Now, looking back, we can break down what we’ve seen. Since the C’s and Lakers took the floor at the Staples Center a week ago Sunday, we’ve been through 12 days, two grudge matches, and two fourth quarters commandeered down the stretch by great clutch players, Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant.
The Celtics won one game on the road by 13, behind a team-high 32 points from Pierce. The Lakers won one on the road by six, behind a game-high 23 from Bryant. The NBA’s two great rivals are now 1-1 against one another this season, and 4-4 since the Big Three came together in Boston four years ago.
In the regular season, they’ve been perfectly evenly matched.
And they might be evenly matched again come June.
After two games over the last two weeks, we have no clear picture of who has the upper hand between the Celtics and Lakers. We’ve seen two close, well-played games where the better-prepared team pulled ahead in the end.
But we can say one thing — these are the NBA’s two best teams, and there’s a good chance we’ll see them battle seven more times before the summer of 2011.
Both teams have had their issues in the regular season, as injuries have taken their toll, and there’s been inconsistent play spurred by questionable levels of motivation. But these two teams are the game’s best equipped to make it through to the NBA Finals in June. They’ve got talent, dedication, teamwork, experience, depth and brilliant coaching. In short, they’ve got what it takes.
The Celtics are currently 38-14, tied with the Heat atop the Eastern Conference. The Lakers are 37-16, well behind the miraculously healthy Spurs out West. Right now, the playoff picture looks unclear.
But if you’ve seen the Celtics and Lakers battle this season, you know they’re capable of bringing their best game when it matters. When they do, it comes down to which Boston team shows up — the one that’s sharp and ready to come through in the clutch, or the one that’s injured and unprepared for a war of attrition.
These teams aren’t done with each other yet. They’ve met in the Finals in two of the last three seasons, and they now look destined to do it again.
