May 31, 2008 12:24 AM EST
The Boston Celtics reached the NBA Finals on Friday night with an 89-81 win over the Detroit Pistons.
The victory was just the second road win for the Celtics this postseason - with the first coming in Game Three in Detroit - and allowed them to avoid a third Game Seven back home in Boston.
Paul Pierce had 27 points and 8 rebounds, and Kevin Garnett added 16 points and 6 boards in the win for the Celtics, who shot 44% from the field and attempted six more free throws than Detroit.
Ray Allen added 17 for Boston on 6-for-12 shooting.
The Celtics trailed by six heading into the fourth quarter but outscored the Pistons 29-13 over the final twelve minutes to advance to their twentieth NBA Finals.
Chauncey Billups, 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, and Richard Hamilton, 21 points despite a bum elbow, were fantastic for the Pistons, but everyone else struggled.
Rasheed Wallace was just 2-for-12, finishing with 4 points and 5 fouls in the loss.
With Wallace in foul trouble, Theo Ratliff brought his defense to the floor but was unable to help the Pistons offensively.
Detroit Coach Flip Saunders replaced Ratliff with Jason Maxiell to bring some semblance of an offensive attack to the paint, but the Celtics withstood Maxiell's 7 points.
Antonio McDyess, a huge factor through the first five games of the series, was just 2-for-3 from the floor as defenders like Kendrick Perkins, Garnett, and Pierce combined to keep him out of the game.
The last time the Celtics made the Finals was in 1987, when they lost to the same team they will play next week - the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Finals will begin Thursday in Boston.
Via Andrew Perna/RealGM
Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers
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May 29, 2008 11:47 PM EST
The Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals on Thursday night with a 100-92 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals.
Kobe Bryant scored a series-high 39 points, and Pau Gasol added 12 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers, who made just 44% of their shots but turned the ball over just nine times.
San Antonio took a thirteen-point lead into the second quarter, but the Lakers answered well to trim the advantage to just eight at the half.
The Lakers then stormed out of the gate to post a 27-20 edge in the third quarter, setting themselves up for a huge final period.
Lamar Odom, who blamed himself for the team's Game Three loss, posted 13 points and 8 rebounds in the series-clinching win.
Tim Duncan was nothing less than magical for the Spurs, tallying 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss.
Manu Ginobili struggled, scoring just 9 points on 3-for-9 shooting with five fouls.
Tony Parker added 23 points and 4 assists, and Kurt Thomas contributed 11 points and 7 rebounds for the Spurs, who hit 48% of their shots but couldn't hang with the Lakers in the final minutes of the game.
Los Angeles outscored San Antonio 36-29 in the final twelve minutes, as the crowd at the STAPLES Center rose to its feet and cheered during the final few minutes of the game.
The Lakers will await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Celtics leading the Pistons 3-2 in the series, which resumes on Friday night.
It will be the team's first Finals appearance since 2004, when they lost to Detroit.
Via Andrew Perna/RealGM
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Spurs' Head Coach Gregg Popovich believes that officials call games differently in the final moments, according to The San Antonio Express-News.
"Officials will tell you no," Popovich said. "But it’s a very strange thing. An official will tell you the game is called at the end of the game exactly like it is during the meat of the game, and that’s their story, and they are going to stand by it."
The controversy has bloomed because of what happened at the end of the team's Game Five loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
Derek Fisher was not called for a foul on Brent Barry during the final seconds, although the league admitted on Wednesday that a foul should have been called.
"In reality, I don’t think that’s true, and I could give a thousand examples that things are called differently down the stretch, where I think most referees feel, and I agree with them, that things need to be more definitive before you are going to make a call. A referee is going to be hesitant to make a call that can decide a game at the end of the game unless it is really either gross or obvious," he added.
"That’s why I said that if I was an official I would not have called that a foul last night."
Via The San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers
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Lakers May 2008 Archive
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San Antonio Express-News | May 29, 2008
While it will not change the outcome, the NBA acknowledged that Brent Barry was fouled by Derek Fisher on the last second three point attempt which would have awarded the Spurs three free throws while down two points in Game 4.
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TransWorldNews | May 28, 2008
Kobe Bryant filed a letter against a website that claimed Bryant had an affair with Vanessa Curry, a Laker Girl.
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Chicago Tribune | May 28, 2008
John Paxson came away impressed with Lakers' Assistant Coach Kurt Rambis following their meeting.
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AP | May 28, 2008
Kobe Bryant scored 28 points as the Lakers beat the Spurs 93-91 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
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The Los Angeles Times | May 27, 2008
After a rough loss to the Spurs on Sunday night the Lakers are looking for both Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to get hungrier heading into Game Four.
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East Valley Tribune | May 27, 2008
Steve Kerr met with Laker Assistant Coach Brian Shaw on May 18.
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ESPN | May 26, 2008
Kobe Bryant thinks that the Lakers did some growing up on Sunday night during their Game Three loss to the Spurs.
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The Los Angeles Times | May 26, 2008
Lakers' forward Lamar Odom is taking the blame for the team's 103-84 loss to the Spurs in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday night.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | May 25, 2008
San Antonio avoided falling into an 0-3 hole against Los Angeles with a huge 103-84 win in Game Three of the Conference Finals on Saturday night.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 25, 2008
Both Derek Fisher and Manu Ginobili are dealing with injuries as the Lakers and Spurs prepare for Game Three of the Western Conference Finals.
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AP | May 24, 2008
The Los Angeles Lakers routed the San Antonio Spurs 101-71 on Friday night to take a 2-0 series lead.
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The Los Angeles Times | May 23, 2008
The Spurs think they know why the Lakers were able to comeback from a twenty-point deficit on Wednesday night; San Antonio simply slowed down at the end of Game One.
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San Antonio Express-News | May 23, 2008
Phil Jackson has never lost a playoff series after winning the first game, accumulating an impressive 40-0 record.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 22, 2008
The Lakers expect center Andrew Bynum to be ready to participate in training camp a few months from now.
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Press Release | May 22, 2008
Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today in New York, the team announced today .
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | May 21, 2008
The Lakers used a huge second half to come-from-behind and beat the Spurs, 89-85, in Game One of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 21, 2008
Lakers' Coach Phil Jackson admitted on Tuesday that Pau Gasol will guard Tim Duncan at the start of the Western Conference Finals.
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Orange County Register | May 20, 2008
To celebrate his MVP award, Kobe Bryant gave each teammate a personally engraved Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Chronograph watch from Switzerland.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 20, 2008
As the Lakers prepare for the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, forward Trevor Ariza is doing his best to get back onto the court.
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The Sacramento Bee | May 19, 2008
The Lakers appeared interested in forward Ron Artest earlier this season, and rumors could pick up this summer between Los Angeles and Sacramento.
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ESPN | May 18, 2008
Lakers center Andrew Bynum will have arthroscopic surgery on his troublesome left knee this week.
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Christopher Reina/RealGM | May 18, 2008
The Lakers and Pistons are awaiting their Conference Finals opponents, so it's little surprise that they are one and two in our rankings.
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Chicago Tribune | May 17, 2008
Joe Dumars will not grant the Bulls the same access to fellow assistant Michael Curry as he did for Terry Porter.
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yahoo.com | May 17, 2008
The Lakers defeated the Jazz 108-105 on Friday night to win Game 6 and advance to the Western Conference finals.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 16, 2008
Trevor Ariza could re-join the Lakers on the court in the very near future.
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ESPN | May 15, 2008
Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko missed the team's practice on Thursday due to an issue with his working visa.
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AP | May 15, 2008
Kobe Bryant scored 26 points on Wednesday night, to lead the Lakers to a 111-104 win over the Jazz, to take a 3-2 series lead.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 14, 2008
Forward Trevor Ariza returned to practice for the Lakers on Monday for the first time in four months following a broken foot.
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ESPN | May 14, 2008
Robert Horry is now the sole owner of the league record for most postseason games played.
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The San Antonio Express-News | May 13, 2008
Robert Horry has enough championship experience to know what he's talking about when it comes to Hall of Fame coaches, and he believes Gregg Popovich is better than Phil Jackson.
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ESPN | May 13, 2008
Kobe Bryant sat out the Lakers practice on Tuesday in order to rest his sore back heading into Game Five against the Jazz on Wednesday night.
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Los Angeles Times | May 12, 2008
Kobe Bryant said his lower back, which he injured in Game 4 on Sunday in Salt Lake City, was "sore, tight and stiff."
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RealGM Staff Report | May 12, 2008
Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan and Marcus Camby joined Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
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Orange County Register | May 12, 2008
Kobe Bryant's tight lower back wouldn't allow him to sit down comfortably.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | May 11, 2008
They needed overtime, but the Jazz defeated the Lakers 123-115 to even their best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
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ESPN | May 11, 2008
Lakers' forward Ronny Turiaf was ejected early in the second quarter against the Jazz on Sunday afternoon after committing a flagrant foul on Utah's Ronnie Price.
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The Los Angeles Daily News | May 11, 2008
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan cried foul on Friday after he felt Kobe Bryant received special treatment from officials during Games One and Two, and now Phil Jackson is doing the same following his team's Game Three loss in Utah.
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The Salt Lake Tribune | May 10, 2008
Lakers' guard Trevor Ariza will seek a third opinion on his broken right foot and could very well play against this postseason.
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Andrew Perna/RealGM | May 9, 2008
The Jazz survived a late surge by the Lakers in Game Three on Friday night and handed Kobe and Co. their first loss, 104-99, of the postseason.
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NBA.com | May 9, 2008
Jazz owner Larry Miller will not attend the team's Game Four against the Lakers on Sunday because of his religious beliefs.
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L.A. Times | May 8, 2008
Andrew Bynum may undergo exploratory surgery on his troublesome left knee if he does not feel any relief in the next 3-4 weeks.
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AP | May 8, 2008
The Lakers beat the Jazz 120-110 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
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Los Angeles Daily News | May 7, 2008
Kobe Bryant couldn't be happier being a member of the Lakers, which is the opposite of how he felt this time last year.
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The Times-Picayune | May 7, 2008
Chris Paul, who finished a close second to Kobe Bryant in the NBA's MVP voting, said on Tuesday that the Lakers' guard is more than deserving of the award.
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Press Release | May 6, 2008
Kobe Bryant beat out Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Dwight Howard to win his first MVP.
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The Los Angeles Times | May 6, 2008
The Lakers could wait to extend the contract of Andrew Bynum until his receives a clean bill of health.
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ESPN | May 6, 2008
The NBA has scheduled a press conference in a Los Angeles hotel for Tuesday afternoon, when Kobe Bryant is expected to be named the league's Most Valuable Player for 2007-08.
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L.A. Times | May 6, 2008
Lakers' center Andrew Bynum will get a second opinion on his troublesome left knee and could undergo surgery depending on the results.
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AP | May 4, 2008
The Lakers beat the Jazz 109-98 in Sunday's Game 1 of their second-round Western Conference series behind Kobe Bryant's 38 points.
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The Deseret News | May 4, 2008
Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer is excited to defend Kobe Bryant as Utah and Los Angeles open their semifinal series on Sunday.
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L.A. Times | May 2, 2008
It has taken 12 seasons and just as much criticism, but Kobe Bryant has earned his first league MVP award.
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L.A. Times | May 2, 2008
Lakers' center Andrew Bynum said on Friday that he doubts he'll return to the team this season, regardless of how deep they go in the playoffs.
