Celtics vs. Lakers: The matchup we’ve all been waiting for

The Boston Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA Championship has finally come down to this. The two franchises in the NBA with the most NBA titles in the history of the league (Celtics have 16, the Lakers have 14), will meet for the 11th time on Thursday.

It’s the Celtics’ first finals appearance since 1987. The Lakers haven’t been here since 2004. And it will be the first time the No. 1 seeds have met since 2000.

Many may still be reminiscing about the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, which dates back 21 years, but this year is different. The Celtics are a transformed team, made up of the big three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But the Lakers have their big three, too — Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom — and they have finally found their groove.

However, it seems that the Lakers have the edge, gliding easily to a Western Conference Championship and finals appearance. The Celtics went a full seven games against eighth-seeded Atlanta and fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. They just barely escaped the Detroit Pistons after winning in game six. Boston has failed to impress. They had the best record in the regular season, but it means nothing in the finals.

The Lakers, on the other hand, are championship material. They have championship-winning players and coaches. They will be successful if Bryant plays like the Most Valuable Player he is, if they run against the Celtics and get help from their bench.

Although it may seem that both teams match well against each other, both teams have advantages. In the power-forward position is Vladimir Radmanovic against Garnett. Garnett, who is averaging 18.8 points a game, has the clear advantage in this situation. In small forward, it’s Odom against Pierce. Odom, at 6 feet 10 inches, clearly dominates against a 6-foot 6-inch Pierce. Odom is a great rebounder, is aggressive on the drive and can attack opponents off the dribble. He is the X-factor. He really needs to have a good series if the Lakers want to win it all.

In center, it’s a matchup between Gasol and Kendrick Perkins. Gasol is averaging 12 more points a game, 2.3 more rebounds and 2.1 assists than Perkins. In the guard positions, there’s Derek Fisher and Rajon Rondo and Bryant matching up against Allen. Allen won’t be able to keep up with Bryant, and if Boston decides to double-team, a look to Fisher or Gasol for the three will be wide open.

It should be one of the highest-rated finals since 1998 when Michael Jordan played the Jazz in his last year with the Bulls. The NBA needs this. Its ratings are slipping, and a lot of people are turned off by the culture of the NBA right now. The classic matchups are about to be relived with the Boston-Los Angeles series. Now people have something to relate to. My prediction: the Lakers in game six.