(Insert sports cliche here)

It's game 7. Win or go home. The Lakers, Rockets, Magic and Celtics are all battling for their playoff's lives today and only two will move on. So who will win? Well lucky you, I am here to sort things out.

Lakers vs Rockets

I've touched on the Lakers lack of hustle in a post friday and nothing has changed. I did watch Kobe Doin' Work probably 3 times in a row last night and that team and the one playing the Rockets are two different teams. There are a few factors that will determine the outcome of this game for each team.

Lakers

1. They have to pass the ball. Kobe has taken 70 more shots then anyone else on the team. Lamar Odom needs to step it up. Derek Fisher needs to hit shots (1-14 in 3 point attempts) and Andrew Bynum needs to score more then the 5 points per game he is averaging this series.


2. The Zen Master needs to step up his game. Phil and Rick Adelman have had their battles when Adelman was in Sacramento and Phil always came out on top. Phil has to get his guys motivated to actually play basketball and we will see what tactics he uses.


3. Kobe needs to have an efficient game. I say efficient because he cannot have a game like he did game one where he needed 30 shots to reach 30 points. If he can go 13-25, something in that range, the Lakers will win.

Rockets

1. They need to cause havoc on both ends of the court. Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes must battle with the bigger Lakers and frustrate them to get them out of their game early (a 17-1 run would help).
   


2. Aaron Brooks needs to have another big game (25+ points, 10+ assists). He basically needs to be Rajon Rondo with a jump shot for the Rockets to have a chance today. He has been great so far and Phil has not came up with a scheme to stop him...yet.


3. Ron Artest needs to be crazy. He and Battier will be on Kobe all day and they must play lockdown D. Artest also needs to not take such dumb shots early in the shot clock.
   

Prediction: I'm going to go with the Lakers even though its more of a 55/45 split. The Rockets have a great shot of pulling the upset yet again and winning this series but the Lakers are too good and hopefully will play as a team today.

Celtics vs Magic

This is also a very confusing series. Both teams are shooting terrible with the Magic shooting 30% from the 3 point line (38% in the regular season) and Jesus Shuttlesworth has made only 5 three pointers in the series. So who comes out on top? Lets go to the matchups...

Celtics

1. Ray Ray has to have a big game. Paul Pierce and Big Baby (?) can't do it all. Rondo hasn't had the production that he did in the first round series but that was ridiculous. Allen needs to come out shooting which I'm sure he will.


2. Perkins and Big Baby need to stay out of foul trouble and keep Howard as far away from the basket as possible. Dwight Howard likes to think that he has a baby hook shot. Get back to me in three years when he has worked on it more.


3. Boston's bench has to be better then the Magics bench. That means Eddie House, Brian (GG) Scalabrine and Starbury need to play well and give the C's good minutes. I'm waiting for Steph to really have a breakout game this post season. It's not like he is a bad player, in fact he was one of the better players in the leauge.

Magic

1. They have to shoot the three with success. If the Magic can hit their 3's (they have gotten wide open looks all series) it will open up the court for Howard. Right now the Celtic guards can come down and help on Howard because the Magic have not shot well.


2. Get the ball to Dwight. And Dwight, stop with the baby hook. You are the tallest and can jump the highest. Just dunk on people please.


3. Stan Van Gundy needs his team to be behind him. He also needs to put the doughnuts behind him

Prediction: I'm going with my gut on this one. And my gut tells me that Boston...loses. Orlando's inexperience is balanced by the hunger and youthfulness that they have. They will be running out guys like Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick. (Wait, did I really just say that J.J. is a valuable player on a NBA team? Where is Adam Morison when you need him. Probably playing Halo. Thats where.) Boston is at home but I think you can only win series like this for so long. They had to do it twice last year (game 7's I'm talking) and then played to what most consider the best playoff series ever this year. They have to lose one of these times right?