Celtics 97 - Lakers 91 * Boston makes great come back and lead NBA Finals series 3-1

Me and all Laker fans are in complete shock right now! Are we dreaming? Did this really happen? Game 4 of the NBA Finals started out so pleasant - so beautiful. It ended as a nightmare though as the Boston Celtics made one of the greatest come backs in history.

The game started with the Lakers on fire and we all knew that the Lakers meant business tonight. Lamar Odom had his Superman cape on (going 6-6 from the field and scoring 13 points in the quarter) and the rest of the Lakers looked like the other super friends as they just toyed with the Celtics in the first quarter and when it was all said and done the Lakers had a 35-14 lead after one. Pure domination by the Lakers as we saw for the first time in this series how the Lakers normally play.

In the second quarter the Celtics out scored the Lakers 26-23 but all the momentum still seemed to be on the Lakers side a they held a 18 point lead at the half 58-40. Magic Johnson was loving it, Sly Stallone was loving it, Jack Nicholson was loving it. Heck! We were all loving it!

With about 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Lakers still had a 20 point lead but then things started to change. The Lakers continued their third quarter curse as the Celtics outscored the Lakers in the third quarter 31-15 and were only down by 2 points 73-71 heading into the fourth. Everyone was in shock! How could the Lakers let this team come back! Did they get too comfortable and cocky with their big lead. Where was that killer instinct that Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper and the rest of the Showtime Lakers had. Those Laker teams would not let you get back up once they had you down. OK, forgot that, it was time for Kobe Bryabt to take over in the fourth quarter as he usually does - right?

Well he tried the best he could, even with four green and white jerseys running at him whenever he had the ball god knows he did try. When Powe hit a three pointer for the Celtics with about 9 minutes left in the game the Celtics tied the score at 73 and you could hear all the finger nails in Staples Center being bitten on as Lakers fans just couldn't beleive what they were seeing. Boston led it 89-87 with a little over 1:10 left in the game and the Lakers needed a stop but Posey hit a three pointer to make it a 92-87 Boston Celtics lead. Fisher then hit a jumper that brought the Lakers back to within three points. Pierce was then fouled (just like game 2) Hummm!?!? and hit both free throws and Los Angeles had to call a time out with 47 seconds left in the game and down by 5 points. Gasol made a dunk with 39 seconds left and the Lakers needed a defensive stop as they were down by three. Boston tried to run the clock down as far as they could then with about 20 seconds left in the game Ray Allen had the ball and was being guarded by Sasha Vujacic. Garnett came over to set a screen for Allen but Allen waved him off wanting to go one on one with Sasha. Allen ended up being the real super hero of the game as he drove right past Vujacic and to his surprise ended up in the paint with no one else around for the easy layup that pretty much sealed the win for the Celtics. Pau Gasol came over at Allen but way too late. Ray Allen later said that they were at the point of the game were the Lakers might have to start fouling and if they were going to foul, he wanted the ball in his hands. Of course he would, he's only one of the all time great free throw shooters. He got something better though with the easy layup. A couple more missed jump shots by the Lakers and this game was in the books as the Celtics celebrated their amazing victory.

Full credit is given to the Celtics for a terrific win but I can not believe that the Lakers let this happen to them. Many will say that the Celtics defense was responsible for the Lakers collapse but that was not the case, no defense is that good. Larry Bird used to always compliment Michael Cooper on his defense and talk about how Cooper was the best defense he has ever played against, Larry Bird would still manage to get his 30 points though. Great offense will always beat great defense. The Lakers just played terrible and have to blame themselves for this loss - simple as that! No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals so the Lakers will either take a vacation real soon and be thinking about how a season so great ended so bad or they will do what they have the entire season and that is shock everyone by doing what no one expects them to do. If they go with the latter then they will make history by becoming the first team to come back from the 3-1 deficit but there has to be a first - right - why not it be them. Not that it will be an easy task though but it is possible. Game 5 in Los Angeles should be a give me for the Lakers, I don't think anyone sees the Celtics win two straight in L.A. Game 6 will be the crucial one, if the Lakers can go in there and steal that game then it will force a game 7 and all the pressure will be on the Celtics. The Lakers will have the experience of Kobe Bryant and Derick Fisher on their side while the Celtics will all be in a pressure situation that none of them have ever been in. Remember what I say now - Game 5 is a give me - Game 6 is the most important game - Game 7 the Lakers make history!