80's and '08
Well, the 80s was a great decade for music for me as my blog have been featuring it especially on my kind of music. Another thing about this unforgetable decade was the SPORTS scene and mainly one of my favorite sports...... "BASKETBALL". YUP!! I'm a basketball freak and the 80s was really great for both the PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION(PBA) and of course the NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION(NBA). Just to be different for now, I'm blogging about sports and it's also very relevant on my Blog Concept since I will be featuring the Rivalry of LAKERS and CELTICS both capturing the 80s and the recent 2008 championship series.
Here in MANILA, who would forget the disbandment of both LEGENDARY PBA TEAMS TOYOTA and CRISPA(PBA classic rivalry of the 70s and early 80s) which would definitely be compared with NBA's intense basketball rivalry between the LOS ANGELES LAKERS and the BOSTON CELTICS. For me the 80s was really a great decade for the PBA too because the Second Generation of PBA LEGENDS were born on the Hardcourt from the batch of SAMBOY "The Skywalker" LIM to the batch of ALVIN "The Captain" Patrimonio.
LAKERS or CELTICS?
That's the major question for many Pinoy Basketball Enthusiasts back in the 80s.
The two main man for these two NBA FRANCHISES back then were MAGIC JOHNSON for the LAKERS and LARRY BIRD for the CELTICS. The 80s was dominated by the great Championship Match Up of these two great teams from the EAST and the WEST. I was a LAKER FAN during the 80s, but in the latest '08 Finals I go for the CELTICS. The Lakers and the Celtics have met 11 times already in the NBA Finals, with Boston winning the first eight meetings, and Los Angeles winning the next two both in the 80s . They met three times in the FINALS during the 80's from 1984,1985,1987. The LAKERS got the title in 1985 and 1987.... Hmmmp!! Those were the years NEW WAVE was peaking up here in MANILA. Last June 2008 NBA Championship, the Celtics won the Championship series 4 games to 2 over the Lakers. That makes the FINALS CHAMPIONSHIP record still in favor for the CELTICS with a solid 9-2 card.
Remembering those assist passes of MAGIC, those long three-point shots of BIRD. WOW!! MEMORIES INDEED!! Of course both these players together wiith MICHAEL JORDAN(Who was starting to make an impact already) revolutionized Basketball during the golden decade of the 80s. In the MEDICAL FIELD, it was a shocking news regarding Magic's Health condition being HIV positive.
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It's not all MAGIC and BIRD during those times okay. Who would forget Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's SKY HOOK? CLASSIC!! Reminds me of our very own RAMON "EL PRESIDENTE" FERNANDEZ ELEGANT SHOT. BTW, when Kareem visited MANILA the HOTEL he stayed in have to make a special King Size Bed for him to use. Hmmmp!! TRIPLE XTRA LARGE KASI!! Ha Ha Ha!! James Worthy, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott,Kurt Rambis(Clark Kent?) were some LAKERS I would remember. A great travel down memory lane I may say. On the CELTICS side the tall Kevin Mchale, the shooter Danny Ainge, Cedric Maxwell and Dennis Johnson.
Well, here are just some highlights for the LAKERS vs CELTICS FINALS during the 80s from WIKIPEDIA to refreshen up our memories and help us travel back to time:
1984 NBA Finals recap
By virtue of a 62-20 record, the Celtics had homecourt advantage over the Lakers who finished the regular season with a 54-28 mark. The first two games were played at the Celtics home court, the Boston Garden, while the next two were held at the Lakers home court, The Forum in Inglewood, California. The Celtics then hosted games 5 and 7 while the Lakers would host game 6.
The Celtics defeated the Lakers four games to three. The Lakers opened the series with a 115-109 victory at the Boston Garden. In Game 2, the Lakers led 113-111 with 18 seconds left when Gerald Henderson stole a James Worthy pass to score a game tying layup and the Celtics eventually prevailed in overtime 124-121. In Game 3, the Lakers raced to an easy 137-104 victory as Magic Johnson dished out 21 assists. After the game, Larry Bird said his team played like "sissies" in an attempt to light a fire under his teammates. In Game 4, the Lakers had a five point game lead with less than a minute to play, but made several execution errors as the Celtics tied the game and then came away with a 129-125 victory in overtime. The game was also marked by Celtic forward Kevin McHale's takedown of Laker forward Kurt Rambis on a breakaway layup which triggered the physical aspect of the rivalry. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would go after Larry Bird later on in the third quarter, and 1981 Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell further antagonized the Lakers by following a missed James Worthy free throw by crossing the lane with his hands around his own neck, symbolizing that Worthy was "choking" under pressure. In Game 5, the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead as Larry Bird scored 34 points. The game was known as the "Heat Game", as it was played under 97-degree heat, and without any air conditioning at the infamous Boston Garden. In Game 6, the Lakers evened the series with a 119-108 victory. In the game, the Lakers answered the Celtics rough tactics when Laker forward James Worthy shoved Cedric Maxwell into a basket support. After the game, a Laker fan threw a beer at Celtics guard M.L. Carr as he left the floor, causing him to label the series "all-out-war." In Game 7, the Celtics were led by Cedric Maxwell, who had 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as they came away with a 111-102 victory. In the game the Lakers rallied from a 14-point-deficit to three points down with one minute remaining, when Maxwell knocked the ball away from Magic Johnson. Dennis Johnson responded by sinking two free throws to seal the victory. Larry Bird was named MVP of the series.
1985 NBA Finals recap
The Celtics, looking to repeat as NBA Champions, had homecourt advantage for the second year in a row as they finished the regular season with a 63-19 record while the Lakers compiled a 62-20 record. For the first time, the Finals went to a 2-3-2 format with games one and two in Boston while the next three games were in Los Angeles. The final two games of the series, if necessary, would be played in Boston.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Celtics four games to two. Game 1 became known as the "Memorial Day Massacre" as the Celtics soundly beat the Lakers 148-114. Celtic reserve forward Scott Wedman made all 11 out of 11 field goal attempts. The Lakers responded in Game 2 with a 109-102 victory as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had 30 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, and three blocks. Michael Cooper had 22 points, making 8 out of 9 field goals attempted. In Game 3, the Celtics had a 48-38 lead in the second quarter before the Lakers lead by James Worthy took a 65-59 lead at halftime and then pulled away in the second half to come away with a 136-111 victory. Worthy had 29 points while Abdul-Jabbar had 26 points and 14 rebounds. The Celtics tied the series in Game 4, 107-105 as Dennis Johnson hit a jumper at the buzzer. In Game 5, the Lakers raced out to a 64-51 lead and stretched it to 89-72 before the Celtics cut the deficit to 101-97 with six minutes remaining. However Magic Johnson made three shots while Abdul-Jabbar added four more shots, and the Lakers came away with a 120-111 victory to take a 3-2 series lead. Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers with 36 points. The series shifted to Boston with only one full day off for both teams. In Game 6, the Lakers were led by Abdul-Jabbar who scored 29 points as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 111-100. Magic had 15 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds; Worthy had 28 points on 11 for 15 shooting. It was the first and only time a visiting team had claimed an NBA championship in Boston Garden. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named MVP of the series, making him the oldest player (38 years, 1 month, 24 days) ever to win the MVP of an NBA Finals series.
1987 NBA Finals recap
After being eliminated in the Western Conference Finals a year earlier, the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals and were awarded with homecourt advantage as they accumulated a 65-17 record while the Celtics finished the season with a 59-23 record. The first two games would be played in Los Angeles, the next three games in Boston, and the final two games, if necessary, were scheduled to be played in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Celtics four games to two. In Game 1, the Los Angeles Lakers came away with a 126-113 victory. Magic Johnson had 29 points, 13 assists, and 8 rebounds, while James Worthy had 33 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds. In Game 2, the Lakers took a 2-0 series lead with a 141-122 victory. Magic had 22 points and 20 assists, while Michael Cooper made six three point shots, then a record for the most three pointers made in a single NBA Finals game. In Game 3, the Celtics posted a 109-103 win, led by Larry Bird, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds. In Game 4, the Celtics had a 16-point lead in the third quarter before the Lakers stormed back into the game. Bird had hit a three point bomb with 12 seconds remaining to give the Celtics the lead, however, with two seconds remaining, Magic Johnson sank a "junior sky hook" to give the Lakers a 107-106 lead, then Bird missed a makeable 20-foot jumper as time expired, allowing Los Angeles to gain a three games to one lead. In Game 5, the Celtics prevented the Lakers from celebrating in the Boston Garden by coming away with a 123-108 win. Boston guard Danny Ainge made 5 out of 6 three-pointers attempted, including a 45-footer as the first half expired. In Game 6, the Lakers trailed the Celtics 56-51 at halftime, but thanks to an 18-2 run, they regained control of the game with a 30-12 third quarter to cruise to a 106-93 victory and their fourth championship in the decade. Magic Johnson was named unanimous MVP of the series, averaging 26.2 points, 13.0 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals, leading the Lakers in all four categories.
We just travelled again back in the 80s as usual....the main concept of my blog. He He He!! Now we go to the recent 2008 NBA FINALS between the LAKERS and the CELTICS. The good thing here is that with the age of technology you got to watch it LIVE wherever you are in the globe. I remember during the 80s I just have to borrow the BETAMAX TAPE of the FINALS 1 week after the game. Hmmmp!! So I don't get to watch it LIVE. WaaaaH!!!
The game have been different the past two decades and changed drastically of course the personalities involve this time are very unique in a way.
KOBE BRYANT as always made the LAKERS look good this 2008 but with the so-called "BIG THREE" of CELTICS namely KEVIN GARNETT, PAUL PIERCE, and RAY ALLEN he wasn't able to maintain the tenacity. This time without Kobe's former team mate SHAQ the LAKERS were really no match for the CELTICS.
Here's a brief summary of the 2008 NBA FINALS from WIKIPEDIA:
2008 NBA Finals
The Celtics and the Lakers faced off in the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. During the regular season, the Celtics beat the Lakers in both meetings. However, these games occurred before the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. In the first game, held in Boston on November 23, 2007, the Celtics beat the Lakers 104–97. The Celtics again beat the Lakers 110–91 on December 30, 2007. Before the Finals began, many fans and the sports media picked the playoff-dominant Lakers to cruise through a Celtics team that went through two seven-game series with the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers and a tough and physical six-game battle with the Detroit Pistons.
In Game 1 of the 2008 Finals, Paul Pierce came back after apparently suffering a knee injury earlier in the game, and took over over the game for a 98-88 Celtics win.
In Game 2, the Celtics built a 24-point lead early in the fourth quarter. However, the Lakers hit a large number of three-pointers and scored 41 in the final quarter, cutting Boston's lead to two points late in the game. The Celtics hit several free throws to hold on, and won 108–102.
In Game 3, the Lakers beat the Celtics 87–81. In the game Paul Pierce made only 2 of his 14 field goals. Kevin Garnett also struggled, scoring 12 points. Ray Allen, the other member of Boston's "Big 3", scored 25 points. Saša Vujačić scored 20 points in 28 minutes and Kobe Bryant scored a series-high 36 points, leading the Lakers to their first win in the series. With the win the Lakers added another win to their undefeated streak at home in the 2008 postseason.
In Game 4, the Celtics completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals History by battling back from a 24-point deficit in the first half to win the game 97–91. The Celtics had strong performances from Pierce, Allen, James Posey (19 points off the bench) and Eddie House Bryant did not make his first field goal until the third quarter and finished with 17 points overall.
In Game 5, the Lakers again jumped out to a quick start, leading by as many as 19 in the second quarter. However, Boston again made a furious comeback and closed the halftime deficit to three. The Lakers would build their lead back up to 14 in the 4th quarter, but the Celtics again came back to tie the game at 90-90. With less than 1 minute left in the 4th quarter, the Celtics had the ball, trailing 97-95 with a chance to tie or take the lead. Pierce had apparently beat Bryant off the dribble, but Bryant knocked the ball out of Pierce's hands from behind. Lamar Odom recovered the loose ball, and passed down court to Bryant for the break away jam to give the Lakers a 99-95 lead. The steal and dunk by Bryant would seal the game for the Lakers, as the Lakers went on to win 103-98, and in the process, sending the series back to Boston.
In Game 6, Kobe Bryant jumped out with a hot shooting hand in the first quarter and scored 11 points, including hitting 3 out of 4 from beyond the 3-point line. But offensive contributions from other Lakers players were few and far between and the Celtics defense tightened and finished the quarter with a 24-20 lead. At the 7:50 mark of the second quarter, the Lakers trailed the game by three points, 32-29, and would never get any closer. Sparked by back to back 3-point shots by bench players James Posey and Eddie House, the Celtics went on a 26 to 6 run and completely took over the game. The second half brought more of the same, with the Celtics extending their lead to as high as 43 points with 1:22 left in the fourth quarter when Eddie House fed an alley-oop pass to Tony Allen for an over the shoulder exclamation mark slam. The Celtics throughly dominated the clinching game of their 17th championship by the final score of 131-92. Individually,Celtics Captain Paul Pierce was named MVP of the series while Ray Allen tied single game record for three pointers made in the clincher with seven, in the process he broke the previous record for three pointers made in a NBA Finals series. The 39 point differential in game 6 was the largest in a clinching game in NBA Finals history and the second largest margin overall for any Finals game.
SO WHICH SIDE ARE YOU GUYS?
LAKERS or CELTICS?
FROM 80's
TO '08
LAKERS vs. CELTICS FINALS
CLASSIC INDEED!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD-
