The NBA's Final Four is set

The NBA's Final Four is set

By John McMullen

Philadelphia, PA - Any time you have a pair of stand-alone Game 7s featuring the NBA's two marquee teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, those old Heinz ketchup commercials come to mind...

Anticipation.

Unfortunately, neither game delivered.

The undermanned and overmatched Houston Rockets were run out of the gym by Kobe and Company, while the Orlando Magic bucked history by routing the defending champs in Beantown.

Despite a pedestrian coaching performance by the overrated Zen master (one that single-handedly turned Aaron Brooks into a star), Pau Gasol was able to dominate the paint in Game 7 with 21 points and 18 rebounds as LA avoided the embarrassment of bowing out at the hands of a Rockets team sans Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Dikembe Mutombo.

Pau Gasol was able to dominate the paint in Game 7 against the Rockets.

The Lakers' lead in the first half reached 25, as I reached for my lawnmower and hoped the Magic and Celtics could hold my interest for a little longer.

They did, but just barely.

Buoyed by hot three-point shooting and a strong push to start the fourth quarter, Orlando finally pushed a Kevin Garnett-less Boston team off the tightrope it on which it had been tiptoeing for the past two seasons.

In doing so, Stan Van Gundy's club pulled off a feat never accomplished before against the C's.

Orlando, which dropped the fourth and fifth games of the series in rather disheartening fashion, rallied to force a decisive contest with an 83-75 triumph on Thursday. On Sunday, the Magic brought down the anvil, sending the Celtics to their first-ever series loss after the storied franchise took a 3-2 edge.

Boston had been 32-0 in previous series when holding such a lead.

"When you look at a team that's 32-0 when leading a series 3-2 and come in and win by 19 points that's a big win," Van Gundy said. "I can't say I've ever had one that I've been happier about."

Hey, it's something.

You may have not watched any good basketball on Sunday, but at least you watched history.

Now it's time to look ahead at the NBA's Final Four as we grow ever closer to the coronation of King James the First.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) CLEVELAND vs. (3) ORLANDO

The Cavs have more playoff experience, the best player in the game, and a more competent coach.

That said, Orlando's ability to get hot from beyond the arc can make up for a lot of mistakes and figures to get them a game or two.

Fatigue should also be a key component in this series. The Magic just wrapped up a seven-game war with Boston after needing six games to dispose of a bad Philadelphia team. Meanwhile, the Cavs will have had nine days off to work on their tans.

Expect Cleveland to taste defeat for the first time this postseason at some point in this set, but don't expect them to face a stiff challenge throughout.

Cavs in 5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

(1) LA LAKERS vs. (2) DENVER

It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but the Lakers are in the Western Conference finals.

Houston and Rick Adelman magnified LA's flaws for all to see and I imagine George Karl and the Nuggets will torture LA with the pick-and-roll. The Nuggets, however, don't have the lightning-quick option in the backcourt like Brooks to take advantage of the Lakers' shaky perimeter defense.

Both teams are superb as the host and you play 82 games to get Game 7 at home. The Lakers have now won 16 of their last 18 home playoff games while Denver has won 16 consecutive home games dating back to the regular season. In fact, the Nuggets haven't lost at the Pepsi Center in over two months.

That said, consider this...LA is now 13-1 in home Game 7s and has won its last nine. The last and only time LA lost in a Game 7 on its home floor was in the 1969 NBA Finals, a 108-106 setback to the Celtics.

That's the difference here.

Lakers in 7