The Whole Delivery

Will it be the Boston Celtics league record 18th franchise title, or will the Lakers make the rivalry between these two teams in the final be a record of 3-9 instead of 2-10? The keys right now to the ultimate game of the National Basketball association season. It's Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Keys Work For Perk By Powing Pau It's not just his 7 point, 7 rebound average that the Celtics will miss tonight from their injured center Kendrick Perkins . Gone from Doc Rivers' side is the stuff you don't see on the stat sheet. Weak side defending, clogging the lane, altering shots, and offering that key enforcer downlow that gave the Celtics the slight advantage in the paint, where the Lakers couldn't dominate them like they did their Western conference brethren through these playoffs. Rahseed Wallace and Glen Davis must facilitate Kevin Garnett on Pau Gasol tonight, as well as containing the order ailing center in this series, Andrew Bynum, from getting off down...

Thursday night.......will Perkins be back, and will Artest playing like he did tonight? Let the two day hype begin:

Awesome caption from NBA.com: photo from NBA.com Kobe is so angry at his teammates, you could test his temperature and you would say it's mercury. That is all that you have to say with this game. But Gasol has to assert himself and demand to Kobe that he gets the ball more than 11 times. Oh, and Doc Rivers is the premiere coach in this league right now. The live press conferences , with Doc Rivers now. The pivotal swing game of the series.....will the Celtics bring the string and give this series its first winning streak at its most crucial time? Photo from NBA.com The 1st quarter Analysis: Both teams are desperate to control the paint and not shoot too many 3's at the moment. The paint, the paint, the paint, who controls the paint is so important here, and who can make those mid range shots? And as always, the Bill Simmons love thread is fun to look at . 1st half analysis: Rajon Rondo, getting into the land and just going into the paint no matter what. He is att...

From NBA.com After the 1st quarter update: Paul Pierce has come to play tonight, and the referees are still.........the referees. 19-16 Celtics. And here's the Live Feed for now: Video chat rooms at Ustream 2nd half review : Despite the Celtics missing a lot of easy buckets and Kobe getting hot at the end, and Lamar Odom showing up and caring for another game, the Celtics are fortunate the find themselves only down by 3. Oh, and the officials are still having a forgettable series.

And we still are looking for Ray Allen's shot ......what a contrast from game one:

Photo from NBA.com He was able to stay on the court tonight and set a Finals record for 3-pointers instead of setting up fouls on his score card. But it was also Rajon Rondo, his back courtmate, who made the difference. Playing faster, controlled the tempo, the Celtic #9 was certainly proficient tonight. And he even hit a three pointer! This was the real Celtics tonight, and they exhibited the form that made people believe that they will win this series. The full review is here .

Kobe Bryant's Annoying Overdone Scrowl You all know the key stories lines? Can the Lakers beat the Celtics for only the 3rd time in 12 times in the Finals? Can the Celtics prove that with a healthy Kevin Garnett, they are still the best team in the league? Will Kobe make more people ask the absurd and flatout ridiculous question of "is he as good as .........Jordan"? But instead of the usual coverage that you will find at NBA.com, ESPN.com, SI.com, and everywhere else, here is a much lighter and more random look into the upcoming 2010 NBA Finals. It's the "20 plus 1" things to look forward to during the finals. 5 Simple Observations you will make immediately Pau Gasol's Wolfman "Badly Need A Haircut" Hairstyle. Goodness, from someone from Spain, he doesn't care about looking more "nappy" than suave. More so than even.......Paul Pierce! You'll Still Yearn For the Days of the "NBA on NBC" music." Mar...

It's just too memorable for the soul not to forever cherish: Forget ESPN or NBA TV, for this is the best pre-game warmup for another great final series between the Celtics and the Lakers.