Game 5

With Kobe leading the Lakers through the playoffs it's evident that he can't beat the Celtics alone. Andrew Bynum and the Laker bench must show up and become a key factor in the game in order for the Lakers to win tonight. The Lakers have averaged 94 points per game, the Celtics 93. Vegas.com posted the spread on the game which is Boston by 2 1/2. In the previous four games the score has been tied at one point in the fourth quarter in three of the four meetings. Phil Jackson said "I kind of anticipated this was going to be a back-and-forth series like this. It's a lot of teeter-totter here, despair and elation" (espn.com interview). This is going to be another close one and as much as I hate the Lakers, I am rooting for them. The Lakers will not go back home quietly, they smell blood and will strike at the opportunity with Perkins just one T away from coming to game 6 in street cloths.

Switching gears, Rajon Rondo wants to show everyone that he still can be the leader of this Celtics squad despite his poor performance in game 4, going just 5-15 shooting and finishing with 10 points. Before game 4 he was the talk of the town trying to prove to the world that he is the real deal, and tonight that trek to respect will continue for the young 24 year old point guard. Rondo has 189 steals year to date including one late in game 4 which became the deciding factor to seal the deal for the Celtics. It will be plays like this that Rondo will have to make for a win tonight.

I hope that the Lakers will come ready to play and put those obnoxious Boston fans firmly in their seats with nothing to cheer for. As much as I hate the Lakers, I don't want to see Boston win this series, and this picture at the top of this post says it all. The big three are a bunch of thugs.