On Expansion of the Global Game In-League

NBA ALL-STAR 2024 | INDIANAPOLIS

With the conclusion of All-Star Weekend 2024 that blended classic gameplay and new technology, the Regular Season returns to finish the remaining ~25+ games for Franchises in competition for seedings in brackets Playoffs and the Play-In Tournament (est. 2020) respectively. With several subjects on the state of the Association re: Players, Referees, Awards criteria, and the Draft discussed during Commissioner Adam Silver’s media availability, what is often not discussed openly and rather in mum terms is League Expansion in this Era of the National Basketball Association.

In the past, sports has witnessed in North America expansion as “addition via absorption” within the United States basketball scene or “addition via creation” in the Canadian market. Teams either existed already or were created on the basis of market demand — the ABA and its conceding to the NBA via negotiations, while the defunct Vancouver Grizzlies and the Toronto Raptors, one-time champions, were considered novelties then.

Today, A.Silver has openly expressed in an interview with The Dan Patrick Show that the League is open to expanding the number of Teams within the Association via a foreign country in a different continent with a Sovereign Wealth Fund. This is not impossible in academic terms but should business interests pursue this track and tack to Franchise then it would be hard to ignore the Invisible Hand in the economic context when current leadership can entertain the possibility given the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Lawson, G/F ECO PRIME BLDG, FORT BONIFACIO, BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY, TAGUIG, PHILIPPINES

Countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia own investment funds that are state-owned with fiscal resources acquired from stakeholders elsewhere. But additional Team/s could mean changes in the overall structure of gameplay in the NBA. Legitimate questions on the number of Games to be played could lead to the questioning of the viability of the 82-game regular season as current floor and ceiling for scope.

Can the NBA as a professional basketball league unlike any other trim the length of games before the Playoffs played by Teams since the 1967-1968 season with net profits in mind as an Association together with Governors? In the final analysis, a 65-game season with more Teams in competition would lead to more games played in total, theoretically speaking. And less games could mean more competitiveness, more intensity as there are less chances to get in the Playoffs by the numbers. Wary and cautious, understanding and agreement must be reached before the formal transactions.

PHOTO CREDIT:

1) Locsin, Mark Angelo C., NBA LEAGUE PASS

2) Ibid, City of Taguig

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NBA ’23-’24: In-Season Tournament Group Play Ends AS Las Vegas Knockout Rounds set

Four teams from each Conference remain in contention to win first Championship

Koi-inspired design of courts a result of innovation in Commissioner Adam Silver‘s professional basketball League 10 seasons in for Qualification, the National Basketball Association has introduced via its Front Office after deliberation between Governors, players, and referees new formatting for how a Season can be played and aficionados of sports have witnessed the new rules in familiar setting in the past couple of weeks. Talks included broadcasting between network television.

10 seasons in and ongoing, this is a bigger deal personally speaking than previous changes even in Playoffs settings like the Quarterfinals Best-of-5 series format (prior to completing the sequence of Best-of-7 series thru the NBA Finals) & the Home-Away gaming formats in the NBA Finals from 2-3-2 and towards the current 2-2-1-1-1 format all in terms of potential profits and the security of ‘Player Participation’ in consideration of schedule mechanics in-competition and the single location for the formal Rounds of play — Nevada for the year. This is the new regular season.

With Group Play finished last 29 Nov, the game to watch as suggested viewing would be the Toronto Raptors vs the Brooklyn Nets, which had a final box score of 103-115. The significance of this game captures the dynamics of an In-Season Tournament with pressure. Heading into the matchup, the Brooklyn Nets needed to win the game with a minimum # of points (double digits) as regards point differential; the total number of points scored in Group Play was measured and considered as another factor to proceed to the Knockout Rounds. Head Coach Jacque Vaughn of the Nets noticed his team had secured the victory for their win-loss record but needed a lead of 20 points to advance. It was a team reaction with adjustments on the part of Staff in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

It was discussed with an ESPN journalist the decision to inaugurate a fresh take on games as the season progresses. He can confirm the In-Season Tournament as a whole, which will culminate 9 Dec, is:

“…bargaining with compromise reached. Player Rest addressed with mobility in one city. More economical way to go about competition before playoffs with money expected to be drawn from.”

Zach Lowe, ESPN Senior Writer, @zachlowe_nba

In passing, a writer with tenure at The Athletic replied on a whim to confirm Commissioner Silver’s:

“In-Season Tournament is no new innovation in American sports but it is an innovation in the NBA game, an extra showcase of performance with early season scouting ready for bragging rights considering scheduling. Formulaic.”

Sam Amick, The Athletic Senior NBA Writer, @sramick

The 2023-2024 Season is not done experimenting.

Why not a fresh format relaxed on offensive goaltending(?)

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PHOTO CREDIT:

1) Locsin, Mark Angelo C., NBA LEAGUE PASS

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The Wall and Arenas Connection – Success or Failure?

“With the Number 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards select John Wall from the University of Kentucky.” As said by Commissioner David Stern, now looking down the road are the Wizards, with Arenas, who’s coming back from the dumbest move of his life and ready to go.

Now questions arise “Can Wall and Arenas actually co-exist in the same backcourt?” Well, putting Arenas at the 2 is a good decision, but will he able to guard the Kobe’s and the Wade’s. If they experiment with that backcourt, it would be a ‘High Risk, High Reward” type of thing. If it works out that would be a dream come true for Ernie Grunfield and Flip Saunders.

With Wall running the point and Arenas spotting up for three, they would be a possibly better backcourt than Curry and Ellis which would be so amazing. If it doesn’t and Gilbert wont understand why the ball has to be with Wall a lot of times and why he has too be the one who’s spotting up we would be looking at a trade situation, which is possibly the worst possible scenario. But, if they trade Arenas they’ll need an All-Star in return. You know maybe, someone like Danny Granger, Al Jefferson or possibly Monta Ellis which isn’t all bad or is it?

What do you think? Don’t forget to comment down low.

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PHOTO CREDIT:

1) Getty Images

Paolo Palanca is a contributor to Hoops Head Central.

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It’s Over For The Celtics

After an amazing run in the playoffs getting past D-Wade and the Heat, Lebron and the Cavs and Superman and the Magic their run to the playoffs ended in a heartbreaking 7-game series with their all-time rival the Lakers.

Now, they look down the road as Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are gonna be free agents. Garnett is entering the final year of his contract you would think they would trade him to get a younger more dynamic player. You could probably say their gonna be a lottery team next year, but if they do bring back Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, questions will start whether they have enough in them to win another championship and can they stay healthy.

Their biggest problem still is their coach area. Tom Thibodeau will be the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls. With that said, their defense will likely collapse next season. Coach Rivers, on the other hand, has agreed to stay one more year. Without Doc, they would’ve been a lost team, although they could look forward to Rajon Rondo’s progression. Also, if they bring Paul and Ray they’ll be over the luxury tax which could be a drag for the front office.

This could probably be the apocalypse for the Big Three all of them gone, except Rondo, who is a very valuable piece to build around if they decide to start from scratch. A lot of questions are gonna be answered this off-season. Every move they make this off season will shape their future, which wont be very bright either way.

Now, we ask you, NBA fans.

Do you believe it’s the apocalypse for the C’s now?

Don’t forget to comment down low.

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PHOTO CREDITS:

1 & 2) Getty Images

Paolo Palanca is a contributor to Hoops Head Central.

You may connect with him through Facebook:

Paolo Palanca

The NBA Finals Recap: Game Five

GAME FIVE

West’s Los Angeles Lakers versus East’s Boston Celtics (86-92)

(Celtics lead series 3-2)

Last Celtic home game of the season. Yes, the crowd was fired up.

The Celtics went off on a torrid start, shooting 3-straight field goals. The Lakers would then start to toughen up. Both Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher were making unbelievable plays after another. Kobe Bryant would then add some of points in the scoreboard as well. A KG-Rondo-Pierce trio led the Celtics in the 1st Quarter. The quarter went back-and-forth. In the end, the Celtics would seize the lead, a 20-22 1st Quarter lead over the Lakers.

The 2nd Quarter was similar, as well. The Boston bench, who apparently sparked the Game 4 win, didn’t play stellar. Glen Davis and Nate Robinson, combine for 4 points only. Other than that, The Boston starting line-up made up for the inconsistency of the bench. 45-39 Boston at the half.

The 2nd half got a lot more interesting. The Black Mamba scored on all cylinders like it was an ocean. He scored 19 straight points at a time for his team. Sadly, Basketball is a team game. The other Lakers never contributed in the 3rd. Only Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and The Machine contributed. However, they contributed below than 10 points. On the other side, the Boston Celtics were just scoring bucket-after-bucket. No one can stop each and every single one of them, who stepped on the court. KG and Paul Pierce went on a scoring-tear. The Celtics’ Defense looked so inevitable. Even Tony Allen blocked a 7′ footer, named Pau Gasoft, err, Pau Gasol.

In the 4th Quarter, we saw Rajon Rondo do this:

-Yes, I too say it’s surreal.

A 21-19 4th Quarter would seal the victory for the Boston Celtics.

Hustle plays and Defense made the Celtics look inescapable. Throughout the night, we saw both of these in play. Now, the series shifts back to the City of the Angelic. Will we see L.A. have another ‘Bean Town Hang-Over’, or shall we see the Lakers push the series to Game 7? I say ‘Go Celtics!’.

PHOTO CREDITS:

1) Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

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Shoot me an email at cualocsin12@gmail.com

Q&A Session: Lucas Shapiro – The Celtics’ NBA Final Preview

Well, this is kinda late. Sorry.

Yes, the Boston Celtics. We all know them. They’re not as championship-hyped this year. But, hey, they proved everyone wrong. After winning against the Heat, the Cavs and the Magic, they’ve made a bold statement to the league and us, the fans. Remember the 2nd-half of the season? They were playing horrid. Finishing 4th in the Eastern Conference standings. Albeit, they still have that experience inside their team. And obviously, the Playoffs is a different scenario now. They’ve woke up and they’re now much more energized than ever before. Now, their against their all-time rival, the Los Angeles Lakers.

I brought in my good friend, Lucas Shapiro, who actually is my 1st boss in the NBA blogosphere. Anyway, he’s best-known for his works in Bleacher Report as a Featured Columnist and in Dimemag.com as an Intern. He is also Real Sports Net’s Director of Content in the NBA area.

The Q’s are in Orange while L-Shap’ anwsers are in Celtic green.

Way before the Playoffs started, Celtics weren’t even in talks being in the NBA Finals. How does it feel seeing your Celtics be back in the limelight after a 1-year absence and proving those analysts and haters wrong?

I’m happy for them. I definitely did not see this coming. I thought they were going to be gone in the first round since they were not playing hard at the end of the season. I guess the new trend of taking the second half of the season off has worked for them.

This team is completely different from the NBA’s regular season. With your guys getting rejuvenated and all, have you even expected them to wake up?

I thought they wouldn’t wake up. I was watching how poorly Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were playing and I thought they didn’t have a chance this year.

What are Boston’s keys to win these series?

Their main problem is rebounding. They are not the tallest team, so their key is to box out. That means everyone too, not just the big man. Everyone needs to crash the boards, force L.A to only take one shot on each possession. If they can do that, they can win the series.

When the season started, we saw a different Rajon Rondo. He garnered an All-Star performace in Dallas early in the year. Not only that, he also lead the league in steals; earning him a spot in the All-NBA Defensive team. Now, the Celtics main concern is him being limited. How does this affect the team’s play and how do the Celtics bounce back from this?

I always knew Rajon Rondo was going to be a great player ever since the beginning of the 2008 season. The lack of a consistent three-point shot can be a problem only if Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are missing shots. We saw Allen and Pierce go 0-6 from the three-pointer in Game 1 and that is one of the reasons why Rondo was less effective.

The Celtics are renowned for players, who contribute unexpectedly. Players like Glen Davis (HEAT series), ‘Sheed (CAVS series) and Nate Robinson (MAGIC series) headline the list. Now, which specific Celtic is gonna breakout and be the X-Factor in the team’s quest for Championship #18?

I really think that Tony Allen is the key to the series. It was mentioned on Dimemag.com recently and I completely agree. The Lakers don’t pay attention to the Celtics role players and Allen is the type of guy who can pick up the tempo and expose the Lakers’ lack of speed.

I’ve read your article on Bleacher Report about the 2010 NBA Finals. And I saw you picked the Celtics in 6. Why is that? Just to let the readers know.

(I actually picked the Celtics in 7) I think the Celtics have better chemistry and toughness. Everyone is talking about how the Lakers became tough. I don’t really believe it. They won one game! Call me biased but I think it takes more than one game to show your true colors.

I think that’s about everything, man. Anything else to say?

I’d say check my stuff out at Bleacher Report and Dimemag.com (*Click the links).You have a great site Mark and I’ll be sure to check it out. Keep up the great work.

Thanks! I really appreciate the time you gave us. Don’t give up on writing, Lucas. You’re bound for ESPN or any supreme Sports network out there in a few years.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images

Elsa/Getty Images

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

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Shoot me an email at cualocsin12@gmail.com

Witnessing The End of Cleveland Basketball?

Nike calls us LeBron’s witnesses, right? Well, after losing the series against the Celtics, do we even bother to watch Cavalier games now? I for one, say ‘we still should’. The only reason why – Lebron James. Watching the King is like amazing. He’s fun to watch. Great basketball player. He can shoot, pass and rebound. But there are also negatives about him. I mean, he’s a complete player and all. But, come playoff time? It’s like the team doesn’t get the leadership from him. Also, Lebron has heard of criticism from the media and the fans. 2 rumors that is. 1 – Talks about him wearing the leaving the Cavs. And 2 – His mother Gloria sleeps with Delonte West, a fellow Cavalier. It may have affected the King during the Boston series, which they lost. It would be a totally different ‘Bron without those. Hence, those two horrid setbacks at home may have been avoided. Being regarded as one of the best players in the game today, it’s like his the only one who makes the team what it is today. It’s not like Mo Williams or even Shaq takes over once his cold. Even if his cold, he passes the ball well.

As i’ve said Lebron is a complete player, per se. With that said, a lot of teams out there are interested in his service. Particularly, the Knicks, the Nets, the Bulls, the Heat. And maybe, even the Clippers. If you’re a die-hard fan of the Cavs, you’re gonna feel more light-headed now. LeBron has cited in his interview with Larry King, that he’s given the Cavs the edge in Free Agency. He’s still weighing his options, though. We’ll talk more about this later.

Now, the Cavs have fired head coach Mike Brown. Can we say he’s responsible for the two horrid years? Yes. Fact: He doesn’t distribute minutes well to his players. That was the case with Shaq after losing in the Boston series. Shaq would complain and later they would exchange words in the locker room. Even LBJ can’t keep his mouth shut, the players are blaming him. For me, it’s a good thing he’s gone. It’s always a ‘No LeBron, No Cavs’ situation without the King. The Lakers are the complete opposite. I can’t believe i’m saying this but when Kobe was hobbled with injuries earlier the season, every Laker was contributing and everyone seems to step-up. Gosh, i’ll confess this sin right away. Anyway, let’s go back to the topic.

This team has been in NBA Finals talks since 2009. Instead, confidence took over. 2009 was just unacceptable for the Cavaliers. A surprising Orlando Magic team clinched an appearance on the NBA Finals after winning the series against the Cavs. And, it would all start from there. 3 weeks ago, the Celtics got the Cavaliers on a wreck. How would next season look like if Shaq and Z (retirement talks) aren’t in the roster? What about LeBron? Rest assured this is a long, long offseason. And most of the top-tier players are most likely to put pen into paper during August. From Cleveland celebrities singing “We Are Lebron” to L.A. Clipper fans parading for him, nothing gets more exciting than seeing him pick one team this offseason.

I’ve got one last thing to say. The Cleveland Cavaliers have two phases in a season -play great and choke. 2008 and 2009 had a lot of connections. Done.

I am so waiting for Anderson Varejao being an All-Star next year. Oops! Went out of my mouth. 😀

Check this out!

PHOTO CREDITS:

1) Jim Rogash/Getty Images

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Q&A Session: Rey Moralde – The Lakers’ NBA Final Preview

June 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough loss in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. It’s been two years now since that horrid setback happened. And the Lakers have just won their 15th Championship last year. Now, their roster is a lot more different now from 2008. Seeing the departures of Trevor Ariza and Ronny Turiaf. They added the likes of Ron Artest, Shannon Brown and Josh Powell. Not only there roster has changed, their plays form 2008 and 2010 have a lot of differences. The Lakers have utilized their Big Men more. And Kobe Bryant is now a complete player. And when I say ‘complete’, it means he’s now passing and assisting while shooting a great percentage on the floor.

They’re rematch is now set with the Boston Celtics on Thursday (9:00PM EST, 6:00PM PST). The Celtics, who have found they’re winning-swagger back, fought through championship-caliber teams. And we even didn’t expect them to be in the NBA Finals back then. It was more like Magic or Cavaliers winning the East. But hey, there’s a saying “Expect the unexpected”.

In this Q&A session, I bring in my good friend, Rey Moralde, the lead writer of  TheNoLookPass.com and the host of the Chronicles of Crotty Podcast. He’s an LA guy. So obviously, he loves the City of the Angelic. You can follow him on Twitter too. Here’s his Twitter handle, @TheNoLookPass.

The Q’s are in orange while Mr. Moralde’s answers are in Laker purple.

Let’s get started.

Now that it’s all said and done, LA is set to meet Boston in the NBA Finals. How does it feel, Rey?

I waited two years for this. It’s probably dumb for me to say this but the title last year didn’t feel as special. I wanted it to be won at the expense of Boston. Orlando was a much better match-up for the Lakers last year because they’re not as physical as the Celtics. So, yeah, I’m glad it’s back on this time around. This is, after all, the most storied rivalry in NBA history

After a 1 year absence, the Celtics are back in the NBA Finals. And every baller knows that the Lakers know them pretty well. As a Laker fan, what aspect should the Lakers improve in to avoid a similarity of the 2008 NBA Finals?

Don’t be afraid to face the Celtics defense. The Celtics defense tends to bully every opponent and the Lakers have done a better job of withstanding them in the regular season games after that embarrassing 2008 series loss. L.A. should be physical back. The frontcourt is key to their success. Pau Gasol doesn’t want to get any more LAME nicknames like “Gasoft”, right? Right.

Are you afraid that the Lakers’ bench might go through an icy-slump? And does Andrew Bynum’s inconsistency affect the Lakers’ play?

Well, the bench has had its ups and downs. Hopefully, they’ll play a little bit of defense and hit some big shots (remember Sasha Vujacic had 20 points in Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals). Bynum’s health is real key to the Lakers winning. He is a big body and is most capable of being physical against the Boston bigs. He didn’t do a good job on rotating on defense in the Phoenix series and that’s mostly because of his bad knee. Hopefully, he can bear it for one last series.

Who is the Lakers’ X-Factor? And why?

Easy. Lamar Odom. You don’t know what you’re going to get from Lamar Odom. One game, he’ll have an outstanding 17 and 15 game. The next, he’ll suddenly give you only 4 and 4. He HAS to perform big against the Celtics in order for the Lakers to have a chance. Remember that he got huge criticism (along with Gasol) when he didn’t play well overall in the 2008 NBA Finals.

Rajon Rondo, who is arguably the best Celtic of 2010, is now playing like a Superstar. Does he scare you?

I don’t know anyone that is not frightened by this guy’s ability. And the Laker point guard defense is well-documented. Rondo’s going to run circles all over Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown, and Jordan Farmar. I assume Kobe Bryant is going to get a shot at him as well as Ron Artest. Obviously, the Lakers are well-served to let him be a scorer the same way Lakers tried to do with Steve Nash but everyone should be wary of what Rondo’s playmaking skills can do.

The Lakers, who are in their 3rd-straight appearance in the NBA Finals, are seeking a repeat. Is there some kind of pressure for your guys?

All of the guys on the roster have won a ring except for Artest. With that said, I’m sure Kobe wants to cement his legacy by beating the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Not only that but he’s seeking his 5th ring. I think it’s more of what Kobe can add to his already hall-of-fame career. And the Lakers have wanted Boston for a while now. I don’t really think there’s any pressure, per se.

Can I ask what your final verdict for the NBA Finals or would you like to keep it a secret?

I just want to see the Lakers win. 🙂

Finally, anything else to say? Shoutouts? Your fellow Laker fans? The Celtics’ fans? Who?

Just enjoy the series. It’s rare for a Finals rematch to happen in the free agency era. Because I bet 10 years from now… heck, even 5 years from now… we’ll all be clamoring for this series again when these teams are no longer together.

PHOTO CREDITS:

1) Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

2) Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images

3) Garrett Ellwood/NBAE/Getty Images

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What’s next for the New Jersey Nets?

With new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, the Nets are going in the right direction. Looking to move from New Jersey to Brooklyn and hopefully become the first international team. With the Number 3 pick, which would probably be Derrick Favors. And alot of cap room enough to sign a max agent.This team will be doing fine especially with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. Hopefully, they’ll get the right coach. Expect them to get some like Mike Fratello or Avery Johnson. As for their cap space of over 15 million, it’s enough to get a max agent (It maybe someone like D-Wade, Lebron James, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh just to name a few.) and surround the max agent with role players who have playoff experience. As for their  playoff aspirations as Mikhail said “If everything goes according to plan, playoffs this year and championship will be in a minimum 1 year to a maximum 5 years”. Now their owner Prokhorov,  the 59th richest man in the world is still a mystery wanting to be known in the US, he bought the Nets and is now trying to turn this franchise around, Hopefully this franchise is heading the right direction and hopefully will have a better record  than last year (12-70).

As for their coaching candidates, they are looking at Avery Johnson and Mike Fratello.

Let’s see what they bring to the table:

Avery Johnson

Strengths: Avery first of all is a winner. He emphasizes defense all the time, leading the mavericks to 50 win seasons and 2 60 win seasons. Avery’s gonna bring mental toughness and a defensive mentality, which drastically will help the Nets because they were horrible at the defensive end. Offensively, its gonna be run-and-gun, which is fun to watch like when he was coaching the Mavericks giving the ball to Dirk and let him operate. It would also be a coincidence since he’ll be reunited with Devin Harris, who was his Point Guard for 2 years and now is a one-time All-Star. It could be interesting. An impressive track record of 194-70.

Weaknesses: It’s a short list, but people question his leadership after they lost to Miami in 2006. And the disastrous series against the Warriors in ’07, losing the series embarrassingly. Especially with championship aspirations that season.

Mike Frattello

Strengths: This guy is also a winner. Coaching the high flying hawks in the 1980’s with Dominique  Wilkins and Spud Webb. He has alot of playoff experience; also an excellent teacher , who emphasizes in offense and defense. He is a respected coach and can help any team. He currently works in TNT. He is an intelligent person knows how to approach a game. If it helps, his record 667-552 is pretty good.

Weaknesses: A short list too. The only question for Mike is can he get over the hump. Can he lead the Nets to a championship, who knows?

Don’t forget to comment down low.

NBA Playoff Recap 5/28: The Final Stand.

The Magic Vs Boston. The Final Stand.

At home with the crowd behind them and a huge upset loss in Orlando, the Celtics nice and motivated, came into game 6 out to prove a point. That is exactly what happened, no excuses about it, the Celtics came in and punched the Magic in the mouth. They told the Magic, pack up and get your bags, because your going home. With all the support in the world, and krypto-nate showing a rare appearance, it was no surprise that the Celtics came out and dominated.

Dwight did all he could do.

These are the same Celtics that everyone ruled out of the title, because they just couldn’t get it going. Now I am NO Celtics bandwagon fan, I am actually a Suns and Magic fan, but you never count out a team that is full of previous championship winners and vets. Anyone with a basketball IQ will tell you that. That is what made them so dangerous in this series, they have been there and done all that before. They have been in a situation in where they had to rely on a Paul Pierce iso or a Rando-KG pick-n-roll, they knew they were going to win, and it showed.

Krpto-Nate came up big when they needed him.

They jumped out to a huge 30-19 lead, and never looked back. Nate Robinson was huge after only scoring 6 points in the whole series, he went on to have a solid 13 points of the bench. (I am petitioning for a “please play krypto-nate more” chant.) He was huge, even tried to dunk on Dwight “superman” Howard. That just shows, the Celtics just weren’t afraid tonight. The Magic played well, just it was too late. Dwight had a fantastic series as did Vince Carter and JJ Redick, (who better play a ton  more next year, he just does everything right), but with a disappearing act done by Rashard Lewis and Vince shooting the ball poorly, the Magic just seemed to be digging a bigger and bigger hole for themselves this whole season.

He proved he could lead them through the Eastern Conference Playoffs, now through a NBA Final?

The Celtics seemed to dominate the whole series and it showed in the final game, they deserved the Eastern Conference Championship. Rando deserved to show everyone he could lead this team, who by the way solidified his spot as a top 5 PG in the game. Good luck in the finals,  Good Luck The Big 3,  Good Luck Rando and Doc, and last but not least Good Luck Bill Simmons.