Here we are at last. We've played 1,305 games over the course of seven months. We've sent 28 teams and 400 players on vacation. And wouldn't you know it? The two teams still standing are the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who will face off in the Finals for the 12th time.The Celtics' 21st trip to the Finals is a bit of a surprise, while the Lakers 31st was expected all along. But both teams have proven along the way that, when it comes to veteran teams with championship experience, regular season struggles should be ignored.
Boston was 27-27 after Christmas, L.A. was just the eighth best team in the West after the All-Star break, and they both dealt with several injuries along the way. But once the postseason began, they each refocused, got healthy, and turned away all the other contenders.
For both, this series will be their biggest challenge to date. In two weeks, we certainly won't be looking back and saying that one of the previous rounds was "the real Finals." The Celtics have yet to face a team as big and talented as the Lakers. And the Lakers have yet to face a team as tough and experienced as the Celtics. Appropriately, these teams split the season series, with each winning by a single point on the other's floor.
This is the fourth time in the 64-year history of the Finals that the champions of the last two years are facing each other. The Lakers are looking for some revenge for 2008, while the Celtics want to take back what's theirs.
Though L.A. has made 10 more trips to the Finals, Boston has two more titles and they've won nine of the 11 previous head-to-head matchups. In many ways, this series is all about history, but when these two teams step on the floor beginning Thursday, history will have nothing to do with who comes out on top.
HERE IS THE SCHEDULE:
Game 1: Tuesday June 3, 2010 at the Staples Center (Los Angeles)
Game 2: Sunday June 6, 2010 at the Staples Center (Los Angeles)
Game 3: Tuesday June 8, 2010 at the TD Garden (Boston)
Game 4: Thursday June 10, 2010 at the TD Garden (Boston)
Game 5: Sunday June 13, 2010 at the TD Garden (Boston): if necessary
Game 6: Tuesday June 15, 2010 at the Staples Center (Los Angeles): if necessary
Game 7: Thursday June 17, 2010 at the Staples Center (Los Angeles): if necessary
Boston Celtics home games will be played at TD Garden in Boston, MA.Los Angeles Lakers home games will be played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.
