The NBA Playoffs 2008 have officially ended and there are two teams that remain after three grueling rounds in the playoffs. The Finals of the NBA 2008 season pit the two best teams this year and the two expected teams to come out of the East and West, both number one seeds.

The Lakers had a relatively easy time advancing, even if they had gone up against more formidable opponents. They swept through the AI-Melo led Nuggets in Round 1, then dropped the solid Jazz team in 6 games to close out Round 2, and then defeated their nemesis the Spurs in 5 games to close out the Western Conference Finals.

These 3 teams were very tough and looked to challenge the Lakers strongly, but Kobe and the gang easily closed out each series. Even when they seemed down and out, the Lakers would just need one quarter to come back and close out the games, finishing their playoff run with only 3 losses, and winning all their home games. They are the favorites to win it all this year, even admist the Big 3 on the other side, that look to oust them in the Finals.

The Celtics, on the other hand, were THE team to beat this year and were on top of all headlines this year with the presence of the Big 3. It was a certainty that they would reach this point, and anything less would have been a total disaster.

Boasting of 3 of the top players in the league, they went through a very tough 3 rounds to get to the Finals. The upstart Hawks pushed them to Game 7 in Round 1, they narrowly escaped Lebron’s Cavs by 5 points in another Game 7 in Round 2, and then took the Pistons out in 6 games in the Conference Finals.

Does all this matter when they get to the Finals? Well for me, yes it does. Even if the Celtics won both games against the Lakers this year, it was without Gasol and with the Lakers still taking it easy. The Lakers are a totally different team right now, while the Celtics look very, very vulnerable.

It should be a good Finals series to watch, but it looks like the Lakers will take it in 5 or 6 games. This is definitely not going to go 7 games, unless by some miracle the Celtics win both home games and take one from the Laker floor. I just don’t see the Lakers losing at home at all in the post-season, and should pretty much take the Larry O’Brien trophy in Game 5 at home.

My prediction would be the Lakers winning in 5 games, with the Celtics winning just one home game.  Click HERE for a more detailed look at the Finals this year.