Lakers Top Celtics

I felt like I was in some type of time warp. Watching game one of the NBA Finals Thursday night was like an out of body experience. The once fragile and ''soft'' Los Angeles Lakers seemingly turned the tables on the once tough and gritty Boston Celtics team that two years ago had things going the other way. Pau Gasol seemed to turn the tables on Kevin Garnett and Ron Artest may have set the tone for the series by body slamming Paul Pierce on an early first quarter possession that earned both men technical fouls. Even the ever reliable Rajon Rondo seemed to have every other shot attempt blocked by the Lakers length and girth. Granted it is only one game, but if ever there was a telling start to a Finals series in recent memory, it happened in my eyes.

Now it is the Celtics who stand to receive criticism for there poor start and failure to inflict there mental advantage from there 2008 meeting. A meeting that saw the Celtics capture their 17Th championship banner at the expense of their bitter rivals. More than that they were able to rough up the Lakers and out hustle them for six games. Now after Their game one performance the Lakers have been able flip the script, until game two on Sunday night rolls around at least. The Celtics are game however, as they showed in their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After getting embarrassed in game 2 by the ''King'' Lebron James and company, all they did was respond with the heart of a champion, turn the tables and win the series.

What the Celtics will find out as this series continues, is that the Lakers are not the Cavs. Kobe Bryant is not Lebron James. And this simply is not 2008. The C's will have to slay a different giant this time around, a giant that will not give up any ground. Literally. What the Celtics will have to do is show that a heart of a champion is not measured by one game, but rather how they respond when truly challenged. Sunday night we will indeed find out if the Lakers are primed for revenge from their 2008 failures or have awoken a sleeping champion ready to make it a Finals.

By Ephraim Vega
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