Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sunday Stories - Celtics vs. Lakers

Lakers vs. Celtics
Matt Viser of the Boston Globe writes about the rebirth of a rivalry... "A rivalry that used to be as fierce as the Red Sox-Yankees smackdowns has returned. The Celtics are back, and a region's passion for basketball is reborn." ...
  • Matt Viser


  • Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe writes it was a bumpy playoff road, but the Celtics are right where they set out to be... "Twenty games and 41 days after the 2008 playoffs had begun, the Boston Celtics had reached a milestone, their dramatic 89-81 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 Friday night giving them a berth in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987, or since 11-year-old Kevin Garnett was home watching on TV in Mauldin, S.C." ...
  • Bob Ryan


  • Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times writes about the rich history of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry... "When the Lakers meet the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals for the 11th time beginning Thursday, it will not be an ending, but a continuation, another chapter in a book written with Magic and Bird, Balloons and Clotheslines, Massacres and Heat, Old Man Cigars and Baby Sky Hooks." ...
  • Bill Plaschke


  • Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times writes how the Lakers-Celtics are the best match-up in the NBA... "An NBA Finals with the Lakers and Celtics . . . or listed according to who dominated whom, the Celtics and Lakers . . . is entirely different, an event unto itself. Lakers vs. Celtics is part of something bigger, a rivalry going back almost 50 years that defined the NBA over that time." ...
  • Mark Heisler


  • Penguins-Red Wings
    Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes how a fluky Detroit goal may have ended the Penguins chances for a Stanley Cup..."So he backhanded it blindly toward Fleury, who was slamming his left shoulder in the near post just in case. Just in case one random rubber disc in a 60-minute shooting gallery might flutter to the only spot where it could do some damage. Just in case. Hudler's shot went to that spot. And through that spot." ...
  • Gene Collier


  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes how goalie Chris Osgood provided his best playoff performance in Game 4... "Osgood made two brilliant point-blank saves on superstar Sidney Crosby, another two on Pascal Dupuis and stopped Marian Hossa and Evgeni Malkin on power-play attempts." ...
  • Helene St. James


  • Other sports
    Mike Lupica of the Daily News writes about Joe Torre's return to NYC... "Torre was the last dynasty. Somebody might last as long as he did. No one will ever win as much, or be treated as well, rewarded as handsomely." ...
  • Mike Lupica


  • Vincent Mallozzi of The New York Times writes how autograph collecting has changed... "“Because so many athletes are locked into memorabilia deals with big companies, they don’t sign as often as they used to, which is why this whole autograph thing has become one giant rat race.” ...
  • Vincent Mallozzi


  • Katie Thomas of The New York Times writes about Vanderbilt's Pedro Alvarez who is expected to be one of the top 3 picks in the baseball draft... "Now, three years later, it seems Alvarez’s decision has paid off. He is widely expected to be among the top three picks in the draft Thursday. And with the agent Scott Boras working as his adviser, Alvarez — a livery cabdriver’s son who grew up in Upper Manhattan sharing a bedroom with his sister — is almost certain to become a multimillionaire." ...
  • Katie Thomas


  • Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times writes if Chicago native Derrick Rose can handle the hometown pressure if the Bulls draft him... "Already, we've forgotten that he's merely 19 years old, that he plays video games and devours Gummy Bears, that Derrick Rose is like a lot of us in Chicago who grew pouty and indifferent about the local basketball operation. ``I was a huge Bulls fan when Mike was playing,'' he said at the NBA's pre-draft camp." ...
  • Jay Mariotti
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