If we win the first 2, we can bet the fate of the universe that it'll go 2-2 in large part to 2 well-timed extender crews. Then the bubble will move back to the level mark by Gm 6 as it did in Phx.
Get those brooms ready cause we'll be taking out the trash in 4.
This. I think it goes 6 minimum. If we can hold serve in the first two games at home, I'm confident we can steal one of three in Boston. Do not want to see us go to Boston with a split.
Man I wish we could win on our home court but it's impossible since were going to sweep these Celtic morons
Will Pierce do another Wheel chair routine?
All you gota do it brush against him and he'll fall down and roll around on the floor like he just got shot.
Refs will heavily influence the series. A fair series with an even FT margin favors L.A. Heavily.
This series is going to be difficult to watch, because it's such a perfect matchup. I'm nervous and anxious, as well as confident, and scared to death
Celtics fans aren't as bad as Suns fans surprisingly. They're close but not on the same level of cockiness as Suns fans were.
Kind of exciting to be go in knowing that we're bigger and arguably more skilled, we're built to beat them, and they will definitely take the low road at some point. I expect Ron will have his version of a cool headed poker face on, but I also expect they may try to play into his emotions and this series might get ugly early.
OKC didn't have a great offense. The were more defensive oriented. Similar to the Celtics. OKC prepared us the most for the Celtics D. The better defense will prevail in this series.
I see the Celtics as possibly the 2nd easiest matchup the Lakers have faced yet.
The Celtics are our best match-up of anyone these play-offs. The difference is that they know how to execute. That is what makes them dangerous. Then again, its also what makes us so dangerous. That and Artest ready to throw broken table legs through people's hearts.
A lot more nba analysts are picking the Celtics to win this time. All I am hearing from Celtic fans is how "soft" Gasol is and he will lose the series for the Lakers. I really hope Pau has a great series to shut them up.
Yeah I think one of the major differences between the lakers and Magic, is individual defenders, I think the lakers have two shut down guys, that is one or two more than the rest of the NBA has, and the lakers are very good defensively as a team, they are great when they want to be.
I'm not sure any of them are capable of stepping up after watching what the Celtics did to Rashard Lewis and Anthony Parker.
T should be PJ to tell his players to play physical basketball instead of finesse.....
Just heard that Celtics plane had problems, they had to make a late stop to Phoenix and that their practice and schedule was delayed by an entire day. I remember this weird omen stuff happened a few times to a few of our opponents and it affected their gameplay. Like the Nuggets bus catching on fire, and being stuck in traffic.
Good news. I hope they get some tainted food and some of there players get food poisoning too.
Rumor is KG cussed out the plane until it broke.
Doc Rivers reportedly kept telling the pilot, "just do what you do. Just keep doing what you do" before Tom Thibodeau landed the plane in Phoenix.
This again? They had plane problems in '08! Pilots must be Lakers fans.
Somebody should introduce them to the deep fried avocado. It's a delicacy.
Pierce demanded that wheelchairs be placed all around Staples Center in case he breaks a nail during one of his flops.
I don't know who posted the topic about the Celtics plane getting delayed or something like that. But its not true. The Celtics are in LA right now practicing in the gym at UCLA. Just thought I would clear that up.
It's not enough to beat the Celtics this time, we must also humiliate them at least once, preferably in the final game. And oh yeah, I HATE GREEN.
The Celtics players and coaches seem awfuly confident. There are more nba analysts this year picking the Celtics. It's starting to feel like we are underdogs.
Won't be a factor because the officials will definitely NOT call a technical on Perkins this entire series....except maybe in game 7, as a jokeAnyone think Perkins will get his last T?
You know if he does your gonna hear a bunch of Celtic fans crying conspiracy. I have a feeling he wont get it, I don't know why, I know a lot of people are counting on that.
I'm soooooooooooooo sick of hearing how rondo is the key to this series and that he is a future hall of famer and whatnot. I hope he fails miserably
Don't worry, after the Failtics get booted out by the Lakers we won't see Rondo in the finals ever again.
I expect Artest to pull down Pierce's shorts again
I also say Lakers in 6.....but I wouldn't be shocked if we swept the Boston Celtics. I expect Kobe Bryant to play the best basketball of his entire career in this playoff series alone.
I'm a raps fan, but we suck so I have to cheer for someone. Boston stinks
That was def a carry by Artest on that fast break. I can't believe that didn't get called.
ALLEN out of the game with 2 fouls
LAL is going to be in the bonus early here. If they can hit their FT's they should be able to maintain a sizeable lead at the end of this qtr.
Only in the NBA can a referee challenge a player to a fight, get kicked out of the league, and then be reffing a Finals game a couple of years later.
Celtics d is non-existant
Artest's offense is just embarrassing.
Kobe is destroying our defense. He just keeps leaving him wide open in the lane. Unreal level of stupidity.
Garnett is pushing Pau around
GASOL'S DEFENSE OWNS KG RIGHT NOW!
Paul Pierce flopped AFTER the whistle. Get him back to the studio to practice.
Tony Allen is playin pretty good on Kobe
Paul Pierce getting the Kevin Durant treatment.
Lakers still scared of Boston.
\I'd like to smash ray allens smirk off his face somoene lend me a bat ?
All about Boston in this quarter, am not liking this at all.. Lakers still playing "SOFT"...
Derrek Stafford hates Kobe.
Looks like Big Game Farmar showed up to play.........for the Celtics.
Lakers don't look really prepared for the Celts defense.
Why am I getting the feeling the ft disparity is gonna work against us again. Even at home! We can't get a break! Seems that has been our burden for years!
This is exactly how the Celts beat the Cavs and Magic; get into the passing lanes, get steals and force TO's. Lakers look a little befuddled by this D.
The bench comes in and momentum goes back to the Celtics. Don't benches usually play better at home?
Pierce once again owning everyone on our team. You'd think we'd know his game by now. He flops, and draws fouls. But, we just play right into his hands. That's three guys in foul trouble now.
Celtics are just trying to get fouls...Rondo even pulling stunts
The one thing we learned from the first quarter is that the Celtics don't play defense nearly as well as they did in the 2008.
I don't even know why we bother checking out who the refs are for each game..there is no such thing as a Pro Laker ref..they ALL hate us
I don't wish injury upon anyone.. But, I hope Pierce's career ends on a flop. It would be well-deserving.
Looks like Boston's strategy is to flop their way to a win.
I hate pierce he's a disgrace to this sport. He should not be a HOF.
It actually helps to have Rasheed on the Celtics. You can hate them even more.
This might be the only playoff game where the refs foul out both teams.
Why is Doc always crying? Refs are calling it the same both ways for the most part
Annoying to see the refs call the game to be close. Grrrr. They don't want the Celtics losing confidence early in the series.
This crowd freaking sucks. We need to get the celebs outta here and move the people from the 300 section down low.
Let Garnett, Perkins and Rondo shoot all day. Garnett has completely lost his touch and Gasol is owning him right now.
Wait so Lebron is doing Larry King AND Nightline. During the NBA finals. What a prick.
Lebron is on his way to being one of the most hated players in the league.....and its his ego's fault.
KG looks done. Sad.
The Celtics bench isn't nearly as good as it was in 2008. Not even close.
Good job refs, way to open up the half.
Put Sasha On Perkins and get a T out of it
I can see Perkins' "urge to kill meter" just rising.
Pau gets superstar calls while Kobe doesn't
We're doing an EXCELLENT job of getting these guys into foul trouble.
There is no Eddie House to bail them out. All this pressure is on Pierce and if he's guarded KG and no way KG's gonna bust us up he'd explode. Ray is gonna get his but they don't have other scorers if we play tough D they are done.
That 4th foul on Ray Allen is going to really hurt Boston's chances of getting back in this one. Having a deep 3 pt threat like Allen is crucial in making a double digit comeback on the road.
Lakers beating Celtics at their own game. DEFENSE AND REBOUNDING WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dear KG...retire. Thanks.
There have been a lot of touch fouls, but it has at least consistent.
CELTICS ARE TERRIBLE IN THE 4TH QTR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LeBron sitting at home wearing his ridiculous "We are all witness" shirt thinking "Damn that Kobe is pretty good"
Kobe got a call there...can't lie. 5 on Ray Allen.
Poor Ray Ray..5 fouls..go home crying to your mama, she waiting for ya
Why do the Celtics feel the need to harass the referees after every call? EVERY call.
Because it's Boston and without the refs they are kinda like Phoenix..all hype
Pierce looks like he realized they are gonna lose this series
Sheed with that 'I'm stupid look'. Yes you really are.
LA is just shredding their D apart
Ray Allen's fouls are huge blow to them
They lost their single shooter to space the floor
My biggest fear is that the officiating will be different for game 2 and we wont be ready.. Especially if they let them play more
Kobe got grabbed right there...but they can't call everything
Wallace is a cancer.
Celtics can't play defense without fouling
Wallace is a dirty dirty player
Pau made KG look 'soft' tonight!
Game 1 means little in this Rivalry.
Phil has his team prepared and that is the difference in the teams tonight. It is because of their preparedness that they are able to get to the boards. C's will adjust in Game 2. Lakers will have to be ready. A great coach is the reason they were ready tonight.
I''m pretty sure Boston have the ability to steal a road game but I'm confident that if we win game 2, this is going to be a short series.
It was awesome seeing Phil on top of EVERYTHING tonight, he was out of his chair much of the night. Yelling at Doris Burke to take her camera crew elsewhere during gameplay, making sure the refs weren't missing anything, he was making adjustments like a chess master with a speed clock. Doc's agreat coach, but PJax gave him a lesson tonight.
KG is a good player, and now he is just done,because of injuries and he is old now.
Ltics look old and done.
Phil has to control Pau's min! Playing 47 mins is too damn much... The man is gonan drop dead!!!
I don't think the next one is gonna be that easy.
Rondo was awful all the way around tonight. The only one of their starters that WASN'T awful was Ray Allen - and he still wasn't very good.
Does KG have any cartlidge left on that knee? His reaction to the basket underneath reminded me of my grandmother and she can't go to her left.
Decent officiating tonight.
Fair distribution, but I don't think it was good, they took over the game...
We will have a harder time in game 2 I don't think the refs will keep Allen out of the game again. Even I think its ridiculous how many fouls they are calling him for
Phil is 48-0 when he wins the first game of a series. We got this one!
Don't be so sure. History means nothing when you play a team like the Celtics.
at Boston Celtics (0-0, 12-5) at Los Angeles Lakers (0-0, 12-4) Thursday, June 3 9:00 PM ET TV: ABC Staples Center Referees: Joey Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Derrick Stafford
The Celtics came into the playoffs as the 4th seed and have had a tough road to the Finals through the top two teams in the league. Although they have been the underdog in each of those series and didn't have home court advantage, they prevailed. On the other hand, the Lakers have had a fairly easy road through the 8th seeded Thunder, the 5th seeded Jazz who were depleted by injuries, and the 3rd seeded and defensively challenged Suns.
The Lakers obviously have home court advantage, but unlike the 2008 Celtics team, this team has played better on the road than they have at home. Doc's explanation for that was that they are so old they can't hear the opposing crowd to bother them. I'm not sure if that's it, but the Celtics definitely have a road court advantage.
The Lakers haven't faced a defense like the Celtics' in their first 3 series. The closest thing to tough defense was Oklahoma City, who held the Lakers to 96 ppg. Utah allowed them to reach 109 ppg. And Phoenix allowed them to score a whopping 114 ppg. The Celtics on the other hand, held Miami to 88 ppg, Cleveland to 95 ppg, and Orlando to 91 ppg.
Lakers vs Celtics is one of the most storied rivalries in sports history. This is the 12th meeting between these two teams in the Finals. In the previous 11 meetings, the Celtics won 9 of those meetings (59,62,63,65,66, 68, 69, 84, and 08) and the Lakers have won 2 of the them (85 and 87). The Celtics have won 17 championships while the Lakers have won 15.
Probable Starting Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo 16.8 PPG 5.3 RPG 10.0 APG 2.1 SPG +21.94
Derek Fisher 11.1 PPG 2.3 RPG 3.1 APG 1.4 SPG +11.19
vs
Ray Allen 16.8 PPG 3.6 RPG 3.0 APG +15.71
Kobe Bryant 29.4 PPG 5.1 RPG 6.2 APG +26.56
vs
Paul Pierce 19.1 PPG 6.2 RPG 3.6 APG +18.76
Ron Artest 11.5 PPG 3.7 RPG 2.5 APG +11.75
vs
Kevin Garnett 14.9 PPG 8.2 RPG .7 BPG +18.56
Pau Gasol 20.0 PPG 10.9 RPG 3.4 APG 1.9 BPG +27.81
vs
Kendrick Perkins 5.6 PPG 6.4 RPG .9 APG 1.9 BPG +10.06
Andrew Bynum 9.1 PPG 7.7 RPG .8 APG 1.7 BPG +15.00
Key Matchups vs
Rajon Rondo vs Derek Fisher
Rajon Rondo has been nothing short of incredible in the playoffs so far. On the other side, Derek Fisher has played very well in the playoffs also, hitting some very big shots for the Lakers. Fisher has trouble staying with quick point guards and Rondo should be able to dominate this matchup.
vs
Kevin Garnett vs Pau Gasol
Gasol struggled in the conference finals against Amare Stoudamire and Lakers fans are a bit worried about this matchup. KG needs to shut down Gasoft just as he did in 2008.
vs
Kendrick Perkins vs Andrew Bynum
Bynum missed the 2008 finals and ever since we have heard about how they would have won if they just had Bynum. Perk has battled J O'Neal, Shaq and Dwight Howard and has done a good job of slowing each of them. Now he has to shut down another strong center who plays tough inside. Perk's defense in the paint was big in the 2008 series and will be big once again in this series.
Keys to the Game Defense - The Celtics defense won their first 3 series. They are back to playing the lock down in your face defense that won the 2008 championship. The games they have lost in the first 3 series, were games that they let their defense slip. If the Celtics need to keep their defensive focus and swarm the Lakers just as they did the Heat, Cavs and Magic. They must defend the paint against the Lakers big front line as well as their perimeter shooters.
Rebound - Rebounding is second only to defense as a key to winning. The Celtics must hustle to get all the rebounds to keep the Lakers from getting second chance points on the offensive end or igniting the fast break on the other end. Rebounding is effort and desire and the Celtics must show that they have more of both than the Lakers by crashing the boards.
Run the Offense - The Celtics are very hard to stop when they move the ball and run their offense. They have so many weapons that if they share the ball and find the open man, they can get good shots, even against good defenses. When they slow down and do too much one on one play and try to do too much individually, they bog down and struggle to score. They must keep moving the ball and running their offense and play as a team.
Bench Play
The Celtics bench must come through for them in this series. Sheed, Big Baby, Tony and Nate especially must give the Celtics a lift when they come off the bench. Sheed and Big Baby will especially have to play their best to counter Lamar Odom off the Lakers bench. The starters will need to be able to rest and not have to worry about giving up leads or digging a hole. The Celtics bench should have an advantage over the Lakers' bench if they are healthy and play to their potential. Hopefully Tony's ankle and Sheed's back will have healed and they will be at 100%.
Focus
The Celtics must keep their focus. They have to come out strong and play for 48 minutes. They can't afford to let up against a team as good as they Lakers. They must keep their defensive focus as well as their focus on playing as a team.
X-Factor
Officiating and Rust vs Rest
As we have seen a few times already in these playoffs, the officiating can make a big difference. Hopefully in the finals, they will let them play and we won't see a lot of one sided calls for one team or the other.
Both teams have had a rest coming into this game. Whether they come out rested and ready to play or rusty from the break will be very important in the first quarter of this game.
One by one the Celtics have sent the All-NBA team off on early vacations. The Green have struck a blow for the basketball purists with their balanced team play. At one end they stifle superstars with layers of defenders seemingly connected with invisible threads that keep them moving in unison; and yet still flow back to contest the seemingly open looks of the supporting cast. On offense they have used a combination of hammering favorable match-ups and Rondo’s dissections to create open looks. The Celtics’ brain trust of Doc and Thibodeau have shrewdly thwarted opponents’ strengths, leaving role players fighting to “overcome the pucker” as Sheed might say. The offense has been consistent in production while widely varying the contributors—always multiple but seldom the same night to night or series to series. This has been accomplished with a combination of Doc’s strategic selection of mismatches and his faith in his on-court quarterback to blend his drive-and-kick with exploiting those match-ups and feeding the hot hand. The results have been a relentless march through the Eastern Conference powers—a drive seemingly easier than in 2008 in spite of much stiffer competition.
It is only fitting that the final (or should that be Final) hurdle is the Lakers. This is destiny—these two franchises have met in far more NBA Finals than any other pairings, and have brought out the best in each other. If not preordained, it is right, it is good, it is as it should be.
This opponent will not be the Aces and Spaces that allowed Doc to adroitly position his pieces to pick apart the cannon fodder of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Led by two All-Stars at the top of their game, Kobe and Gasol, the Lakers’ “supporting cast” is far from journeymen. Bynum is the young big with size, agility, and skills for which every team lusts. If L.A. was done in by the 2008 MVP of the Finals, then no better counterstroke could have been acquired than Artest who has always given Pierce fits. If you are going to pick a weak link then you are left with Derek Fisher. The Derek Fisher that personifies the wise veteran experience so touted by Doc. The Derek Fisher who has hit numerous killer three’s. The Derek Fisher who sent the Spurs home in 2004 with a game-winner off the inbounds pass with 0.4 seconds to play—you just can’t get a jump shot off in four tenths of a second, and yet I watched again and again and the clock started on time and the ball was out of his hand when the red light came on, just incredible. And that’s your weak link?
The best prize fights usually feature boxers with contrasting styles. These Finals’ opponents have advantages at different positions. While you can make a fair case that most of the match-ups are close to even, there are two that stand out as out of balance. Rondo is faster than anyone on the Lakers’ roster. No amount of wisdom will let Fisher match up well with Rajon. He has a clear advantage in speed, rebounding, steals, creating shots for teammates, ball handling, and, well just about everything but outside shooting. On the other side Kobe is arguably the best in the game today (LeBron I think you are still second, a close second, but second). Watching the last few games of the Suns series I was struck at how Bryant repeatedly rose above a strongly contesting defense and hit impossible shots—except when you hit 8 or 10 in a row can you still call them improbable? Ray Allen is a great shooter but he seems to fare better with a screen or two or at least a Rondo penetration to create a little bit of space. Kobe eschews the help of a screen, goes one on two or three, and just uses his leaping ability to rise above the defense, square up, and knock down the jumper. When it’s against your beloved Green it is like daggers in the side, or bamboo slivers under the nails, or Redd Foxx’s “the big one,” but you have to give the man props, Kobe is a singular talent.
In the third game of the 2008 Finals the Lakers finally found an answer to Rondo by putting Kobe on him. Bryant could lay off Rajon and with the space and Kobe’s length he was able to somewhat contain Rondo’s drives. Since Rajon was loath to shoot anything but lay-ups this proved to be an effective counter. I suspect this countermove will be in effect much earlier, sometime in the first game if not from the outset. Then again the 2010 Rondo is an improved shooter, a shrewder and more creative floor general, and much better at using picks to initiate his defense-collapsing forays into the lane. Regardless of how L.A. plays it, Kobe is looking at some long nights of fighting through picks (chasing Rondo or Allen) and eventually this has to sap his energy available for the offensive end.
To contain Kobe the Celtics will use some of the same containment tactics that proved effective in limiting Wade and James. The problem is that Bryant’s sidekicks are a much more potent group. Gasol is an All-Star in his own right with smooth moves around the basket and a deadly jumper ranging out beyond the free-throw line. Bynum loves to hammer home the slams opened up by Kobe’s assaults. Fisher’s best offense is from the three-point line and Artest just couldn’t seem to miss from the corner three in the last Suns’ game. I don’t think these guys will fade in the heat like Lewis and Carter did for Orlando, Jamison and Williams did for Cleveland, and Beasley and Chalmers did for Miami. Besides if Kobe is as hot as he was in Phoenix, being covered won’t matter—and the Celtics better hope their offensive efficiency is up to the task of outscoring the Lakers. As Tommy is fond of saying, you don’t have to stop the other team all the time, you just have to score one more point than they do.
It seems unlikely that either team will smother the other in this Finals’ match-up. The depth and quality across the lineups suggest that there will be few mismatches to exploit with strategic chess moves. In this barroom brawl the staying power and resolve will likely be deciding factors. Let’s just hope the zebras and medics don’t become deciding factors because this should become one of those titanic struggles that add luster to the long history of tumultuous clashes between these two storied franchises. [Discuss on CG Forums!]
Today's Officials are:
Joey Crawford
Overall Home Team W/L 40/33
Playoff Home Team Win % 73%
Fouls called per game 48.8
Foul % Called on Road Team 52.7%
Road Team Techs/game 1
Home Team Techs/game 1.1
Crawford has been officiating games since 1977 and has officiated more play-off games (266+) and NBA Finals Games (38+) than any other active referee. Crawford officiated two of the Celtics games so far in the playoffs with mixed results. Game 5 of the Cleveland series was very well officiated and the Celtics won it. However, his second game was game 5 of the Orlando series, which was one of the worst officiated games of the playoffs. Watch game 5 again and you will see a host of missed and blown calls that give Orlando the edge. Flip a coin as to which we will see today. There is no shortage of controversy surrounding Joey Crawford, the biggest of which was a suspension for tossing Tim Duncan for laughing on the bench and then challenging him to a fight. He is known for his quickness to call technical fouls but also doesn't tend to be influenced by the home crowd as much as many other refs seem to be. In the 2008 Playoffs, Crawford was chosen to officiate Game 4 of the Western Conference final between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers. In the closing seconds of the game, there was a no-call where the Spurs' Brent Barry was unquestionably fouled by Derek Fisher. Crawford was the closest official to the call, and the NBA later apologized for the lack of a call. Crawford was also one of the refs who was involved in the income tax evasion convictions and was suspended at that time as well. And in the Suns 2010 first round against the Blazers, Crawford made what was possibly the worst foul call of all time when he called Marcus Camby for a foul and put Steve Nash on the line. You can judge for yourself.
Joe DeRosa
Overall Home Team W/L 44/26
Playoff Home Team Win % 56%
Fouls called per game 50.9
Foul % Called on Road Team 52.2%
Road Team Techs/game 1.3
Home Team Techs/game 1.2
DeRosa has officiated over 1,000+ regular season games, 75+ play-off games, and 5 NBA Finals games. DeRosa was the crew chief for Game 1 against the Heat when the melee broke out and KG was ejected. He was also the crew chief for the game 4 win vs Cleveland. and the Game 2 win over Orlando. Like Crawford, he tends to be quick to call technicals. DeRosa was the referee who was suspended for a game for throwing the ball at a fan in the Orlando game.
Derrick Stafford
Overall Home Team W/L 45/29
Playoff Home Team Win % 43%
Fouls called per game 52.4
Foul % Called on Road Team 50.4%
Road Team Techs/game 0.1
Home Team Techs/game 1.3
Stafford is currently in his 19th season as an NBA referee. He has officiated 1,000+ regular season games and 60+ play-off games. He worked for the US Postal Service for 10 years, which may explain his quick trigger when it comes to technical fouls. Yet another official that is known to be quick to call technical fouls. Stafford called Game 5 in the Miami series, which the Celtics won, and game 4 in the Orlando series, which the Celtics lost. This crew, all of whom are quick to call technicals, makes me wonder if maybe Perk should just plan to sit out the next game right now.
I have posted some of Larry Johnson's cartoons from WEEI before and couldn't resist this one. This is hilarious simply because Gasol really does look like a llama. I can also see KG getting into his head a bit.
I didn't sleep very well last night. Kind of like the night before Christmas. I really want the Celtics to win this first game. I hate the Lakers so much. the Celtics just have to beat them. If the Celtics play their game - tough team defense and move the ball to get open shots, then they have a very good chance. But as I have said many times, defense is going to be the key. The Celtics must bring their defense every game.
There was a nice story about how when the Celtics played the Lakers in February, Doc took $100 from each player and put it all in an envelope and hid it in the Lakers locker room. He told his players that if they wanted the money back they had to play there again that season, which, of course, had to be in the finals. I guess Doc was pretty sure that the Lakers would make it to the finals again too. If it was me, I would have kept the money with me, just in case they were playing in, say Phoenix.
Both LeBron and Dwight Howard have said that they think the Celtics are going to win the championship. I think I'd take the word of two guys who battled this team all out for 6 games rather than the word of an ESPN "expert" who has gotten the wrong pick every time so far. What do you think?
Poor Thibs. He finally gets offered a head coaching job and now it doesn't look like he will be taking it. The Hornets reportedly offered him the job as their head coach but were pressing for an answer before the first game of the finals. Don't they realize the guy is still coaching a team? Can't they wait until after the finals are over? That would be the reasonable thing to do. Reports today are that he is going to turn them down. The Bulls and Nets are still very interested in him. And, no one knows if the Celtics job will be open or not, either.
Today is going to be a loooong day. Let's go Celtics!!! Beat LA!!!
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