It wasn’t exactly Willis Reed coming back in Game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers, but Paul Pierce made a historic return of his own in the third quarter of Game one of the 2008 NBA Finals, and he was the catalyst for a run that propelled the Celtics to a 98-88 victory.

After being carried off the court in obvious pain with 6:49 left in the third, Pierce triumphantly returned to the court just minutes later to a standing ovation. Pierce’s return was an emotional lift for the Celtics, and Pierce proceeded to ignite the team by scoring 12 points in the quarter. The Celtics outscored the Lakers 31-22 in the third, and never looked back.

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You asked for it, you got it.

In what is one of the most anticipated NBA finals in recent memory, the Boston Celtics, the top seed in the East, will face the Los Angeles Lakers, the top-seed in the West. These teams have faced off in the NBA Finals 10 previous times, the most recent coming in 1987. The history between these two teams is a big reason for the all the hype, but the current players re-igniting the rivalry are the real intrigue.

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With 5:54 remaining in the third quarter in Game one of the Western Conference Finals, things looked bleak for the top-seeded seeded Lakers. Down 20 points at home and in danger of losing the ever-important home-court advantage, they orchestrated a big comeback that gave them a 1-0 series lead and all the momentum heading into Game two.

The Lakers were down 65-45, but then Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol took over. NBA MVP Bryant scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half, and even scored the go-ahead bucket with 23.9 seconds left. Gasol added 19 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. This effort culminated in an 89-85 victory, and the second-biggest second-half comeback in the NBA playoffs since 1998.

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After 12 seasons, three championships, over 20,000 career points, two scoring titles and 10 All-Star appearances, Kobe Bryant finally got the the piece of hardware he has long deserved - league MVP.

In my mind, Bryant has been the NBA’s best player for years, and it’s about time he got the recognition he deserves. Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals, while leading the Lakers to a 57-25 record and No. 1 seed in the West. Only LeBron James, who finished fourth in the MVP voting, had a higher scoring average than Bryant this season.

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The thought of the league’s top two MVP candidates squaring off in the Western Conference finals is an intriguing one, and, judging by Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul’s performances over the weekend, it is looking more and more like a slam dunk.

Paul didn’t have astounding statistics in New Orleans’ 101-82 over San Antonio on Saturday night - a relative statement for Paul, who still finished with 17 points, 13 assists, just two turnovers and four steals. His quick, controlled aggression broke down the veteran Spurs’ defense and got all of his younger, more athletic teammates into the mix. Read more »

There are lessons to be learned from this postseason, where the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors were the first teams sent packing on Monday night. Individual players like Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are putting a stamp on their team’s success better than they have at any points in their careers.

Homecourt has again been a storyline, but for different reasons in each series. It has been cause for huge momentum swings in the Boston-Atlanta, Washington-Cleveland and Phoenix-San Antonio series, but been stripped away by the Lakers, Magic and Hornets. Read more »