Oh, it's on now.

It's obvious FATBURGER hasn't gotten over it. No matter how much he says it was all in fun, it's clear that BURGER KING continues to harbor ill feelings towards Kobe and the Lakers organization.

He never liked PATRICK EWING so he trashed him. He was never fond of KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR so he put him down too. Jabbar, who was trained by BRUCE LEE, told me THE BIG YOSHINOYA wouldn't dare say it to his face unless he wanted to get a beatdown.

No matter how sarcastic HOMETOWN BUFFET sounded when he rapped the night away in New York the other night, best believe he meant most of what he said. I don't believe it when SHACK-IN-THE-BOX mentions that he and Kobe are all good. NACHO BELL GRANDE  is a hater by nature. Just like a lot of bloggers who can't stand it that the LAKERS are back on top. Get off our nuts.

So it's on once again. The KOBE HATERS are out in full force. So THE LAKERS EMPIRE must strike back.

For your enjoyment I will re-release a blog called A Xmas Poem for Shaq which I wrote in December 2006, when we all knew PANDA EXPRESS was all but done.

Tell me what it tastes like. Enjoy.

'Twas the night before Christmas and all thru the house,

Shaq begins to wonder how this all came about;

The championship banner hanging high up in the air,

Another ring for the Diesel, but who really cares?

'Cause the Heat keeps losing all but left for dead,

While visions of Kobe winning continue to haunt O'Neal's head;

And the Lakers are ready to be put on the map,

While Shaq plays Santa with his 20 kids on his lap;

When out in the East there arose such a chatter,

Shaq is out of shape again he's getting fatter;

So away he went to leave it all up to Flash,

You're on your own kid while I collect my cash.

The Suns are shining in the West and there's a new Jazz show,

but we all know that there's still San Antonio;

Then all of a sudden in Denver, the Answer appears

Just in time for Garnett to say the end is near;

And just like that Buss calls McHale quick,

He thought for a moment it must be a trick.

Buss asks if he liked last night's game

"I don't know" McHale replied. "Ask what's-his-name."

"Now, Blount! now, Davis! now, Hudson and Griffin!

On, Jaric! on, Foye! on, James and Madsen!

To the bottom of the Northwest! to one last call!

Now go away Garnett! I'll take the fall!

As the speculation continues and the rumors fly,

Isiah Thomas insists he's a nice guy;

So up to Stern's office Thomas flew

to request more players 'cause he was down to two;

I'll cut this short so I can shop at the mall,

Maybe it's on sale... that is, the new ball;

Shaq don't like it so he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to O'Neal's career - good night."

Great job, Los Angeles. The fans came through and the players did what they were supposed to do. It's now time to take the pride and passion to another level. Let's show the Celtics what it's like to fight back. The entire city of Boston and Jon Barry has been making preparations for a parade since last Thursday. Let's prove to the naysayers that 1969 can happen all over again. But this time, it will be in purple-n-gold.

Go ahead, Boston. Get the party favors ready. Sweep the city streets. Put up the green and white balloons. Unload the champagne. Take the cigar out of the humidor. Los Angeles is watching you. Patiently. One game at a time.

While we prepare for battle, you're sitting there satisfied. You should be relieved. Looking back, I don't see why the Celtics should be all that confident. After all, it's the Lakers that have themselves to blame for their deficit. It's the Lakers who made this series as interesting as it's been.

The 2008 L.A. Lakers know how to draw up a dramatic script. As I sit on the edge of my seat watching the Lakers blow yet another huge lead in Game Five, I can't help but contemplate what brought them here.

In Game One, they lost fair and square. 

In Game Two, they came back from 24 down showing the Celtics they are resilient even when their opponents have a +28 free-throw advantage. They learned they could score in spurts against the Celtics and that they could overcome the refereeing, or lack thereof.

In Game Three, they won by six when they should have won by 16 (missed free throws). They came out strong and didn't allow the Celtics to be physical. Kobe finally found his stroke for the first time. It took Bryant three games to go on an offensive outburst against the Celtics, which means Kobe will get his turn once again in Game Six.

In Game Four, they had a 24 point lead and dominated the first half before forgetting what got them there. The Young Guns learned a valuable lesson about maintaining composure and poise in dire situations. They learned that "without struggle there is no progress." What they took away from this game will prove instrumental in the team's future development.

In Game Five, they had a 19-point lead before relaxing again but this time they held on. I wonder if it's because of something they did and didn't do in Game Four. I'm sure when the players were watching film of Thursday night's contest, they found out that the things they did and the things they didn't do all sent a message.

The lessons learned? Play 48 minutes of basketball with energy and passion. That's all it is. No secret formula, no special recipe, just flat-out relentless basketball with relentless effort. Stuff that made Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lakers legends. Stuff that made Kurt Rambis, A.C. Green, Mychal Thompson, Byron Scott, Mitch Kupchak, Bob McAdoo, Jamaal Wilkes, and Michael Cooper indispensable assets. Stuff that makes you proud to put on that Lakers jersey.   

The Lakers know they are a better team than the Celtics when they play with fire and hunger. When they execute with precision, they are by far a more explosive unit than the Celtics. But so far the ball has bounced in the Celtics' direction because the Lakers have defeated themselves more than the Celtics' defense has stopped them.

It wasn't the Celtics' defense that took Game Four and thus prevented the Lakers from being up 3-2. It was the Lakers' lack of focus and concentration on the task at hand. They simply had Attention Deficit Disorder in the second half of Game Four. The best retaliation for a stifling and suffocating defense is poise and composure, and the Lakers had very little of it and this is why they are facing an uphill battle in the series. But when the players are playing with focus and determination, it culminates in energy and passion, which breed victories over the toughest of opponents. It's a simple solution and I can't wait to see how the players respond in a hostile environment. I will say this now... if the Lakers win Game Six they are going to take home the trophy. 

What the Celtics cannot overlook heading into Game Six is the fact this Lakers team is young and resilient. They know they should be up 3-2 right now. In fact, if the Lakers were more aggressive and got to the line more in Game Two, they might have won the series 4 games to 1.

So it's one game at a time. Take care of business. Ride the momentum. Ride the wave. Bring the confidence. Have some patience. And tommorrow, the Lakers will play the game simple and come out victorious. 

Coach Phil Jackson and staff already know exactly what to do in order to prepare the team for the battle of their lives. No more analysis from me because at this point, it's all out and ball up. No holds barred. You know the cliches. Throw it all on the line. Win or go home. Do or die. Lakers or Celtics. There can only be one.

The NBA FINALS.... where the balance of the Force will be restored.

Game Face is on.

Prediction for Game Six

L.A. Lakers 107, Boston Celtics 104 (OT)

Coach Jackson,

If you want to win Game Five, this is what you must do: play Trevor Ariza at least 25 minutes. This is the prescription for the Lakers to get back in this thing.

Remember when Boston kept penetrating your defense and spreading the floor so their shooters could spot up and knock down open threes? Remember how Farmar's and Vujacic's on-the-ball defense was completely exposed by a much tougher Celtics lineup? Didn't it seem like Jordan, Sasha, and Vladimir were late in rotations on defense in the second half? 

I know you're thinking that if we had Andrew Bynum in the middle to protect the paint, these players wouldn't be struggling as they have been. But the fact of the matter is, Bynum's not coming back until October. So how can you counter Doc Rivers' brilliant move using Eddie House at the point, Ray Allen at the two, Paul Pierce at the three, James Posey at the four, and Kevin Garnett at center? It was this particular lineup that changed the whole momentum of the series.

I'm wondering... why play Derek Fisher only two minutes in that all-crucial fourth quarter when Fish is going four-for-five shooting from the floor? And you know he would play tough defense on House all day every day.

Why keep Sasha Vujacic in the game, when he'd been struggling all night, and you know Trevor Ariza is playing exceptional on defense and offense?

And why keep using the obviously confused Vladimir Radmanovic on hot-as-a-hot-pocket James Posey, when you know you can create a mismatch by having either Lamar Odom or Ariza guarding him?

What needs to be done to immediately counter the Celtics' small shooting lineup is to use a big, quick lineup. Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ariza, Odom, and Gasol the entire fourth quarter. When you look at this lineup, you think defense first and foremost. And failing to get stops when you needed them most was the Lakers ultimate downfall in Game Four.

Think about it coach. Doc Rivers is probably going to use that same lineup again since Kendrick Perkins is all baanged up and Rajon Rondo has practically been out of it since game two. By the way, great job of limiting Rondo's production in L.A.

Therefore you use Fisher to get all up in House's face so he can't get wide open looks. I'd stick Kobe on Allen so you immediately put an end to all of those Ray-Ray special penetrations from all angles. You're good to go guarding Pierce with either Ariza or Odom because they have the length and foot speed and either of these two players can also guard the slow-footed Posey. Gasol on Garnett is not going to change.

The great thing about this Lakers lineup is that the players are interchangeable at three different positions. And L.A. won't be sacrificing offense. A huge matchup problem is created for Boston, with Odom being guarded by Posey (since Allen is guarding Ariza and Pierce is on Kobe). Odom can post him up and make plays and force the Cetlics to scramble on defense. So it's a safe bet you'll generate spacing, you'll be able to spread the floor, and most importantly you don't become a jumpshooting team because you know Ariza will cut through the open lanes and find ways to be active around the basket.

What if Boston decides to go big and replace Posey with Leon Powe? That's when you bring in Ronny Turiaf and stick Lamar at the three to guard Pierce. So on defense, you have both Kobe on Allen and Fish on House on a permanent basis. You match muscle-for-muscle with Boston's interior players by using defensive players, and you match Boston's shooters with your two best defensive guards.

Because Ariza is playing so well, you want to use that to your advantage since Trevor affords you the flexibility when it comes to matchups between the many different looks Boston likes to throw at you. Simply put, I can't believe Ariza only played eight minutes, when he's giving you 6 points, 5 rebounds, a blocked shot, a couple of batted balls, and he disrupts the passing lanes better than anyone on the team.

Had you utilized him more throughout the series, the Lakers certainly wouldn't be down 1-3. It'd be tied, for sure. Who knows, maybe they'd even be up 3-1. But instead, we have to look at what's in front of us.

A lot of people are now saying that you're being outcoached by Doc Rivers, but I don't believe that. After all, a coach can't control the amount of effort and energy the players are giving when they already know the game plan.

But it's up to you, Zenmaster, to counter the Celtics with your best combination - Fish, Kobe, Trevor, Lamar, and Pau. Defense. Balance. Length. And only one European player.

Vujacic, Radmanovic, and Turiaf can sit and learn while watching from the pine. But make sure to give Sasha a good 20 minutes if he's got the stroke. 

Time to get tough, Lakers. This is Los Angeles USA, not freakin' Western Europe. Coach Jackson, make sure the Lakers' assault continues on their opponents and not on themselves.

Backs against the wall. Game Face is On. What up to all Dads. Wutz crackin' fellas!

FORTITUDE. That is the difference in this series between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. It hasn't been Ray Allen's shooting or Paul Pierce's all-around play. It's not Kevin Garnett's defense either. It's fortitude. It's resiliency and determination. It's courage and internal strength. Guts and grit. Veteran endurance. Boston has it, and Los Angeles doesn't. My hats off to the Celtics, who are playing the way I expected my Lakers to play like.

The Boston Celtics deserve everything they've accomplished in this series so far, while the Lakers have sat around and let a special opportunity get away from them. Because they were waiting for something to happen in the second half instead of grabbing their opponents by the horns and pummeling them down to the ground. They didn't have the staying power. In four Finals games, the Lakers have not played a complete 48-minute game. I don't know about you, but this means a lot. Not that the Celtics have played a complete game either. They've had their share of bumps in the road. But this Celtics team has fortitude, which breeds staying power. That's the difference. It was never the talent level - both teams are evenly matched as far as skill is concerned - but rather the mental toughness. The Celtics' veterans did not panic while the Lakers relaxed and they took complete advantage by annihilating the confused Lakers, outscoring them by 30 points after the Lakers took a 45-21 lead in the second quarter.

Aside from the fact the Lakers didn't have their heads in place in the second half, here are some other notable Lakers failures that cost them the game and perhaps the series.

1)  Coach Phil Jackson did not come to coach:  After watching his team build an 18-point lead at halftime, his most effective lineup turned out to be the lineup that had Fisher or Farmar at PG, Kobe at SG, Trevor Ariza at SF, Lamar Odom at PF, and Pau Gasol at C. And then Jackson fell asleep. Instead of using Ariza in the second half to counter James Posey, Jackson relied on the space cadet. And later in the fourth when it was evident the Lakers had lost their luster and the Celtics had complete momentum, what did Phil counter with? He stuck with Farmar and Vujacic way too long instead of allowing Ariza and Fisher, two expert defenders, the opportunity to bother and counter Posey and Eddie House. Simply put, the coaching staff fukcked up big time.

2)  Kobe Bryant:  The MVP has a long way to go despite my blowing him up all the time like he's the second coming of Michael Jordan. Not only did Kobe shoot poorly, he failed to recognize game situations in the most crucial of games. Why did Kobe only shoot the ball four times in the first half and defer to his teammates instead of taking an active part in their offensive outburst? The fact that Kobe was not assertive prevented him from developing a rhythm as he did in Game Three, and by the time Pierce started defending him Kobe was already out of the game. Kobe's mental breakdown and lack of awareness cost his team the game.

Jordan would have recognized that Boston was playing better and better as the game progressed, and MJ would have turned it on at the right time knowing that his team was slipping. Jordan would have gotten to the foul line in order to stop the momentum from the Celtics' many runs. Jordan would have gathered his teammates in a huddle and talked about what they needed to do. Jordan would have helped on Sasha when it was apparent Allen was going to take him to the rack with 16 seconds left in the game. Kobe did none of these things.

As a Lakers fan, I'm extremely bothered by it. As a Kobe hater, you are saying, " I told you so." And as an NBA fan, I believe Kobe is still not there yet. If you were to pinpoint the player who was responsible for this loss, all fingers should point to Kobe. He did not know how to take advantage of and react to what the Celtics were doing in the second half. Championship leaders and MVPs don't let this sort of thing happen to his team, especially when they're playing at home. The Lakers have a lot of growing up to do, and it all starts with Bryant.

3)  European style of play doesn't win NBA titles:  First of all, the Lakers have way too many European players on their team. I don't like it because it makes the Lakers too much of a jumpshooting team. And when you appear lax, lenient, and tender on the defensive end, teams are going to take full advantage. Gasol played with heart, produced a respectable 17 and 10, and tried his best. He plays hard and he's a keeper on this team. He's the type of power forward who would shine with a defensive center. That's why we've got Andrew Bynum.

The Machine is also a keeper. He has a tremendous work ethic, he's determined, he's the best shooter on the team, he was game last night, but like I said, it's very rare that Sasha puts up two consecutive games in which he has a high scoring output. This is because he's a young player who's learning the intricacies of utilizing one's talent to the fullest extent. He's maturing and you can't blame him for his effort.

Ronny Turiaf is game, but it's clear he doesn't yet possess the veteran moxie of a PJ Brown or James Posey. He'll get there, whether or not it's in a Lakers uniform. He's a free agent this year.

Radmanovic is the biggest disappointment of them all. Remember that play in which Ray Allen took the ball to the rim on a fast break with Vladimir running with him step-for-step? And then the space cadet stepped aside and let him score easily on a lay-up instead of fouling him hard and knocking him to the ground? I said before the playoffs that even Luke Walton was tougher than Radmanovic. How much heart and pride does VladRad really have? Will he give up and mail it in? Or will he come out and score 20 and play aggressively on defense? If he has another bad game on Sunday, I say it's time to part ways.

My point is this: If one-third of your twelve-man active roster is European, you will have the reputation of being "soft". The Lakers are sure playing that way right now, and the only solution may be to trim the fat a little bit, replace the fat with muscle (Ron Artest perhaps?), and come into next season with a renewed focus on defense because Bynum will be back and Ariza will have his health.

At the end of the day, MVP Kobe Bryant sounded optimistic but you could see it in his teammates' body language that they were deflated. But you never know. History was made last night and history can be made once again. I don't give up after nine rounds in a 12-round fight. And neither should the Lakers. Especially after all they've been through.

L.A. has to forget about the last three games and treat the series like it's game one. The players have to avoid reading the newspapers and stay away from the internet. The coaches have to throw away any game plan and just let them play. Jackson needs to start Ariza at SF so the Lakers will be quicker on defense and in transition. All Lamar Odom has to do is give us one good half since that's all we expect. Gasol needs to control the boards since that's all we expect too. But Kobe is the one who has to take it to another level if the Lakers even want to make this thing interesting.  Which means he has to produce a triple-double. L.A. has to come out on fire and not play with complacency. The players have to show passion in game five. They have to show a ton of heart and most importantly, pride. This is what I expect from players who have the word "Lakers" etched on the front of their jerseys.

Prediction for Game Five

Los Angeles Lakers 93, Boston Celtics 89

Click here to read why LISA H thinks the Celtics will wrap it up on Sunday 

Karma is a b**** isn't it? First Paul Pierce fakes the funk and tries to show up and mock Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, next thing you know Kendrick Perkins sprains his ankle minutes later and then Rajon Rondo twists his foot two days later. Talk about coming back to bite you where it hurts. See Boston, this is what you get when you try to fukck with the City of Angels. No good graces will come your way.

And it's not over. Believe me. There's more of this karma thing on its way, special delivery directly to every Boston fan's doorstep. Air mail special with Kobe's you-know-what tea-bagging on all of your green and white faces.  

Go ahead Boston Celtics fans. Believe you've won. Believe the L.A. Lakers are done. Believe your team is better. I dare you. The Lakers' defense swarmed Boston every which way but loose and the Celtics buckled under pressure like they did when they blew a 24-point lead just one quarter earlier. Finals rookie Doc Rivers was lost as well, unable to come up with an answer for the Lakers' adjustments on defense.

And through all the commotion over the last five periods between these two teams, the MVP has been carefully choosing his spots on the floor while studying what the Celtics are trying to do (Lakers come back from 24 down). And he is getting ready for the kill (Kobe D's up Rondo, Pierce, Allen, and the entire Celtics offense). Translation: Boston doesn't stand a chance.

Like the venomous slithering snake, the MVP is slowly but surely shedding his skin, moving ever so cleverly, and allowing his poison to do its thing and inflict its power. Such is the Celtics' predicament over the next two games. Rivers is thinking, "How on earth are we going to prevent ourselves from being down 3-2?"

While the entire eastern seaboard continues to think the Lakers are all about Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers fans remain patient. It's all about Kobe, huh? If it were, then who grabbed 12 rebounds and helped limit Kevin Garnett to 6-21 shooting? Who came off the bench to knock down big shot after big shot, score 20 points, and basically matched Ray Allen in production? Who made the adjustment of the series by putting Kobe on Rondo (thanks for taking my recommendation, Phil) immediately as the game started, not only taking Rondo out of his game but the entire Celtics' offense as well, which culminated in the actor Paul Newman, er Pierce, blowing his first Finals audition in L.A.?

Celtics fans want to taunt and call the Lakers soft? Go ahead. We double dare you. We'll see who's in foul trouble the next game.

You want to underestimate a team that put the defending champions out of their misery? Go ahead. Think like you're tough. Your team name is symbolized by a 3-foot leprechaun yet you employ a 6-ft tall mascot to look like a leprechaun at your home games. Talk about not staying true to the game and being what you are not. All of a sudden you want to say your team is tough just because KG throws down a couple dunks and Perkins throws a couple of staredowns after he scores? Who are you kidding Celtics fans?

I've watched KG since he was in high school and he's never been among the strongest or toughest big men in the NBA. He was always a finesse 7-footer who had handles for a big man and is really a small forward playing the four. When Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber, Shaq, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Horace Grant, Brian Grant, Arvydas Sabonis, and David Robinson were all in the Western Conference, Garnett was being pushed around so much he decided to settle for jumpshots. That's why his game is that way today. Boston tries to intimidate you by setting moving picks, grabbing your arm while refs aren't looking, and veteran trashtalking. The only reason guys like Sam Cassell, James Posey, and PJ Brown look as good as they do is because the media is giving them all kinds of credit for having been there before. So it makes the young Lakers role players that much more disadvantaged. Let's see if Brown tries his silly staredown and grin when Kobe or Fish runs into him.

Boston wants to believe that Game Three was in their hands. They want to believe that they were in the game the entire time and if Pierce and Garnett hadn't missed all those shots, they'd have won.  Obviously, that's to be expected when you're up 2-0 and your opponents' second and third best players have been mediocre at best.

But what Boston fans don't realize (or are choosing to avoid) is that the Lakers are figuring them out with each passing quarter. They're just taking a little longer to figure out the Celtics' schemes because they are such a balanced team. No team has given the Lakers matchup problems like Boston has. But it doesn't mean the Lakers are done. All this entails is that the Lakers now have to outsmart, outexecute, outthink their opponent. It just means the Lakers have to work harder. And there's no team in the NBA this year that's worked as hard as the Lakers to get where they're at considering all of the expectations, or lack thereof,  that were placed on this team.

This is where great thinkers Phil Jackson, Tex Winters, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Cleamons, Kurt Rambis, Frank Hamblen, and Brian Shaw come into the picture. Now this is an ensemble of toughness, if there ever is one. These guys have so many rings collectively you'd use up your fingers and toes. This coaching staff has so much pride, expertise, and mental toughness it will rub off on the players. And it started to happen in Game Three and will continue tomorrow night.

Go ahead Boston fans. Talk your smack. I triple dare you. Some of you will give just a little credit to the Lakers defense and how they stepped up their intensity. But  ALL of you will say Boston lost because two out of their Big Three had awful games. That's fine with me. I just hope you're not trying to psyche yourself out.

The bottom line is the Celtics lost because they couldn't stop the Lakers  when it counted. Yes, it was because of Kobe. And yes, Kobe is the featured player on the team. But don't be mistaken Laker adversaries. This is a TEAM. You heard me. Team. T-E-A-M. The Lakers win as a team. They lose as a team. And they even miss free throws as a team.

Lakers fans will say that L.A. would have blown out the Celtics had they converted on their free throws. Possibly so and most likely. And Celtics fans have already affirmed their belief - the Celtics are "clearly the better team" according to Lisa H. And to only lose by six even when the Lakers had all of those free throw attempts? I can already feel it. The overconfidence of Celtics' fans has got them believing that the Lakers missed their free throws because they were nervous. I'll tell you what... if a team doesn't go to the free throw line for two games, you're going to miss some foul shots. The Lakers had no practice at the free throw line, plain and simple. I bet they come out and shoot 80% in Game Four.

Don't even worry, Lakers fans. We got them right where we want them. It's the Celtics fans who are uptight, and that's why they have to go out and talk down on the Lakers after every game they win instead of talking about the positive things their team did to win. It's an inferiority complex issue. Trust me on that one. Even after a loss, the Celtics faithful will still talk their trash and put to light all the bad things that happened to the Lakers. And for them to think three games prove that the Celtics are clearly the better team is complete disillusionment.  How can you seriously believe, after losing a 24-point lead in less than 8 minutes at your house in a crucial fourth quarter and come out the following game and put up so many bricks you could revive the Berlin Wall, that your team is far superior to the Lakers? I don't really want to bring up the past but had the Lakers received their fair share of calls in games one and two, this series could easily be 2-1 Lakers or even 3-0.

If Lakers fans "refuse to see the light" and are being blinded by the "glare of Hollywood". then Boston fans must be in denial about the reality television show called "Kobe Does Boston." The biggest mistake the Celtics will make is to believe the Lakers are a one-man team. A greater mistake they will make is to disregard the two players who have been cold all series long. But the greatest mistake they will make is to underestimate the character of this squad and believe their "confidence is not very high", as LISA H says, reassuring herself in the process.

I will say this: if this series is so one-sided, then how come Boston is not up 3-0? And don't even say the refs gave the Lakers calls because you deserve to get smacked upside the head if you do.

But knowing the Celtics, they will be feeling good about the way they lost. Even Doc Rivers' comments after the game implied this, mentioning how Boston could have won the game and failing to give credit to how the Lakers took them off their rhythm. Big mistake, because if you are saying you feel good about a loss, it's the first sign you're making an excuse for a bad performance and the first symptoms of weakness for the Boston Celtics in this series. How can a coach and a team feel good or confident about a loss in which the entire team plays one of the ugliest games in the biggest series of their lives? My point is, no person playing in the NBA Finals should feel good after losing.

The Lakers are playing mind games with the Celtics' overconfident demeanor. They are figuring them out slowly but surely. The Lakers have unleashed the rabid killer that is Kobe Bryant after keeping him tame in the first two games. The Celtics felt the wrath of his fire and anger for the first time on Tuesday. They will adjust by reimplementing their original gameplan for games one and two and attempt to respond to Kobe's sudden offensive onslaught.

But Boston has a major problem. Now that Kobe's on fire, his teammates will soon follow. We all know THE MVP leads by example and we all know his energy and passion rubs off on his teammates. We've seen it all year and we're going to see it again. As the Lakers coaching staff methodically dissects the Celtics using their years of experience and expertise, guys like Sasha, Fisher, Odom, Gasol, Radmanovic, Ariza, Walton, and Turiaf are meditating again and starting to believe. 

The brash Celtics faithful wants to think less of Kobe's teammates and call them "dwarfs", although L.A.'s frontline is 7-0, 6-11, and 6-10 respectively. Boston wants to believe it's over. They're hoping and praying for the Lakers and their fans to collapse on the floor like a certain player who wears number 34 in green. The Truth is (no pun intended), Celtics fans are as uneasy and tense on their couch as their own team is on the Staples Center floor.

Celtics fans want to say the Lakers have no chance to win this series because the Lakers are all about Kobe. They want to taunt us and say the team in purple-and-gold has very little hope. Go ahead and underestimate Kobe and his ability to make others better players. Now that he's figured out a way to penetrate that defense, it automatically makes the other players better. You watch and listen to what I'm saying. Go ahead and overlook the Bench Mob.

Lakers Nation dares you.

THE ASSAULT CONTINUES...

Game Four Prediction:  Los Angeles Lakers 104, Boston Celtics 88 

 Click here to read Lisa H's blog for Game 4 

 Click here to find out why Boston won't win a game in Los Angeles