Write On Sports

The surprising Los Angeles Lakers, led by MVP Kobe Bryant, have wiped out the champion San Antonio Spurs in 5 games, winning 100-92 to become the Western Conference Champions and advance to the NBA Finals. In a pattern they have displayed as of recent, the Lakers showed a great fighting spirit, coming back from a 17-point deficit, a margin which the Spurs enjoyed over the Lakers at the end of the 1st quarter. By halftime, the Spurs lead had been cut to only 6 points.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 39 points in this game, which ended the Spurs’ championship reign. But it was clearly a team effort, with Pau Gasol, Vladimir Radmonovic, Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic all contributing, along the other role players, to the victory.

The now Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers will meet the winner of the Detroit Pistons-Boston Celtics series, which the Celtics presently lead 3 games to 2.

Write On Sports extends its congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers and MVP Kobe Bryant.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

The San Antonio Spurs are the reigning World Champions of basketball. On Wednesday night, they showed the poise and class that made them the Champions last year and over several of the last few years. They played an almost perfect 2-and-a-half quarters of basketball against the up and coming Los Angeles Lakers until, somewhere in the middle of the 3rd quarter, the Spurs took what seemed to be an insurmountable 20-point lead.

It seemed to be doomsday for the Lakers, but they suddenly showed what they are made of, themselves. By the end of the third quarter, in a span of just over 3-and-a-half minutes, the Los Angeles Lakers almost wiped out that entire 20-point Spurs lead and were suddenly trailing by only 6. It was an amazing comeback which left them trailing by 7 at the end of the third quarter. By a little over 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the game, the Lakers took the lead for the first time in the game. And they would never relinquish that lead.

The Lakers showed amazing toughness, made a tremendous comeback, and outlasted the World Champion Spurs to take a 1-0 lead in the best of 7 Western Conference Finals, 89-85.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

There are 30 teams in the National Basketball Association. And after a run of 82 games by each team, a first-round playoff by 16 of the 30 teams, a Conference semi-finals by 8 of the teams, we are down to the final four teams: The Boston Celtics vs. the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the San Antonio Spurs vs. the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. And if you’ve followed the NBA this season, you will notice that this final four round is just as it should be. The two best of the East and the two best of the West are pitted against each other.

We will see how this final stretch run fares out, and who will be the two teams to make it to the big show: THE NBA FINALS.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

It is now the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs. In the West, there are the Lakers and Jazz, and the Hornets and Spurs still alive and going at one another. Over in the East, there are the Pistons and Magic, and the Celtics and Cavaliers. It is an exciting time in the NBA, and this is where basketball is at its best.

Stay tuned as the NBA Playoffs move along towards the Conference Finals and, ultimately, the NBA Championship Finals, where the best in the East meet the best in the West.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life