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

Kobe Bryant was long considered as one of the best players in the NBA. His several championships and scoring crowns are testaments to his great basketball skills. However in his 11 year NBA career, Bryant never won the coveted MVP honors – until this season.

Kobe Bryant won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2007-2008 NBA Most Valuable Player after getting 1,105 votes from a panel of sportswriters across the US and Canada. Hornets little big man Chris Paul finished second while Celtics stalwart Kevin Garnett finished third.

Bryant was long labeled as a selfish player and after his trade-drama last year, he turned around his play and showcased his all-around game. Kobe ranks second in the league in scoring with an average of 28.3 point to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

*photo credit: getty images

“I really don’t know what to say, it’s such an honor and a blessing to be here. It’s a very special day for me.” Bryant said after receiving the award.

Personally, I would have chosen Chris Paul to win the award. But it was a real close-call. After all, the Hornets and Lakers finished as the top two teams in the rugged Western Conference. I guess you just can’t go wrong between Kobe and Paul. Chris Paul is still young and he’ll have his chances to win his MVP award(s) and I guess this is really Kobe’s time. Kudos to Kobe Bryant for his first MVP trophy.

-fouledout

Caron Butler finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists but his triple double was not enough to beat the Kobe Bryant and company. Kobe finished with 26 points, including 6 in the extra period to seal the 126-120 OT win against the the visiting Washington Wizards.

The Los Angeles Lakers played with collective effort as seven players in their roster scored in double digits. Sasha Vujacic finished with 20 points after hitting six 3-pointers while Luke Walton added 19. Valdimir Radmanovic chipped-in 18 points and Lamar Odom contributed 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Rookie Nick Young scored his career high 27 points playing in his hometown. Fellow Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson also finished with 27 points including a career-high eight 3-pointers. Antawn Jamison finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds for the visiting Wizards.

The Lakers are 50-24 in the ultra-competitive Western Conference while the Wizards are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 38-35 record.

-fouledout