# NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs LA Lakers



## Avalanche

Boston Celtics





































































































VS

Los Angeles Lakers


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## Avalanche

Well this is why you all came together, you've got your shot.. now get it done.

Celtics in 6


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## Avalanche

You guys have been awfully quiet considering your teams in the finals lol


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## mrsister

Avalanche said:


> You guys have been awfully quiet considering your teams in the finals lol


It is quite odd. There were long threads during the season just commenting on regular season games, and then once the playoffs started, there was hardly anything. Entire series got a single thread. Seems kinda backwards.


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## DaRizzle

Its cause the Celtics fans knows the inevitable is going to happen...and Im not talking about the C's winning :biggrin:


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## BlueBaron

DaRizzle said:


> Its cause the Celtics fans knows the inevitable is going to happen...and Im not talking about the C's winning :biggrin:


The Celtics are the superior team. The Lakers are the inferior team. Superior > inferior


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## Avalanche

BlueBaron said:


> The Celtics are the superior team. The Lakers are the inferior team. Superior > inferior


Accurate series summary..

Celtics in 6, massively important we hold home court for the first 2... then we have 3 chances to take one in LA


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## pokpok

game 1 - celtics
game 2 - lakers
game 3 - celtics
game 4 - lakers
game 5 - celtics
game 6 - celtics


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## Basel

BlueBaron said:


> The Celtics are the superior team. The Lakers are the inferior team. Superior > inferior


This is a false statement.

:biggrin:


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## Marcus13

rough start to the series, no pressure on the Lakers, but we HAVE to win the first two at home or they can wrap up the series in L.A.


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## Avalanche

This is the finals and all the games are huge, but i feel the same way... these first 2 game really could be the most important of the series... if we get up 2-0 we have 3 chances to steal one in LA, and then a chance to close out or save at home, if we lose one we are on the back foot right away and forces us to win an away game.

man i cant wait


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## Darth Bryant

I think Boston has the cards for the first to games. They are at home, with a rabid fan base behind em. Lakers are young, have had moments of being jittery.

If Lakers steal one of these first two games, it would be a bad sign for Boston in my opinion, given their poor road record in the post season.


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## Avalanche

Yeah i agree... trying to steal one of these games is huge for LA's chances...

But if boston can take them both they go to LA confident and ready to take an away game


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## cgcatsfan

We have to come out blazing and not stop. 
I'm not worried about the "Lakers are younger" argument I've heard the pundits make. We have just the right blend of youth and experience. 
It's not about stats, it's about heart. And this one's for Red. 

I could see this series going to 7 with no blow outs, just dog fights. 

We have to maintain composure and confidence and play the lockdown defense :dancingpadlock:
:basket:and unselfish offense that has brought us here. 

Avalanche is right. It's time to do what you all came here to do. From Pierce and Garnett to Rondo and Posey......IT'S GO TIME.....my official prediction...Celtics....in 6. 

BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!


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## Avalanche

I get the feeling Posey is going to be huge in this series... He knows how to deal with the pressure and knows what he needs to do to help the team


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## cgcatsfan

I think so too. 
Our bench may well be the difference. We're pretty deep.
I have a feeling about Big Baby and Rondo too. 
I think Rondo would like to silence his critics once and for all. 

I also kinda like us in the under dog role that the media is casting us in.


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## Avalanche

Well yeah80% of the media has picked the Lakers in 6, i dont mind the underdog tag.

These last couple of hours are taking forever... get the series going already!!


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## LX

Avalanche said:


> Well yeah80% of the media has picked the Lakers in 6, i dont mind the underdog tag.
> 
> These last couple of hours are taking forever... get the series going already!!


80% of the media also had the C's losing to the Pistons.


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## Avalanche

LX said:


> 80% of the media also had the C's losing to the Pistons.


yup


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## B_&_B

Nice work Boston! PLEASE keep winning!

BEAT LA!


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## mrsister

Great start to the series. My heart stopped when Pierce went down, though. Perkins nearly ended our championship hopes. He was nowhere near blocking that shot, so he shouldn't have jumped. It was great to see Paul come back and make big shots, but I hope he wasn't just going on adrenaline and really has a serious injury. Great game by Allen with points, rebounds, and assists. Brown made a lot of great plays, even though he didn't provide much offense. Cassell made some timely shots but also made some stupid plays. We didn't play our best, but we got the win and slowed down one of the best offenses in the league. Kobe seemed quiet, but he still took 26 shots. I can live with that, especially if he only ends up with 24 points.


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## LamarButler

Pierce's 3rd quarter was just inspirational. The 4 point play, and then making it 8 points in a minute, and then coming out and whipping the crowd into a frenzy, plus the 2 threes made me pumped as mother****er. 

Garnett had a great all around game, but the only thing is, we went to him way too much in the 4th. Paul is our go to go in the 4th. Ray had a great all around game also, as he crashed the boards and dished. Rondo, Posey, Powe, and Brown played very solid for us and did what we needed. Cassell's ****tiness in the 4th negated everything he did in the beginning. And Perkins almost ruined our season, lol.


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## Basel

Congrats on the win.


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## knicksfan89

I will tell you something right now folks, I am pleased with this result but, we don't get no respect round here and in the media in general see us as the underdogs, I had the celts down to win the finals all along and that doesn't change even though I love both teams


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## Avalanche

Basel57 said:


> Congrats on the win.


Cheers Basel

Great game guys.... and we won with KG going on a 10 miss streak, Pierce going down and spending time in the locker room, playing injured at the end, Perkins going and staying off hurt...

Big all round performance, nice to see a lot of the guys get a run in their first finals game... and get the job done


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## Marcus13

Not a bad first game, we have to be prepared for LA to come harder in Game 2 and we have to match it. I know we can do it though, LETS GO CELTICS


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## Avalanche

Pierce was apparently almost immobile after the game (check the finals thread on the playoffs page i put the link up), really hope he pulls up ok we need him at 100%


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## silverpaw1786

mrsister said:


> Great start to the series. My heart stopped when Pierce went down, though. Perkins nearly ended our championship hopes. He was nowhere near blocking that shot, so he shouldn't have jumped. It was great to see Paul come back and make big shots, but I hope he wasn't just going on adrenaline and really has a serious injury. *Great game by Allen* with points, rebounds, and assists. Brown made a lot of great plays, even though he didn't provide much offense. Cassell made some timely shots but also made some stupid plays. We didn't play our best, but we got the win and slowed down one of the best offenses in the league. Kobe seemed quiet, but he still took 26 shots. I can live with that, especially if he only ends up with 24 points.


Are you on crack? Allen played very good defense, I won't take that away from him. But he was horribly inconsistent on offense culminating in him dribbling the ball off his foot one possession and then blowing a 2 on 1 in another. 4 turnovers and 5-13 from the field. Very strong defense and rebounding. Over all, a decent to mediocre game. Not great.


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## mrsister

silverpaw1786 said:


> Are you on crack? Allen played very good defense, I won't take that away from him. But he was horribly inconsistent on offense culminating in him dribbling the ball off his foot one possession and then blowing a 2 on 1 in another. 4 turnovers and 5-13 from the field. Very strong defense and rebounding. Over all, a decent to mediocre game. Not great.


True, but everyone was inconsistent on offense. Pierce only had 3 points in the first half. KG missed 10 shots in a row. Cassell started well but ended poorly. But Allen still made timely shots and free throws. And his defense, rebounding, and assists were very valuable. I'd still count it as a great game. Offense is not everything.


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## LamarButler

I thought Allen had a very good game. His D on Kobe was spectacular. He got in his face, slid his feet extremely well and cut off his drives without using his hands, didn't fall for fakes, and contested each shot well. He has pretty good anticipation on Kobe, knowing what he's going to do each time. Well, I guess that might not be so hard to do when Kobe just shoots a contested fadeaway every time. He really got on the boards, which contributed to us killing the Lakers on the boards. I really wouldn't give a damn what he did offensively if he could make Kobe play like he did tonight.


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## Avalanche

The one on one D the guys played on Kobe at times was phenominal


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## LamarButler

Avalanche said:


> Pierce was apparently almost immobile after the game (check the finals thread on the playoffs page i put the link up), really hope he pulls up ok we need him at 100%


I wouldn't worry. He's a straight up warrior. He came literally an inch away from dying from stab wounds early in his career, and the doctors told him to not even raise his arms above his head. That night, when he got out of the hospital, he practiced his jumpshots. He also got knocked to the floor by Amare once, slammed his head on the court and cracked his teeth, but came in later that same game and didn't miss a game for the regular season. Earlier this season, he scored an efficient 18 points vs Cleveland and sat the rest of the game with a bucket in front of him in case he threw up. Even in these playoffs, he got knocked on his *** by Josh Smith, hurt his back and came in later and had himself a good game. He's just a durable player. He's played 73 games per season and has never missed a game in the playoffs.

All that, plus the circumstances make me trust his health. The most glaring positive is the fact that he got on the court, and still played very well. Also, with all the days in between games, he'll have like 30-36 hours of sleep before Game 2, plus a lot of rest when hes not sleeping, plus medication, ice and heat, work out that knee/leg to get full range of motion, and the natural healing process over 3 days will help.


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## Avalanche

I have total faith if hes able to walk he'll play... i jsut hope it doesnt slow him down because defensively he could be a liability


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## Avalanche

> Paul Pierce said on Friday that there is a "great chance" he'll be in uniform when the Celtics and Lakers battle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, the Associated Press is reporting.
> 
> Pierce was carried from the floor by teammates and carted to the locker room in a wheelchair in the third quarter Thursday night. However, he returned moments later despite a sprained right knee.


per realgm


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## Tooeasy

go c's! that is all.


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## Avalanche

> Celtics' center Kendrick Perkins will be ready to play in Game Two of the NBA Finals on Sunday night despite an ankle sprain, according to The Boston Globe.
> 
> "Perk, you know, I think it's a high ankle sprain, which is never good," Coach Doc Rivers said. "But he'll be ready for Sunday."
> 
> Perkins hobbled off the court under his own power after incurring the injury but went into the locker room for further evaluation.
> 
> "Last night it felt like it was really swollen," Perkins said. "P.J. [Brown] was playing well anyway, and the most important thing is to get the win. It doesn't really matter who's on the court. The way I was feeling, I felt like I shouldn't have been out there. P.J. ended up doing a good job."


http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/52890/20080607/rivers_perkins_will_be_ready_to_play/#


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## Avalanche

> All indications have pointed to Paul Pierce playing Sunday night in Game Two of the NBA Finals despite a strained knee, according to ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan.
> 
> "Paul is moving much better today, that's clear," Coach Doc Rivers said. "Of the two, he's the one I'm most optimistic about."
> 
> The swelling on his knee has gone down, and his limp was less pronounced because of treatment involving ice, electronic simulation, and laser therapy.
> 
> "My range of motion, just being able to squat all the way down, I can't quite do that yet," Pierce said. "My walk is pretty good actually, but when I go down into a squat position, that's when I feel it the most, when I bend it."


http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/52888/19691231/pierce_upbeat_for_game_two/


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## mqtcelticsfan

silverpaw1786 said:


> Are you on crack? Allen played very good defense, I won't take that away from him. But he was horribly inconsistent on offense culminating in him dribbling the ball off his foot one possession and then blowing a 2 on 1 in another. 4 turnovers and 5-13 from the field. Very strong defense and rebounding. Over all, a decent to mediocre game. Not great.


Man, I don't care what he does offensively, if you play great on defense against Kobe ****ing Bryant, you had a great game.


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## Avalanche

mqtcelticsfan said:


> Man, I don't care what he does offensively, if you play great on defense against Kobe ****ing Bryant, you had a great game.


Ray was struggling offensively for most of the playoffs, i totally agree with you here that if he can play great d on kobe like he has so far and simply contribute a solid effort on the offensive end thats all we should need


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## Marcus13

Not sure how to feel after this one....that comeback is very scary...but at the same time we're up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, so how mad can I be? We knew they have no answer for Pierce, and I am expecting him to carry us to victory on the road, and be the Finals MVP. Ray had a good game on both ends of the floor, as most of Kobe's points didn't come against him or were at the end of the game during the collapse. KG played a solid game, but missed quite a few jumpers he really should have. I'm not worried about him, he'll be good to go. Spectacular effort from Powe...I swear if I see Big Baby pulling minutes over him during Game 3 I'm going to lose it. Rondo did a great job spreading the ball and taking care of it.

Feels good


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## Avalanche

Now, 3 chances to steal an away game...


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## mrsister

The breakdown in the fourth quarter wasn't good, but I wouldn't be too concerned. I don't think the Lakers used good offense in their comeback. They made a lot of desperation threes. If they can keep that up on a regular basis, then kudos to them, but I don't think it will happen. When the Celtics are into it, they defend the three very well. The Celtics just need to not get comfortable with a lead against the Lakers. The Spurs can attest to that.


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## mrsister

Oh, and it was wonderful to see Powe have such a great game. The kid deserves everything he gets. There are very few players with more heart and desire than him. It was very fitting for him to have such a great night when they did a bio of him at halftime. Still hard to believe he was the 49th pick.


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## Avalanche

Yeah, big time game from Powe... and very unexpected at that


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## Avalanche

Oh and apparently Cassell has sprained his wrist, not sure whether it will put him out or not at this point though


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## LamarButler

That was a crucial win. Yes, the referees gave us a lot of help (not as much as some make it out to be), but we would have won that game without so much help. We were hitting everything from long, getting our hands on everything on D, rebounding, and making hustle plays.

Anyways, that was an incredible game by Leon Powe. I love the guy, and I knew he was the type of player that could disrupt the Lakers frontcourt- an energetic, powerful bruiser. He should be getting a lot of burn. Doc won't give him that burn though, seeing as he's, you know, Doc. Aside from Powe's huge game, Pierce had a huge game as well. He really dialed in from long and filled it up early, in addition to setting up teammates. He also took initiative in the clutch, despite letting the Lakers in the game with carless turnovers. There's really nobody on that team that can guard him, including Kobe, and we REALLY need to exploit that. We need to run our whole offense through him like we started doing this game. We are going to see him at another level in LA, so we need to run the offense through him and give him enough touches and shots. Garnett benefits from this as well, but he just hasn't hit his jumpshots this series, surprisingly. He's due to have one of his 10-15 games in L.A., he's just too consistent to keep missing. As soon as he gets his stroke back, we'll have the Big 3 rollin, as Ray is playing exactly how he's supposed to. He's shooting like a shooter of his caliber should be, and his D on Kobe is very good. People haven't been mentioning that, but its been real dependable. He knows Kobe wants that fadeaway every time, and he's getting a hand in Kobe's face every time.

Oh yea, and I hope Cassell's injury keeps him from playing. House would be a lot better for us.


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## Avalanche

Ray has done a great job keeping the ball away from kobe close to the basket, playing the passing lanes very well


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## Drewbs

LamarButler said:


> That was a crucial win. Yes, the referees gave us a lot of help (not as much as some make it out to be), *but we would have won that game without so much help. We were hitting everything from long, getting our hands on everything on D, rebounding, and making hustle plays.
> *
> Anyways, that was an incredible game by Leon Powe. I love the guy, and I knew he was the type of player that could disrupt the Lakers frontcourt- an energetic, powerful bruiser. He should be getting a lot of burn. Doc won't give him that burn though, seeing as he's, you know, Doc. Aside from Powe's huge game, Pierce had a huge game as well. He really dialed in from long and filled it up early, in addition to setting up teammates. He also took initiative in the clutch, despite letting the Lakers in the game with carless turnovers. There's really nobody on that team that can guard him, including Kobe, and we REALLY need to exploit that. We need to run our whole offense through him like we started doing this game. We are going to see him at another level in LA, so we need to run the offense through him and give him enough touches and shots. Garnett benefits from this as well, but he just hasn't hit his jumpshots this series, surprisingly. He's due to have one of his 10-15 games in L.A., he's just too consistent to keep missing. As soon as he gets his stroke back, we'll have the Big 3 rollin, as Ray is playing exactly how he's supposed to. He's shooting like a shooter of his caliber should be, and his D on Kobe is very good. People haven't been mentioning that, but its been real dependable. He knows Kobe wants that fadeaway every time, and he's getting a hand in Kobe's face every time.
> 
> Oh yea, and I hope Cassell's injury keeps him from playing. House would be a lot better for us.


Really?

The Lakers shot nearly 50% from the field, 47% from the line, got one less rebound, and turned the ball over less than the Celtics. And lost by 6. The real kicker? 28 more free throws. And its not the fact that the Celtics shot 28 more free throws, its the fact that the Lakers shot only 10. Did Boston shoot too many free throws, yes, but considering that the Lakers played piss poor defense, its not staggering, its the fact that the Lakers shot only 10, and only 2 in the first half (one off a technical), while the Celtics already had 19. How many times was Gasol fouled down low? How many times was Kobe hacked on a drive? How many times can Kevin Garnett, scream obscenities, for every technical foul Kobe gets for speaking up? I'm sorry, but the Celtics would have won that game even without the refs?

I generally do not blame refs for a loss, but this game was a travesty, and the fact that Boston fans even admit that the game was one-sided shows just how much of an embarrassment it really was.


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## E.H. Munro

Drewbs said:


> How many times was Kobe hacked on a drive?


Not many since he only attempted four shots in the paint all night.


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## Avalanche

ehmunro said:


> Not many since he only attempted four shots in the paint all night.


heh nice


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## mrsister

Drewbs said:


> Really?
> 
> The Lakers shot nearly 50% from the field, 47% from the line, got one less rebound, and turned the ball over less than the Celtics. And lost by 6. The real kicker? 28 more free throws. And its not the fact that the Celtics shot 28 more free throws, its the fact that the Lakers shot only 10. Did Boston shoot too many free throws, yes, but considering that the Lakers played piss poor defense, its not staggering, its the fact that the Lakers shot only 10, and only 2 in the first half (one off a technical), while the Celtics already had 19. How many times was Gasol fouled down low? How many times was Kobe hacked on a drive? How many times can Kevin Garnett, scream obscenities, for every technical foul Kobe gets for speaking up? I'm sorry, but the Celtics would have won that game even without the refs?
> 
> I generally do not blame refs for a loss, but this game was a travesty, and the fact that Boston fans even admit that the game was one-sided shows just how much of an embarrassment it really was.


The main reason the Lakers stats were so good was because of those 8 minutes in the fourth quarter. Had the game been closer, I really doubt they would've performed that well. They were playing out of desperation and hit a lot of threes that they probably would've passed up in a tighter game. I also don't think the Celtics would've relaxed so much on both ends of the floor had it been a tighter game. When the game was on the line, they came through. 

There still would've been quite a large discrepancy in FT attempts had the refs called the game fairer. It's hard for Kobe to get fouled when he's taking fadeaways. Our guys didn't get fouled taking fadeaways either. Gasol wasn't really getting hit that much. He hit a high percentage of his shots, many of them uncontested. I could only see a few more possible trips to the line. Phil was complaining about how many times Powe got to the line, but Powe earned every single one of them. He hustled under the basket and got mauled. Had the refs called the game perfectly, I still think the Celtics would've won. The Lakers just weren't that good for 40 minutes.


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## Avalanche

Powe was fouled on each of his i dont know what phil was on about


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## Drewbs

Avalanche said:


> Powe was fouled on each of his i dont know what phil was on about


Again, less about the free throws the Celtics shot, and more about the free throws the Lakers didn't shoot. You realize that the Lakers only shot 2 free throws the entire first half? 1 of which was off a technical?

Mrsister, the Celtics already got the benefit of the calls in game 1, it was fair considering home court, but the Lakers were easily much more aggressive in game 2, particularly to start the game, and you're telling me that they were fouled on only 1 shot attempt? Whereas every little touch the Lakers made, was called. Yes, those touches are fouls, but they were not called on the other end of the floor. Even Celtics homer Bill Simmons admitted that the officials were way more than generous to the Celtics.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IUtf6-avo2c&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IUtf6-avo2c&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I especially love how Pau Gasol wasn't fouled on those last attempts to close the quarter. And how Paul Pierce reacts like a stick of dynamite went off at his feet when Kobe tries to squeeze between him and PJ Brown.

The irony is that when asked about it afterwards, Kevin Garnett said, "they let us play", yes, YOU guys got to play. But if you honestly believe the officiating was fair, even "home cooking" fair, you are delirious.


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## Avalanche

better team won the game, thats all i care about at the end of the day


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## Drewbs

Avalanche said:


> better team won the game, thats all i care about at the end of the day


How can you even tell who the better team is when the two teams are not allowed to play the same game? Maybe the Celtics are the better team, but the game two nights ago was anything but a fair game, which even the most adamant Boston homer could not say it was. And if the finals continue like this, I will not be upset that the Lakers lost, but that the referees ruined what should have been one of the best finals matchups we've had.


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## Basel

Avalanche said:


> better team won the game, thats all i care about at the end of the day


Debatable.


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## Avalanche

Really not debatable at all... the Celtics out played the Lakers for 80% of that game, you do not build a 20 point lead because of the refs... sure i understand lakers fans being annoyed with how the game was officiated, but not to that extent.. the players and coach need to take responsibility for letting the lead get that big before the desperation run at the end


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## ConnerHenry

*Any noise in LA?*

Just watched the players intros for game 3. Did they collectively drug the entire Staples center crowd and the PA announcer? I've never heard a deader arena in my life and this is before a finals game!!! WTF? Where's the home court advantage? The Garden is deafening, even for a regular season game. Pathetic....


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## Marcus13

Thats a hearbreaking loss. I hope that wasn't the only chance were going to get to take one of these three. Two more chances....


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## Avalanche

No way, we were that close to the win and only Ray Allen showed up, Pierce had nothing and KG did what he could but had a very off night, shooting was horrible.

One of them will turn it around in game 4, they will be hard on themselves after that performance

props to ray though he almost did it himself


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## LamarButler

Huge props to Ray. Pierce played like a D-Leaguer, but I know he'll have great games coming up. LA is his favorite place to play. He just could never get a rhythm going due to his foul trouble, and he also just couldn't hit shots that he usually hits. KG is playing horribly offensively this series, but he's due to have one of his highly efficient games since he's just too good for this.


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## ray_allen_20

What I don't get is why Pierce and Garnett still insist on getting more shot attempts than Ray when Ray is the only one making a shot.


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## mrsister

More often than not, Pierce has a great game after dropping a stinker. Game 4 should be interesting. 

The officiating was better, so I hope people stop whining. But the Lakers got the calls because they deserved them. Kobe was a lot more aggressive going to the basket, and the Celtics couldn't stop him. In game 2, he only drove that aggressively a couple times.


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## agoo

A few obvious changes need to be made in Game 4. Garnett needs to post up on Pau, Odom, or Radman from the start of the game and keep them down on the block until the final buzzer. Pau and Radman are far too soft to do anything on him down low and Odom can't do much of anything right in this series. Additionally, either JVG or Mark Jackson suggested Posey, Allen, and Pierce on the floor with a point guard and a big man. That's a very solid combination as the Lakers don't have too many bigs that will be able to take advantage of those guys. Those three can match-up with any combination of Kobe, Odom, Radman, Vujacic, Ariza, and Walton that get thrown out there.

I'm liking the Celtics in game four. There's no way that KG and Pierce both repeat their awful performances. Eddie House should get some more time and should be told very explicitly to only take open threes.


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## Marcus13

Seriously, the question today has to be why we weren't getting Ray the ball in the fourth quarter. This article sums it up;

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10861233


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## Avalanche

Game 4 is ours to take, cant wait


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## Basel

Avalanche said:


> Game 4 is ours to take, cant wait


It's yours to lose! :biggrin:


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## LamarButler

It was a bad decision, but it worked out decent. Paul got an and 1, and then got to the free throw line in the 4th quarter, and also had some nice passes. But still, just because it worked out, it doesn't mean it was the right decision.

In 4th quarters, its best for us to run the offense through Paul and let him make a play. Ray should get a good deal of creating plays too. Its just best that we don't try to run the offense through Garnett in the 4th, which our team hasn't learned yet. For whatever reason, he just gets timid in the clutch.


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## Marcus13

Rondo didn't practice today (ankle)

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo missed practice on Wednesday because of a bone bruise in his left ankle, but he said he would be ready to play in Game 4 of the NBA finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/wcStory?contentId=8118850#story=8235234


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## Avalanche

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2008_06_12_Rondo_status_still_up_in_air/



> "Even if Rondo is deemed game-worthy, Rivers may still have reservations about sending him out against the Lakers.
> 
> His speed, clearly,” Rivers said of what would be the chief handicap from a tender ankle. “There’s other guys on our team that help us in other ways, like Eddie and Sam spacing the floor. Tony Allen, who we would consider even starting at point if Rajon couldn’t go with his speed and power and his ability to guard Kobe (Bryant) a little bit."


TA Starting?... ok doc


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## Marcus13

This could be tragic. With that being said, I think it's obvious that this off-season we need to get a PG on this roster (not necessarily to take Rondo's spot, but atleast someone competent of backing him up)

Id feel a million times better about playing Allen-Posey-Pierce


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## Avalanche

Well hopefully Pierce and Ray take control of the game, Use a lot more Posey/House but with ray bringing the ball up.

Be interesting to see what doc does if rondo cant go


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## Basel

If Tony Allen starts, you guys shouldn't be worried. The Lakers tend to let players who suck completely kill them in some way, shape or form.


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## Avalanche

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/


> LOS ANGELES -- Rajon Rondo walked onto the Staples Center floor at 6:27 p.m., EST. He has both ankles taped, his injured left ankle no more heavily wrapped than his right.
> 
> The Celtics point guard is doing some light shooting right now. He's getting good elevation on his jump shot. He's relaxed and joking with his ball boys.
> 
> I'm sitting right next to the court, and at this point I see no hitches in Rondo's warm-up. He looks good.
> 
> UPDATE (6:47 p.m.): One thing we still haven't seen Rondo do -- cut. He's strictly been taking jump shots. This is not unusual, however. He never works up a big sweat before games. In other words, he's sticking to his usual routine,which is a good sign.


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## agoo

So I just got out of class and the Celtics are down 24. What the **** is going on out here?


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## Marcus13

Whoever wins Game 5 is taking this serious. And with the way we play on the road.....scary


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## Marcus13

WOW!!! Didn't see that coming at all!! No reason not to become the champions now! Congrats guys, EVERYBODY stepped up tonight (well, maybe except Rondo)


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## Avalanche

Hell yeah!!

awesome come from behind win, id just about given up at the half, great determination to play through it... Big clutch buckets from KG and especially Rays, and pierce's D on Kobe was phenomenal


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## Damian Necronamous

Congrats guys. Posey, KG, Pierce and Allen were all huge tonight.


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## LamarButler

That was a total team effort right there. Being down that much, that early can demoralize any team. But we just kept fighting for 48 minutes. That was amazing. Big props to Posey for his momentum changing 3s, and to House for his consistent shooting late in the game. Pierce should never be questioned for his D again. First of all, he's always been a great defender, and now he's proven his D against LeBron and Kobe. I don't know how you can bet against this guy on D anymore. Garnett did his usual-defense and rebounding, and he found his shot again. He made some crucial shots late in the game. Ray had a spectacular game, one that goes beyond the stat sheet. He was hustling and getting his hands on everything, and also getting huge rebounds.


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## MeirToTheWise

Please make a Suns fan wish come true: Put the nail in the coffin on the Lakers season next game ^_^


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## knicksfan89

great win guys as a celts fan that was one of the greatest comebacks in our history now if we win sunday the celebrations will be just unbelieveable


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## Avalanche

huge props to posey... there were 4 stars out on that court tonight, we dont even go close to winning this game without him


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## ray_allen_20

Wow, that was some comeback and I didnt even get to see it live. But huge props to every single member of the Celtic's Roster for playing their hearts out tonight.


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## mrsister

Avalanche said:


> huge props to posey... there were 4 stars out on that court tonight, we dont even go close to winning this game without him


One thing that cannot be understated about Posey is you not only get a 3 point threat, but you also get defense. Usually, you get one or the other from a bench player. By getting both, he causes a lot of problems for the other team on both ends of the floor. The play at the end of the game where Allen beat his man and had a wide open lane to the basket is because we had 4 other guys who can hit jumpers - 3 three point shooters and KG who can hit from just inside the arc. I like that lineup for really spreading the floor and creating open lanes. With Rondo and Perk, you don't get that. 

We signed Posey for a reason, and it keeps paying off. 

I think I saw the worst play of the season by the Celtics and the best play of the Celtics all in the same game. Unbelievable.


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## Avalanche

Gotta love vujacic's defense on the last play too lol


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## LamarButler

It wasn't really so much Sasha's D that killed them, since Fisher and Gasol should have slid over.


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## Avalanche

Well as a whole it was terrible, he didnt even follow the play though, just stood there


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## The Solution

one more win and my three favorite players get their first title...one more win!


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## Avalanche

Well here we go guys, an early opportunity to put this series away comes tonight, lets hope we come out strong and dont have to fight from behind all night again


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## Avalanche

Perk out apparently


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## Marcus13

Rondo will play, Powe will start in Perk's place

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers16-2008jun16,0,2562649.story


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## Avalanche

I expect Powe or Baby to have a big 15-20 points game


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## Marcus13

They just said Perkins is Doubtful if there a Game 6 too


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## Marcus13

That was a hurter. Disappointing game all-around really. No doubt we're going to win one in Boston, but that was just a terrible effort out there. KG and Ray both came up short (no thanks to the officiating)


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## Avalanche

lame
oh well.. time to finish on home court in game 6


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## Bartholomew Hunt

I don't think you should be worried at all. Game 6 could get ugly...


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## Avalanche

could... but then again Kobe is bound to have a break out game, and anything can happen... the last thing we need is this team, with so much pressure on them to perform going to a game 7. need to take care of business in game 6


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## Marcus13

Rough night tonight for Ray, he had to go straight to the hospital after the game to be with his daughter


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## DaRizzle

What happened to Rays daughter? any link on the story?


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## DaRizzle

Found one...

link


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## Marcus13

Turns out his family actually left the game early. Could that be what went wrong with his game in the second half? Im really not trying to make excuses for him, but it was like his switch just turned off sometime in the third quarter


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## knicksfan89

I said the lakers were going to win and they did and we WILL clinch in game 6 don't worry, I believed the lakers would not lose this game tonight and I was right unfortunately but at least we will be at home when we clinch


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## Bartholomew Hunt

Holy ****.. diabetes..


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## cgcatsfan

Allen's daughter in the hospital and Doc dealing with the first father's day without his dad. Tough night. 

It is also not lost on me that when Rondo plays more of the game, we win more easily. 

Having said that, I think we may very well have the best bench in the NBA. We'll clinch in 6 at home. 

And honestly for next year, I hope everyone stays. Or mostly everyone.


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## Avalanche

Perkins may be out for the series


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## Marcus13

Looks like Ray will also be out tomorrow. Kinda surprising, but the woman I spoke too said she expects he will play Game 7 if there is one


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## Avalanche

Woah Ray out??? due to his daughter or what??

meanwhile, at least KG knows he played like crud:


> Boston forward Kevin Garnett admitted after Game Five that he felt he played poorly in the team's loss to Los Angeles, according to The Providence Journal.
> 
> "I played like garbage tonight. I can do better and I will," said Garnett. "I definitely have to do better."
> 
> He was limited to 33 minutes of action, because of foul issues in the second quarter. He also missed a pair of free throws late in the fourth period that would have tied the game.
> 
> "That will definitely haunt me tonight," he said. "Those are free throws I know I can hit. I’ll take them again if you put me in that situation and I’ll have the confidence to knock them down."


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## Avalanche

> As of 4 p.m. EDT today, the Celtics plane is still on the ground in Los Angeles due to mechanical issues with the plane.
> 
> At 5:30 p.m., Celtics radio announcer Cedric Maxwell reported on sports radio WEEI that a 757 airplane has been flown in to take the Celtics back to Boston on a direct flight.
> 
> Celtics guard Ray Allen, who left immediately after last night game due to an illness with one of his children, is expected to play Tuesday night in Boston. His child is expected to be OK.


seems to indicate Ray will play
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/


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## Marcus13

^^^surprising. Last I knew he was still in South Carolina and wasn't even expecting to fly into Boston today


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## Avalanche

you may not feel comfortable letting it go on the public boards but you wanna pm me the details of what you heard?


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## Marcus13

Avalanche said:


> you may not feel comfortable letting it go on the public boards but you wanna pm me the details of what you heard?


PM'd bro.


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## Avalanche

bad time for this team to start falling apart... really hope rondo/perkins can last one more game, and hopefully Rays situation is ok enough for him to go one more game.

get it done in game 6, then everyone can take time to heal whatever issues they are having


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## knicksfan89

lets clinch number 17 tonight, ON the 17th 
GO CELTICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Basel

^^^ WTF? You've been parading around the boards all season as a Lakers fan as well (as well as a fan of a bunch of other teams). Make up your ****ing mind already.

Oh, and good luck tonight.


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## knicksfan89

Basel57 said:


> ^^^ WTF? You've been parading around the boards all season as a Lakers fan as well (as well as a fan of a bunch of other teams). Make up your ****ing mind already.
> 
> Oh, and good luck tonight.


thanks, and it is not my fault that 2 of my teams are in the finals and who I love so much


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## dwight.black

-edit, Spam-


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## dwight.black

-edit, Spam-


----------



## LamarButler

Perkins and Allen are expected to play tonight.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/06/perkins_allen_e.html


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## Marcus13

LamarButler said:


> Perkins and Allen are expected to play tonight.
> 
> http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/06/perkins_allen_e.html


Ray's going to be running low on rest. He was at the hospital all night and just caught a plane back today, but its all good. We're winning a championship tonight!


----------



## Avalanche

Good knews about ray being able to play... and it will be huge if perk can suit up.

If ray is playig he'll be determined as hell to win, as will the rest of the team playing infront of the home crowd

Its coming.... are you ready??


----------



## torr

GO CELTICS
BEAT LA!




spurs are my team but i hate LA so hopefully the celtics can close it out tonight.
17 on the 17th and their jocking my fave color (green)


----------



## Avalanche

BEAT LA


----------



## Ainge for 3

All Perk needs to do is keep Gasol honest. I think we win by double digits tonight.


----------



## Avalanche

definately, i really hope perk is healthy enough just to defend Gasol and Rebound, if he can keep Garnett off Pau and out of foul trouble it could have a huge affect through out the team


----------



## Ainge for 3

The Lakers should have just done their part for the environment and not flown their fuel-guzzling jet to Boston. I knew this was going to be an easy win.


----------



## Aznboi812

i'm drunk FOR THE CELTICS.fds


----------



## LionOfJudah

Classy Celtics fans singing with 5 to go. Who am I kidding tho this game has been over for a loooong time already. Thanks for 20 bucks a game for the series C's!


----------



## -33-

Congrats guys....love watching ya'll play defense. Enjoy the celebration!


----------



## Ainge for 3

stevemc said:


> Classy Celtics fans singing with 5 to go. Who am I kidding tho this game has been over for a loooong time already. Thanks for 20 bucks a game for the series C's!


The fans have a chip on their shoulder since ZERO "experts" at ESPN picked the Cs in 6.


----------



## Ainge for 3

We better send a ring to Al Jefferson, since he made this happen.


----------



## Avalanche

Hell yeah guys!!

NBA CHAMPIONS

Long time coming for the celtics... for Pierce, Ray and KG


----------



## Cornholio

Congratulations, Celtics!!!! :clap2::clap2:


----------



## Avalanche

im so pumped right now... and i gotta go play a game myself.. lets hope i can win in similar fashion lol

40 ****in points??? way to close out, great to see these guys enjoying it


----------



## Bartholomew Hunt

Congrats to those of you who suffered those long years as a true Celtics fan.. You deserve it..


----------



## Marcus13

I didnt really suffer through long years as a Celtics fan...but Ray hasn't had the easiest career, and he, and everyone else earned this one. Congrats guys! CERTIFIED


----------



## mrsister

Wish I'd been there for the last championship, but I wasn't in Boston then. But I've been a Celtics fan since before Pierce was drafted, so this is still very sweet. I'm just so happy for Pierce. He's been through a lot and was close to leaving the team, and now he's an NBA champion and Finals MVP. Now there will be no argument that his jersey will be retired, and he's not finished yet. This couldn't have ended any better. They destroyed the Lakers with defense and offense. Everyone who played made a valuable contribution. It's so great to see KG and Ray win it all and have great games doing it. I'm really happy for PJ, too. I bet he's sure now that he made the right decision to come back. 

It's been a dream year to be a sports fan in Boston.


----------



## cgcatsfan

That it has. It's been a long haul since 1986. I've been a fan since I was a kid and we won't talk about how long that is. Let's just say I saw Bird, Ainge, McHale, The Chief and crew win every time they did it. 

I'm so pleased they won by playing TOTAL team ball and excellent defense.


----------



## Avalanche

it was a great team effort, and was awesome to see these guys celebrate a championship the way it should be done


----------



## Ainge for 3

The six games of the NBA Finals, which aired on ABC, were the top-rated and most-watched television programs to date for the month of June, according to a press release from the NBA. The ratings are as follows:


Show Rating Viewers


1. Finals Game 5 (ABC) - June 15 10.2 17.4
2. Finals Game 6 (ABC) - June 17 10.7 16.9
3. Finals Game 3 (ABC) - June 10 9.2 14.5
4. Finals Game 4 (ABC) - June 12 8.7 13.8
5. Finals Game 2 (ABC) - June 8 8.5 13.5
6. Finals Game 1 (ABC) - June 5 8.7 13.4
7. Belmont Stakes (ABC) - June 7 8.2 13.1
8. America's Got Talent (NBC) - June 17 7.8 12.8
9. U.S. Open Golf (NBC) – June 15 7.5 12.0
10. Two and a Half Men (CBS) – June 9 6.9 10.7
11. Million Dollar Password (CBS) - June 1 6.8 10.6
12. 60 Minutes (CBS) - June 1 6.8 10.3
13. NCIS (CBS) – June 10 6.9 10.2
14. Two and a Half Men (CBS) – June 2 6.4 9.8
15. 60 Minutes (CBS) – June 8 6.5 9.8
16. Million Dollar Password (CBS) – June 5 6.3 9.6:
17. CSI (CBS) – June 5 6.5 9.6
18. So You... Dance (FOX) – June 4 6.0 9.6
19. House (FOX) – June 2 6.0 9.4
20. CSI (CBS) – June 12 6.6 9.4


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## Avalanche

highest ratings since 2000 for a finals aswell


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