The most storied rivalry in basketball will be renewed as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers meet in Boston in the NBA Finals beginning Thursday night (June 5) in Boston. The Celtics opened as a 3-point chalk favorite ATS with a 193 ½ point total for Game-1 by oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com . The finals will be played in a 2-3-2 format.
Celtics forward Paul Pierce poured in 12 of his 27 points in a spectacular fourth quarter, as Boston closed out Detroit with an 89-81 road victory in Game-6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Friday. The victory set up the showdown with the Lakers, who had previously defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.
The Celtics punched their ticket to the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 1987 when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2. In that series over 20 years ago the battle was between Ervin Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The 2008 version of Celtics vs. Lakers is not short of super-stars either with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
"I'm looking forward to it, all the things I used to watch on Sunday, that big plate of food in front of me watching the Lakers and Celtics play on Sunday, Hubie Brown and Dick Stockton doing the game," Garnett said. "I remember that like it was yesterday."
“It means everything to Boston fans,” said Pierce. “I think that’s pretty much what got me started in basketball, growing up in Los Angeles, watching the Lakers and the Celtics.
“As a kid, I hated the Celtics. And now I’m going home to play against my team that I grew up watching. It’s a dream come true, man, just thinking about it. I think that rivalry really revolutionized the game of basketball, and now I’m part of it.”
NBA Finals Schedule
Game 1 Thu June 5 at Boston 9 (Celtics favored by -3, Sportsbook.com)
Game 2 Sun June 8 at Boston
Game 3 Tue June 10 at LA
Game 4 Thu June 12 at LA
Game 5* Sun June 15 at LA
Game 6* Tue June 17 at Boston
Game 7* Thu June 19 at Boston
* if necessary
