The NBA got exactly what it wanted on Friday night when the Celtics eliminated the Pistons to advance to the Finals against the Lakers. It won?t be Bird versus Magic, but we will see a handful of potential Hall of Famers on the same court over the next two weeks ? something that should excite even the most bitter San Antonio and Detroit fans.

As if the allure of seeing Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Pau Gasol on the court at the same time wasn?t enough, the game will take place in two of the league?s biggest markets ? Boston and Los Angeles ? which no doubt had David Stern dreaming of dollar signs all weekend.

One would think that this seven-game series would be hard to predict especially since both teams were the top seed in their respective conference heading into the playoffs.

However, that?s very far from the ?truth? (excuse the pun).

Through the first eighty games of the 2008 playoffs, the home team has won 72.5% of the time (58-22). The percentage spikes up to 83.3% when you isolate the semifinals (22-3) and the Conference Finals (8-3).

There are two schools of thought on what this trend will mean for the Finals. Either the Celtics have an advantage because four of the possible seven games will take place in Boston, or the Lakers hold an edge due to their superior road record.

The Celtics are just 2-7 away from Boston during the playoffs while the Lakers have tallied a 4-3 mark in seven road games this spring.

Either way, the combination of Boston?s inability to win on the road ? aside from a pair of impressive wins in Detroit ? and dominance at home leads many to believe that the series will last quite a long time.

The winner of this year?s NBA championship will probably be the team that is most effectively able to impose its will upon the other team.

The Lakers rely on scoring as much as possible although they have buckled down defensively on occasion while the Celtics prefer to wear down opponents with an often grinding pace.

Boston has limited opponents to just 87.3 points this postseason, averaging 91.7 a game themselves. That scoring differential of 4.4 showcases how well the Celtics have performed in close games with a tremendous amount on the line.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles has allowed opponents to score 99.5 points in fifteen contests. The Lakers still have a nice 6.4 differential, though, because they have deposited 105.9 points per game in the playoffs.

While the team that imposes its will first might have an advantage, it may be more important that both teams are able to adapt their style to suit each others.

You need to look no further than these very playoffs to see how each team has faired against a contrasting style.

Boston struggled in the first round against the young, speedy Hawks, who prefer to run rather than taking their time with the basketball. The Lakers may not be quite as young as Atlanta, but they are more talented and have the league?s Most Valuable Player on their side.

In the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio, the Lakers were able to impose their high-scoring will on the defending-champions while slowing it down when necessary.

That fact, combined with Boston?s age and their rather grueling road to the Finals, leads me to believe that the Lakers have a better chance of winning games because of their scoring and defense.

Phil Jackson would be smart to unleash his troops out of the gate in an effort to wear down the aging and emotionally drained Celtics from the start.

While I will rely on statistics to make my ultimate prediction a little bit later on, there is one stat that has to be completely thrown out when analyzing this series.

That is Boston?s 2-0 record against Los Angeles during the regular season.

They have yet to meet in 2008, which, of course, means that Gasol wasn?t in a Laker uniform for either contest. The Celtics, who were remarkably constant throughout the 82-game season, are more battled-tested now but are still very much the same monster.

The Lakers, however, are a completely different giant. In fact, Los Angeles posted a 38-14 record (.730 winning percentage) following their Dec. 30 loss to Boston. Heading into 2008, they were just 19-11. (.633).

In contrast, the Celtics had a 26-3 (.965) record after knocking off the Lakers in late December. After battling Los Angeles for the final time, Boston posted a 40-13 (.754) mark. Those numbers tell just half the story as to how differently this matchup looks since their last meeting.

We all know that the postseason is an entirely different beast than the regular season, but each individual round varies, as well.

Not surprisingly, the competition has gotten tougher as the weather has gotten warmer. If you don?t believe me, let?s take a look at the numbers.

Round, Average Point Differential
First Round, 13.4
Semifinals, 11.6
Conference Finals, 11.2

You might not think a point here or there means all that much, but when games are being decided by six points or less ? like in four of the eleven conference finals games ? a basket can make a huge difference down the stretch.

As I mentioned earlier, the Lakers (6.4) have a higher average point-differential than the Celtics (4.4) so far in these playoffs. This is an advantage for Los Angeles especially when you consider the better ?teams? that the Western Conference featured this year.

Truly great teams are able to find ways to win with it all on the line, but it?s also important for a club to be able to keeping doing what they do best in May and June.

Let?s take a peek at some of the most popular team statistics from the regular season and compare them to what the Lakers and Celtics have done in the playoffs.

The 2007-08 Lakers
Stat: Regular Season, Playoffs, Difference
Points: 108.6, 105.9, (2.7)
FGM: 39.6, 38.3, (1.3)
FGA: 83.1, 80.1, (3.0)
FG%: 48%, 48%, None
3PM: 8.1, 6.9, (1.2)
3PA: 21.4, 18.3, (3.1)
3P%: 38%, 38%, None
FTM: 21.3, 22.5 +1.2
FTA: 27.7, 29.5, +1.8
FT%: 77%, 76%, (1%)
OREB: 11.0, 9.1, (1.9)
DREB: 33.2, 31.5, (1.7)
TREB: 44.2, 40.6, (3.6)
AST: 24.4, 21.3, (3.1)
STL: 7.9, 7.3, (0.6)
BLK: 5.3, 6.1, +0.8
TO: 13.6, 12.5, (1.1)

As you can see, a majority of the team?s offensive stats have taken a hit in the playoffs, but that is more indicative of postseason play than any shortcomings by the Lakers. The consistent shooting percentages of Los Angeles are a great sign for the team as it shows they are able to handle the increased intensity and aren?t settling for bad shots.

What I also like about their numbers is the decrease in three-point shots. They are actually shooting the long-ball better than any team not named New Orleans in these playoffs, but they seem to play much better when guys like Kobe are attacking the rim instead of settling for bombs.

The Lakers have also imposed their will on opponents by maintaining a high offensive pace. They are scoring just 2.7 points less, not a bad mark considering the slower pace we often see in the playoffs. Of course, it helps that the Lakers faced the run-and-gun Nuggets in the first round and had a few high-scoring affairs with the Jazz. They were, however, able to score at will against the Spurs, who were the third-best defensive team (95.4 points against) during the regular season.

That?s no simple feat; just ask the Suns of 2008 and the Cavaliers of 2007.

The 2007-08 Celtics
Stat: Regular Season, Playoffs, Difference
Points: 100.5, 91.7, (8.8)
FGM: 36.4, 33.4, (3.0)
FGA: 76.7, 74.6, (2.1)
FG%: 47%, 45%, (2%)
3PM: 7.3, 5.3, (2.0)
3PA: 19.1, 15.7, (3.4)
3P%: 38%, 34%, (4%)
FTM: 20.5, 19.6, (0.9)
FTA: 26.5, 24.9, (1.6)
FT%: 77%, 79%, +2%
OREB: 10.1, 11.2, +1.1
DREB: 31.9, 28.3, (3.6)
TREB: 42.0, 39.5, (2.5)
AST: 22.4, 21.4, (1.0)
STL: 8.5, 7.3, (1.2)
BLK: 4.6, 4.4, (0.2)
TO: 14.4, 12.1, (2.3)

Boston?s statistical outlook isn?t as bright as what we saw with Los Angeles, but the numbers do show their versatility.

The Celtics were able to grind with the Pistons and run with both the Cavaliers and Hawks when necessary, something that can only help them as they prepare for the Lakers. If Los Angeles is the favorite in a high-scoring affair and Boston has the advantage in a 70?s battle, then that versatility bodes well for the Celtics if games fall within the 85-95 scoring range.

The Lakers are used to far more possessions than the Celtics have averaged, as showcased by their six additional shot attempts. In addition, Los Angeles has taken five more free throws and three more three-pointers than Boston in these playoffs.

I?m not worried about the Celtics' ability to run at times or to control the tempo when Doc Rivers calls for it, but I don?t like the decrease (even slight) in attempts from the charity stripe.

While Boston does like to play physical defense ? ask LeBron James about how they might play Bryant ? they need to be more aggressive on the offensive end to earn a few freebies. The Celtics are a good free-throw shooting team, and guys like Pierce and Allen need to get to the line more often to give Boston a better chance to win.

They have also seen a slight drop in shooting from the field (and three-point line). I?m not sure if that can be attributed to the Celtics having played 102 games since the opening tip of the season or to  how hot-and-cold they were in the first two rounds against the Hawks and Cavaliers.

Through the first eighty games of the playoffs, there have been two telling statistics when comparing the winners to losers.

Both relate to the three-point shot. Winning teams are attempting 1.5 fewer (17.7 to 16.2) shots from beyond the arc, but the more telling stat is each team?s shooting percentage. The losing team in this season?s playoffs is shooting just 30.6% from downtown while the average winner is hitting 38.6% of their attempts.

In the regular season the Lakers and Celtics were nearly identical from the three-point line, but Los Angeles has been better in the playoffs (38% to 34%). However, that doesn?t mean Boston can?t win games with big shots.

It will come down to which team?s shooters are on their game with it all on the line.

The Lakers might have more players capable of hitting a three (Bryant, Derek Fisher, Sasha Vujacic, and Vladimir Radmanovic), but overall I?d prefer to have the trio Boston fields (Pierce, Allen, and James Posey).

Call me crazy, but Pierce is deadly when hot (similar to Bryant), and Allen isn?t the second-most prolific three-point marksman in the history of the game for nothing. His struggles through Boston?s first twenty playoffs battles also indicate that he?s due to explode from downtown sooner rather than later.

The Celtics are hoping he gets red-hot in the Finals and not in the first few weeks of the 2008-09 season.

Alright, 1,800 words later I?m finally ready to present to you my prediction for the 2008 NBA Finals.

For a variety of reasons, I?m taking the Lakers in six games over the Celtics.

I believe that the incredibly tough road that Boston has had to the Finals will finally get to them, something that will be exacerbated by the six days they had off to unwind following their triumph over Detroit. That might sound like a contradiction, but the way the Celtics were playing, their aging and tired bones would have performed better with a significantly shorter layoff.

The Lakers have also been very tough at home, something that doesn?t bode well for the road weary Celtics (how are they going to respond to three-straight games away from Beantown?). Los Angeles has also been more aggressive thus far, and getting to the free-throw line will be key in a battle of contrasting styles.

Bryant is one of the biggest factors, as well.

Boston has the more-heralded top-three, but Los Angeles has the league?s MVP, who for the first time in his career is making his teammates much better than they look on paper.

Two of his teammates, however, don?t need much help looking good.

Gasol has been criticized for his lack of toughness, but the combination of Pau and Odom is going to be a unique challenge for Garnett and Kendrick Perkins.

Odom will, without a doubt, be the very well-known x-factor in this series, having played tremendously up to this point (14.7 pts, 10.3 rbds, and 2.9 asts). If he can help take some of the heat off Gasol on both ends of the floor, I believe we?ll see some special nights from both.

The Celtics did a great job of keeping Bryant from penetrating in the regular season, but, once again, this is an entirely different Los Angeles team.

In addition to Kobe shifting into a higher gear with the title on the line, he is also more confident in relying on guys like Fisher, Odom, Gasol, and even Vujacic when he can?t get the shot he wants.

Expect to see Bryant?s thousand-watt smile in a week or two as he hoists the Larry O?Brien trophy for the fourth time. Until then, we?ll have to suffer through an eerily familiar wagging tongue and furrowed brow.


Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM. Please feel free to contact him via e-mail with comments or questions on this piece: [email protected].