For Lakers fans (which I am), this is a NBA Finals series that can be best described as a "Finals of Missed Opportunities". If the ball had bounced in our favor along with some crucial calls (and no-calls) gone our way, we would probably be back at the Staples Center for Game 6 with the series lead and a chance to clinch title #16. Heck, we might have already won the championship back in Bean town. But thanks to a few (more like several) mental blunders, some (a lot of) missed free throws, poorly timed turnovers and horrible officiating (don't get me started), the Celtics enjoy a 3 - 2 lead heading into L.A. for a date with their own destiny and title #18. But if I were the Celtic faithful, I wouldn't necessarily start preparing for a Boston street party just yet. If we took a look at the law of percentages along with some speculative logic, the Lakers are almost guaranteed a win in Game 6, forcing the series to go the distance. Here are my 10 reasons why:
10. As good as the Celtics are, the Lakers are still the better team and won't lose 3 games in a row.
9. Even though critics say Los Angelinos are the worst fans in professional sports, the Celtics won't have the crowd energy which they literally fed on to pull off very emotional Game 4 & 5 victories at the Boston TD Garden.
8. The Lakers are back home at the Staples Center and contrary to what others think, the fans will lift up their spirits and boost their energy levels which will give them (especially the Laker bench) that extra special something to help pull off the victory. There's nothing better than the roar of the crowd shouting and screaming words of encouragement to help players forget the pain of injuries which should benefit Andrew Bynum the most and his ailing right knee.
7. The Celtic Leprechauns whose hexes befuddled the referees causing them to make some of the most boneheaded calls in recent Finals history, can't survive in the L.A. heat and will be a non-factor.
6. Ron Artest will figure out how to play defense on Paul Pierce again and Lamar Odom will be a rebounding machine.
5. Pau Gasol will bounce back from a horrible offensive performance in Game 5 and will outplay KG in Game 6 who will once again "disappear" when it counts the most.
4. Free throw shooting will be Rajon Rondo's demise as Laker defenders will get physical and send him to the FT line rather than have him duck, dive and juke his way to the basket for lay-ups or kick-out passes to open perimeter players. He'll start settling for jump shots; though improved will still limit his effectiveness on the court.
3. KryptoNATE, Big Baby and Tony Allen will show why they're not good enough to be starters. 'Sheed will also manage to get himself thrown out of the game.
2. KOBE BRYANT. Unlike Lebron, Kobe's drive, determination and "desire to win" will carry the Lakers to victory.
1. Corporate America. Everyone knows that the Celtics' window of opportunity is closed after this season and we won't see a NBA Finals between these two storied franchises for quite sometime. The playoffs is the NBA's money season and having a classic rivalry go the distance means more drama, which means more television viewers, which means greater media coverage, which means a great deal of exposure for the companies associated to the game as well as their products, which will ultimately lead to a healthy revenue stream just as the fiscal year comes to a close. In Corporate America's eyes, the Lakers need to win Game 6 because there's simply too much money involved if the Finals fail to go the distance. And if I were the Boston Celtics, they're not the kind of fans you want rooting against you.
