Josh Dhani

He scored 16 points, 5 rebounds last night in loss to Jazz

A lot of hate is in for today!

http://hardcourtmayhem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/p1.miles_-230x300.jpg The 28-year-old Darius Miles smiled when he looked at his stat-sheet after playing in a summer charity game. The most important part was the 26 points. Miles, out of the NBA, now wants to make a comeback. “This is the best I’ve felt in five years,” Miles told FanHouse. “Even through all the rust, you can see, I still have my skills. And because I was forced to develop other parts of my game, I might be better than I ever was.” Miles was a hopeful star when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers as the third overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Since then, he has been considered a bust. He has also gone through recent troubles with the leagues with substance abuses along with a bunch of injuries which forced him to quit. Miles can revive himself and re-shape his career up. At 28, he has a lot of time to have a better reputation in the league. Miles was working a bit with the Charlotte Bobcats during this year’s Summer League. A great way to fix up his career is with Larry Brown, who is known for fixing up NBA players with a bad reputation. “He doesn’t have the spring in his legs that he had 7-8 years ago, but nobody does,” said Bobcats assistant coach Dave Hanners. “He still has that great feel for the game. He knows how things will unfold before they do. That’s special. And he still has a strong desire to play.” But they aren’t promises he will make the roster, with Theo Ratliff and Larry Hughes in the mix. But Miles can still make it and show that he can ball. “I’ve been hurt for such a long, long time that people forgot who you are, what you can do,” Miles said. “If people see me, I think they’ll like me. My body feels great, and if it holds up, I can play with the elite like I used to. And I’m excited about the possibilities now.” Miles went to a tough path, becoming a journeyman from going to Cavaliers and then to the Portland Trail Blazers. There, he had one of the worst contracts in NBA history with a six-year $48 million deal. The Blazers announced his retirement a year later, hoping to get some salary cap back. He then went to the Boston Celtics in 2008, but nothing really happened there. He then signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, but was handed with yet another suspension upon drug abuse. But after reserving for the last 34 games, Miles showed signs of a flashiness. It seemed if Memphis would sign him, but that later became a distance memory when he was arrested for marijuana possession back in Illinois. And from there, his NBA career was over. But Miles is improving himself as a player, teammate, and wholeheartedly a person. He is working well in rehab and is doing well for the Bobcats in the Summer League play. “I’m not mad at the Blazers or anyone else for the past, but I know I can play again. I’ve learned a lot about the business of basketball. My son is 2 years old now, and he’s never seen me play. I want him to come to an NBA arena to see his father play again,” Miles said. “I’ve got a lot of years left, and I want to be part of something again.” Though Miles isn’t like what he used to be or what he was thought out to be, he can still bring it. All he has to do is play hard, do things right, and try to make this Bobcats’ roster. “I have nothing guaranteed right now. I’m just thankful for this chance,” he said. “Sometimes I still have to tell myself to take it slow. But I’m out there now jumping around, and I don’t have to worry about my knee anymore. My game is back.” Even if he doesn’t make the team’s roster, I hope an NBA team is keeping an eye on him. Actually, I am sure of that.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/975/691/Picture1_crop_340x234.png?1277072668 Martial Arts had Bruce Lee, hip hop had Tupac Shakur, music had Elvis Presley, jokes had Chuck Norris, football had Jim Brown, radio has Howard Stern, and comedy had Richard Pryor. And basketball? Basketball had Michael Jordan. Coming out of North Carolina, Jordan was deemed for success, being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the third pick of the 1984 NBA Draft. Jordan was picked behind Portland Trail Blazers' Sam Bowie, who would later be pronounced as one of the biggest busts in NBA history. He is known for "that guy being picked ahead of MJ." Jordan would finish his career as an easy, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer with 32,292 points, 6,672 rebounds, and 5,633 assists. Jordan would stop for nothing. He will never quit. He will never give up. If you mess with him, he'll make sure you will suffer on the court. Not only the court, but anywhere. He did it when he gambled and he tried doing it in baseball. He led the Bulls to a 72-10 record, what can you ask more? He can lead a team by himself. And at 36 years of age, he won his sixth and final championship. Jordan would then become the Washington Wizards' general manager. With that, the Wizards started to struggle. And it came to him. He had to make a final comeback. Jordan was then announced back as an NBA player. He was a 39-year-old, certified baller for Washington. I remember that when Jordan was gone with the injuries and his knee, the Wizards struggled. A 40-year-old man is that important to such a young team. Though Jordan never reached Finals, let alone the playoffs, with the Wizards, it marked that he was the best because he can average over 25 points a game even at such an old age. It's very rare seeing that happen. It's even more rare seeing a 40-year-old guy drop 50 points on a guy 20 years younger than him. And it saddens me when people compare LeBron James or Kobe Bryant to him. Those closest those people are to MJ are by twenty miles. I was reading a great piece by Isaiah Montoya at BleacherReport.com. He wrote about Jordan's career from 32-to-40 years of age. And if he just played his whole career with just 32-to-40, Kobe or LeBron still wouldn't be better than him. That's how awesome his Airness was. Jordan is now a golfer, but he still competes. He is also the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, in where he was seen footage of himself owning the players on the team's roster. So, there you have it. Even at 47 years of age, Jordan can still ball. Jordan is just too too good. In his 15-year-career, he had six titles and 32,000 points. I just can't see another player accomplishing that feat. So for those of you basketball dumbass fans that think Kobe is better than MJ, take a look at this between their careers: Michael Jordan (through 15 seasons): 32,000 points, six titles, 10 scoring titles Kobe Bryant (through 14 seasons): 25,000 points, five titles, two scoring titles Along with that, Jordan was a five-time regular-season MVP and a six-time Finals' MVP. Kobe was a one-time regular-season MVP and a two-time Finals' MVP. I bet you that Jordan could take a squad like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, etc. to the Finals every year and win. Kobe couldn't even do that. Some examples are the 2004 NBA Finals and the 2008 NBA Finals. Kobe is 5-2 in the Finals and Jordan is a solid 6-0. Do I need to add any more to this little debate? There was also a video leaked on the Internet of Jordan shooting a free throw with his eyes close, giving a warm-welcome to Dikembe Mutombo in his rookie year. Here's a comment I read from Dale Sagen at BleacherReport.com in a response to Jon Star's article: If Kobe Bryant stays in the league for 4 more solid years, 2 more average years, wins 2 more championships (at least 1 without Phil), has 2 clutch signature championship moments, 1 more League MVP, remains aggressive on defense, and tops Kareem's points record, then we can begin the debate. So stop the debate with this. Michael Jordan will forever be the best. He changed sports. He invented a lot of things. He changed the new era of basketball. But when it all goes down, nobody will ever be better than Michael Jordan on the whole planet. Enough said. I could go on and on with this topic. Michael Jordan: The Greatest Ever.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/971/133/dwyane_wade1_crop_340x234.jpg?1276388108 It seems that NBA fans are picturing a dynasty with Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade, shooting guard Joe Johnson, and power forward Chris Bosh. Now that dream can become a reality. But according to the Sun-Sentinel , Dwyane Wade talked to Bosh and Johnson in Los Angeles. He told the newspaper, though, that he hasn't started recruiting yet. "My friends are the guys that are in the league," Wade told the Sun-Sentinel. "Some of my closest friends in the NBA happen to be certain guys that are up in this free-agent market. Yeah, it's going to be like that. Like I said, I don't worry about it. I smile and I keep on going with my day. "Me and Chris have been friends since we came into the NBA. We signed with the same agent. So, we can't eat together? It's all good. We understand what's going to come about from anything that goes on. But, no worries, it's just friends eating dinner." People that most probably will be going to different teams will be Bosh, Johnson, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, and Amar'e Stoudemire. And the Heat can land all of them. The Heat can have LeBron and Bosh instead, but it may cause trouble. I actually think Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh fit a thousand times better. Johnson probably wouldn't mind being with a team stacked with high-quality players, since he was with one earlier with the Altanta Hawks. The Hawks are stacked with players like Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Josh Smith, and Al Horford. I think Johnson would rather go to Miami and team up with a power forward like Bosh and a superstar like Wade. Same goes for Bosh. The Heat could send Michael Beasley and/or Udonis Haslem, or Mario Chalmers and another player/draft pick for a sign-and-trade deal to the Toronto Raptors for Bosh. The Heat have a bunch of cap space to rock free agency. If the Heat were to bring in Bosh and Johnson, I see the starting lineup looking like this: PG: Mario Chalmers SG: Dwyane Wade SF: Joe Johnson PF: Chris Bosh C: Jermaine O'Neal I think Joe Johnson can make the switch to small forward because he has the size and explosiveness to do so. I also like him at shooting guard, too, because he can take advantage on other shooting guards because of his size. So you could see the lineup like this, too: PG: Dwyane Wade SG: Joe Johnson SF: Michael Beasley PF: Chris Bosh C: Jermaine O'Neal Most likely, that might not happen, though. But anyways, it's nice to see Wade talking to his friends. I see Johnson and Bosh coming. It's a great fit. The Heat look like they are a step closer to creating a dynasty.

i guess so. i wrote about it over at my pacers site.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0602/nba_g_artest_ariza_sy_576.jpg It felt more of an trade than separate signings during the off-season. The Los Angeles Lakers let go of their key to an NBA Championship in Trevor Ariza. But the L.A. filled the hole at that small forward spot when they signed Houston Rockets power forward Ron Artest. Artest was good enough to be their SF and they were also lucky enough to keep Lamar Odom as well. Ariza was in Artest's previous team with the Rockets. Houston's 2009-10 season later turned into a disappointment. Yao Ming was the big key, as he was out for the whole year. Then Tracy McGrady was traded, but the Rockets got Sacramento Kings' Kevin Martin out of it. But it wasn't enough and Houston would later turn into a team that is now looking forward to an off-season and the NBA Draft late in June. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers finished as the best team in the Western Conference and are now looking at revenge at the Boston Celtics in a re-match from the 2008 NBA Finals. Many expected before the season that Trevor Ariza would have the better end of the deal with a five-year contract. Along with that, Ariza was in his prime at 29 years of age and was coming off an amazing performance in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Artest would seem like "that guy," even though he had a five-year deal as well. The thing was, Artest looked like he was past his prime as he would most probably play as a role player with his age of 34. The Lakers looked like they had a bad deal coming for them. They never built their roster when they were aging with the Shaquille O'Neal-Kobe Bryant era. Now the Lakers are with a new team with as Kobe Bryant is acting nothing like people are saying that he is "past his prime." Pau Gasol is in his prime and is just doing amazing right now. But the Lakers pulled the trigger on the AK, taking in Artest. But it didn't seem right. Artest was aging. And it took the Lakers six years to win a title again because they got younger. Now they were aging again and the 2009-10 season may not be what it was in the 2008-09 season. But the Lakers got the better end of the deal here. First of all, Trevor Ariza should be considered a bit overrated if you ask me. He shot over 47 percent with his three-pointers during the post-season in the Lakers' title run. But, here is the thing: in his whole career, Ariza was nearly 30 percent from shooting behind-the-arc. And with that, he shot 33.4 percent for this year with the Houston Rockets from behind the three-point line. Another reason the Lakers got the better end of the deal because players simply are going to play worse when they land in Houston. Ron Artest may not have a polished season, but Ariza was no where near polished. It was worse than smelling a wet dog. His true shooting percentage was a downright horrible 48.8 percent. Along with that, the so-called "superstar" averaged 14.9 points per game. Artest's true shooting percentage was 51.1 percent and averaged 17.1 points per game, also acting as if he were a power forward most of the year while Ariza was a small forward. Big difference there. Though Artest's number weren't that good from last year, he helped spread the floor and make other players better actually. Many people complained with Artest in the triangle offense. But it wasn't that bad and Phil Jackson tried to defend him as much as possible. So what, his player efficiency rating was worse than Trevor Ariza's; but if you have been living under a rock, Artest is poor on shooting with his two-pointers, which is about 45 percent. But he also didn't shoot as much, too. But Artest showed during the Western Conference Finals what he really means to the team and why the Lakers picked him and should pick him over Ariza every single time and moment. Game Five was his best performance of the series. Artest had 25 points in that game, and 17 in the first-half. Along with that, he made a spectacular game-winning shot right at the buzzer. Then in Game Six, when the Lakers (with, of course, the help of Mr. Kobe Bryant) eliminated the Phoenix Suns 111-103, Artest had 25 points once again. Artest helped big in that series and Kobe Bryant also had his best statistics ever in a playoff series; averaging 33.7 points per game, 8.3 assists per game, and 7.2 rebounds per game. The Lakers must feel lucky not playing the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, or facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. They will be going against those tough small forwards like Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. But there's something worse than that when they face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. They will face a small forward that destroyed them in the 2008 NBA Finals: Paul Pierce. Pierce smothered on defense, guarding Kobe Bryant at times. But his offensive game was very very productive; averaging 21.8 points per game and 6.3 assists per game in a six-games series-win. But Pierce was going against guys like Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic, and sometimes Kobe Bryant. Now he will face a defensive-stopper in Ron Artest. Ariza wasn't very productive in his 35 minutes of play during the 2008 NBA Finals (according to John Hollinger, the games that he was in were the Game Two and Game Six blowouts). But now the Lakers have a so-called upgrade and a much better player, which was explained above: Artest. Paul Pierce did not do so good against Artest this year; averaging only 13 points per game and 2.5 assists per game. Artest is different, too. With the Indiana Pacers, Artest pantsed him, which gave me the name for my NBA podcast at PantsingPaulPierce.com. But nevermind that, Artest is ready. Now as we look back, we'll see who got the better end of the deal: the Houston Rockets in Trevor Ariza or the Los Angeles Lakers in Ron Artest. I guess you'll have to decide. But no worries, if you don't want to, you already found it while reading this. Enjoy the NBA Playoffs. I expect a great performance from Artest, as the Lakers will win this in six or seven games. But as we look back at this, the Lakers have the last laugh.

Tony Parker to the Pacers? Indy may offer the tenth pick, Brandon Rush, and Troy Murphy for him.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/963/566/nba_g_bryant3_288v_crop_340x234.jpg?1275412176 During the time around about December and through April, the Boston Celtics didn't seem like a Finals-destined team. It went a bit same for the Los Angeles Lakers, too. The Boston Celtics finished their last 54 games with a 27-27 record. A bunch of blog posts, articles, and other things kept saying Boston will be an early exit in the playoffs and that they are old and done for. The Los Angeles Lakers finished their last 54 games with a 34-20 record. Many said that it would literally impossible for L.A. to make it to the NBA Finals for the third straight time. And it didn't seem like they will. Kobe Bryant was playing well when 2010 hit, but his last few games of the season were a bit of a disappointment and it could show a sign for the playoffs that the Lakers were not ready. Bryant had a game of shooting five out of 23 shots. He kept having games like these in the final match-ups for him and his Lakers. The Black Mamba didn't seem like it. But Bryant rested for his last two regular season games to get himself ready for the playoff-matchup against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers made the first two games look easy. Leading 2-0, they looked like they had this series in the books. And that is when the Thunder sore, coming back in two games to tie the series and shocking the Lakers. Now it was L.A.'s turn to be mocked as "old." But old no more. The Lakers struck back and took the series away in the next two games. The second round was easy. They swept Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, and the rest of the Utah Jazz squad. That series looked like it followed up to the tune of "All In One Swipe" by Mack Maine. The Black Mamba was ready to strike. Then Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and the Phoenix Suns came. They were an advanced squad with Nash, Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, and others. The Suns came into this match-up as the underdogs, obviously, but many liked them for the Finals. Showing the Hispanics love with their Los Suns jerseys and representing Arizona, Phoenix was ready to bring in a title for their hometown. But that's if they stop the Black Mamba. And they didn't. Kobe struck them like lightning; dropping 33.7 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 7.2 RPG. Quoting ESPN.com's John Hollinger, Kobe punished them with his shots, including his "you-gotta-be-kidding-me" shots that Hollinger noted. The Suns would later be vanished in six games. Here's what I just read from Hollinger: The Suns knew what was coming to them with Bryant. Kobe was going to do work! He had an amazing post-up, as we have seen. The Suns had to respond to that and stop Kobe as much as possible. The Suns had to use big guys to stop him with the post-up game. They used guys like Grant Hill and Jared Dudley. They did well on it, along with adding a couple double-teams on number 24 here and there. But that couldn't stop Bryant. At some points, he would own Grant Hill off the dribble and make the veteran look foolish. At one point, Kobe Bryant made a great move, breaking Gran Hill's ankles. The funny thing was on that play was that he missed the shot, but Andrew Bynum responded with a put-back dunk. Bryant was clicking on cylinders like a couch-potato clicking on his remote through over a hundred channels to find that right show. Silly as it sounds, that is how good it really was. Bryant had a notable accomplishment in the 111-103, series-eliminating win over the Suns: he has the all-time lead for most 30-point playoff road games with a chance to clinch. He had eight games with them; passing ahead of guys like Elgin Baylor, the great Michael Jordan, and Oscar Robertson. Now Bryant is here, with four days to rest until Game One of the NBA Finals versus the team he lost to in the 2008 NBA Finals: The Boston Celtics. At the way Bryant is playing right now and the Lakers, it's going to be much different from what we saw two years ago. This is totally different, my friends. And it is going to be fun. And there is this big question here: Who is going to guard Mr. Bryant? Whoever it is, they may be in for some trouble. We've seen Paul Pierce get up on Bryant two years ago. But now it may be different. Ray Allen may be the guy. He's going to have to man up on Bryant. But Kobe has other things up his sleeve. For this year's Finals, he also has Andrew Bynum finally. Bynum will be the key for the Lakers' success. And Kobe is going to make the Celtics question what is going to happen. Bryant already seems like he is one stop ahead of his opponent. And in the words of Lil Wayne "Weezy:" Kobe Doin' Work Two-four on his shirt He's the greatest on the court... Get ready Boston. The Black Mamba is hungry for revenge!

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/962/881/101274088_crop_340x234.jpg?1275318668 It has been reported that Amare Stoudemire will go in talks with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Joe Johnson about the NBA Free Agency. "I'm friends with LeBron, Dwyane, Chris [bosh] -- all those guys are friends of mine," Stoudemire said. "So I'm pretty sure they'll call me and we'll talk about a few things." All of these players are talking to the press, their friends...everyone about July 1st. When the Phoenix Suns lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals, 111-103, Stoudemire considered this may be his last game in a Suns' uniform. "It did, actually," Stoudemire said, when asked if that thought had crossed his mind. "It did. I didn't know how to feel. As I was walking out, I was thinking it could be my last time walking through this tunnel with the Suns uniform on. I've been here my whole career, so I definitely had that feeling. But there's a good possibility that I may be back." Stoudemire plans to evaluate his options for this summer and see which benefits him the most. He is going to look very closely at this. "It's going to take a lot of research," Stoudemire said. "It's going to take a lot of studying. It's almost like fantasy basketball -- trying to build a team and figure out, how can we win a championship, and with what team?" Stoudemire has been playing with Phoenix for all of his eight years in the NBA after going pro after high school. Stoudemire says he is "50-50" on his decision to return to the team. "You want to make a sound decision, because it's going into the second half of your career," Stoudemire said. "Ultimately all of us want to win a championship, but my loyalty stands here in Phoenix as of right now. So if we can get guys to come to Phoenix and play, then that would be great. If not, then we've got to figure it out." Stoudemire has a lot of things coming for him. There are a bunch of rumors of him going to the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and other teams. He can stay with the Suns and still make the playoffs. But Steve Nash is aging and it's been reported that Channing Frye may opt out of his contract. But Frye opting out may mean that he wants a new deal. And that may change Stoudemire's plans, who wants a maximum deal. "It's going to be an interesting summer," Stoudemire said. Indeed.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/962/565/101246652_crop_340x234.jpg?1275261090 The Orlando Magic had a good off-season last year, having a highlight of adding small forward Vince Carter after Hedo Turkoglu left. Adding Carter and couple of other players seemed good enough for an NBA championship in Orlando. The Magic went on to win 59 games and sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks in the first two rounds of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. But it wasn't enough for the Eastern Conference Finals, as the Magic displayed a poor performance against the Boston Celtics and getting beat in six games. After the Game Six loss, Dwight Howard said after the game that he wants changes to the roster. "We've got to learn from our mistakes," Howard said. "Next year, we've got to have guys who are willing to give everything they've got to get wins." He went on then about his Magic not having enough talent to challenge the veteran, but still bright, Celtics. "In a series like this, it's not about skill or talent because it's the Eastern Conference championship. Both teams are talented and skilled. It's about who wants it the most, and who is willing to do it for a series. Those guys (Celtics) played like they wanted to win the championship. That's why they are in the position they are now." Howard only played four games in this series, which doesn't seem right. He played miserable in Game One. We've seen those commercials on television of Howard saying, "All we got to do is focus." Well, he didn't focus very well in this series, that's for sure. "There's no need to kick ourselves. We went down because we didn't play as hard as we could," Howard said. "You have to play as hard as you can for as long as you can, and everyone didn't do that." Howard averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in the series. The part that was really disappointing were the performances of Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter. Lewis came up big in last year's NBA Playoffs, but there was no hope for him this season; especially in the Eastern Conference Finals. Vince Carter came in here to be a monster, but he acted like a mediocre slob. Carter is getting older by the second, and at 33 years old, he doesn't deserve the money he is receiving now. I have a feeling he can't live up to expectations for next year. And Lewis is largely overpaid after seeing his performance this year. However, Jameer Nelson is a valuable point guard to this roster. The Magic look to add another to compliment him. Man, do the Magic regret letting go of Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston. They were important pieces to last year's title run, but they weren't here for this year's. Orlando is looking to pursue J.J. Reddick for a reduced amount next year. I guess we will see how that goes. "This is as disappointing as it gets," said coach Stan Van Gundy. "Yeah, it's tough to take. I liked our talent. I liked our commitment throughout the year. When you have that as a coach, you feel like you should be able to get them over the top. It's disappointing that we didn't get the job done." I hear ya.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/000/962/242/nba_g_kobe14_576_crop_340x234.jpg?1275196059 Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are really living it. They made it to the NBA Finals during the 2007 season. Sadly, they got beaten by the Boston Celtics in six games. They returned last season, this time facing the Orlando Magic. The Lakers won this one in six games. They had some good acquisitions before the season started this year, most notably Ron Artest. Artest came up big in Game Five vs. the Phoenix Suns in this series, pulling up a game-winning buzzer-beater. Kobe Bryant came up big today in Game Six of the Western Conference Finals; tallying 37 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals to lead L.A. towards a 111-103 victory. But it only gets better. Yes, we all know the Lakers have beaten the Suns. But it also means another thing: they have made it to the NBA Finals three times in a row. Three times in a row! Now that is quite an accomplishment. It all changes a lot. This also marks the Lakers' sixth time for this decade in the Finals as well. Many people do not credit Kobe for the first three championships. Well, now, for these recent three where he led them: he should receive all the credit, no doubt. Bryant had a record of eight straight games with 30-point closeouts. "I always thought he was the best player in basketball," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. This may also mark Phil Jackson's last year coaching the Lakers, or maybe even coaching any NBA team at all. Jackson looks to bring his last one, if this was his last season. This would be his fifth with the Lakers if he wins, and 11th for his total. "Kobe was the man tonight," he said. The Suns were down during most of the game. But they came back after a 91-74 deficit. They came back and were down by scores like 99-92 and 103-96 during the fourth quarter. "With a 3-point shooting team like Phoenix," Jackson said, "you know that any lead is not impossible." With about 13 seconds left in the game, the Lakers were up 109-103. The Suns had one main objective at this point: Make it from behind the arc. And they tried to do that. The ball was delivered to point guard Steve Nash. He released the ball from behind the three-point line, but it missed badly. Kobe Bryant rebounded and was fouled. And of course, Bryant sank both of his free-throws to extend the Lakers' lead to 111-103 with about 11 seconds left in the game. The Suns were back again. They were looking for an open man. And then they gave it to Amare Stoudemire, who tried to draw a foul but couldn't succeed. Along with that, he missed the three and it was just plain terrible to say the least. And the seconds wound down during that three-point attempt, and the Lakers are now returning to the NBA Finals for the third straight time. And they will face their rival: The Boston Celtics. They had many good rivals, dating back to the Larry Bird-Magic Johnson days and to the Wilt Chamberlain-Bill Russell days. Now it is different. It's Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins vs. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Or is it Ray Allen vs. Kobe Bryant? Both veterans, and still make themselves look like superstars. Or can it be Paul Pierce vs. Ron Artest? That brings back memories. It made me start my own show at PantsingPaulPierce.com, when Artest pantsed Pierce in a game a few years back when the Celtics faced the Indiana Pacers. Rajon Rondo will make the difference as well. It's going to be a good match-up, that's for sure. There's also something else that comes in this game. Here's something from ESPN on the game: Kobe Doing Work Kobe Bryant has the all-time lead for 30-point playoff road games when his team has the chance to clinch. Games Kobe Bryant 8 Elgin Baylor 6 Michael Jordan 5 Oscar Robertson 4 Ron Artest played well in this game, scoring 25 points along with four rebounds. For the Suns, Steve Nash led the way with 21 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. Amare Stoudemire led the team with 27 points along with four rebounds. Jason Richardson added 13 points. Channing Frye was excellent off the bench; putting up 12 points and 13 boards. Goran Dragic played well off the bench, too, having 12 points like Frye. The Suns had a good year; we could say that. But it was the Lakers who just simply better and they played harder. Now they are in the Finals. The past is behind us, even though this game wasn't even that long ago. But it was it is. The Celtics vs. the Lakers. Stay tuned. This looks to be fun. Because the season hasn't finished yet. With the Finals coming up, you better believe the hype has just started now. Oh boy.