The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

_{Photo copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)}

Folks--

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NBA Finals Game #6: Los Angeles 92, Boston 131

Series: Boston wins 4-2

Anyone who has watched the two NBA conferences from November to April this season, and then watched the respective conference matchups in the postseason, would be hard-pressed to deny that the Lakers should be favored in the final series that begins this evening in Boston. But let's begin by being counter-intuitive and considering the reasons--the legitimate reasons--for a potential Celtics upset. And no, I'm not talking about things like the Celts beating the Lakers in their only two meetings this season.

Let's start with the Celts disposing of Detroit in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals. The ESPN color crew was clearly in the tank for the Pistons during the pregame, on the supposition that having a week off after playing a numbskull Orlando Magic team was better than finishing off a grueling seven-game battle with the Cavs just 48 hours before. They were wrong, of course: If the Celts are going to be hurt by the war with LeBron and company, it will be later, 'round about Games Five, Six and Seven, and the erosion will be as much mental as physical.

 Celtics-Cavs Update: Squared series after 88-77 Cavs win last night.