Neither Rajon Rondo nor Kobe Bryant have performed well in Game 7s recently. This will also be the first Finals Game 7 for Celtics stars Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. And then the original Big Three of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale outlasted the Lakers' Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy in 1984.įor all his Finals experience, Jackson, with 10 rings in 12 previous appearances, has never coached a Game 7, which of course means that Kobe and Pau Gasol have never played in one. made a habit of it against Jerry West, Elgin Baylor (and later, Wilt Chamberlain) in the '60s, beating them in three Game 7s. The Lakers and Celtics have met previously in four Game 7s, with the Celtics prevailing every time.
This will be only the fifth one in the past 27 years, the last coming in 2005, when San Antonio defeated Detroit. Game 7s in the Finals are about as common as power dunks by Derek Fisher.
"Knowing that we're going to Game 7, and this is the Finals, and it's the Celtics and Lakers.'' "This is definitely a special treat for the NBA,'' Boston's Ray Allen said Tuesday, after the Lakers' 89-67 victory forced the Game 7 showdown at Staples Center. The Commish - and Basketball Nation - couldn't ask for more.
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Will The Big Three Plus One win its second title in three years, or will Kobe Bryant continue passing legends en route to a seat beside Michael Jordan? Will Phil Jackson keep dominating the sport from the sidelines, or will he be outcoached by Boston's relaxed, witty, breath-of-fresh-air motivator, Doc Rivers? Will the star-studded home court turn Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown, et al into Cinderellas, or will the Celtics' gritty, animated second unit save the day? With the LeBron Watch threatening to overshadow the NBA's Main Event, David Stern received a gift from the heavens.įour likely Hall of Famers, two other All-Stars, the winningest clubs in the sport, the greatest coach in league history, one of the greatest coaches in today's game and colorful supporting characters named Ron-Ron, Big Baby and Donkey, are set to clash in a Super Bowl/March Madness/winner-take-all-style Game 7, and no free-agent frenzy or coaching flirtation can compare.įor now, for once, all the drama will surround actual basketball, not possibilities and wishful thinking.