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“Now the regular season begins,” said Kobe Bryant after the Lakers beat the defending champs the San Antoino Spurs 100-92 last night to advance to the NBA Finals.  The Lakers won at home to make this a sweet victory.  Bryant scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers had to fight most of the night to come back from an early 17-point deficit.  Pau Gasol had 12 points and a career playoff-high 19 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots.  Tony Parker scored 23 points and Tim Duncan had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for the Spurs. 

The Spurs (who have yet to win back-to-back championships) may need to look at getting some young blood in their line-up.  Parker who is 26-years-old and the rest of the team is solely made up of 30-something players.  The Lakers have not seen a Final since 2004, where they faced the Detroit Pistons and lost in five games.  The next month the Lakers traded Shaquille O’neal.  The next few years would be filled with lost over lost and the worst Kobe’s trade talk after last years season when they were kicked out of the first round by Shaq’s new team the Phoenix Suns.  With hard work from everybody and new blood the Lakers have bonded together to get all the way to the Finals.  People can say what they want to about this Lakers team and about how they think Kobe is as a person and as a player, but where would we be if we let him walk.  Where would this team be without Derek Fisher and Gasol.  Without Lamar Odom stepping up along with our reserves showing heart.  We have come along way and this season is far from over.  Who ever wins out East will have their hands full.  We are ready, we are hungy and we will walk away with a Championship.  We have a week to rest before the NBA Finals take place next Thursday night in either Boston or Detroit.  Let’s set out and do what we planned on doing………WIN