Do you remember what happened to Boston last year?

Once with Philly huh?!

They played vs Hawks in the first round and Cavs in the Semi final so how can they play vs Philly?

First round-Hawks in 7 games

Semi finals-Cavs in 7 games

Finals conference-Pistons 6 games

Final NBA-Lakers in 6 games

Well first of all the Lakers has to get to the Western Conference finals, I think they will but you said it yourself it is about matchups and since Yao been gone the Rockets beat the Lakers two times out of three games.

You brought up last year I do not think you can compare the Hawks team to an injured Utah Jazz team or a team headed by LBJ to a team that do not have their center or back up center playing also McGrady., The Hawks is one of the most athletic team in the league and the Celtics took them lightly, so yes maybe that series they Celtics did not have their game face on but the series against the Cavs was a war especially game 7 but the Celtics prevailed but maybe the difference was that game 7 was in Boston. They took Detroit out in six game and that was a little challenge.

But you are talking about a team that played Utah without their center Okur in most of their games and Boozer who was not 100% and utah came back in all their game and even won a game. This tells me that the Lakers cannot hold on to leads and luckily those leads in Utah were big leads and if you look at the Rocket series. at least two games that the Lakers lost they were tied in the fourth quarter at one point or down by 2 and they lost.

I also think they might have lost that game when Artest got thrown out, If you think about it, If they had called a flagrant on Kobe like they should of then they would have had 2 free throws and the ball back, Artest would have not got thrown out or the technical and so the Lakers would of not got a free throw or the ball, right now you are talking about a 5 or 6 point swing, Artest would have stayed in the game and possibly the Rockets having momentum and in close games so far the Rockets been better and if thy would have been a 5 or 6 point switch then the Rockets would have been down 5 or 7 with lots of time left.

Anyway you talked about Matchup, Billups is a pretty good defender and Carmelo defense has improved inmensely and this is one of the reason why the Nuggets finish the season strong and why they only lost one game in the post season so far and I am sure they will defend Kobe.

Yes they did win the championship, but that was with Garnett. Udonis Haslem was also an important factor. Orlando will finish them off in game 7. If not, the Celtics will lose against Lebron and The Cavs. I'll take the only undefeated team in the playoffs over a game 7 winner.

Denver has Chauncy Billups who is an elite defender. He would be able to guard Kobe, because Ariza is easily guardable. Lakers will not have an answer for Carmelo.

Carmelo vs. Lebron

or

Kobe vs. Lebron

The matchup we all been waiting for in the playoffs.

Oh and to answer your question,

the Red Sox won the World Series also.

The Patriots lost to the Giants in Super Bowl of 08.

The Bruins lost in the NHL Playoffs

and another kenyan won the marathon.

Lets see the Celtics had the best defense in the league last year which is why they were able to win the title plus they were a more aggressive and tougher team than the Lakers were last year and this year, the Lakers are a finesse team and the only way they make it to the finals is if the refs continue to help them like they do whenever there is a chance that the Lakers might lose a series watch game 7 and see for yourself.

lakers are not the boston celtics

you are saying the nuggets do not have an elite defender?

neither do the lakers

whos going to stop carmelo? billups? jr smith? nene?

the celtics last year was a defensive team compared to your lakers who have average defense... they do not have good defense lets face it..

now what denver is good at is scoring runs..not onlyt hat they have a pretty athletic bench not only that outside gasol and kobe the lakers are pretty much a crapshoot on offense..they live and die by the three...how can you be so sure that they can beat denver when they cant even beat the rockets..

coming into game7 even if they make it out there they will be worn out.. fatigue will take its place and the nuggets fresh and already studied lakers game play would come out and play.. did you see carmelo's defense on dirk on those final possesion?

your acting like the lakers are a lock down defensive team which they arent

Boston last year = one of the best defensive team

Lakers this year = NOT one of the best defensive team

No, I don't remember because apparently it was the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta.

http://www.nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/playoffs-s...

2nd of all, the Lakers have lost 2 games where they shot horrible and played horrible defense.

And, how can you say the Lakers don't match up well against the Rockets when they are two different teams with and without Yao? They don't match up because they don't play defense.

How can you say they match up with Denver and win?

I know, i don't think we should talk much about lakers loss.

1. they will be back on their court

2. after a hard loss, they always win

3. rockets are a good team, but don't forget by how many points they lost in game 5.

4. being in a tough series is mostly good for the winner, it keeps them hot (as a cavs fan, i am honestly concerned about that)

so I would just wait for game 7, and then talk.

=)

Way to get ur facts staright :P (it was cavs not sixers.) The difference with boston was tht they played with more intensity and they won with DEFENSE. Lakers win games with offense.Right now if i was u im not too concerend about the rockets,bet wut lies ahead. If the lakers played like this against the nuggets they are not in a good position.

yeah.. the Garneltics won the championship?

However the Lakers are not tough enough to get it done. The should be embarrassed to get blown out that bad last year, and to lose Twice to houston this year without Yao Ming..unimpressive!

don't get your hopes up. Boston is going to lose game 7 vs orlando