On Sunday, two NBA Game 7s will take place. First, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Houston Rockets in the decided game of their Western Conference battle. After that game, the Boston Celtics will host the Orlando Magic in a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference.

If you are playing playoff fantasy basketball, these two games could hold a lot of meaning for you. Which players could shine in their Game 7 contest?

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
After the Magic lost Game 5, Dwight Howard had a meltdown. He basically blamed the loss on not getting the ball enough. Howard got the ball a lot in Game 6 and expect him to get the ball a lot in Game 7.

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
When it comes to big times and big moments, Paul Pierce is usually the Celtics player who steps up. He has had some bad moments in this series but expect him to go off in Game 7.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Is there any doubt who the Lakers will go to in Game 7? Kobe Bryant could very likely end up with 40 or more points as the Lakers battle for their playoff lives against the Rockets.

Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Without both Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, Luis Scola is now arguably the best player on the Rockets. In Game 6, he dominated the action early on in the ballgame and helped the Rockets force a Game 7.

PG Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
For the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season, Chris Paul was the best player in the world. He had an amazing season and was a godsend to all of his fantasy teams. Going forward, Paul should remain the best fantasy point guard for a long time to come.

SG Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobili doesn’t play big minutes. Heck, Ginobili usually doesn’t even start. However, when he’s out there on the court, Ginobili just knows how to make things happen. While he can be a mistake prone player, he’s also capable of getting as hot as anyone.

SF Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Life is good for Paul Pierce right now. First he won the championship while bringing up the Finals MVP. Then Pierce got pulled over and passed three straight sobriety tests. Out of the Big Three for the Celtics, Pierce has the brightest future.

PF Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
Although he has struggled with injuries in the past, Amare Stoudemire has emerged as a very good fantasy basketball player. Playing next to Shaquille O’Neal should open up his game and allow him to do big things in 2008-09.

C Marcus Camby, Los Angeles Clippers
Marcus Camby is far from the best fantasy center in the NBA. However, Camby is unique in that he concentrates on blocking shots, rebounding and passing the ball. Every fantasy team can use an unselfish player such as Camby.

Photo: Newscom

Paul Pierce can keep smiling. After getting pulled over while in Las Vegas, Paul Pierce was given two field sobriety tests and a breathilizer test. The result? Pierce was found to be sober and no charges were filed. For good measure, Pierce had his car valeted and called a cab.

Not only does Paul Pierce now have a championship and a Finals MVP, he also fought the law and the Celtic won.

Here is the link to the original story of the incident:

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The Boston Celtics lost a big part of the their championship core on Wednesday when James Posey signed with the New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets signed the defensive specialist to a four-year, $25 million deal.

With Posey, the Hornets instantly become a much more physical team. They gain a player who has been in the playoff wars and has two championship rings to his name. Posey may start or he may be used as the team’s first player off the bench.

The Celtics will miss Posey’s toughness and heart. Even more of the overall leadership next season will have to be handled by the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. No longer will they be able to lean on Posey’s experience.

In terms of fantasy basketball, Posey won’t have very much value. He likely won’t play huge minutes and even if he does, most of his contributions don’t show up in the stat sheet. For that reason, this move is much bigger in terms of the NBA rather than fantasy.

Here is more information via a James Posey video:

Although Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett got a lot of publicity during the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship run, the Celtics were comprised of more than simply three star players. One such player, who was arguably just as important as anyone on the team, was James Posey.

Posey is a rugged, physical defender who has knack for hitting clutch shots on the offensive side of the court. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his body and lay it all on the line to get the win. His two championship rings prove that Posey is an elite winner in the NBA.

However, now Posey is a free agent and is getting interest from a lot of teams around the NBA. A lot of teams value his winning ways and view him as the ultimate role player. That said, chances are Posey will end up back in Boston. At the end of the day, it’s difficult to imagine that the Celtics would get outbid for a player that means so much to what they do.

If Posey does decide to leave, which teams make sense as possible destinations? The teams that would most likely value Posey would be teams that are on the brink of winning a championship. The New Orleans Hornets could plug Posey into their starting lineup and they would do well to add his toughness to their bunch. The Utah Jazz could also use a savvy perimeter player who can defend. The Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons and even the Los Angeles Lakers all make sense as possible Posey destinations.

Kevin Garnett would be sad to see James Posey leave Beantown.

Photo: Newscom

Manny Pacquiao easily dismantled David Diaz in the ring and then once outside the ring, he joined with the Boston Celtics to celebrate. Flashbulbs burst as pictures were taken of Pacquiao with various Celtics including Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Sam Cassell and Rajon Rondo.

Watch the complete video of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao with the Celtics here:

After winning the NBA championship, the Boston Celtics haven’t stopped celebrating. Recently, the Celtics were honored at a Boston Red Sox game. The Red Sox fans gave the Celtics a long standing ovation for a job well done.

To top off the festivities, Paul Pierce was asked to throw out the first pitch. Let’s just say that Celtics fans don’t have to worry about Pierce making a career change to become a baseball player a la Michael Jordan. Or even former two-sport star Danny Ainge, the now general manager of the Celtics.

Here is the video of Paul Pierce throwing out the first pitch:

Congrats to the Boston Celtics for becoming the 2008 NBA champions. The Celtics were the best team in basketball from the first game of preseason all the way to the final game of the year. By destroying the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 on Wednesday night, the Celtics won the championship in front of their home fans. Paul Pierce was named the MVP of the 2008 Finals.

Since I predicted the Lakers to win the championship, I’ll gladly eat crow. The Celtics were the best team all season and went out and handled their business in the Finals.

Here is a video celebrating the Boston Celtics and their championship run:

Kobe Bryant had a huge steal and a dunk to seal the win for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5. The Boston Celtics, who remain one win away from winning the 2008 NBA championship, lost the game 103-98. The Celtics will go home and play two games in front of their home fans. One win and they are champions.

However, take a second to watch this Kobe Bryant video. It looks like he may have fouled Paul Pierce when he reached in for the steal. And guess who was on the floor? Dick Bavetta, the ref who the FBI is investigating.

Interesting.

While the 2008 NBA Finals is still underway, it’s not too early to look at who will be named the 2008 Finals MVP. If the Los Angeles Lakers comeback from the 3-1 deficit to beat the Boston Celtics, Kobe Bryant will undoubtedly win the MVP. If the Celtics win, the race isn’t nearly as clear cut.

Boston’s Big Three — Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen — can each make a case for why they should win the 2008 Finals MVP. Here is a look at the stats so far in the Finals through four games:

Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is averaging 17.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game against the Lakers in the Finals. The problem is he’s only shooting 38.2% from the field.

Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce is averaging 19.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the series. He’s shooting 45.3% from the field, 46.7% from beyond the three-point arc and has played very good throughout defense throughout the series.

Ray Allen
Ray Allen is averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He’s shooting 52.1% from the field and 48.0% from three-point land.

Conclusion:
Ray Allen is currently in the lead in the MVP race. However, Paul Pierce can overtake him if he has another big game to close out the Lakers. Kevin Garnett would need a monstrous game to get back into the hunt.

Ray Allen is shooting himself to the Finals MVP

Photo: Newscom