SPORTS/OLYMPICS> North America
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SPORTS/OLYMPICS> North America
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Weak Lakers can only look to future after dismal defeat
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-19 09:54 BOSTON, Massachusetts - After one of the most lopsided losses in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers could only look to the future and hope to take some lessons from a historic rout.
The Boston Celtics humiliated the Lakers 131-92 to win the NBA Finals four games to two, inflicting the worst defeat of any title-clinching game in NBA history and the second-worst blowout in any Finals game. "Just upset more than anything, frustrated," Lakers superstar guard Kobe Bryant said. "But I'm proud. I'm proud of the effort that we gave. We should be proud of ourselves for that. "At the same time, second place just means you are the first loser. Just understanding that mentality and coming back next year ready to work at it, we should hold our heads up high. We did pretty well." The season-ending loss matched the fourth worst defeat in Lakers' history. After battling to win Game 5 when the Celtics could have won the series in Los Angeles, the Lakers looked horrid and were out of contention by half time. "It's hard. It hurts. It's even hard to talk about," Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic of Slovenia said. "It's going to hurt tomorrow and the day after but we have got to get over it." The Lakers blew a 24-point lead in dropping Game 4 at home to Boston when they were on the verge of leveling the series, then squandered a 19-point lead in Game 5 before fighting back to extend the series. "As long as we learn something from it we will be OK," Vujacic said. "There is one positive thing. We're a young team and I think we can compete at this level for a long time. We will be here again." But, Bryant warned, that nothing is assured. That is what makes every playoff loss equally misery-inducing, especially one in the Finals. "They are all pretty crappy," Bryant said. "It's pretty bitter right now. "We have to continue to work. The key is understanding this isn't guaranteed to anybody. People have gotten here before and never gotten back. It's important for us to understand that, work hard and come back next year ready to go." The Celtics led the NBA in shooting defense this season and shut down NBA Most Valuable Player Bryant in the Finals, "right up there" with the best defenses Bryant has ever seen. "If we're going to learn anything from this series, we can't expect to win a championship by focusing on the offensive end. We have to be able to hold people down. We're pretty good. I think we can be much better." Andrew Bynum, injured this season, will return to add inside power next season. "Rebounding and shot blocker in the middle, he solves a couple of those (problems)," Bryant said. Bryant said that being part of the NBA's most historic rivalry - the Celtics have beaten the Lakers in nine of their 11 NBA Finals meetings - was enjoyable and he would welcome another chance to even his personal score with Boston. "A lot of people enjoyed it. There was a lot of energy in it," Bryant said. "I got a chance to revisit a lot of classic confrontations from the past. We lived those, the 'Beat L.A.' chants and all that. It was fun to be part of it." With the 30-something Celtics at a peak and the younger Lakers looking solid for the future, title rematches for years to come is not such an outlandish idea. "That would be nice," Bryant said. "It would be an honor for us because that means we're continuing to do something right if we find ourselves in this position in June once again."
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