Scene is Different for Lakers-Celtics Rematch

Lakers and Celtics. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

As Los Angeles prepares to host rival Boston for Game 1 on Thursday, the endless chatter about LeBron James will switch momentarily to just which team will walk away with their second trophy in three years.

There's the Lakers and their home-court advantage.

There's how much Andrew Bynum can contribute. Bynum, who missed the entire 2008 playoff run due to a freak knee injury. Bynum, who has another freak knee injury limiting his playing time right now.

There's Ron Artest, who will replace Vladimir Radmanovic from two years ago as the starting small-forward. Artest, who has turned heads with his incredible Game 6 performance against the Suns. Artest, who was added to be the lock-down defender the Lakers lacked.

There's the absence of James Posey, Sam Cassell, and Eddie House; Chris Mihm, Ronny Turiaf, and Trevor Ariza. There's the additions of Nate Robinson and Shannon Brown.

There's the increasingly declining Kevin Garnett, the rapidly rising Rajon Rondo, the slow-but-still-lethally-clutch Derek Fisher, and the always-energized Kobe Bryant, who walks into this series ready to crush all memories of his embarrassing 2008 Game 6.

There's still a series to be played. A series the Lakers know will be very similar, but very different from what they experienced two years past. They know the scene has changed. Now they just need to change the ending.

NBA Playoffs: Where Upsets Happen

As the Los Angeles Lakers waited for their playoff opener against Utah tomorrow, the NBA Playoffs started off with a bang. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics 105-103 in overtime, stunning the Kevin Garnett-less Irish. Derrick Rose of the Bulls tied the record for most points scored by a rookie in a playoff debut with 36 points. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons, taking a 1-0 advantage in that series. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Spurs 105-97 in San Antonio. Houston defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 108-81 in a series that can have serious concequences for the Lakers.

Clippers Unable to Repeat Upset

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Boston Celtics 90-77, their 54th loss of the season. The Clips could not hold on and take the lead as the entered the second half trailing only by two. LA held Boston to just 13 points in the second quarter, but scored only 18 in the first and third and 17 in the fourth. Boston grabbed the win thanks in part to their 7-for-11 shooting from three-point range. Zach Randolph led the Clippers with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Baron Davis had 13 points and 8 assists. Al Thornton scored 11 points off the bench. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 20 points, and Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 7 assists, and 5 steals.

Kings Leave Boston in Ruins

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 in overtime, giving them a much needed boost for the playoff race. Dustin Brown scored the game-winner with just 35 seconds left in over time after LA scored two goals in the third period to tie the game. Matt Hunwick and Mark Recchi both scored to put Boston up 2-0, but Michal Handzus and Drew Doughty tied the game with individual goals.

No Joke: Clippers Beat Celtics

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the World Champion Boston Celtics 93-91, their 15th win of the season. Boston, who was without Kevin Garnett, was held to just 47% shooting, and turned the ball over 21 times. The Clips were in lock-step with the Celtics, only trailing them in rebounds by 2 and in assists by 1. Paul Pierce dislocated his right thumb twice in the second half, and Eric Gordon left the game in the third quarter with a bruised left shoulder. Zach Randolph led LA with 30 points and 12 rebounds, including the game-winning tip-in after Mardy Collins's layup could not go down. Baron Davis scored 17 points, and Marcus Camby had 14 with 11 rebounds. Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points, and Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen both finished with 17.

Editor's Note: Lakers & Dodgers Face Rodney Dangerfield Dilemma

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves trying to fight something Rodney Dangerfield never could: They can't get respect. Whether it's from Scott Boras scoffing at the only offers his client Manny Ramirez has received, or from Boston Celtics fans making up excuses to pardon their Christmas Day massacre and their most recent loss. Neither team is getting their due respect. First, the Dodgers. Manny Ramirez came to a city that welcomed him with open arms, and now he'll only return if he gets a Brinks Truck to deliver his salary. Ramirez has no where else to go: The Yankees maxed out their budget, the Mets' owners were scammed out of nearly half a billion by Bernie Madhoff, Washington is looking for a face for their franchise and Manny's too old for it, and San Francisco will only sign him if he lowers his price. Even Albert Pujols admits that signing Manny requires a discount for any team. But as Manny and Boras drag this out, it just makes both sides look bad: the Dodgers look cheap and Boras looks like a miser. Every rejection and lie that other teams are interested just disrespects the Dodgers and everything they did to save Manny's reputation. Now the Lakers. LA went into Boston without Andrew Bynum. No one thought they could win, not even the Laker fans. It took an extra 5 minutes on top of regulation, but they pulled it off. Well, if you're a Laker fan they did. For the Bostonians, the win should not count due to bad officiating. It's bad enough for the Lakers that the Celtics scoffed at their Christmas Day win, chalking it up to a standard road loss (ignoring their 27-2 record at that point). But now they refuse to give the Lakers any form of respect, claiming that Derek Fisher fouled Ray Allen in the last seconds of OT. The Lakers and Dodgers don't need wins or records. All they want is respect. But I guess that's too much to ask for.

Lakers Make Final Statement

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated their rival Boston Celtics 110-109 in overtime, snapping the Celtics' 12-game win streak and extending the Lakers' win streak to 5. The victory also avenged their loss at TD Banknorth Garden in Game 6 of the Finals which clinched the title for Boston. LA swept the season series with the Celts by holding them to a .452 shooting percentage and forcing 16 turnovers that were converted into 24 points. The Lakers were just 17-for-29 from the charity stripe, but their 12 steals helped make up for it. Kobe Bryant led LA with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 4-for-8 shooting from three-point range, despite his 10-for-29 total shooting. Pau Gasol had his own double-double with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom had the most impact out of all with 20 points, including two free-throws with seconds left in OT that gave the Lakers the lead. Derek Fisher scored 13 points and had 5 assists. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 22 points, and Paul Pierce had 21 points and 8 rebounds. Kevin Garnett scored 16 points, but fouled out with 4:22 left in regulation. Rajon Rondo had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists, and Eddie House finished with 16 points as well.

Saito Goes To Red Sox

The door was closed on any possibility of LA resigning Takashi Saito (left), according to Fox Sports.com, as the Japanese closer has signed with the Boston Red Sox, just a day after the deal between the BoSox and former Dodger Brad Penny was finalized. Saito was the Dodgers primary closer during the 2006-08 seasons, but a right elbow injury put him on the DL, leading to the emergence of Jonathan Broxton. Boston not only has signed Saito and Penny, but John Smoltz and Mark Kotsay. Saito has 81 career saves, with 245 strike-outs in 3 seasons. His best season was 2007, when he saved 39 games and was named an All-Star, along with Penny.

Editor's Note: Lakers Make Big Statement, Little Progress

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, avenging the brutal loss suffered in June during the NBA Finals. It proved that LA is ready to move on, and has grown a considerable amount after that time, especially with the return of Andrew Bynum. Too bad that the Lakers still have troubles with defense and inconsistencies in shooting. Yes, there appeared to be no problems in the big game. Unfortunately, the Lakers don't take Golden State as seriously as Boston. Everyone knew what the Celtics could do. They were 27-2 with definite All-Stars Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and even Rajon Rondo. Indiana has nothing like that, yet they defeated both LA and Beantown. Unless Indiana only plays for real against the best of the best, the Lakers and Celtics seriously underestimated the Pacers. The Lakers have what it takes to shut down strong teams. It's just that they never expect strong teams. The Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks all either beat or came close to beating LA, yet they are all under .500. LA needs to play every game like it's the Celtics playing them, and success is sure to follow.

'Tis More Than a Season Game

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the rival Boston Celtics 92-83, avenging their defeat at the hands of Boston in the NBA Finals. In what was the most hyped-about game of the season, the Lakers held Beantown to only 8 free-throw attempts, and 28% shooting from the 3-pointer area. LA forced 17 turnovers and 9 blocked shots, and snapped the Celtics' 19 game winning-streak, a franchise record. Coach Phil Jackson also achieved his 1000th career win, the fastest any coach has accomplished this feat. Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for LA, and Pau Gasol had 20 points with 3 blocks. Luke Walton had another start, with 8 points, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic both came off the bench with 10 points, including Odom's two 3-pointers. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 22 points, and Paul Pierce scored 20 points and 10 rebounds, but committed 5 turnovers.

Lakers Sting N'awlins

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 100-87, closing the roadtrip by going 2-and-2. The Lakers returned to defensive form in one of their best games of the season, just in time for the big X-mas day game against hated rival Boston Celtics. News also came that Jordan Farmar has opted to undergo surgery to repair a tear in his knee, keeping him sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks. LA commited only 7 turnovers after having 5 in the first five minutes, and turned 16 New Orleans turnovers into 28 points. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 26 points, and Pau Gasol had 20 points with 7 rebounds. Chris Paul led the Hornets with 17 points and 10 assists.