And just like that, the Celtics have all the momentum in the NBA Finals. Winning last night’s Game 2 behind a record-setting performance from Ray Allen and the clutch playmaking of Rajon Rondo, Boston now gets three straight games at home, where they’re 7-2 in these playoffs and went 3-0 against the Lakers in the ’08 Finals … As invisible as Ray was in Game 1, he had everybody checking for him this time. In the first half he dropped seven three-pointers — missing only once and scoring 27 before halftime — and finished with an NBA Finals record eight treys. Ray (32 pts) started out banging shots in Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown‘s faces like he was Miguel Cotto and they were Yuri Foreman; and even after Kobe took on the assignment, the 10-time NBA All-Defensive pick got lit up, too … Read More »

Our prediction? Two matchups will determine the outcome of tonight’s NBA Finals Game 2 (8 p.m. EST, ABC): Kobe Bryant vs. Ray Allen, and Pau Gasol vs. Kevin Garnett. In breaking down Game 1, you could credit L.A.’s rout primarily to Kobe (and/or the refs) keeping Ray on the bench and out of rhythm, and Gasol treating KG like the hairy, sweaty guy did Ben Stiller in Along Came Polly … Garnett looked old and creaky on Thursday, but he’s gone back and forth from good days to bad days throughout the season, and could very well have a new chip on his shoulder. Read More »

If you haven’t been watching HBO’s reality series “24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto,” you’ve been missing out. Chronicling the preparations and back stories of both fighters as they train for their November 14th showdown, the four-episode series has been great. Check out this clip as Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach talk about his passion for basketball, its role in training camp and the agreement between the two about the sport and the approaching fight.