In the West bracket, the Los Angeles Lakers will attempt to defeat Phil Jackson’s former team. Kobe Bryant said he wanted to send Jackson off with another ring, and what better team to beat than the Chicago Bulls. Although the Bulls have the better ranking, the Lakers are far more experienced in pivotal games. The Bulls have had a successful season, but they cannot become the champions of the NBA if Kobe is still playing. The Los Angeles Lakers are headed off to the National Championship game.
In the other match-up in the Final Four, the Oklahoma City Thunder (7) will try to upset the Boston Celtics (2). During the trade deadline in mid-February, the Celtics and Thunder pulled off a block-buster trade that sent beloved Kendrick Perkins to the plains in Oklahoma. The Boston fans loved Perkins, so it will be great to see the ex-Celtic defeat his former fans. Although it will be an emotional game at first due to Perkins, the match-up will quickly turn bitter as the fourth quarter emerges. Unlike the previous teams Boston faced in the tournament, the Thunder are capable of knocking off an NBA powerhouse. The Thunder have one of the best closers in Kevin Durant, and he has a knack for hitting big-shots. In perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament, the Oklahoma City Thunder will defeat the Boston Celtics to join the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Championship.