Boston vs L.A., the first game of this highly anticipated championship series will be settled on Thursday night.

Yep, all ya’ll were probably anticipating a Celtics - Lakers match-up in the 2008 NBA Finals the moment Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen moved to Boston and Pau Gasol decided to trade his Grizzlies jersey for the Lakers’ purple and gold.

After all the hype the last few days heading to this championship series, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will finally kick it off on Thursday night as Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Can Boston’s BIG THREE, collectively, outplay without a shadow of a doubt the best player in the NBA today? Kobe Bryant will try to win his very first NBA championship without the seven-foot Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers are certainly hoping No.24 will be up to the challenge.

Culminating his MVP season with a championship ring will just be sweet for Kobe Bryant, after all his failed attempts to win a ring without Shaq the last few years. He is hands down, the best player in the league this year and the last few years as well. The problem is, he has this three-headed monster from Boston, a three-headed monster who is as hungry as he is to win a title, looking to spoil Hollywood’s script of the ‘’dream season.'’

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have never won a championship yet and with father time breeding down their necks, this year could very well be the only chance they’ll get of finally winning a championship ring. If Los Angeles has the best player in basketball today, Boston’s BIG THREE will probably have this mindset to thwart Mr. Bryant’s bid for the title…

Strength by numbers.

Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were brought to Boston for one reason, win a championship. And together with Paul Pierce, they managed to secure homecourt advantage throughout the NBA playoffs INCLUDING this best-of-seven series for the 2008 NBA championship.

We all know KG and Pierce will lead the Celtics offensively but with Ray Allen finally breaking out of his shooting slump in their series against Detroit, the BIG THREE is finally back and running and that just might be enough to beat No.24.

It’s time people. Game on.

Who will win Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals between Boston and L.A.? Bodog sportsbook has the odds.

Los Angeles Lakers +2.5

Boston Celtics -2.5

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Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics