasted. He was by far the best Celtic on the floor.

The Lakers will be going for their third straight championship next season but it’ll be hard to do that without coach Phil Jackson. Jackson is in the final year of his contract.

With Kobe’s fifth ring, now people can talk about comparing him to Michael Jordan. Or maybe that doesn’t start until he wins his sixth?

Los Angeles Lakers Merchandise

The Lakers bested their rivals in seven games. Celebrate Los Angeles’ victory with Lakers merchandise, Lakers bedding, Lakers jewelry and Lakers watches. You’ll find a great selection of items to commemorate the victory of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Team Basketball is Key for Celtics

There will be no duels in this series because of Boston’s unwillingness to do so. The Celtics know that it was team basketball that has brought them to the Finals. They trumped Dwyane Wade in Miami, LeBron James in Cleveland and Dwight Howard in Orlando. And now they’re on the brink of taking out the biggest superstar of them all in Kobe Bryant. Watching the Celtics unselfish play makes it possible to believe that NBA all stars have no ego at all. In the three victories of the Celtics in the Finals, they were led by different players. Ray Allen exploded in Game 2, Nate Robinson and Glen “Big Baby” Davis boosted the Celtics in Game 4 and Paul Pierce trumped Ron Artest in Game 5. Every game, there’s been a different hero. How do the Lakers prepare for that? Meanwhile, Los Angeles has become very predictable. Cut off Kobe’s supporting cast and you have Kobe scoring 30 plus points in a loss.

Bryant Still Has It

Many were quick to say that Kevin Durant was a better basketball player than Kobe after the Oklahoma City Thunder gave the Los Angeles Lakers problems in the first round. But it’s been a month after that series and Durant is home eating popcorn while Bryant is in the Finals playing for his fifth ring. One thing’s for sure, Kobe is still king despite the many commercials of LeBron James Nike forces us to sit through. Bryant is still a scoring machine but he needs his supporting cast to beat the Celtics.

The 2010 Finals Are Unpredictable

Despite the Celtics moving into one game within the Larry O’Brien trophy, this year’s finals are one of the hardest to predict in recent memory. The Lakers entered as the favorite to win it all after their performance against the Suns and Jazz, but that has changed since the Celtics won Game 5. Who would’ve predicted that Doc Rivers would outcoach Phil Jackson? Or that Big Baby’s play would determine an outcome of a game?

NBA Merchandise

Continue to support your team with our Los Angeles Lakers Merchandise or Boston Celtics Merchandise. NBA watches and NBA jewelry are available for the Lakers and Celtics. Additional basketball merchandise is available at the NBA store.

It was a complete reversal in this year’s finals. Back in 2008, the Celtics were more physical and basically imposed their will on the Lakers. They punked Pau Gasol into playing a little man’s game and forced Kobe Bryant to shoot terrible from outside. Fast forward to year 2010, the Lakers outrebounded the Celtics 42 to 31. Gasol outplayed Kevin Garnett by notching 23 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists. He punked Garnett and Kendrick Perkins in the paint in a desperate attempt to shed his ‘soft’ label.

Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was ineffective the whole game. He could not steer his team into a smooth offensive flow. A large part of that can be owed to Bryant guarding him. Kobe stayed in front of the Celtics guard and prevented him from getting into the lane.

Ray Allen found himself in foul trouble all night. He scored only 12 points and was on the bench in moments when the Lakers were pulling away.

But the biggest difference was Ron Artest. Paul Pierce had to work for his points. He scored 24 points, but half of those were from the free throw line. Artest got into Pierce’s head in the opening moments of the game when both players got tangled up and fell to the floor. Not only did Artest contain Pierce but he hit the three that put the game completely out of reach for the Celtics. Bryant and Gasol got their numbers but the biggest difference maker was Artest.

How will the Celtics respond? With the way they played, the Lakers look headed for a sweep.

NBA Merchandise

Continue to support your team with our NBA merchandise. Head on over and check out our NBA bedding for your kids bedroom. NBA watches and NBA jewelry are also available for the Lakers and Celtics. Additional basketball merchandise is available at the NBA store.

Major storylines:

Defense

Boston took out three superstar led teams to reach the finals. Miami’s Dwyane Wade got his numbers but still succumbed to the Celtics tight D. Many expected LeBron James to bully his way against Boston. Not the case. James got his numbers but for the second straight year failed to reach the finals. Dwight Howard’s supporting cast was completely shut down. Howard did not enjoy support like he did in Orlando’s previous playoff series’.

What we’re trying to say is the Lakers have never faced a defense as stifling as Boston’s. Kobe Bryant will get his numbers but how is he going to involve his supporting cast?

The Lakers finally have someone to contain Paul Pierce. Ron Artest is the best perimeter defender in the league and he’ll make Pierce work for his points. Bryant can focus his attention towards Rajon Rondo. It’ll be interesting to see how much Pau Gasol has grown and how he’ll respond to Kendrick Perkins’ and Kevin Garnett’s rough defense.

Celtics have the obvious advantage in defense.

Rajon Rondo

Rondo is arguably the best point guard in the league. He is capable of hitting 15-footers now unlike in 2008. Bryant can’t leave him open anymore and help out swarming Pierce and Allen. The Lakers have to slow the pace down and take away Rondo’s quickness in the open court. Everything starts with Rondo on offense, if he’s shut down the entire Celtics offense will stall.

Bench

The bench will be a major factor for both teams. Rasheed Wallace has come on strong in the playoffs, Big Baby Davis provides energy and hustle and Nate Robinson can score points in a hurry. For the Lakers, Lamar Odom needs to stay focused. They can’t afford him to go drifting into space. Shannon Brown will have to play great defense on Ray Allen and Jordan Farmar has to knock down some shots.

Verdict

This is a tough call with both teams playing at such a high level. Lakers in 6 given that Kobe will be in revenge mode.

NBA Merchandise

Even if your team didn’t make the playoffs, you can still flaunt your team’s colors with our NBA merchandise. You can also check out our NBA bedding for your favorite team. NBA watches and NBA jewelry make the perfect gift for a basketball fan. To see some great basketball merchandise, head on over to the NBA store.

Can Kobe Bryant and the Lakers avenge their 2008 Finals loss to the Celtics? Show your support with fantastic Los Angeles Lakers merchandise that include banners, wall clocks, flags, throw blankets, pillows, comforters,wall hangings and wallpaper border.

Decorate your bedrooms with our Los Angeles Lakers bedding. Drape everything in purple and yellow to support the Lakers on their quest for a second straight championship. Never feel left out with our selection of Los Angeles Lakers merchandise.

MyTeamBling.com also has a selection of Lakers watches, Lakers bracelets, Lakers necklaces, Lakers rings and Lakers earrings.

It’s going to be exciting knowing that the Lakers are out for revenge against the Celtics. check out additional Los Angeles Lakers merchandise at our NBA Shop

Celtics fans are itching to prove that their 2008 win over the LA Lakers wasn’t a fluke. Support their cause with our great Boston Celtics bedding. There’s more Boston Celtics merchandise available to keep you feeling the luck of the Leprechaun in the Finals.

Additional Celtics merchandise like wall clocks, waste baskets. throw blankets, pillows, drapes, wallpaper borders and banners are available at MySportsDecor.com. All made available for spreading the hatred towards the Lakers.

Keep the Leprechaun alive wherever you go. You can never come short of luck when its against these Lakers.  Head on over to MyTeamBling.com for a selection of Celtics watches, Celtics bracelets, Celtics earrings and Celtics necklaces.

If you think the Celtics need all the luck in the world, check out additional Celtics merchandise at our NBA Shop. Never hurts to flaunt a little luck.

Orlando has been overlooked for much of the playoffs, but have managed to knock out high-profile teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers.  They’ll use that underdog status in the finals to further motivate themselves to come out on top.

Los Angeles is looking to redeem themselves from last year’s loss in the finals to the Celtics.  Kobe Bryant is going for his fourth ring and the first without Shaquille O’Neal.

Who do you think will win the 2009 NBA Finals?  Do the Lakers have it sewn up, or will the Magic take out another favored team to take it all?  Take our quick poll and pick your winner.

You can always find fun Los Angeles Lakers merchandise and Orlando Magic merchandise at MySportsDecor.com to decorate your home or office.  You can also check out some unique Los Angeles Lakers watches and Orlando Magic watches at MyTeamBling.com.

Photo by RMTip21 available under a Creative Commons Attribution license.