FOULEDOUT!

The Boston Celtics are once again the NBA World Champions. After going through an intense playoff battles all the way back from the first round, the Celtics finally captured their gold. Truth to be told, I’m not really a fan of Celtics and I was rooting for the L.A. Lakers to win it all. I’m not a Lakers fan at heart, but I wanted them to win because I didn’t believe in the Celtics. I didn’t want to buy the idea that they are a championship caliber team because of their Big 3. Through the playoffs, Lakers looked poised to win it all while the Celtics struggled to win away from home. But after the grueling 26 playoff games, the Green Machine eventually emerged as the champs.

After watching game 6, I thought the Celts deserved to win. They showed heart, courage and determination. They were in the zone while the Lakers looked dazed and confused. The Green Machine was well oiled and every cog was running smoothly. Everybody in the team wanted to win the gold and everyone contributed something. Lakers, on the other hand, lacked the intensity and aggressiveness which eventually cost them the Larry O’Brien trophy.

After the game, I checked the stats of the game and it showed why the Celtics finished on top. Here are the stats for game 6:

Rebounds

Lakers 29 (2 offensive)

Celtics 48 (14 offensive)

Assists

Lakers 16

Celtics 33

Steals

Lakers 4

Celtics 18

Blocks

Lakers 0

Celtics 4

Turnovers

Lakers 19

Celtics 7

With those numbers posted on the box score, it wasn’t really surprising to see the Celtics finish on top. The Lakers were totally dominated by the Celtics in the game considering the fact that they are supposed to be more experienced, especially Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson. The Celtics just showed more hunger and determination than the Lakers to win the gold and they eventually got their prize. Props to the both teams for reaching the NBA finals and much respect for the Boston Celtics. Cheers!

-fouledout

D’Antoni Agrees to Coach Knicks

After leading the Phoenix Suns to three division titles and two trips to the Western Conference Finals, Mike D’Antoni will now head to the Big Apple for a change of scenery.

D’Antoni made an agreement with the New York Knicks to become the head coach of the team next season. The completion of the contract is still on the prcoess.

D’Antoni will replace Isiah Thomas at the helm of the Knicks. Thomas was fired after the Knicks went 23-59 this season and tied the franchise record for losses in a season.

D’Antoni will have a tough time transforming the Knicks into a contender. His new roster is obviously unfit for his small-ball up-tempo style.

Carlisle Replaces Johnson as Mavs Head Coach

The Dallas Mavericks named Rick Carlisle as the replacement for their former head coach Avery Johnson. Carlisle was the only candidate for the head coach post when the Mavs fired Johnson after their second straight round 1 playoff exit.

Carlisle went 281-211 in two seasons in Detroit and four in Indiana. This is Carlisle’s third stint as a head coach and his skills will be put to test as he is now in the tough Western Conference.

-fouledout