No team has ever blown a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The LA Lakers had a chance to even up the 2008 final series at 2-2, and for a half on Thursday night it looked like the legend of Larry was dead. The Lakers flew out to a 17 point lead. At the end of one it was 35-12 LA. Lamar Odom single handily carried the Lakers through a first quarter that was a total LA domination. The Lakers had a seemingly insurmountable lead. So was it the legend of Larry Bird that helped the Celtics come out of the Staple Center with a 2 game lead and just 1 win away from KG’s first ever Larry O’Beantown trophy? Or was it an overconfident bunch from LA? It was like the City of Angels was willing the Lakers to a half time lead. The Lakers had a decided edge in the rebounds, were beating the Celtics down the floor, and were putting balls in the basket.
